HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

GERD/Cancer Very Scared

Support Forums
>
GERD & Acid Reflux
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 8/15/2013 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hello to all,

So glad that I found this site. I will try and be brief. I have had slight swallowing issues for the past two years. For a while, I had problems swallowing liquids only sometimes. Recently, the problems seems to be with food more than liquids. I have been taken svarious PPI's for Gerd for the past two years. I had a bad case of heartburn 5 years ago and had an endoscope. Absolutely nothing was found and soon as the Doc told me that, my chest burning went away. Except for that occasion, never really get chest burning, but have had the lump in my throat and a cough that lasted quite a while until I was put on the PPI's. I went to an ENT today and he did a scope and said that he found nothing wrong with my throat. I am scheduled to have a video esophogram with full motion test on Friday. I am 43, obese, have two kids, a great wife, and a great life. I have been working on my weight the last year or so and have lost 20lbs. I really wish I had taken better care of myself. I am really afraid that my bad diet choices have caught up with me. I have never smoked and never drank alcohol. I gave up pizza and spaghetti and several other foods two years ago. Right now I mainly eat a low carb diet. Today I have been so anxious, I can't seem to get applesauce down. I can only sip water. I am very afraid that I have esophageal cancer now. My throat often feels very irritated, scratchy, and I have to clear it constantly. Sometimes it feels a bit swollen inside. ENT could not see any of this. He told me that I might feel the results of gerd in my throat, but it could actually be from somewhere else in my esophagus. Once again, I seldom if ever feel any burning in the chest. Sometimes I do have gas and belch quite a bit. I have tried everything natural as well: slippery elm, aloe vera juice, HGL, marsh mellow root, and I currently take plant digestive enzymes. all of these things help, but i am afraid that my GERD may have been under treated for the past 2-3 years. So sorry to ramble, but right now I am a mess. As I re-read this, I feel even worse because i am a man of great faith, but right now fear has its hold on me. Has anyone else had swallowing issues with gerd. I have never thrown up, never been awakened at night from gerd. I also just had blood work run and it all came back really good. Blessings and best wishes to all!!https://www.healingwell.com/community/emoticons/smhair.gif
Posted 8/15/2013 2:45 AM (GMT 0)
Is it likely that I could have developed cancer since a scope showed absolutely nothing 5 years ago? I have never missed taking my PPI's for the past two years. I sleep upright most nights in a chair or on the couch. That's really my question. Sorry that I didn't ask the question well in the previous post. Has anyone experienced gerd to cancer is 5 years? I can't find a good answer from searching on line. It always says "several years" of untreated or under treated Gerd for cancer to form.
Posted 8/15/2013 3:03 AM (GMT 0)
bluesax7

Welcome to Healing Well.

If you were diagnosed with barretts or worse with the last scope I don't believe you have cancer now. It took me almost 14 years to develop barretts and there are 2 more steps before cancer. That was 8 years ago. I still only have a small section of barretts.
I would get into see a GI doctor since the ENT didn't see anything in the upper area. Please do yourself a favor...stay off of Dr. Google and lower your stress. Don't get caught up in the "what ifs". I can see you are having some serious anxiety about this from your post. When this gets you try doing some deep breathes. Holding them for a count of ten. Listen to some soothing music or sounds.

From you username I am assuming you play blues guitar? If i am right, use it to relax. I play acoustic and find it very relaxing.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 8/15/2013 7:56 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you so very much Bill!! Yes, I have been having a lot of anxiety about this and my health in general for the past 10 years. Guilt may be the most deadly disease of them all. Thank you for helping me realize this. I finally released an enormous amount of guilt and I feel 200% better. Thanks for this site!

And yes I play jazz sax rooted heavily in the blues! I will be back on it first thing in the morning!!

