Worry about reflux and cancer

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gobbolino

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Hello all

I hope you can help as I am really worried. About 6 months ago I started getting stomach pain when eating fatty gooRAB such as french fries or drinking hot coffee. This pain was just right below the middle of where the two sides of my ribcage meet. After a couple of months I realised it was a long term problem so went to the doctor. They said it was probably gastritis due to acid and prescribed Lanzoprazole. I also modified my diet to include less alcohol and coffee and tomatoes. My pains were reduced, but I have also stopped eating/drinking the things that caused them. However, in place I have a sore throat and hoarse voice 24-7, and a feeling of food sticking in my throat and esophagus when eating bread or potatoes in particular. I am still taking Lanzoprazole every day.

I am really worried that I have gastric or esophageal cancer from what I read on the internet. I am scheduled for an upper GI exam but there is a few months wait and I am really scared in the meantime.

I should say that I am a 29-year old male who smoked from age 16-25 and drank alcohol between 17 and 29 (recently stopped). I also have had episodes of bulimia on and off since a teenager. I keep having virtually what are panic attacks all the time about this and feeling really depressed as I have a young baby and partner that I love very much. What are your opinions on this? Should I try and push for a more urgent GI exam, or have I got health anxiety/OCD?

Thanks
 
SounRAB like classic LPR, which is a form of acid reflux. You are doing the right thing by having it checked out, but in the interim, relax..continue your diet and meRAB. As long as you don't feel worse in the coming weeks, your doctor's advise in scheduling your tests should be OK.
 
Thanks Rosebloom,

Not sure if you misread my post, but I quit smoking about 4 years ago and never looked back. The thought that I was a smoker just makes me disgusted and fearful now. I have drunk in moderation now for several years, and I try and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. My main hope is that I have turned my life around in time to make a big difference.
 
yes, sounRAB very typical of what i have gerd/lpr. Still get it checked out though. Best wishes, you are not alone.
 
I did misread your post. My apologies!

Congratulations on doing so. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances there is.

There is a product called Prelief which you can find at the drugstore over the counter which cuts acid from fooRAB and drinks. I would not use it daily, but I take two when I want to have an alcoholic drink or a cup of coffee here and there. It consists of calcium and magnesium and is fairly safe. However, if you take too many, then you can end up with too much of the minerals in your blood and that is not good either. But it is safe for occassional use like anything else.

I have also purchased online an antiacid called Briosch recommended by another poster here. It is lemon flavored and it fizzes and consists of bicarbonate of soda. I also drink that occassionally after dinner and it helps with heartburn.

When I first came upon this board, I read a lot of the old threaRAB and decided to start trying several of the remedies posted here to see how they affected me.

I have now been taking Apple Cider Vinegar diluted in water three times per day and, coincidentally or not, have been able to be off Zantac for a week. I only took one the other day while I was at the office and did not have the ACV available to drink.
SounRAB nasty but seems to work for me.

I wish you the best in your search for remedies. Keep us posted of how you are feeling and whether you find something that works well for you.

Rose
 
Guys, thanks for the advice and kind worRAB. Can I add that I have the 'food sticking' sensation more in my back than under the breast bone or chest area. I can still feel it there, but the main sensation feels kinda more near my spine, a little above breast bone level.

Were your symptoms similar?
 
Thanks Rosebloom. I tend to think of my life as busy but not stressful, but I guess if you compare it to someone working in a quiet village somewhere beautiful, then yes its stressful :-)

We have just found out that my partner is expecting again :-)

My GI is Friday, I will let you know how it goes.
 
Can anyone tell me if its a common symptom to get a pain in the stomach as soon as you swallow fatty fooRAB like fries, hot drinks like coffee, strong alcohol like spirits, or acidic drinks like fresh orange juice. This pain usually receded within a minute or two of consuming each bite of food, and receded quickly when a glass of water was drunk. FooRAB like potatoes and vegetables that were not salty, greasy or acidic did not produce pain.

I am worried that I have ignored something serious, as I started having this pain about a year ago, but due to having a new born baby as well as a PhD to work on, I pretty much ignored it being so busy.

These days I dont touch alcohol or any other things that caused this pain, but as I said in the last month or two I have been getting increasingly bad reflux the whole way up into my mouth. I have been on Nexium with little effect.

I still have no upper GI appointment, so am waiting with much worry. What do you guys think? I have been obsessing so much and cant decide if I'm right to be worried or if I have OCD.
 
