Has anyone have Barretts Oesphagus ?

[AliW]

If so what sort of dietary changes have you made ? & what medication are you on ? Is there any treatment >? Thank you guys :))

[Hidden]

Not yet, although i have had second degree inflammation in my oesophagus. I,m on 80mgs of ezomeprazole and sometimes have to take Ranitidine and another 40mgs if the reflux gets really sore. Some foods and drink make it worse.

[AliW]

Have you had an endoscopy ? Do you have scleroderma ?

I am so sorry to hear you are in such pain :(((

[Hidden]

Yes, i,ve had 2 endoscopies, they have shown inflammation and severe candida (yuck) I do have Scleroderma. I,m pretty sure the anti reflux meds have caused the candida as they change the PH in your stomach, but i had to go and have an HIV test as its a major symptom in that - negative thank goodness!!

[Hidden]

Hi!

I have barretts oesophagus,it is very bad,and somtimes at night i am woken because acid has escaped from my stomach into my oesophagus due to the cardiac syphincter not working properly,it does not close up quite enough to keep the acid in the stomach,when this acid escapes like it does,it tastes absolutely awful,but i find that simply sucking on an extra strong mint,seems to dispurse the acid and things settle down quite quickly.You may also find that raising the head of your bed a little(as much as you can without being uncomfortable)will help,and in my particular case i have been prescribed LANSOPERAZOLE capsules,i take one in a morning,and one at bedtime (in hospital,they say this is an illegal dose,but it works for me)and it is of enormous benefit,the rest is down to what you eat,i find that i can have most things,but the time of day that i eat them is a factor,i don't have too much alcohol,but i do have an occasional drink,really hot curries are a no no,but a mild korma does not seem to cause too much trouble,as you go along,you will get to know what will work for you,but do consider asking your doctor about taking an acid suppressant such as LANSOPERAZOLE,and see how you progress,do let us know how you get on,all the best for now,and very good luck to you.TIM.

[AliW in reply to Hidden]

HI Tim

Are you in UK or in US ? Do you have CREST or any other sort of auto immune disease ?

Whats the latest time of day that you actually eat ? When you say limited alcohol - I love my red wine & tahts the only sort I drink .... curries I like but prefer fish dishes.... thanks again & best wishes AliW

[Hidden in reply to AliW]

Hi again AliW

I have got CREST,and also all the associated illnesses,eg raynauds scleoderma,rheumatoid arthritis,and i also have pulmonary hypertension,i have lost all of the fingers on my left hand,and my right hand is badly damaged too,i am constantly battling ulcerations.You ask what is the latest time of day that i eat,well itry to not eat after 9:30 pm,and i find i am not too bad if i can stick to that,i also enjoy a glass of rose wine and it does not seem to upset me really,although i do limit the amount that i drink,i will usually only have a maximum of two standard glasses,hope that makes things a little clearer for you.Oh,by the way,i am in the UK,all best wishes for now.TIM.

[AliW in reply to Hidden]

Tim , Hi , bless you this stealth disease is really not a walk in the park is it :(( Are you a member of the Raynauds & Scleroderma Association ? I finbd them so supportive - do you have family that help you out ...?

I love my red wine but never drink huge amlunts as that's not a good idea - it helps my circulation to be honest I am having annual heart & lung tests but so far no pul hyper.tension diagnosed- Have you had the disease for long > ? I was diagnosed December 2003 Take Care I think you are very brave. AliW

[Hidden in reply to AliW]

Hi again AliW,

How wonderful of you to take the trouble to read and reply to my messages,you are a star,i am indeed a member of the Raynauds & Scleroderma Association,i am also a member of thePulmonary Hypertension association,i have to go to Sheffield 3 or 4 times a year to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital and i undergo all of the usual heart & lung tests there,but because it is such a long way there from my home,i stay overnight and come back the next day,but before coming home,i usually take in some tourist hotspots,and that makes having to go all the way up there a little more interesting.I first started having trouble in 1985,and it has progressed over the years to the illness that i have now,CREST was finally diagnosed in 1995,but it was felt i had suffered from it for a lot longer than i might have thought.How kind of you to say i am brave,many people have said the same,but like i have said if you have read my profile,it's noboby's fault i am the way i am,it's happened,so i just get on with things the best way i can,i live alone but i think (without sounding too big headed i hope)i manage very well,you also seem very brave and up front about your illness,and i hope you are not in too much pain right now,do keep in touch and let me know how you get on,god bless you.TIM.

[cherylann]

I have been on 40mg of omeprazole for years. I had an endoscopy a few months ago. The lower third of my esophagus had narrowed, so they tried stretching it. It helped for @ 3 weeks, then the symptoms came right back. Hope you have better luck.

[Hidden]

@inkedup I was told that steroids make the Candida worse, even though I'm on a low dose now. Have you tried eating more starchy food, as this starves the Candida?

[dewjue1]

hi i have barratts oesophagus. i have endoscopies every 2 years to check for any changes in my oesophagus and take rabeprazole twice a day. i also use a wedge for sleeping because i was vomiting acid after a few hours in bed.. not nice!! wedge worked a treat! as far as diet is concerned i dont drink too much alcohol( on the advice of my consultant) avoid really spicy curries and dont eat too late. my consultant said that problems usually start to occur about 10 years after diagnosis( it is a pre cancerous state) so everything you can do in the meantime is going to help. good luck.

[AliW]

hi dewjue. Thank you for taking the time to reply - Can I ask do you have CREST ( Limited Systemic Sclerosis) ? You have got me really scared now ... no one has mentioned a 10 year span to me ??/ very scare & very worried now.... From what I have read so far there is a 1 in 20 chance it may develop .... Are you on UK or USA? Hope to hear back from you AliW

[mews]

I also have Barrett's esophagus have been diagnoses for two years, almost sure I have had it much longer but my previous Dr missed it. Now I'm checked every year. My entire GI system has very big issues from the top to the bottom. I wish you luck and feel better Mary

[VanessaJoanne]

Hi AliW

The single most important thing you can do is get referred to s specialist scleroderma centre.

Are you taking lanzoprazole or something similar? Barrets oesophagus I believe occurs when acid reflux has not been properly controlled. This is why it is essential to keep it under control with more than one medication if necessary.

I have the head of my bed raised 8inches so that acid is prevented from flowing back.

I eat my evening meal 4 hours before bedtime!!! And keep it light. Alcohol is very acidic so that's worth bearing in mind.