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A natural way of dealing with Barretts esophagus?

Posted , 65 users are following.

malcolm47
malcolm47

Hello all,quite recently I realised that my treatment for Barretts did not appear to be working very well I am taking 40mg Lansoprazole twice per day for the usual symptoms,reflux,distension,discomfort in throat etc.

I was diagnosed last June with Barretts,hiatus hernia and reflux after undergoing an endoscopy and despite taking the above medication still suffered the symptoms from time to time usually if I ate too much or ate the wrong things,for example tomatoes,cucumber,chocolate,spicy meals and so on.

Last week those symptoms returned with a vengeance and would not go away,so after scouring the Internet I decided to try a mixture of Diglycerinated liquorice,slippery elm,and a digestive enzyme bought from a local health shop and hey presto it seems to be working and for three days I have stopped taking Lansoprazole completely.

I hope that this new course continues to work as I am not sure about the long-term effects of taking PPI's it seems to be open to debate as to their efficacy over a long period of time.

Anyway for now I feel human again and will continue with my current treatment of 2-3 DGL capsules,a steeped brew twice per day of slippery elm powder(mix with milk and hot water) and one Digestive enzyme capsule at tea time.

However if necessary I may still take the odd Lansoprazole if this new method fails to continue to do its job.

By the way I am 63,male and currently awaiting a second knee replacement,medically retired in June last year from Royal Mail due to knee injury incurred on duty,I believe as a result of this inactivity (I have not worked since last June) this illness i.e Barretts et al appeared,the worry and inability to walk properly for 15 months has caused it to surface.

I would be interested to know if anyone else has had a similar experience and whether or not anyone is using natural remedies for treating this horrible affliction which according to one nurse in Orthopaedics when I had my preop for knee replacement 'is nothing much' I quipped back that try telling me that at two in the morning when I'm still awake feeling like I've eaten a five course meal and cannot get comfortable in bed,anyway food for thought,I will be glad to hear of anyone else's experiences on the subject of Barretts and on alternative treatment.

Regards Malcolm

5 likes, 118 replies

118 Replies

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  • Barnie
    Barnie

    Posted

    Hi Graythomas

    Malcolm has got hold of a couple of good forums re Barretts where they are discussing the HALO a lot - if Malcolm could PM you (hope you do not mind me offering your services Malcolm) with the forum sites then you can read a lot there. I am working at the moment and so do not have access to the sites but Malcolm gave them to me and I found them really helpful. There is one American one and one UK one and if you can ask the question about HALO treatment here on the UK one you will find them most helpful. The guy that runs the UK site is very knowledgeable from what I can see.

    I am puzzled as to why they have not offered it to you so would be most interested in hearing how you get on - I know NICE have passed it to come into use. Maybe they are training doctors on the use of it or something but I would definitely bring it up with your doctors on your next appt.

    Hope this has helped and will be interested to hear how you got on.

    Barnie

  • malcolm47
    malcolm47

    Posted

    Hi GrayThomas,

    Here are a couple of sites you might find useful as Barnie suggested:-

    www.mdjunction.com/forums/barrett-esophagus-discussions‎

    www.barrettscampaign.org.uk/forum/‎

    Yes I suspect Halo in the UK is not freely available because of cost,I believe in the USA it is more widely available due to their health system,whereas here at the moment it is there,but you wouldn't think so because I have never been told of it by my doctors,a bit unreal as esophagus cancer is one of the most brutal of all types,I lost both mum and dad with it.

    Anyway try these sites (unless you've already done so) and see what you think,nothing gained,nothing lost so to speak.

    Good health and sleep well,thanks to my knee replacement my sleep comes in 1 hour spurts if I'm lucky and I feel exhausted,roll on Christmas!

    Regards Malc.

  • Barnie
    Barnie

    Posted

    Thanks Malcolm for the links. From what I have read and understood it is to be used on cases like GrayThomas - people who have severe dysplasia.There is a list of hospitals who are using the procedure and there are quite a number of them.

    Glad your knee op went as well as could be expected - the only way is up now!

    Am using the Digestive Enzymes on a as and when system at the moment - have bought the slippery elm in capsule form and have yet to use that one.

    Regards

    Barnie

  • suskwatch
    suskwatch

    Posted

    Well hi everyone that was an interesting read i too have Barretts and on lansoprazole sometimes twice a day ,,the one thing i noticed was that no one on this forum said they had a cough. I have a cough like a whoop and it drives me to despair totally affecting my quality of life i have been told that this is downto the Barretts ..is there any one else that suffers with this..i'm not sure if it would make me feel better but i suppose it would be nice to know that i'm not alone with this..it hurts and also has given me a weak bladder i am 56 yr old female and have had this as well as a small hernia for about 3yrs
    • PJ30
      PJ30 suskwatch

      Posted

      Hi Suskwatch,

      I don't know if you visit this post, since it has been three years dince tou submitted it. I just wanted to confirm that I have the exact symptoms that you experience. The cough is what finally prompted me to see my gastroenterologist. I've had issues with reflux off and on for a couple of decades. I was diagnosed with Barrett's very recently.

      I am female and 54 years old. I'm hoping that with diet and lifestyle change, along with a proton pump inhibitor medication, this will maintain enough health in my esophageal tissue to prevent Barrett's from advancing to cancer. I hope you are doing well and are experiencing increasing health.

    • PJ30
      PJ30

      Posted

      Apologies for the typos. Using my iphone to post. Apparently, I'm mostly 'all thumbs'. :-)

    • amanda18061
      amanda18061 PJ30

      Posted

      Hi PJ30, I have been reading through this old thread with interest and saw your more recent post and thought I'd respond...not sure if you're still reading this though...but it might help someone else.

