Advice and Reassurance - GERD, relfux and pancreatic health anxiety

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Hello here for some thoughts and hopefully some reassurance.

Back in Feb 2015 I started to get bad indigestion and heartburn. Included in this was lower abdomen and back pain. Went to my GP at the time and they diagnosed me with acid reflux and I was prescribed with Omeprazole (20mg to start and then 40mg). Went up and down but eventually felt better. I suffer from bad health anxiety and was very concerned about pancreatic cancer (I'm 34 now so was about 27 at the time).

On and off over the next 3 years, I had reflux and took Omeprazole when required. Then in December 2019 I had some bad stomach pains followed by flu like symptoms. Reflux kicked in badly and started to take 20mg Omeprazole.

For the 6 weeks or so after I had acid reflux, stomach discomfort, burping and passing wind, stitch like pain under ribs (mainly left side but sometimes right side), some upper back ache, and heartburn. Had to increase omeprazole dose to 40mg eventually felt better.

Then in May 2021 I had previous (to now) bad flare up. I had sore throat, croaky voice, reflux symptoms, excess burping, constant discomfort in lower stomach, sharp pain around left hand of my stomach.

Since then I've had the odd flare up and always had acid reflux but the odd 20mg of omeprazole for a week would sort it. However, a few weeks ago I got a bad cold/flu bug and felt awful. I then started to get a bad flare up again and have suffered over Christmas. Included is heartburn, stomach pain (lower wind type feelings sharp pain and left side), feeling of food stuck in throat (but nothing getting stuck, I'm eating fine), bloated feeling after eating and generally feeling down about the entire thing. I've been taking 40mg omeprazole for two weeks and nothing has really improved which is my concern, normally had worked by now. Last few days a lot more stomach discomfort - sharp pain on and off lower abdomen, burning feeling middle of abdomen and some pain left side under ribs.

I've never had an endoscopy. One was scheduled in May 2021 but I had to cancel due to covid and to be honest, I was feeling fine after that flare up. I've had multiple blood tests through the years and been fine. An ultrasound as well back in 2019 which I got no reported issues back from. I haven't had blood or changes in my stool habits. I'm overweight for my height and trying to sort that out in the new year. Enjoy a drink and my diet isn't that great.

So a few questions, mainly for advice and reassuring voices

  1. does that sound like typical GERD?
  2. would you be worried about pancreatic cancer or Oesophageal cancer with these symptoms? If not, why not based on what I've said?
  3. can omeprazole stop working? If so, what can you do about it?
  4. any other tips of stuff to do or take to help? I'm aware I need to lose weight, cut down on drinking and certainly change elements of my diet?

    Thanks in advance!

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