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Really scared...

Posted , 4 users are following.

Chats5
Chats5

Hi Guys,

I'm a 39 year old male who has a history of GERD. I have pretty much self medicated until a few years back where I started on a prescription for GERD. I think it has been fairly bad for some time at night and I wake up coughing, with an awful taste in my mouth.

Recently the medication stopped working so I went to the doctor and he put me on a different PPI, one that is used for gastric ulcers. Since being on that one I have not had any issues with GERD at all during the day. At night, however I have experienced reflux still in my sleep. My doctor wrote me a referral for an endoscopy to be done but didn't say it was urgent. Recently I started getting a sore throat around my adam's apple that sometimes radiated up into my ear. I also had a feeling of a lump in my throat. As far as I'm aware I have not had issues swallowing and put the lump down to globus which I have had before, particularly when stressed about my health. My sore throat has been off and on for over a week now, usually entirely centred around the adam's apple or slightly above it. I started taking a liquid antacid before bed and that seems to have had a good effect on the night-time GERD. I tried to book in for the endoscopy tonight but they closed early. I will try again tomorrow. I am one of those people who stupidly Googles everything whenever I get sick and I'm severely concerned I could have Oesophageal cancer, especially having left the acid go unchecked at night for so long. I don't like the fact that recently the other meds stopped working and I'm getting frequent reflux. Today I experienced reflux all day but it tasted weird (bitter). I saw a different doctor last week and he prescribed me an antibiotic which has not seemed to have worked. I'm so scared. :-(

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • AlanJM
    AlanJM Chats5

    Posted

    It is pretty rare to get oesophageal cancer under 40, but this does not mean that you should not take things seriously as there are always exceptions to the rule.  

    ​Firstly try sleeping propped up at night so that gravity will help keep the reflux at bay.

    Try taking Gaviscon - it is possible that you may be refluxing bile, which is alkali.  Gaviscon can be takein in addiiton as it acts as an alginate to freate a protective raft and works against both acid and alkali.

    ​I am sure that they can bring your endoscopy forward and upgrade it to urgent, but whether this has to be done through your GP or not I am not sure.

     

    • Chats5
      Chats5 AlanJM

      Posted

      Thanks for your advice. I've done everything you suggested. I'm going for my endoscopy in an hour. I'm really scared - praying everything is ok.

    • popple71042
      popple71042 Chats5

      Posted

      How was your endoscopy? Did you receive a diagnosis?
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