Has eveyone on hear been operated on I haven't

[Gilly1956]

For reflux I haven't so feel like m intruding and don't think I will get answers the same as someone else that hasn't had op for reflux problems

[patchworker]

Hello Gilly, you're not intruding at all. We'll help if we can.

Most of us on here have had treatment for cancer of the esophagus, and it's the op to remove the esophagus that leaves us with reflux.

Do you know what's causing your reflux? Have you seen a Doctor about it? If you tell us more about it we'll try to help.

Jane

[Hidden]

You are very welcome! Some people have not got an oesophagus (and/or a stomach) because it has been removed, usually, but not always, because of cancer. Others have had surgery on their oesophagus. Some people have achalasia and have had procedures to deal with it; others have not.

You will see that everyone tries to help each other as best they can, and give a non-medically qualified / patient perspective on things.

Reflux is one of those things that is common to nearly everyone on the site. Acid reflux is normally stomach acid that rises too high, into the oesophagus. Reflux can also be bile. Yes, there are variations relating to the valve by the diaphragm that should keep the acid in its proper place in the stomach (many people on this site have had that valve removed because of the surgery).

So feel free to take part as you feel comfortable. But, as with everyone else, the suggestions and answers are always related to other people's experience, and you may have to exercise common sense and good judgement in interpreting the answers. We are not doctors, and we never know about an individual's case like a doctor would. Medication is often prescribed with an individual's history in mind and dosages may vary.

Sometimes it is valuable to work things through in your own mind and prepare the right questions to ask your own doctor.

I hope this helps! You are certainly not an intruder!

[chrisrob]

Hi Gilly,

We've not all had oesophagectomies.

I'm one of the lucky ones to have been diagnosed with Barrett's oesophagus (caused by reflux of acid and bile) so am being monitored to reduce risks of progression to cancer.

If you have persistent acid reflux, your lasnoprazole will be reducing the acid so any reflux will be less harmful.

Have you had an endoscopy? And if so, what was the result, may I ask?

Cheers

Chris

[davek2013]

Hi Gilly,

There are a wide range of people on here, at different stages of treatment and with very different prognoses.

In my case I had a long history of acid reflux which was controlled using Lansoprazole for 2 or 3 years. I was endoscoped at the time and nothing was detected. My symptoms disappeared and my GP stopped the medication. I had reflux on and off over the years but thought nothing of it as the symptoms always disappeared after a few weeks.

I don't wish to scare anyone but last year the symptoms returned and I was referred for an endoscopy. This and a subsequent CT scan revealed I had Stage 4 cancer which is inoperable as it has grown around my aorta and is incurable by any other means. At 55, I was too young to be covered by the standard screening process. I've had chemo to slow the growth but my treatment is only palliative.

If you have had reflux for more than 2 or 3 weeks, or if you are controlling it by buying over the counter remedies like Gaviscon or Rennies for more than 2 or 3 weeks please go to see your GP and suggest you have an endoscopy. In the vast majority of cases they won't find anything wrong, but if you do have Barratt's or are developing cancer the sooner it is diagnosed the better.

Best wishes

Dave

[fortunatus in reply to davek2013]

Dear Dave and Gilly,

Dave's advice is absolutely right. I had years of occasional discomfort from acid reflux but did nothing about it. Then it intensified over a two to three week period and I was referred to a gastroenterologist. The ensuing gastroscopy revealed a T3 tumour associated with Barrett's which fortunately for me was operable. I was very lucky to have caught it in the nick of time and really feel for Dave. The bottom line is get onto symptoms like reflux as soon as they appear.

[davek2013]

No worries - apparently there's a growing number of OC diagnoses in people like me who are not in the "traditional" at risk groups - i.e. never smoked, healthy eaters, physically fit, under 65 and non-obese people.

As a result of my surprise diagnosis (we both thought I had a peptic ulcer) my GP referred someone else for an urgent endoscopy with similar symptoms who wasn't in an at risk group. He had it too, but they caught it early and were able to operate. She said that in referring him she was going against normal practice but the symptoms were too similar to ignore.

Luckily I responded well to some pretty aggressive chemo and I'm enjoying some unexpected partial remission

[Shack]

Hi Gilly, If you haven't done so already please go and see your GP. There's no need to panic, but if you have something more than reflux oesophagitis then it's most definitely a good idea to catch it earlier rather than wait and see. In my case, and like Daves' below, I wasn't in the age group for automatic screening (gastroscopy), being only 58 and not 60. I had been to see my doctor and he had diagnosed reflux oesophagitis (and rightly so, it was how it presented) and he prescribed Lansoprazole which cleared it up almost straight away. Four months later it had returned suddenly and with a vengeance, so he didn't hesitate to send me for the relevant tests. The gastroscopy showed an ulcer in the oesophagus (which could have been caused by the reflux) and biopsies taken at the time showed some cancerous cells in the ulcer and the surrounding tissue. There followed a seemingly endless barrage of tests which then showed a squamous cell carcinoma, several months of chemotherapy to shrink the tumour, and then surgery to remove it. Luckily there was no spread of the cancer to anywhere else so all the above procedures were of a curative nature, but if it had been left any longer there may well, indeed probably would have been further spread making the outlook a much poorer one. The surgery took place Nov 2013 and I'm doing okay now. So Gilly, go see your doctor and tell him you want to be sure there's no bigger problem. I wish you well.

Shack

[Gilly1956 in reply to Shack]

Hi shack I have been to see my doctor and I already have had camera down before earlier this year and are now waiting for an appointment to have it done again fingers crossed it wi be ok .and I hope you carry on staying well yourself .regards gilly

[Shack]

That's splendid Gilly, and I wish you all the best. I'm brand new on here myself, and have already found loads of useful info and stuff. The support on here is great, so if you need to talk this is a good place to do it. In any event, perhaps you'd like to let us know the outcome of your next endoscopy. Fingers crossed for you...

[exDancer in reply to Shack]

Gilly - I don't have any real reflux symptoms at all - no heartburn, no sensation of regurgitating - nothing except a persistent (15 years), dry, irritating cough. After the camera down the throat I was diagnosed with 'silent' reflux and prescribed PPIs and gavescon which I take religiously.

Now I find I have low calcium levels due to the PPIs, and brittle bones.

I still post on here because it gives me a sense of not being alone - and everyone is very helpful.