      I haven't been diagnosed with Barrets.....yet....however, my symptoms are the same so I think it's only a matter of time.  I'm under the doctor at present and he's checking me via MRCP scan for any stones or blockages in my bile ducts, since the removal of my gallbladder three years ago.

      I've had chronic GERD symptoms for last 3 months and have almost lost my voice and I have a dry cough....not a whoop like you.  I think a cough and hoarse throat are pretty common signs of Barretts and GERD.  

      I'm hoping I haven't developed Barrretts, but what will be will be.  I read that Malcom is using Slippery Elm, and I'm about to try this.  I've ordered from Amazon just now and it's being delivered today!  So I can get started straight away.  I really hope it helps heal my esophagas....I'm a singer...correction, I was a singer....and not being able to sing, on top of all the discomfort and pain, is just the icing on the cake.

      I wish you well and let me know if you've found any relief.  x

    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 amanda18061

      Posted

      Hi Amanda - I come on and off here - been on a oouple of years now.  I have GER/Reflux HH Esophagitis.  I try all sorts of things.  Slippery Elm did not work for me - it hurt.  I took capsules and I know of its healing props.  I take Tumeric for anti-flam and that started hurting so I open the capsule and put it into my smoothies as suggested by someone.  I will do the same with the Elm.  Have a go if it hurts you also.  I know Olive Oil coats the throat and esoph so I take a spoon of that.  I got myself much much better (my chest was sore and throat felt irritated and pain in back) but after trying different things, things were much improved for ages.  Then I get complacent and cheat diet wise and go backwards. 

      I also tried Kinesiology and the effect a couple of days later was dramatic as the therapist could feel inflammation in my body (via my hands).

      Let us know how you go with the Elm.  This is such a pain.  Just trying to keep Barretts away is a nightmare and seems to be with us for good.

      All the best to you.

  • malcolm47
    malcolm47

    Posted

    Hi there suskwatch,

    Well I must admit I have not had a cough with it,but I do get rid of an awful lot of phlegm from the chest on a daily basis,I know it's not the same but even so it gets close.

    I snore a lot and I think it loosens this phlegm,I just hope it doesn't upset the actual affected area in the throat and my worry is whether it removed the mucus that protects the esophagus,my diagnosis is Barretts esophagus mucosa.

    However I have been free of discomfort for nearly four months and do not take lansaraprozole anymore,occasionally having the odd ranitidine,I think I worried myself over it too much,once I thought positively it went,maybe only temporarily but wow it makes me feel tons better,but to reiterate I have not had a cough with it,even though I still smoke lightly,hope this helps,write back,be glad to hear from you.

    Regard Malc

    • andy16316
      andy16316 malcolm47

      Posted

      Is it Chorley Lancashire where you found the herbal products to help?  And if so did you just go in and ask for their advice or did you know what to ask for beforehand?   Sorry for all the questions but I am fairly local to Chorley and know the only shop it could be so I am thinking of going in to see what they advise.  Currently I am just taking slippery elm as I am really not getting on with omozaprazole
    • susan39050
      susan39050 andy16316

      Posted

      Hi Andy and Malcolm

      I am suffering for many years needed a sinus op but not any more, the lemons etc to clear the sinus caused untold damage to my throat stomach (Have a 3cm hernia) and teeth !!! How are you both now I cannot swallow a pill so that's out for me, my ears tickle and it's the mucus in my throat driving me mad, I am from preston and would love to chat to somebody with these problems as nobody understands how it feels

  • suskwatch
    suskwatch

    Posted

    Thank you Malcom for your speedy reply..i don't like taking tablets and my Dr has told me not to stop taking my medication i have cut down on a lot of things but know i could do more to help it's just a hard struggle ..mind you i must admit i hardly ever get acid now it seems to me that the meds are masking it..have to go for the camera down the throat thing in May really not looking forward to that ..it never seems to get any easier does it ..this wretched cough gets me down and gives me pains through my back and chest sometimes..still more ships lost at sea !!!! must learn to stay as positive as i can
  • suskwatch
    suskwatch

    Posted

    Malcolm your clearly on this site quite a bit and familiar with how it works where as i am new to all of this..i would appreciate it if you were to let me know if you do find anyone with Barretts who has a cough like myselfMany Thanks
    • byron986
      byron986 suskwatch

      Posted

      hello there , the cough you have is caused by acid getting down your wind pipe, more than likely after having lager or wheat based drinks fizzy pop etc , ive had barrets for seven years 2 weeks ago i bought myself a blender started having smoothies made from none acid fruits mixed with almonds and almond milk, stay of normal cows milk change to almond milk see if it works, fri i went out drinking which i havent done for a very long time, and had a pizza thats not normal for me just thught id test if what id done had worked , havent burpped or had indigestion since
    • Michelle2626
      Michelle2626 suskwatch

      Posted

      After suffering from GERD for 6 years (more or less) last month I had enough as the symptoms were just too much.

      I was diagnosed now with Barretts, and I have a wierd dry cough that attacks me out of the blue, at odd times of the day, which I had attributed to the new blood pressure med I was recently put on.

      But even after I stopped taking the blood pressure med and cough persisted. This week I was diagnosed with Barretts and while reading up on it, noticed it always mentioned the cough.

      So it will definitely be something I will be bringing up to my EKG doctor in two weeks when I return to find out the results of the biopsy.

      My mother, a natural home remedies kinda person recommended:

      Apple cider vinegar&baking soda mix

      You can google it as natural remedies.

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