Comment from: 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: August 19
I am a white female. Ten years ago, a friend of mine did me the biggest favor: When I told her I always had heartburn, and it occurred no matter what I ate, she told me to immediately set up an appointment with her gastro specialist. I was surprised that he immediately performed an endoscopy. He found I had Barrett's and put me immediately on Prevacid. I was prescribed to take two tablets a day rather than one. I had to go to the VA for care after I lost my medical benefits. They would not prescribe Prevacid but Prilosec. I asked my physician repeatedly for endoscopies to be performed because of the Barrett's. He said I had no symptoms and therefore the medication was working. I finally changed doctors after four years of this. To my surprise and dismay, I had stage II esophageal cancer. The doctor told me to put my affairs in order. This is not something to play with; when you are concerned, fight for your endoscopy. I wish that I had and I might not be going through this. There is nothing to the test, and you are given medication to put you in a dream-like state. Please be sure that you see your doctor on a regular basis and have endoscopies often if you have Barrett's. This is a horrible cancer and you may need to advocate for yourself. I wish I had! I pray that none of you let yours get out of hand. Of course, we now have more information, but stay on top of it, and prevent yours from developing into cancer.
Comment from: Barbaraws1, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: August 18
In December, I was diagnosed with Barrett's Esophagus. I had a mastectomy in January and reconstruction. I was not feeling very well and my doctor was out of town. I then went and saw the P.A. and as he walked out the door and was closing it he said, "Finally, got to see somebody who is not sick today." I was his second patient. A few days later I went and spoke with our small town surgeon. He wanted to do an upper and lower series. I agreed. The pathology report came back with Barrett's esophagus. I had no heartburn to speak of and he was very surprised. I just went to see my new Oncologist yesterday. He advised me that I was very lucky to have a surgeon who did the biopsy after seeing tissue changes, I agreed. I am still learning about this disease. I am a 52 year old woman. I have a 17 year old daughter. I am treated with medication; however, I am now having more symptoms. I don't know what the future holds, however, I just wanted to write this to let everybody know that only you know what is going on with your body and if you hear a remark like the one I did, please see another doctor. This doctor may have saved my life or he at least, found out what was bothering me and got me on the medication and ordered a PET Scan that was like 3 years over due.
Comment from: rgb, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: June 12
I just got a diagnosis of Barrett's Esophagus today. I had an EGD done on Friday and they put me on proton inhibitors which have helped. I had been sick for months with vomiting and it finally got to the point I could not keep anything down and I lost 10 pounds in a week. I am very upset that my insurance company will not cover my medication. They will cover it if I were to be diagnosed with esophageal cancer, but not now. I think it is a real shame that an insurance company will let you progress to cancer before they will pay for your medicine. I can't go on without the medicine so I will pay over a hundred a month for the medicine. Today is a sad day for me.
Comment from: Chris, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: March 06
Last February in 2008, I had a feeling of a lump in my throat, so I went to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor and was diagnosed with GERD. After taking various proton pump inhibitors for several months and still feeling the lump in my throat with no changes, I was referred to a gastroenterologist for further diagnosis. He performed an upper endoscopy that showed that I have Barrett's esophagus. This was a surprise as I had never even known that I had a problem with acid reflux, let alone Barrett's esophagus. There were no symptoms until I felt the lump in my throat! I have a normal/thin weight, exercise and eat very healthy, so I have questions as to why I have this disease. Now I will be taking Protonix two times a day as well as calcium and will have another endoscopy in a year to monitor my condition. Since this was found early, it can be monitored and hopefully controlled over the years.
Comment from: retch-retch, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: January 19
I was diagnosed nine years ago with Barrett's esophagus and a hernia. Since then, I was also diagnosed with a peptic ulcer. About three years ago, I had an emergency gall-bladder removal, then a stone removal, plus I fell, shattering my wrist all in one week. My only relief for Barrett's is to take Rantidine 300mg (Zantac) at night before bed and sometimes during day when it flairs up. For the last couple of years, I have found two or three days of Ramen noodles soup and crackers will also get me through the painful episode when you're hungry. Medicines and pain meds are just a Band-aid now. I need surgery. The smell of food makes me want to vomit all the time.
Patient Discussions are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on MedicineNet. The opinions expressed in the comments section are of the author and the author alone. MedicineNet does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment.
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Suggested Reading on Barrett's Esophagus by Our Doctors
Most sore throats are caused by viruses or mechanical causes (such as mouth breathing) and can be treated successfully at home. However, a person should be seen by a health care professional if they have a sore throat that has a rapid onset, and is associated with a fever or tenderness of the front of the neck; a sore throat that causes the person to have difficulty swallowing (not just pain swallowing) or breathing; or if a sore throat lasts for more than a week.
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition in which the acidified liquid
contents of the stomach backs up into the esophagus. The symptoms of uncomplicated GERD are heartburn,
regurgitation, and nausea. Effective treatment is available for most patients with GERD.
Bronchitis is a disease of the respiratory system in which the bronchial passages become inflamed. There are two types of bronchitis, acute and chronic. Symptoms of acute bronchitis include frequent cough with mucus, lack of energy, wheezing, and possible fever. Treatment may require medication such as bronchial inhalers and predinsone. Supportive treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms with fever reducers, cough suppressants, and rest. Treatment may be more aggressive in patients with pre-existing conditions such as empyema, COPD, or cigarette smoking.
