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Barretts and Breathing Issues?

Posted , 5 users are following.

graythomas329
graythomas329

Hi,

I was diagnosed with Barretts (w/ severe dysplasia) a few months ago. Every two months I go in for a scoping and biopsies. Part of my problem has been a refusal on my part to make the drastic change in my diet that I needed to, until now. I've never regurgitated so much in my life as in the past 6-7 months.

Now, with the medicines and oats, rice, plain yoghurt, bread, etc ... hopefully this will control the "refusal" of the foods I had been eating. Now, for some reason I find that my lungs seems to be shutting down?? I am very active physically and am a gym rat. But my ability to do cardio is diminished severely.

I am uncertain why this is happening, and if it is even related to the Barretts?? Any thoughts???

1 like, 25 replies

25 Replies

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  • julie07613
    julie07613 graythomas329

    Posted

    Hi there,

    I know it's been a while, but I'm new to Barrett's and just noticed your post. I have been told I have Barrett's and am waiting for biopsy results. I am contacting you because I have some similar symptoms. I don't have any vomiting , but I too used to be very fit and loved going to the gym. In the last 4 months I have developed terrible chest pains and breathlessness as well as discomfort swallowing (Lump in the throat feeling). I was told to take omneprezole (20mg) twice a day, but find that it makes me tired and weak so I only take it once a day now. I'm just wondering how you are now and if you can suggest anything to help me get back on my feet.?

    Hope your symptoms have improved

    Julie

    • graythomas329
      graythomas329 julie07613

      Posted

      Hi Julie,

      I am sorry to read that you have those issues - which sound so very familiar.  As related to the breathing issues: I have diagnosed "motility disorders" in both my Esophagus and my upper small intestine.  As well, the years of acid reflux have burned my vocal chords (lump in throat).

      I have found that the breathing issues (while complicated by the motility issues) seem to occur in relation to eating food (digestive difficulties).  I will always, without fail, have a breathing episode .. then shortly thereafter - throw up. 

      The "chest pain" is horrendous!  Feels like a heart attack+asthma attack rolled into one.  The pain is centered in the middle of the upper chest, the lungs extremely tighten, ears ringing and seemed to be plugged up, and the wheezing starts in trying to breath .... it typically lasts a good 3-4 minutes - and leaves me exhausted.

      Having been a "cardio-nut" most of my life .. this has all out stopped me from being able to do any cardio conditioning.  It stinks!!  

      Please - see a gastro doctor and get an endoscopy done.  See an ear-nose-throat (speech pathologist) doctor for a motility study regarding your esophagus.  Through these two doctors - get a barium swallow test done, a video pill swallow test, x-rays/ct scans of how slow or fast your food digests. 

      I have been trying to eat very small meals, of clean food.  Liquids are very difficult for me to process.  So I usually do not drink water (I only drink water anymore) until after/between the small meals.  This dietary change seems to have helped the breathing issues quite a bit.  If on occasion I eat a large meal --- BOOM -- I get a breathing attack!

      Please feel free to email me at graythomas329 in yahoo. :-)

       

    • laurel95745
      laurel95745 julie07613

      Posted

      Julie,  I also have Barretts and a hiatal hernia. I ignored the doc and took myself off prilosec because I had a spontaneous spinal fracture . I also broke 7 ribs along with a punctured lung from a riding accident. I should never have broken so many bones in my 50's. A lot of it had to do with Prilosecs interference with calcium absorption. Bingo! Last fall, I went to a holistic place that cost me thousands to take healing herbs and shakes for my pre-Barretts. I was scoped in Jan and found out it did not work. I now have full blown Barretts. Now I am listening. I am on Zantac 300mg bid and will be reckecked by my gasto doc every 3 months. Learn from my mistake. If you are breaking bones too easily, talk to your doc about it and find another med.
  • larraine24877
    larraine24877 graythomas329

    Posted

    Hi

    I know it is hard to accept the change in diet and particularly eating small meals, I have also struggled with this, but having been ill on so many occasions after eating the wrong things or even too much of the right things, it seems like a better option to try and stick with it. When I stick rigidly to the good food/drink and litte then I am so much better. I take Lanzoprazole, and this also makes me feel tired and lethergic but having missed them out (on purpose) got headaches etc.  Although I also take the DGL, Slippery Elm and Digestive Enzymes which I think helps a lot.

