I have recently had an endoscopy. They said I do not have Barrett's Esophagus although I do have a hiatus hernia. But I have had Barrett's for many years and take a 30 mg Lanzoprazole in the morning and 15 mg Lanzoprazole in the evening, The internet says Barrett's is not curable.
The Dr has not replied to date.......I am at a loss what to do.
If I were you , 1) I would get a second opinion and 2) I would continue taking the Lanzoprazole, judg69
Did you have a biopsy prior to the original diagnosis? It could be that diagnosis was incorrect, particularly in the absence of a biopsy. Or it could be the results of this endoscopy are incorrect. That said, I have seen some resources that say it can eventually disappear in some people, though, or at least appear to due to properly managed GERD. These are both admittedly from the US, but both are extremely reputable:
niddk.nih.gov/health-inform... (under medicines heading)
cedars-sinai.org/health-lib... (under treatment)
Unless someone’s told you otherwise, keep on with the lansoprazole - my understanding is that hiatus hernia warrants PPI treatment in its own right.
Many, many thanks. Helpful
Many thanks
I have Barrett's and it is not a problem,the cells lining the esophagus very rarely mutate to the stage of dysplasia,which is a precancerous stage and even then there are treatments that can be done to remove them,less than one in two thousand people ever get to that stage and develop cancer of the esophagus,surveillance endoscopys that used to be done evry year have now had the interval increased to every three years and your Lansopazole or in my case omeprazole will keep things in check with regard to further acid damage,like you i also have a hiatus hernia.
So in conclusion continue with the surveillance endoscopys and all should remain stable.
i hope i have managed to reassure you somewhat.
best wishes Ski's and Scruff's
p.s Barretts does not disappear or improve ,the damage is already done,but it can remain stable.it is possible that you where misdiagnosed in the first place if your consultant says it has disappeared,biopsies are normaly taken to check the cells for displasia.
Waiting for biopsy.
If you had an initial diagnosis of barretts, biopsies would have been taken upon it's discovery to determine the grade of the cells,it is standard procedure and done immediately that barrets is suspected ,the technician normaly takes a scraping through the endoscope on noticing the condition?
Hi there-
My mother was diagnosed with Barrett’s and a hiatus hernia, took PPIs for ten years then was told they had both gone.
I assumed in her case that the ulceration of the oesophagus had healed, but I was surprised that a hiatus hernia could disappear without surgery.
In her case , after being told that , she just took gaviscon as needed and it never troubled her again. She lived into her nineties.
I hope it gets sorted soon.
That is just amazing. Thanks so much. I am 83, so I have a long way to go.
I was diagnosed with Barrett’s and a hiatus hernia many years ago. I have been taking 40mg of omeprazole daily and at my last endoscopy I was told I still had a hiatus hernia, but no longer Barrett's.
this may explain the apparent disappearnce?
"Barrett’s esophagus is a change in the lining of the lower esophagus that can develop as a result of acid reflux. Patients with Barrett’s esophagus have a small increased risk for developing esophageal cancer in that tissue. During an endoscopy, the physician sees a change in the color of the tissue at the lower end of the esophagus. If the biopsies of that tissue show intestinal cells, then the diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus is made. It would be nice if there were a clear demarcation of the normal and abnormal tissue.
However, that is not always the case. Barrett’s tissue tends to develop sporadically in some patients. It is not at all uncommon for the doctor to take a biopsy of tissue that looks abnormal, but turns out to be normal. But if the biopsy had been taken just a few millimeters away, it would be consistent with Barrett’s esophagus. This may occur up to 20% of the time in people with small segments of Barrett’s mucosa.
There is still some controversy, as some physicians believe that Barrett’s esophagus can regress, or disappear. However, the above explanation seems much more plausible. The bottom line is that you have Barrett’s esophagus. The most recent biopsies were fine. Your risk for developing esophageal cancer remains very low, but since it is higher than the general population, you should continue to have an endoscopy every three years."
Source of info:aboutgerd.org/barretts-esop...
Mike Ive been told by my consultant that since no metaplasia has been seen for over three years they are not going to monitor it any more. Nothing was ever said about it disappearing though.
With there being just four biopsy sites at each endoscopy it really is random whether they get the bits with metaplasia. Ive never been sure whether to challenge the consultant but have let it go since I hate the damn endoscopies so much.
Hope you're well Mike, and Scruffy xx 
General consensus of opinion amongst gastro comsultants is that if no initial displasia is detected on biopsie then revert to 5 yearly surveilance endoscopy or at the patients discretion discontinue monitoring unless gstro probs materialise.
My lungs will fail me long before Miss gussy and like you Jean i hate endoscopys.btw i am doing ok but it would be nice to hear from my repiratory consultant some time in the near future when the Nhs eventually resurfaces from it's lockdown. xx