A hiatal hernia is an anatomical abnormality in which part of the stomach protrudes through the diaphragm and up into the chest. Causes of hiatal hernia are a larger than normal esophageal hiatus. There are two types of hiatal hernias, sliding, or para-esophageal. When symptoms of hiatal hernia appear, they are similar to GERD symptoms. Hiatal hernia treatment is generally surgery.
Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette smoking, GERD, postnasal drip, bronchitis, pneumonia, medications, and less frequently tumors or other lung disease. Treatment of chronic cough is dependant upon the cause.
Esophageal cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the esophagus. Risk factors of cancer of the esophagus include smoking, heavy alcohol use, Barrett's esophagus, being male and being over age 60. Severe weight loss, vomiting, hoarseness, coughing up blood, painful swallowing, and pain in the throat or back are symptoms. Treatment depends upon the size, location and staging of the cancer and the health of the patient.
Stool color is generally brown. When stool color changes, often, an individual becomes concerned. The presence of the bilirubin in bile is generally responsible for stool color. Bilirubin concentration can vary bile color from light yellow to almost black in color. Changes in bilirubin can cause stool to turn green, gray, or clay-like in color. Intestinal bleeding may turn stool black, tarry, red, maroon, or smelly stool. Medication and food may also affect stool color.
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium that causes chronic inflammation (gastritis) of the inner lining of the stomach in humans. This bacteria also is the most common cause of ulcers worldwide.
Eosinophilic esophagitis is an inflammation of the esophagus. Eosinophilic esophagitis has many causes including acid reflux, heartburn, viruses, medications that become stuck in the esophagus, allergy, asthma, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Eosinophilic esophagitis symptoms include difficulty swallowing food, abdominal pain, chest pain, and heartburn.
Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing, swallowing problems. Dysphagia is due to problems in nerve or muscle control. It is common, for example, after a stroke. Dysphagia compromises nutrition and hydration and may lead to aspiration pneumonia and dehydration.
Esophagitis is caused by an infection or irritation of the esophagus. Infections that cause esophagitis include candida yeast infection of the esophagus as well as herpes.
Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. Causes of gastritis include drinking too much alcohol, medications such as NSAIDs, ibuprofen, aspirin, H. pylori infection, severe infections, burns, anemia, and autoimmune disorders. Gastritis is diagnosed with endoscopy, blood tests, or stool tests. Treatment depends upon the cause of gastritis.
Smoking is an addiction. More than 430,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from smoking related illnesses. Secondhand smoke or "passive smoke" also harm family members, coworkers, and others around smokers. There are a number of techniques available to assist people who want to quit smoking.
Hoarseness (abnormal deep, harsh, raspy voice) is caused by a variety of conditions in which the larynx (voice box and vocal chords) are irritated or injured. Examples of causes of hoarseness include: laryngitis, straining the vocal cords by yelling or screaming, infections, GERD, allergies, and more. Treatment of hoarseness depends on the cause.
Schatzki (Schatzki's) ring, is a narrow ring of tissue located just above the junction of the esophagus and stomach. The cause of Schatzki ring is not clearly known, however, some doctors believe they are caused by long term acid reflux. The symptoms of a Schatzki ring is primarily poorly chewed food that stays in chunks becoming stuck in the esophagus. Diagnosis of Schatzki's ring is barium x-ray or endoscopy. Treatment is generally a procedure to stretch or fracture the rings.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
Heartburn is a burning sensation experienced from acid reflux (GERD). Symptoms of heartburn include chest pain, burning in the throat, difficulty swallowing, the feeling of food sticking in the throat, and a burning feeling in the chest. Causes of heartburn include dietary habits, lifestyle habits, and medical causes. Treatments for heartburn include lifestyle changes, OTC medication, prescription medication, and surgery.
Acid backing up into the larynx (voice box), it causes reflux laryngitis. Irritation of the lining of the esophagus, larynx, and throat can lead to esophagitis, sinusitis, strictures, hoarseness, throat clearing, swallowing problems, asthma, chronic cough, and more. Typical symptoms of reflux laryngitis include heartburn, hoarseness, or a sensation of a foreign body in the throat. Reflux laryngitis can be treated with OTC medication, prescription medication, and lifestyle changes.
Disease prevention in men includes routine screening tests that are part of basic prevention medicine. Take an active role in your own health care and discuss screening tests with your doctor early in life. Age of screening and timing of screening depends upon the condition being assessed.
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
Digestion RSS
Healthy Living Tips
This site complies with the
I am a white female. Ten years ago, a friend of mine did me the biggest favor: When I told her I always had heartburn, and it occurred no matter what I ate, she told me to immediately set up an appointment with her gastro specialist. I was surprised that he immediately performed an endoscopy. He found I had Barrett's and put me immediately on Prevacid. I was prescribed to take two tablets a day rather than one. I had to go to the VA for care after I lost my medical benefits. They would not prescribe Prevacid but Prilosec. I asked my physician repeatedly for endoscopies to be performed because of the Barrett's. He said I had no symptoms and therefore the medication was working. I finally changed doctors after four years of this. To my surprise and dismay, I had stage II esophageal cancer. The doctor told me to put my affairs in order. This is not something to play with; when you are concerned, fight for your endoscopy. I wish that I had and I might not be going through this. There is nothing to the test, and you are given medication to put you in a dream-like state. Please be sure that you see your doctor on a regular basis and have endoscopies often if you have Barrett's. This is a horrible cancer and you may need to advocate for yourself. I wish I had! I pray that none of you let yours get out of hand. Of course, we now have more information, but stay on top of it, and prevent yours from developing into cancer.
Related Reading: endoscopy