Silent acid reflux..do you suffer from this?

We all wish you the very best & hope you find relief & a end to your problems.

I haven't been referred to a specialist but I still suffer a lot from it. Just that it's not bad enough I suppose to see the specialist & have an endoscopy procedure.

 

I received the report yesterday from the consultant yesterday. They did a EMR procedure to remove a nodule that at times made me feel like I was choking. This was sent to a lab and thankfully has shown to have low grade dysplasia in Barrett's Oesophagus and nothing more advanced. Another appointment is going to be made to clear the other nodules first before a different type of treatment can be applied to treat the Barrett's Oesophagus.

This acid reflux I have been suffering from has caused these low grade cell changes which has resulted in these small nodules appearing.

 

@gks, glad to hear you had nothing more serious! I hope the nodules left can be safely removed as well.

 

thank you all for your replies


Hope all friends on here get treatment for this problem as it is very worrying , I hadn't realised the health problem was quite so widespread. As talking to others in the village I find that most people of our age group tend to have the same problems. It is quite a regular topic conversation piece now.

Thinkk I've started something


Take care xx

 

Had a phone call on Friday afternoon from Newcastle hospital if I would be available for Monday 26th June to have some more of the nodules removed. So I am booked in for 2.45pm this afternoon, which was not a problem, I had already planned to be off today as it is our 21st wedding anniversary.

 

Apologies gks only just logged on the forum.

Hope all went well and you enjoyed your wedding anniversary. 21 Good yrs......... who could ask for more

 

Had a telephone appointment with the consultant today regarding my last procedure and what the next lot of treatment would be. They had not been able to remove two of the nodules and would like me to have another EMR procedure as soon as. I told him I go on holiday on the 21st August so they are trying to get me booked in before I go away. The last tissue samples now show an area in the Barrett's to have high grade dysplasia but they can't treat the Barrett's until all the nodules are removed.

 

Let's hope they can get you done as soon as possible - it won't be a very good holiday if you have to put up with the discomfort after the procedure.

 

Received my appointment through the post today, they are going to try and remove these nodules when I get back from Holiday. I arrive back on the 13th September, so I have a telephone appointment with the nurse on the 14th and then Newcastle on the 18th.

 

While I was away on holiday a letter arrived to inform me that my procedure has been put back to the 16th October. The nurse phoned me on Monday to go through all medical records etc etc, I asked her why the procedure had been put back and why they were unable to remove these nodules but there was nothing on my notes.

All I know is, the procedure has been put back as I have now been referred to a different consultant who apparently preforms the most number of Oesophago-Gastric cancer and benign resections in the UK, hopefully this procedure will be the road to recovery.

 

That is good news @gks - you get the guy with the most experience in this specialty. That's a definite bonus!

 

@gks, that's definitely good news for you! Worth waiting the extra month I would imagine!

Maybe it was because of the strike actions in the NHS the last few months that caused your appointment to be put back.

 

Well I am still having issues with what this acid reflux has caused. I seen a specialist in July at Newcastle and this low grade dysplasia in my barrett's oesophagus has progressed to high grade and spread into my stomach and that left untreated it would likely to progress to cancer with in 2-10years

I was at RVI today to start the process of obliterating all the abnormal cells. Unfortunately more nodules have appeared in my Esophagus, so after going to RVI regularly to have these nodules removed to make a clear passage to treat this high grade dysplasia, I am now back to square one.

 

I first suffered acid reflux when I was a student; I went to the doctor about the constant lump in my throat and he said it he couldn't see anything wrong so it was probably "exam nerves". Well after I graduated the problem went away so I though maybe he was right.

Years later, when working, the problem recurred and the lump in the throat feeling was so bad it made me panicky. I tried to see my GP but couldn't get past the "ring on the dot at 8 am for an appointment". Then I read a "dear doctor" column in the paper where someone had exactly the same symptoms, and the reply was acid reflux - and some possible triggers were listed. Coffee jumped out at me. The first attack happened when I was living with a boyfriend who had a filter coffee machine. Graduation coincided with our breakup. The current attack tied in with my own purchase of a filter coffee machine - I was drinking a nice big strong mugful before leaving for work each morning. I cut out the coffee and my symptoms disappeared within days. The filter machine was thrown out!

So now I know coffee doesn't agree with me - I never drink "real" coffee but can tolerate the nicer instant coffees so long as I don't make them too strong or too frequent! Having read this thread and seen what greater issues the reflux can cause, I am very thankful that I found my particular trigger, and will take any recurrences seriously.

 

Just been reading through this thread as have also suffered from repeated Acid Reflux this year.
Well actually for a couple of years, though then only mildly after a bigger meals .

What has surprised us is that the NHS site says if you suffer from acid reflux more than three times a week you should see a GP.
However if you see the supermarket shelves they are stacked full of antacid tablets, Gaviscon and Osomeparazole tablets, so there must be a lot of folk suffering with this problem, but not seen their GP about it.

All the surgery did for us , via a nurse pactitioner, was to test for a bactria called H.pylori which proved negative, but to our surprise, they then closed the case ?
Was told we have to make a new appointment with "a clinician" if we still have a problem !

Thankfully, when speaking to the surgerys Pharmacist on another matter, he was extremely helpful and put me on Osomeparazol, also saying that it should not be bought and used from places like the supermarket without medical supervision.
He was also very much again any regular use of things like Ibuprofen/Naproxen unless prescribed.

For us, seems the tablets and dietry changes are improving things, like avoiding all the often seen lists of trigger foods and obvious very acid foods and drink, Coffee being very acid and Tea only a bit better. Decaf - well when you look into it, its what is used to decaf them that could be a trigger !

What does make one wonder is most of the antacid tablets and liquids are either orange or peppermint flavoured, both known triggers !

Be interesting to read any more insightful posts on the subject.