Very worried about esophageal cancer

[WiseMonkey]

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Thanks for the story and your right it could be esophagitis or strictures or something but I’ve heard those develop slowly and would have probably shown on the barium swallow. I guess I just have to figure out how to get the testing I need done.[/QUOTE]

A barium meal test would not pick up esophagitis, only a scope would. It would pick up an early stricture though but I doubt you have that. Your food is being swallowed that's why you haven't lost weight.

[Hypo27]

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Thanks for the story and your right it could be esophagitis or strictures or something but I’ve heard those develop slowly and would have probably shown on the barium swallow. I guess I just have to figure out how to get the testing I need done.

A barium meal test would not pick up esophagitis, only a scope would. It would pick up an early stricture though but I doubt you have that. Your food is being swallowed that's why you haven't lost weight.[/QUOTE]

My swallowing keeps getting worse and worse I’m having to double swallow to get foods down even I’ve cream :(

[AntsyVee]

Sigh...this is the ALS thing all over again now.

[Carys]

Hi,

Look, for over a year people have reassured you on this, over and over, it makes no difference to you Hypo, you aren't willing to start reassuring yourself. You say that its getting worse and are utterly convinced. So you have a few choices;

1. Keep posting about this for the next few years, be utterly miserable, waste you life and happiness on something that isn't there, which your mind has invented and is tricking you.

2. Keep posting about this for the next few years, and you were right all along and everybody here was wrong and you slowly pass away (even though you aren't even losing any weight!!) with no treatment.

3. Go back to your GP, tell him or her that you can't swallow even icecream and are going to die of cancer. They refer you for a scan, which you say your insurance won't pay for.....so thats a non-starter I guess. (I suspect your GP is very aware that this is major HA)

4. Take out appropriate insurance or find out if you qualify for free government insurance support. Then ask for a referral.

5. Use the US mental health hotline, use it, and access the free resources and groups that I have been told are in most areas. Also a GP can prescribe medications for anxiety, go back to them and tell them that you have HA.

This is a health anxiety forum you are posting on, not a cancer site. What more can we do than support and advise on HA matters? We aren't doctors, we can't make you do anything and don't have a magic wand. Only YOU can take responsibility for your health, both physical and mental.

Harsh, yes, and no apologies for that. You have to make a choice Hypo on how to progress on this, but at the moment you are doing nothing and going in circles saying you don't know what to do. Fishmanpa said it more succinctly a couple of pages ago.

[Ajit]

Well, I have the same symptoms as you Hypo27.
I'm a 27 year old male with GERD, they diagnosed me 6 years ago. I only take PPIs.

It started around 4 weeks ago, that I couldn't swallow properly, as if food gets stuck in my throat, and it got progressively worse over time. Often I have to swallow the food twice, or more to get it down. I have chest pain too, and other symptoms you described, constantly.

I went through the same fear as you, my doctor sent me for an endoscopy. My appointment will be in february 8th. I asked him about cancer, and he looked at me like wtf im talking about ...

I will let you know what causes this, maybe my negative case will convince you (or not). My wife keeps teeling me that it's not cancer (god she must hate me for all the drama I kept her anxious with in these few weeks...), and I start to believe her, as everyone in my environment thinks im crazy now

OH I almost forgot: I also had leukemia, and melanoma last year. And lung cancer 3 years ago. A round of Xanax helped me get rid of them

[Hypo27]

I really appreciate all the advice guys I really do, but I’m really not doing so good. I’m very nauseous today and feeling so tired and fatigued for no reason. I’ve came to the conclusion that this more than likely is cancer of some sort. I’m declining pretty quick it nothing is getting better despite me taking PPI’s and eating better. I’m gonna go to the ER after work today and hopefully get some answers but I know whatever it is is really bad. Hopefully if it is cancer it hasn’t spread everywhere...

[Carys]

OK, let us know how you get on. Good luck.

[Hypo27]

OK, let us know how you get on. Good luck.

Thank you Carys for your help and I will.

[Fishmanpa]

I’m gonna go to the ER after work today and hopefully get some answers but I know whatever it is is really bad. Hopefully if it is cancer it hasn’t spread everywhere...

Just a thought... The typical out of pocket cost for an ER visit without insurance is can be upwards of $2K with tests. Besides, it's for "emergencies". Why not take some of that money, go to healthcare.gov or a local insurance agent and see if you can yourself on some kind of policy through the ACA? My wife and I use ACA due to pre-existing conditions and based on our income we qualify for subsidies that help us afford coverage. Besides, the ER is only going to tell you to see your doctor or a specialist right?

You don't have some sinister illness here IMO. Just based on your post history here and on AZ, you've got a raging case of HA and the dragon has been breathing fire down your neck for years. It would just make sense to get yourself covered and pursue standard procedures. Visit a GP, get referred if necessary and take it from there

Positive thoughts

[utrocket09]

I really appreciate all the advice guys I really do, but I’m really not doing so good. I’m very nauseous today and feeling so tired and fatigued for no reason. I’ve came to the conclusion that this more than likely is cancer of some sort. I’m declining pretty quick it nothing is getting better despite me taking PPI’s and eating better. I’m gonna go to the ER after work today and hopefully get some answers but I know whatever it is is really bad. Hopefully if it is cancer it hasn’t spread everywhere...

So you are going to waste time going to an ER. An ER is for people who truely have an emergency not to find an illness that probably does not exist. You would be able to get answers from a primary care doctor or an urgent care.