Hello. I've been diagnosed with Barrett's having never experienced heartburn. I am scared and don't know where to start since I haven't been suffering from acid reflux. Scary part is I still feel nothing wrong when I eat so I don't know what not to eat...other than seemingly everything after reading about it. And even scarier is how it can progress if I don't do something. I am a 38 yr. old woman who can stand to lose some weight but not really that problem either! And I want to have kids. Does anyone else have this? Any advice?
Surprise diagnosis of Barrett's Esophagus
1/27/08 10:27pm
Hi Heza,
You've come to the right place. You can find a wealth of information about acid reflux and Barrett's esophagus so that when you speak to your doctor, you ask all the right questions.
First of all, even though you have been told you have Barrett's and probably already have a good understanding of what it is, you can read about it here. It is possible there is something there that you had not been told or might be new since your diagnosis.
Secondly, make sure you familiarize yourself with the specific symptoms for acid reflux and related conditions. You don't have to have heartburn to have the condition!!
Also, remember to check in here once in a while. There are many wonderful folks who share their experiences, their advice and help answer questions. If you have a question, just want to vent, or want to share your success with a particular challenge, this is a great place to do it!! We're all community here!
Take care and stay in touch, let us know how you are doing!
Vicki M
7/29/09 3:20pm
Dear Heza,
I know that you posted 2 years ago, but I pray that you are well and have resolved this issue (if such a thing is possible). I know how you feel, I too am female and in my 30's and was not expecting any such diagnosis. Please post back when you can.
7/29/09 4:12pm
Hello Tara,
Thank you for your prayers and support. I am doing well "as far as I know." I say that because with Barretts my doctor says I need to get an endoscopy every few years to keep an eye on it. I am not due now until the end of 2010. That freaks me out a little since I want to check on it at least every year.
But I have a routine now so I hope that it will keep it at bay.
How are you doing? Were you recently diagnosed? What did your doctor recommend?
7/30/09 3:44am
HI Heza,
I'm glad that you're okay. It feels like your victory is mine. Your BE must be stable if the doctor wants to do your follow ups every three years. I pray that it's not your insurance company being cheap though. These insurance companies are so greedy. Thank God for my new job; they have excellent health insurance. I may have suffered unknowingly at my other job because I've been complaining of these problems for years. I don't know the specifics of my condition. I didn't hear anything the doctor said after a while. I was in shock. However, I know that he said that my condition is in the metaplasia stage.
7/30/09 8:32am
I know how you feel. You should definitely revisit your doctor for full explanations, recommendations and action plan. I blanked out, too. I have developed my own cocktail of items I take in an effort to keep it under control-Odwalla Superfoods because it doesn't have the acid and has Barley Grass which is good for acid, probiotics, Digestive Enzymes, Aloe Juice and Throat Coat tea. I also have a cup of stomach friendly decaffinated coffee call The Considerate Coffee every morning for normalcy. These were all approved by my doctor to supplement my Protonix. So its really important to talk to him/her since it does involve changing your lifestyle.
Oh and I quit my job because it was 8 years of horrible stress and drama that I couldn't feel better until I made that change. Now I am happily employed at my own company pursuing my dream!
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Welcome to the community and thank you for the SharePost.
I am sorry about the surprise diagnosis.
While up to 10 percent of people living with acid reflux disease have Barrett's esophagus, some people with Barrett's esophagus don't have acid reflux disease, esophagitis or any symptoms.
For those who don't know, Barrett's esophagus is a serious condition in which changes occur in the cells that line the lower esophagus and cause the cells to become abnormal and precancerous.
First, do not panic. Barrett's esophagus is serious, but it is not cancer.
I urge you to talk to your doctor about possible treatments or procedures you can approach to halt progression.
Periodic endoscopy is recommended for detecting early cancer. In an important 2002 study, five year survival was 73% in BE patients whose cancer was detected with endoscopy screening and was 0% in patients who were not regularly screened.
Please visit the link below for additional information on treatment:
Barrett's Esophagus treatment
Check back and let us know what your doctor says!
Joy B.