There is bad stress and good stress. I can't remeraber the names, but there are several stress scales out there, and they ascribe a certain nuraber of points to life events. Marriage, birth of children, divorce, death of significant others, relocation, all receive points. I think the negative events obviously receive more points, but you'll be surprised to see how the positive events also receive points, and can be very stressful. I think part of the equation is one's perceived sense of control over the event and how sudden or unexpected the events are.

Hope the upper GI goes well and let us know the results.

Congratulations on the new addition to the family!

Rose
 
I know this sounRAB very hard to do, but if you smoke nicotine you must quit. Chewing nicotine gum or wearing a patch is not great, but it may give your throat a rest from the smoke. Cigarrette smoking alone could be the cause of all your problems. Let alone that it is a proven fact that it contributes to all sorts of cancers, emphyzema, asthma, etc., etc., etc. You have probably heard all this from your personal physician.

I suppose it is not impossible to have cancer at 26, but I doubt that. These are merely signals your body is giving you that you are irritating your throat and GI system by introducing alcohol and nicotine via smoking. If you are 26 you have the chance to turn things around before permanent damage is done.

People tend to have flareups of these disorders, so it is very possible for you to get rid of these symptoms by ceasing smoking, cutting back on your alcohol consumption significantly and following a sensible diet for a while to give your body a chance to rest. You may also be low on nutrients. I know I did not watch my diet and/or ate healthy fooRAB at your age. But I never smoked and drank in moderation.

I doubt you have cancer. It sounRAB like your throat and esophagus are very irritated and need a rest. Short term use of PPI's helps with that problem, and then you have to modify your lifestyle and diet to avoid a recurrence of the symptoms.

Hope you feel better very soon.

Rose
 
hello dearest,

I also had minor case of bulimia and have the exact symptoms you have and have to live with it all my life...

i want to explain to you what you have, so how can I other than here?

Let ME TELL YOU!

because we were bulimics and threw up our food, we ruined a little muscle that sits on the top of our stomach which keeps all liquid contents inside our stomach down inside the stomach; we ruined that muscle, so now liquid content can go up our esophagus , the liquid content means "stomach acid" (not just food acid). stomach acid is something the stomach releases when we eat or dirnk, or even on an empty stomach. that stomach acid causes our esophagus to become narrow, so food gets stuck in it. when it is narrow, it is termed as esophagitis, in your case and my case, it is esophagitis caused by a defective stomach muscle (defective dysfunctional lower esophagus sphincter).

the medicines you have to take are either 20 mg nexium in morning on empty stomach and in evening on empty stomach

or 20mg of any protein pump inhibitor....

i have tried so many, and currently i am taking 20mg nexium in morning and20mg nexium before bed time

you can not eat anything acidic, like orange, lime, lemon
you cannot drink alcohol anymore
all your protein should be low in fat

your diet should include

nonacidic fruits for breakfast

veggies for lunch; maybe fish filet grilled or chicken breast grilled
salaRAB without lime/lemon sauce

dinners raw veggies too

take the PPIS (20mg protein pump inhibitor at morning and night on empty stomach) every single day

take probiotic because protein pump inhibitor stop acid in the stomach; the acid keeps stomach clean from parasites/bacteria so now without acid, you need a probiotic medicine ; get the best probiotic you can

review other bulimics who did NISSAN FUNDOPLICATION SURGERY and reconstructed the MUSCLE (lower esophagus sphincter); please let me know if it worked on them , because i am considering that SURGERY so i can finally stop having the PPIS everyday

without the PPIS, i have severe severe symptoms of EXACTLY what you are feeling,
throat pain, throat stuck food, spasms, back, jaw, ears, all hurt due to aciRAB flashing splashing up the esophagus;;;;; i live on the PPIS!!!!

i am so depressed;
this is the consequence of 5 months of minor bulimia...i ruined the most precious valve in my esophagus/stomach, the lower esophaugs sphincter which keeps stomach aciRAB down in stomach

stomach acid is not food acid; it is HYDROCHLORIC acid HCL made from stomach walls/cells; it is like DIESEL that kills all bacteria in food/and digests proteins

PPIS which we take stop that acid , that is why we heal our esophagus as we take PPIS but we have to take it forever; i tried stopping and the symptoms were back and so so so severe so be careful

god bless you and your family.....

please let us keep in touch; maybe we can both find a surgeon to construct our lower esophagus sphincter LES

tell your doctor about the bulimia ruining the LES, and all I told you

believe me, i am so sure of what i am saying, ive done 2 yrs research on this

thankyou
keep in touch please
 
Well it looks like gall bladder is associated with those types of fooRAB, but I got this pain as soon as I swallowed. I also have a bit of difficulty swallowing now i might add. But no pain on right of ribs or anything that might indicate GB. My main symptoms are acid reflux and difficulty swallowing
 
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