    Sorry not to have found any better solutions

    Regards

    Larraine

    • julie07613
      julie07613 larraine24877

      Posted

      Larraine, thanks again for the advice.  Can you please tell me which Digestive Enzymes you use and also what is DGL? I have been taking yakult but nothing else!

      Thanks

      Julie

    • graythomas329
      graythomas329 larraine24877

      Posted

      Larraine,

      Thank you for the kind advice.  May I ask? What is DGL? Which digestive enzymes do you take? I have used Slippery Elm, a concentrated liquid herbal extract, and it seemed to help some.

    • larraine24877
      larraine24877 graythomas329

      Posted

      Hi both,

      DGL is Deglicinerated Licourice, I was recommended through this forum together with the Slippery Elm and a Multi-Digestive Enzyme, Asodopholis has also been recommended as a digestive enzyme.  I take the slippery elm during a mean and the digestive enzyme after the meal and it seems to help

      Larraine

    • mirela89892
      mirela89892 larraine24877

      Posted

      i am new here folks and please excuse my writing couse i.m from Spain . i had stomach pain last year and doing the endoscopy test they found me chronic gastritis and Barrett but negative dysplasia . told me to take twice prilosec daily and famotidine bedtime . i tried prilosec for a month and no improvement ,than i tried tagamet and i eat better and felt a little better with my gstritis . later on i start to read  about Barrett on internet and scared me some ppeople comments . i was depressed than i start to pray to pray every morning .... i am confused about the medicine PPI sides effect , i dont know what to do .... i tried DGLand probiotics fish oil and b complex and vitamins ,cabbage juice and help me a little . thanks god we have this forum . i pray for all of us every day .
    • graythomas329
      graythomas329 mirela89892

      Posted

      Hi Mirela,

      How are you???  I hope your doing well.  Prayers are with you my friend!! 

  • julie07613
    julie07613 graythomas329

    Posted

    Thanks so much fo the advice. I am wondering if anyone has found any particular PPI to have less side effects than any other or does it differ from person to person. I have changed my diet and raised the head of my bed, but I still suffer chest pain and terrible fatigue, I also have gastritis. Will this ever settle down?

    Julie x

    • melanie26657
      melanie26657 julie07613

      Posted

      Hi Julie i also have a HHand barrets and im on 30 mg of lanzoprazole twice daily ,not too sure if there working properly as im still getting bad pains in my back and tummy cramps but i dont seem to have the awful side affects that some of you all seem to get from the ppi ,

      I have had these pains for a long time now some days are ok then wham its back and i cant put my finger on it ,i cant believe the lack of profesional support and answers there is ,i find out mostly from other peoples discussions , hope you get better soon

      Melanie

    • graythomas329
      graythomas329 julie07613

      Posted

      Hi Julie,

      I so wish I could tell you something that would make you feel better.  :-( .. I also sleep on a wedge "thingy." Still hard to get used to as it cranks my neck.  Do you think the fatigue is from the PPI's? Have you tried switching out to different ones to see if the effect is different?

      Gastritis is so not fun.  I also have gastroparesis.  Is your chest pain from reflux? Please dont loose hope! Fight to find the answer!! :-)

  • melanie26657
    melanie26657 graythomas329

    Posted

    Hi i also have HH and barrets and instead of getting better i seem to be getting worse as time goes on ,I too have been getting these breathing problems and i rang my consultants secretary (as my docs dont seem to be much help) and she assures me its part of  the symptoms of barrets .I have learnt most of what i know by seeing other peoples discusions we are so similar that i cant believe theres not more proffesional info for us all I do think im lucky though as i dont seem to be getting nasty side affects from my PPI like other folks ,but do worry if there is any long term affects as iv been told i will allways have to take them Heres for hoping they may be able to cure us all one day

    Melanie

    • susan49269
      susan49269 melanie26657

      Posted

      Hi

      I find that if I drink a lot of high quality aloe vera my symptoms are very much diminished.  By a lot I mean about 250mls a day at least.

