chest pain and choking with barrett's

I have the mucus too janet, I only got diagnosed 2 years ago and I still dont seem to be able to manage it very well. I cough alot and have the heaviness on my chest and reflux an awful lot. Not so much heartburn though. I'm young to have this (37) so its all abit strange. Thank you

I have just bought on line a reflux pillow which I hope will help. Are you careful with your diet. My diagnosis will be 2 years August, LUCKY got it picked up when being tested for something else. I TAKE your aware to avoid eating spicy, citrus foods. Tea and coffee, any thing fizzy and two much sugar. Hard to have to miss out on the foods you love, but one has to do what you have to. If like me I had never heard of it. Big shock, just another illness to add to my list. But one has to keep smiling.

Would you mind giving me the website where you purchased the pillow? Thats sounds as though its wortg buying, night time is rubbish. The consultant told me not to worry about cutting out coffee etc as I am a woman and young but I don't know. I don't have fizzy drinks or sugar as they definitely don't agree with me haha I can't tolerate meat either for aome reason. I had never heard of it either janet and yes always stay smiling

The pillow is due any day now, it was not cheap. Looked into several but felt gut instinct made me go for this one. So hoping itwill be worth every penny. If you private message me will let you have it as not sure if you can post advertisements. Every time U t err y to message ends up with wrong person, still 64 years just so that is my excuse.

Hay how you doing?

Thanks for the link , looks good has yours arrived yet?

I'm not too bad thanks, trying to be good with my food, only one tablet stuck today

How about yourself?

Hi Janet

I have the od barretts too - I have been screened for 10 years now and it has remained the same thank goodness.  Would you mind explaining what the pillow is like and what is different about it as opposed to an ordinary pillow - really interested

Thanks

Hi, glad your ok just now.

Hi Barnie, as have Barretts I am trying to do the best I can as having gone through one type of cancer already I really do notneed another type. I had been reading up about raising the bedlegs, stacking up your pillows. Just looked into pillows as at least if am away from home can take it with me. I did not fancy some of the cheaper ones, and picked a more expensive one as It seemed better quality and the dimensions It's due any day now so will write about how I get on with it once tried it out. Doyou get many symptoms and can you give a brief outline. Many thanks.

Ment to say, it's a wedge pillow.

Hoping to get it tomorrow.

Hi Janet

I don't actually get any symptoms from the Barretts as usually you do not know that you have it until you have had an endescopy.  However, I do get acid-reflux symptoms sometimes but very rarely now and these are the things I do to control it.  I sleep slightly raised (have an electric bed); I do not go to bed until at least 3 hours after eating; I have also cut down all the white carbs in my diet - white flour, sugar, biscuits cakes etc and I have found that this has reduced my acid problems a lot.  I also keep digestive enzymes in and if I feel that I am going to have a heavy meal which may hang on me then I make sure I take one or two of these with the meal and then I have no problem.  I also take a ginger capsule nce or twice a day and that also seems to help keep everything comfortable.  To go back to the Barretts there is only a very small possibilty that it would ever go on to cancer and it has to go thru quite a few stages before it gets to that.  The screening will pick up any changes long before they get sinister.  We also have the Ablation Therapy here in the UK now where they ablate all the Barrett cells and you then have a normal oesophagus.  They only do this procedure for High Grade Dysplasia though.  So I consider that we are the lucky ones as we are being monitored - there must be lots of people out there who have it and do not know they have it.

Look forward to hearing about our pillow - sounds interesting.

Thank you so much, you have explained it all so well. Greatly appreciate it. Still waiting on pillow will be in touch with them on Monday. If you have an electric bed surely You would beraising it up and therefore would you need a wedge pillow? As I have just ordinary bed trying to elevate it the best that I can. Hard dealing with the health issues that have, especially since they keep adding more.

You are welcome Janet - those are the facts that I have given you .  It is getting the Barretts into perspective that is the hardest part.  There is only a very small risk.  Regards the pillow I would be interested because it would be handy to take on holiday or when we are staying with friends/family any time.  Our electric bed is also quite old so if it went wrong then I may just have an ordinary bed if the pillow works well.  Hope that makes sense

 

Yes totally understand, and your words are wise. Trying to get head around the Barretts is hard as it came out of the blue. Just add one thing I started the fodmap diet as have Ibs and diverticulitus so have eliminate anything regarding acidity. Have not as yet looked into the eliminate acid diet. I think as we can all be different with our body's that it's trial and error.