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Diagnosed young with Barrets Esophagus, have questions and advice wanted

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 6/20/2015 12:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hey guys,

So I was diagnosed young with Barret's esophagus, I also have a hiatal hernia, I was 17 I think when they found it and I'm 22 now so I have been on Omeprazole for years already. Is there anyone on here who was on them or any proton pump inhibitor for long term say 10 years? 20 years? If so has there been any complications or side effects because of the long term use of Omeprazole/PPIs? I'm young so I'm sure there is a lot I can be doing now to help reduce the effect Barret's has on me but I'm not sure what to do about it sometimes. I take an omeprazole at night before I go to sleep because I get horrible acid when I'm laying down but sometimes it seems like it doesn't do anything and other times I guess it works well, I have been taking Rolaids/tums also a lot, is there better alternatives to these medicines? I read/hear a lot of stuff about how Rolaids/tums are not good for you, especially taking a lot of them and long term. Also I burp almost constantly throughout the whole day, like ridiculous amounts of burping, it really gets to me sometimes, does anyone else get this? I talk to my doctors a lot but I feel like they could be more helpful sometimes and aren't with some of the issues I have. If anyone else gets the ridiculous amount of burping, please share with me ANYTHING I can do to reduce it. I would also like advice or recommendation on a good diet to eat, I have been getting better at avoiding fried foods, acidic stuff like coffee, vinaigrettes, things that seem to aggravate my acid reflux but I would like a more consistent diet that I could start eating through out the week that I know is good for me and my condition. Again I have asked my doctors about this stuff but usually when I ask about diet they just tell me what NOT to eat and not things I SHOULD eat. Thanks.

Post Edited (Will_L) : 6/20/2015 6:52:31 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/20/2015 6:15 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Will_L - You may be an air-swallower, like me. So here are some suggestions that might cut down on your burping.

NO straws, chewing gum, carbonated beverages. (Beer is really bad for burping) Drinking out of bottles is bad. Chew with your mouth closed. Try to swallow whatever you're eating before talking during a meal. Try to breathe through your nose instead of mouth. (I know this sounds stupid, but it does make a difference). Drink in sips instead of gulping or chugging.

When you eat, take smaller mouthfulls and chew thoroughly before swallowing. Eat more slowly, so you are aware of your food.

By the way, I found out that eating mints for heartburn only makes things worse. I used to eat them by the handsfull.

What are your doctors doing about the Barrett's diagnosis? This is a really serious condition and you don't just want to ignore it.

Maybe because you are so young, the protocols for GERD treatment are used more on people my age. Same thing with the Barrett's. But I can imagine how miserable and interruptive the GERD is to your every-day life.

As far as diets are concerned, there are all sorts of diet recommendations on the net; you need to just put in some time exploring the options. Your choices would be dictated by your preferences, availability of groceries,etc. (i.e. are you a city-dweller, suburbs, or a country person? Do you live alone or sharing the cooking with someone, etc.)

Hope this is helpful. I really sympathise with you; when you don't sleep well (for one reason or another) the days are more difficult. Wishing you the best; keep us posted, ok?

Fresh Greens
Posted 6/21/2015 11:32 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Will , i have had reflux for 25 or so years. I started taking tums and rolaids then h2 blockers and ended up on ppis . I have taken many ppi drugs until i found nexuim . Ive taken nexium for about 16 years , it works great for stopping my reflux . I started having muscle pain about 10 years ago , thought it was just work related until about a year ago when i tried to come off nexium and use pepcid ac . When i did this i had severe reflux but felt more energetic and hardly any muscle pain. Needless to say i ended up on nexium again within 3 days muscle pains returned along with no energy!! So after consulting with a surgeon who said im a perfect candidate for a toupet nissen because i have a high ph and weak valve and weak motility.. This surgery scares me so i am trying to take prescription h2 blockers and eat better ( doing ok with that) like you i want to try a really good reflux diet before diving into surgery. I dont have barretts yet but if i did i would probably go for surgery. I recommend you consult with a gi doc and monitor your condition closely. You will have to stay on meds or have surgery . I hope this helps you out , i feel your pain.
Posted 6/22/2015 12:26 AM (GMT 0)
Will, the best diet you can do for any reflux is in the book Dropping Acid by dr. Jamie Koufman. She actually has an example of someone who was diagnosed with Barrett's, followed her diet exclusively for one year, rescoped and no Barretts. She is the foremost authority on reflux. I really think it would be worth your while to get her book and read it. She has helped many refluxers who had run the gamut with doctors and found their way to her for help. I know first hand how the medical profession is lacking in helping us as I am one of her patients now and can't believe the progress I have made in a very short time.
Posted 6/22/2015 1:59 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for the replies. All I'll take your advice and see if it helps. Just so you guys know I have been getting an endoscopy every 2 years or so to keep it monitored for any dysplasia. Also I will most definitely check out that Book Kar102, thank you.
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