Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (Mals)

[sue1234]

Why are we not talking about this? CLICK on the tab that says "watch here" and it will go to the video

This is a video where Dr. Abdallah in Virginia is talking about impingement of the celiac artery/celiac plexus by the median arcuate ligament in some of his POTS patients. They are having surgery, and some of them (according to a post on another forum) are now free of POTS.

The main symptoms are nausea, pain and vomiting after eating, but that's not all, or someone could have just gastroparesis or shortness of breath when exercising. Read the "vegetative" symptoms on page 16 here (it's a download, so may have to open it)

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fu.jimdo.com%2Fwww400%2Fo%2Fs83452f7d9097b8db%2Fdownload%2Fm1684de4f7f67e0bb%2F1413965147%2FThe%2BCeliac%2Bganglion%2B%2528artery%2529%2Bcompression.pdf&h=AAQFz-Nod

I made an appt. with a cardiologist that has some experience with MALS, and I'm going to find this lecture on a printout somewhere. I haven't found it yet.

Could it be something this simple? And I'm NOT saying this is THE answer to POTS, but maybe it is for some.

[Guest ANCY]

Thank you so much for sharing! I'm going to pass this along to my POTS friends and my Drs.

[lewis]

I had this surgery done just over a year ago. Really helped alot of my problems but but not all. I got a big portion of my life back though. I haven't watched your link yet but will when I get time. Let me know if you have any questions about it.

[sue1234]

Just checked back, Lewis, and see you just posted! Can you give us a little story of what symptoms it cleared up, and maybe what led up to the diagnosis? Thanks in advance.

[lewis]

I started having nerve pain in my feet. I went to the doctor and he found I had a bruie in my right upper abdomen during his examination. I have had gastritis for 8 years and was on ppi for it. Within months I started going down hill fast with pots symptoms beginning to show up. I couldn't eat without having pain in my stomach and everything I ate bothered me and affected my pots. The ppi made my nerve pain worse and i was adversely affected by every medication I took. I lost alot of weight. My surgeon said it wouldn't help me but I begged him to do the surgery. After I did it he said he was skeptical that it did anything however I have no more gastritis and can eat everything except gluten and my dysautonomia is manageable, at least I have some good days on occasion where as before no day was a good day and I felt death was imminent.

[sue1234]

Lewis,

I forgot to come back and say thank you for your story! I cannot wait for my upcoming appt. to check for this.

[Sylvie33]

I just read a bit about this. It is interesting to see it primarily affects younger, thin women....a subgroup for POTS. Yet, as Lewis wrote, it appears cardinal symptoms are gastroparesis and weight loss, as well as a "bruit" (defining noise) that can be detected.

I hope this is a path to recovery for some readers.

[sue1234]

And yet I am short and about 15 lbs. overweight. I feel I have NO room in my abdomen for all my organs and intestines! Maybe being short is causing a similar problem (if I even have this).