Newbie

[Minniemouse22]

Hi ,I am a 61 yo woman that has just been dxed with Barrett's oesophagus,grade 2 oesphagitis and anaemia. I have been put on Lansoprazole 30mg x2 a day and am also on high dose iron for the anaemia. During a bad attack I will inhale a lot of acid and because of this have been given an inhaler. On top of these problems I'm experiencing a lot of pain in my limbs esp knees and sudden onset bouts of exhaustion where I find everything is beyond me. I am wondering if these symptoms are related to the oesophagus problems or whether they have more to do with the anaemia. I am waiting for the histology reports from the endoscope/colonoscopy I had at the weekend and also wondered how long these will take as my adult children are worried. Any advice would be great..

[pferries31]

Hiya, how are you doing ? I have never experienced the pain in my legs. My pains were associated with my face, ear, neck. This normally happened when I was suffering from a spasm. I have Achalasia so the pain you experience may be associated with your disease. Exhaustion is Definately part of my disease as well. It doesn't help that our bodies are so deprived of good food, well I am. Are you on Facebook at all ? There are some fab groups on there also. It is great to have a supportive family but nobody quite gets it like fellow sufferers I wonder if the anemia could cause you some pains as you are lacking in vital nutrients. It is such a battle and so frustrating when you feel you go round in circles and always seem to be waiting for appointments. Let me know if your on Facebook and I will find you and get you added to some fab groups. Thanks for getting in touch xxx

[Minniemouse22 in reply to pferries31]

Thank you for taking the time out to reply. I've just looked up Achalasia...I have times when food comes back up,often hours after I've eaten and usually undigested..is that a symptom of this? I'm not on FB but might reconsider this.

The pains I'm getting are in my back,stomach and limbs. When I get an attack of acid reflux I get terrible burning in my throat,my ears and sinuses and in my lungs too hence I requested an inhaler from my GP.

I think the anaemia is probably causing many symptoms of pain/breathlessness etc but the levels of exhaustion are awful to try and work through..I seem to "crash" throughout the day even when doing absolutely nothing.

Its great to find this site..neither my GP or the Dr that did both scopes bothered to explain much to me,other than saying I have Barretts ( as if we all should know what that means!)

I'm hoping the histology results will offer more news but have no idea how long they take (in the UK)

Thanks again..

xxxx MM

[Hidden]

If you have Barrett's Oesophagus then you are likely to have had prolonged periods of reflux and this would probably explain the oesophagitis as well. Ideally you need to reduce the acid levels, and this is what the lansoprazole is designed to do. If you have bad pains that are heartburn, it might mean that the dosage might need to be reviewed but it is also true that it probably takes a couple of weeks or more to have its full effect.

Taking Gaviscon as a supplement would be worth trying as this works differently. There is more about Barrett's Oesophagus on the website actionagainstheartburn.org.uk and organisations like Barrett's Wessex can give good advice.

I am not sure what you mean exactly by a 'bad attack' and have assumed that it means reflux but I am not sure that I understand your symptoms.

The exhaustion certainly sounds like the effects of the anaemia rather than Barrett's. There may be other vitamins and minerals that you are short of. I suggest that you try a pharmacist first (and Gaviscon is available over-the-counter) and report back to your doctor when you see him.

The endoscopy reports are variable in the time they take to send through. You could ask the GP receptionists whether they have come through yet.

[1960finas]

Hi minniemouse 22 I think opa alanm is right about pain in your back and legs.But u need to follow me and look at my posts about acid reflux And oesophagitis and ppi's,And how I cured my daughter Of acid reflux and oesophagitis cheers Colin Fina's 1960

[NatChap]

Any digestive problems can you leave you deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, particularly iron (which you know), and Vitamin B12, vit D is another one to check as all 3 can cause fatigue, depression, aching joints/muscles and in the case of B12 nerve pain too. If your GP won't test them you can get private tests done, there are a couple of very reliable online companies who send out a fingerprick test and email you the results. GP's aren't very clued up on vitamins or recommended levels unfortunately and often tell you they're ok when they aren't. Worth getting checked out as deficiency can make you feel rubbish.