Barretts - Diet, Medication & Pain - Digestive Disorders Message Board

HalleyJ · 08-04-2002, 09:54 AM

I'm was recently diagnosed with Barretts. I was on Nexium & Carafate for a couple of weeks and now I'm on Previcid and Carafate. My acid reflux story is a long one that I won't bore you with now. I will just say I had a normal endoscopy and upper GI in May of 2001 and was having ******** therapy at the time. I started Fosamax in September 2001 and by Jan-Feb 2002 my back pain got worse. All of my back doctors were puzzled. July 2002 I had a case of heartburn that landed me in ER. I was put on Acifex and Vicodin. A few days later, my throat closed up and I saw a gastro. dr. who did the the endoscopy & biopsy and gave me the diagnosis of Barretts. He said I have it upper and lower which he thought was strange. He did say no unusual cells yet and to have another endoscopy in 2 years. My questions are 1)Does the pain ever go away if you already have Barretts? 2) What should I be eating? I've been sticking with very bland foods. No coffee, tea, chocolate, alcohol. Any suggestions or words of encouragement will be greatly appreciated.

Katie G · 08-05-2002, 07:02 AM

Hi, Halley. I was diagnosed with Barrett's in 1999 after years of GERD/reflux. My pain never went away - some days were better than others, and I eventually got used to the feeling of pain/tenderness at the lower end of the esophagus, sore throat, bad taste in my mouth, etc., etc., from all the symptoms of reflux. I'm surprised your doc is waiting 2 years until the next endo. Although esophageal cancer is slow growing, Barrett's is a real red flag that needs to be monitored. My doc did yearly endos after I was diagnosed; in 2001, I underwent fundoplication to correct the GERD, since my LES was not functioning normally and never would even with medication. Did your doc mention surgery to correct the reflux? If you continue to feel bad from the reflux, get a 2nd opinion, and ask about surgery and whether it would be a good idea for you.

Keep us posted,
Katie G

HalleyJ · 08-06-2002, 08:27 AM

Hi Katie, Thank you so much for your reply. Sorry to hear you have this painful condition too. I am going to check into having annual Endoscopy. I figure if I went from normal to Barretts in a year or so, annual Endoscopy would be a very good idea. Did your doctor do any other tests to find out your LES wasn't functioning or was it only after the standard medications didn't work. When did you have your surgery? It sounds like your pain went away after solving the reflux with LES surgery. Is that correct. The doctor I was seeing about my back gave me Vicodin for pain and it does help the esophagus pain as well if pain is still a problem for you. I know it is not a good drug to be on, but I still have some and take on bad days. Thanks again for sharing your exeprience. Halley

Katie G · 08-06-2002, 09:34 AM

Hi, Halley. After Barrett's was diagnosed in 1999, the doc wanted to do surgery right then, but I was the one who wanted to wait and research it more. I just had my gall bladder out in '97, was not ready for another abdominal surgery 2 years later. After my endo in '99, the doc also had me undergo 24 hr. pH monitor test to measure the amount of reflux that occurs in a 24 hr. period, and an esophageal manometry to measure the strength/function of the LES. That's where the doc found my LES was hypotonic and not staying closed well. However, he didn't tell me that until I decided I would have surgery; my pH test was not that abnormal and therefore, he thought I could defer surgery. After much internet research, I went to him in 2001, and asked about the LES function since I had discovered that some people with Barrett's may not seriously reflux, but are super sensitive to the reflux when they do and that's what causes the damage. That's when he told me that although my esophageal contractions were normal (indicating I was a good candidate for fundo surgery), the tone of the LES was low. No amount of medication (I was currently taking 40mg of Prilosec) was going to help that. That's when I finally made up my mind to have surgery, which was done in June 2001. I just want you to know that both of these pre-op tests are VERY uncomfortable and I hated every minute of them. I'm no longer taking anti-reflux meds, and the recovery from the surgery was not bad at all. However, I can no longer burp well when I need to, so gas pains can build up and cause severe chest pain. I will never be able to vomit again, so hopefully, I never get a severe stomach flu, or I wiil end up with dry heaves only.

For further info on the fundo surgery and recovery process, read my response to GreenSushi's post ("To Katie G") further down on this board. I went into great detail for him, because he may be facing fundo surgery in the future.

I no longer have pain from reflux, but I will still get chest pain from built up gas/pressure, which can be just as bad as the reflux pain until it passes. I would still consider doing the surgery today, since my last endo (June 2002) revealed no Barrett's and much less inflamation. Don't let your symptoms go - Barrett's is a red flag that can't be ignored.

Keep me posted,
Katie G

HalleyJ · 08-06-2002, 10:25 AM

Thank you Katie for taking the time to explain. I've read your response to GreenSushi and will discuss with my doctor at my next visit. It was encouraging to hear that after surgery you didn't have the barrett's pain anymore. I was surprised to hear that your followup endoscopy was negative for Barretts. I thought that the changes in the esophagus could only be fixed by surgery. Hope you are enjoying your vacation. Halley