Gastroscopy On Friday - Petrified
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi Everyone.
Im a 35 year old woman who for the past month has had the feeling of a lump in my chest/throat when i eat. I feel full up, have chest pains and nauseaus all of the time and have on occasion been sick. Ive had no reflux, strange tastes etc. Ive had an ECG and Bloods done which were all normal. Today i am experiencing the smell of what i can only describe as "car fumes" constantly to point i want to be sick, along with a weird taste in my mouth. Ive got a Gastroscopy this Friday as my doctor suggested a Hiatal Hernia. Im getting myself so worked up and becoming scared that this is something sinister, as well as being petrified at having the procedure..does anyone else have experience of these symptoms?
1 like, 10 replies
ihavenonickname stacy80567
Posted
I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia, GERD, stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers.
The taste is gas from your stomach. Elevate the head of your bed 5-6 inches to hold the stomach cobtents in the stomach.
I will be here for you
Barretts stacy80567
Posted
Sorry to hear of your problems. I suffered with reflux symptoms all my life (over 50 years) - which eventually ended when I had reflux reduction surgery (fundoplication) nerly 9 years ago.
Hiatus hernias are quite common and the most frequent cause of reflux.
Doctors will usually provide acid suppressant medication. This probably won't reduce the reflux but will make it less dangerous. Hopefully your EGD will determine no serious damage has yet occured.
To reduce reflux, you'll need to follow lifestyle modifications.
See the free book / website www DownWithAcid org uk and read the section on reflux.
I'm interested that you mention phantosmia (smelling things that may not be there) . It is an unusual symptom that I used to frequently experienc. For me it was nearly always the smell of cat's pee - when there had been no cats around!
stacy80567
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Barretts stacy80567
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Sliding hiatus hernia is the most common reason for reflux as it doesn'y permit the muscles around the lower oesophageal sphincter to work properly.
If they saw anything that could be Barrett's they would have taken biopsies which may take a few weeks to analyse before you get the results.
But if there had been anything really bad, they'd have seen it and let you know. It's probably a case of no news is good news.
stacy80567
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ihavenonickname stacy80567
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No big thing.
Barretts stacy80567
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Biopsies are taken to identify any cellular changes.
Where reflux of acid and bile has persisted for a while, the normal squamous cells lining the oseophagus may be replaced with columnar ones resembling those of the intestine, which being more acid resistant, protect the body from digesting itself. Also, being less sensitive, can reduce some of the pain acid refluxing can cause.
Cellular change is known as metaplasia and intestinal metalasia is known as Barrett's Oesophagus. Whilst it may be thought of as a friend, it may also be considered an untrustworthy one as, in a very small number of cases, it has the ability to mutate (called dysplasia) and progress to adenocarcinoma (cancer) .
The biopsies will look at the cells. Each biopsy (about the size of a grain of rice) can yield hundreds of thin slides to be examined under the microscope by a histopathologist to ascertain whether there is the exisence of any metaplastia or dysplasia. The path labs are usually very busy and it can take a few weeks to get the results but if there were any suggestion of anything sinister it would be prioritised.
It seems most GI / endoscopy departments are time pressured and to them, Barrett's is no big deal and commonly seen. Unfortunately, patients newly diagnosed with a condition they've never heard of may google it, see the word cancer and freak out. That's where forums like this play a very important role in reassuring patients as those risks are actually quite miniscule. In southampton (UK) the charity I co-founded works closely with our gastroenterologists and endoscopists who do not have the time in ordinary clinics to discuss diagnoses in depth. They are given our details and frquently come to drop-in sessions we run for a chat. We are now very slowly trying to spread our Barrett's netwrok across UK but it does depend on recruiting volunteers.
See the free book / website www DownWithAcid org uk for more information about acid, reflux, comlications and management and the attached graphic describing the genesis of Barrett's.
catladyof3 Barretts
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Barretts catladyof3
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Examining the hundreds of slides made from each biopsy taken can take a long time and the pathology labs are always running at full stretch. They have also had the Christmas break so things may be backed up a bit.
If anything suspicious were suspected, it would have been given a higher priority. I guess no news is good news.
Do you suspect you have H-Pylori? They normally test for that, if thought a possiblity at the time of doing the scope and taking biopsies but results for that are usually through quite quickly.
Acid reflux has the two componenets: acid and reflux. Medics really can only tackle the acid part, by prescribing acid suppressants like omeprazole. The drugs, however, do not control reflux which needs to be managed by lifestyle modification or surgery.
I do appreciate your anxiety. I suffered with reflux all my life (remembering incidences when I was 3 and I'm now 69) .
I was on omeprazole from 1994 to 2008 in doses increasing to 80mg a day which had initially resolved the heartburn (like a blowtorch down my throat) but the reflux was getting worse until I eventually opted for surgery.
Hopefully tings will be sorted for you soon.
catladyof3 Barretts
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