    • graythomas329
      graythomas329 melanie26657

      Posted

      Melanie! Hi ... !

      Please believe me...the breathing issue is coming from a larger systemic problem of which Barretts is only a small part of.  When one part of our "gastro-mechanics" goes bad - the other parts start to malfunction.  Please TELL or ORDER your GI Dr to do a video capsule swallow test, a Barium swallow test, & a digestive CT scan (to see if your food is digesting to slowly or quickly). My bet is you have multiple motility disorders in your esophagus and small intestine.  Possibly also a hiatal hernia. 

    • graythomas329
      graythomas329 susan49269

      Posted

      Hi Susan! 

      Do you suggest a certain brand of quality Aloe Vera? I did try some but to in the quantity you mentioned and was a cheaper grocery store brand. 

      May I ask - with what specific symptoms does the aloe vera seem to alleviate? 

      Thaks for the good word!!

    • melanie26657
      melanie26657 graythomas329

      Posted

      Thanks for replying,yes you are correct i do have a hiatal hernia and im still waiting to see a consultant but they are not hurrying themselves, I find the docs not much use although i dont go there unless absolouely nessasary ,

      Melanie

    • graythomas329
      graythomas329 melanie26657

      Posted

      Hi Melanie,

      I know the feeling.  I had one doctor ask me why I hadn't completed more tests over a certain time period.  I was like, "really??!!" .. I kindly informed him how slow, impersonal, and lackadasical the medical system is - even under his own clinic.  I could go on about this but it will just make me angry.  I found that I had to become very demanding of the doctors, and consults, setting appointments, requesting needed treatments, etc.  Had to do my own research to learn what procedures there are for this ailment - because the doctors wouldn't tell me!  So, the next test I demanded having can't be done by the GI doctor, so I told him he needed to refer me to someone who could!  Sorry for rambling ...   it can be frustrating because it seems most doctors just want to run you thru the "processing line" - thus make money by continually treating symptoms and not research the causation. 

    • larraine24877
      larraine24877 melanie26657

      Posted

      Melanie

      I agree on the doc front, like you i am getting more help and advice from the forum, great from the forum perspective but frustrating that the medical profession is not as keen to provide such help.

      L

    • graythomas329
      graythomas329 susan49269

      Posted

      Thank you Susan!  Two times leaves more emphasis! hehe ..

      I am going to say something very controversial, so please don't jump on me too awefully bad!  ;-)  Nothing the doctors provide to me for my gastroparesis helps.  None of the medicines, the diet adds a minimal positive effect, but my condition was not improving.  Thus, I looked into an unproven, out in the left field, barely researched area for some help. 

      Peptides.  Specifically, GHRP-6 (in conjunction w/ CJC 1295 w/ no DAC).  GHRP 6 has known positive effects on the motility function of the tummy!  I have been using it for a week now and am feeling better.  Not perfect mind you - but much better.  As I'm hungry, the food is processing, and digesting.  I am not condoning the use of this peptide ... but it does seem to be working thus far. 

      Peace ...

    • susan49269
      susan49269 graythomas329

      Posted

      That's good news Gray, I believe in using the things that work for you, that's all we can do.  Doctors haven't a clue, and what they prescribe can do harm too.

       

    • graythomas329
      graythomas329 susan49269

      Posted

      Hi Susan,

      Thank you for the kind word.  I agree w/ you as the doctors often prescribe meds that don't do anything but cause more problems.  I sure hope you are doing well!!!  How are things transgressing with you????

    • graythomas329
      graythomas329 melanie26657

      Posted

      Hi Melanie,

      How are you??  Did you ever get to see the consultant?????  Hope you are well. :-)

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