Thanks again!!
Posted 8/17/2013 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
Ok, so I hand an videoesophageagram on Friday the came out normal. I then went to see my Gastro doc and he has doubled my dexilnat to twice a day. After I took it the second time yesterday, I felt much better and felt like I could eat. I felt like I was finally going to get better. Then this morning I woke up feeling the need to spit and did. I noticed and could taste a little bit of blood in the spit!!!! I never noticed anything like that before. Also after I took my morning Allegra tablet, it felt as if was stuck!!! Just when I was feeling better, now all of this. Has anyone else experienced these symptoms!!! I had an endoscope in 2009 and all was clear, but my reflux has been very aggravated lately! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Extremely concerned again!!! My GI told me to take the double dose of dexilnat for two weeks and I wasn't better, he would go in and see if I needed dilation and anything else that was going on.
Posted 8/17/2013 2:10 PM (GMT 0)
bluesax7

I had several strictures in the past. I would have different foods and pills that would get stuck. I also had several dilatons and that did help, but eventually the strictures would return until I got my GERD under control. I had a choice of upping my daily dose to 4x or go the surgery route.

Anyway, once things healed I haven't had any issues with strictures. Give the Dexilant some time to work. It takes a week or so sometimes to really take affect. Before taking any meds I used to drink a little bit to be sure nothing was sticky in there.

Some OTC meds that have worked quite well for me and others here are Pepsid and gaviscon liquid. Might try the liquid as it coats the esophagus and can help with the irritation while the meds help to heal things in there. Please try to get the anxiety under control too. I have been there and know it's not easy, but do your best.

The videoesophagram sounds like a barium swallow test. This is a good tool to see how things are working, but to put your mind at ease you might want to ask for another EGD since it's been about 4 years. The blood in your spit could be a lot of things, even from your sinuses.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 8/17/2013 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
I'm finding out when we get a hint of something wrong when the GERD seems to take over, even the Drs do not understand. The worst of it is when they "insert" a Bravo-Meter and it suddenly disappears...you go back to the Dr and he says "We have to wait till it loosens up and passes through your bowel system. When that happens...call me then". Excuse me??? This sure does frighten me! I'm finding out a lot of people like us are not being treated correctly, and to me it sounds like a just sit and wait...after having it for years! I would like to know if anyone else has had problems with the Bravo-Meter.
Posted 8/17/2013 2:29 PM (GMT 0)
SunnySkyJan

I only had the bravo once out of 5 PH studies. I was told by the surgeon who did my 1st redo that he doesn't believe the Bravo is as accurate as the wired one. I'd rather deal with the wire for a day and know it is out of there when they remove it than to wonder if it has fallen off.
Several people here have had difficulties with the Bravo, from pain to it not coming loose and having to go in and remove it.
I didn't have any real pain with it, but I could tell it was there.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 8/17/2013 2:53 PM (GMT 0)
Bill

Thanks again for the wisdom. I'm just going to continue the meds for two weeks and then have the scope. In the meantime, I will just get on with living my life positively. Thanks again for your wisdom and perspective!

Sincerely,
Dave
Posted 8/27/2013 4:10 AM (GMT 0)
Just thought that I would give an update. I have had two good scopes by an ENT and he found nothing wrong. Did a barium swallow and it showed nothing was wrong. This morning I had an upper endoscopy and all that was found is gastritis in my stomach and normal Gerd. No tumors, Barrett's, ulcers or anything like that. Just inflammation. My GI took several pics all throughout from my throat to my stomach to the first part of my small intestines. None of the horrible things that I thought. I will continue my Dexilant and continue to loose weight(25lbs so far). Doc says that will really help me. My anxiety and Dr. Google did far more damage than anything else. Special thanks to Bill for all the words of wisdom during this ordeal! You were extremely helpful. Hope everyone finds relief and peace from the nasty gerd symptoms! Best wishes to all and happy healing!!
Posted 8/27/2013 4:28 PM (GMT 0)
bluesax7

Very happy to hear this. Play some good music when ever your anxiety gets you. I'm dealing wit it to and my guitar is what usually gets me through.

Take care,
Bill
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply