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Symptons Getting Worse

Posted , 4 users are following.

tambdy
tambdy

Hi,

I found out i had barretts by accident about 3 months ago when looking for something else. 

Since then i have started getting symptons, pain in Oesophagus, lots of gitar and a few other sysmptoms.

The doctor told me that i have to go back in 3 years to have it re checked. Due to these symptoms should i be asking for a scope earlier or could this be down to the omeprasol? 

Just don't want to take the chance waiting 3 years to find out it has went cancerous or am i just being silly?

1 like, 22 replies

22 Replies

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  • carmel83758
    carmel83758 tambdy

    Posted

    If you are concerned aqbout the omeprasol why not doa lot of resedarch into the side effects of it? It would take hours and hours but it sounds like its worth it. I did a lot of research into the various medications I was put on and it has sometimes meant I avoided it and other times meant I alterred the dose or whatever.

    The doctor is too busy and they never know all of the possible side effects, the list you get when you get the pills is only the tip of the iceberg. Finding other people who have taken it and how it affected them and finding out the much longer list of possibles helps so much more. Then you might decide to try a different medication.

    When I went on cimetidine it was for stomac\h problems. Then I found it got rid of my headaches stuffed up nose and blocked ears but months down the like I got horrible side effects. Three doctors knew nothing about them bu ta lot of digging online found me other people and information that confirmed it. I dont think you are silly, you sound very sensible to me. In my eyes only a fool just takes things without question and only a fool does something blindly believing it will work out the way they want without making sure.

    • tambdy
      tambdy carmel83758

      Posted

      Hi Carmel,

      Thanks for the reply, i was not sure if it was the omeprasol or if my symptoms were becoming worse. That's why i was thinking about another scope. 

      Would you think it is more likely the medication rather than the Barretts getting worse?

  • lucinia
    lucinia tambdy

    Posted

    Three years is the norm for surveillance. However, they also say if your symptoms change then see a doctor. I would advise the latter in this case.
    • tambdy
      tambdy lucinia

      Posted

      Thanks Lucinia, it has only been 3 months and not sure if a lot of mucas is a symptom of it but i think your right.... I will see the doctor. 
  • malcolm47
    malcolm47 tambdy

    Posted

    hi Tambdy,

    As a fellow sufferer i advise you to get to your doctor and request a scope pretty soon,I got my endoscopy two months after diagnosis and have had two more since,but to put your mind at rest see your doctor,you're probably fine from their point of view,but knowing is all important.

    A tip for you,if you get your scope soon,request sedation for the process you will find it much easier to bear,believe me.

    Regards Malc

    • tambdy
      tambdy malcolm47

      Posted

      Hi Malcolm,

      I thought it was pretty easy without Sedation but i have a high pain barrier lol. 

      Did they find anything on your other 2 scopes? I hope your doing well. 

  • malcolm47
    malcolm47 tambdy

    Posted

    Hi Tambdy,

    Yes doing pretty well,stopped my Lansaprozole ages ago PPI's are not good for you long term,and eat normally,just a little less of everything,if I have discomfort I take a Ranitidine,but touch wood I have not been too bad lately,although today funny enough just a little bit of a fluttery tummy,will avoid all the triggers,so yes not too bad,but of course it's with us for the rest of our lives,so we must just get on with it,I try not to let it rule me.

    Wishing you all the very best!

    Regrads Malc

     

  • lucinia
    lucinia tambdy

    Posted

    I feel I have to come in here to balance the conversation. 'PPIs are not good for you long term' is a sweeping statement and must be supported by fact. I am living proof that PPIs are good for some people. Before I started taking them nearly 20 years ago an endoscopy showed 50% erosions in my distal oesophagus, gastritis, duodenitis and two dueodenal ulcers - I was in agony. I was put on PPIs and once the right one was found for me, it all disappeared. I recently had an endoscopy to see how things were - still completely clear. I cannot live without these drugs and the only side effect I get is itching which is dealt with by 10mg of cetirizine a day. It's not good to have to take these drugs but the alternative is a living hell. I know they aren't good for everyone but they are good for some so please people, don't make sweeping statements that might affect someone's decision to take a drug that could well change their life for the better like it has for me.
    • tambdy
      tambdy lucinia

      Posted

      I don't even know my results of my barretts, all they said was you have barretts here omeprasol see you in 3 years. 

      I have arranged a meeting with the doctor in 2 weeks time and i want to find out how bad mines is and if i should get another scope due to more hourse and swollowing becoming more difficult. 

      Hopefully that will put an end to the matter and they can then consentrate on the problems with my lungs. All the phelms, hard breathing etc. 

    • carmel83758
      carmel83758 lucinia

      Posted

      Hi Licinia. You know some people take ppis to sort out their ulcers etc and when they have healed they can come off of them altogether. But you are right in that we are all different and no two situations are the same .
    • lucinia
      lucinia carmel83758

      Posted

      Yes, I did try to come off them once they had eradicated my ulcers but the erosions came back. As soon as I went back on them I felt fine again. I hate being so dependant on them but the alternative is sheer misery. I just worry that all the bad press PPIs are getting recently will make some people avoid them when they could have really benefitted from them. All drugs are bad for you in some way, however small, it's just a matter of weighing up the pros and the cons but to do that we have to be well-informed and have a balanced view.
    • carmel83758
      carmel83758 lucinia

      Posted

      Hi Lucinia. They usually take up to about four months to heal an ulcer. It is normal to find that if you stop taking the ppis and come off of them - even if the ulcer is all 100% healed up - the initial pains come back. This does not mean that you still have a problem. It is the shock to the system of the acid coming back into the stomach normally.

      Unfortunately, a lot of doctors do not understand this and think it means that your ulcers are not healed and you have to continue to take the pp1s. But if you persevere for a week or two you find the pains gradually lessen until they go away. I agree with you about all drugs being bad in some way. Even the natural things can give side effects like damage to kidneys or liver or headaches. It annoys me that companies that sell these products never mention this.

      When I thought I would have to take ppis for ever I worked out a better diet to go with it to replace the vitamin b 12 itg depletes, the calcium and zinc etc so that at least my body was still getting the nutrition it needs. It was very important to me to take biotics and live yoghrut as ppis can remove the red blood cells and allow the white ones to take over. So if you are going to stay on them maybe you could think of improving your diet to balance this out a bit? Just a suggestion.

    • lucinia
      lucinia carmel83758

      Posted

      Hi Carmel. My case is very different to what you think. Ulcers are not my problem - they're long gone (20 years gone). I have nighttime breakthrough - it is purely mechanical; my lower oesophageal sphincter doesn't close properly when I am asleep. A sensor at the base of my oesphagus was impirical proof. The only way to combat this is to lower the ph of my stomach juices. It has nothing to do with a bad diet (I was a vegetarian for 20 years but worried that, with the reduced acid, I might not be getting enough protien into my system so now eat chicken and fish but still loads of lovely vegetables. I hate stodge. A lot of fruit, sadly, really causes me problems), I don't smoke and don't drink. I don't eat after 6pm because if I did even the PPI wouldn't be fully effective. I don't eat chocolate, cooked tomatoes, anything spicy as they don't help. Contrary to popular belief milk triggers acid production yet lemon juice is an alkaline producing drink. I make sure I get all my nutrients from food as I don't agree with supplements (read Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. Incidentally, he also wrote Bad Pharma so together they are a balance read; I recommend them). As a PPI taker and veggie, I constantly have my B12 monitored (I can't tolerate Marmite). So you see, I have had an open mind these last 20 years and read extensively. I don't trust drug companies and don't have blind faith in the medical profession but there are a lot of drugs out there that do good. For me PPIs are one of them. I went for a few glorious weeks without omeprazole following a Nissen Fundoplication. I didn't experience the 'bounce back acid' effect. It was heaven; like meeting my old self. I couldn't eat solids until the swelling from the op went down. Unfortunately, once it did the nighttime reflux came back along with having the equivalent of battery acid sitting in my gullet for long periods overnight.

      All I am saying is that PPIs are good drugs for some people, that's all, and that an open mind should be kept when making the decision.

    • carmel83758
      carmel83758 lucinia

      Posted

      Hi Lucinia. yes I see you are a very educated,knowledgeable person who has made very sensible decisions and empowered herself throughout. A lot of people dont do that though do they.
    • lucinia
      lucinia carmel83758

      Posted

      No they don't, which is why it is sooooo important that they get a balanced view swayed by sweeping statements that are not backed by evidence. It worries me to think that there is someone out there, suffering, who could be helped with PPIs but won't try them because of the bad press (which still has yet to be substantiated). By all means mention the bad press but it shouldn't be stated as fact ie. "PPIs are bad for you" which I have seen said numerous times on these forums. I visit them hoping to learn something new; my situation is not ideal. My GP is great - I really rate her - but like all GPs she is a jack-of-all-trades so it is up to those of us with these chronic conditions to keep up with the latest news. I sometimes wish I could have the blind faith in my GP that my mother and her generation did. Quite the crutch.
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