Real health worries

[chung]

I too am suffering from terrible anxiety about my health but in my case its actually real and not just in my head. I have reflux issues which is permanent and it puts me at risk of cancer. And now I have swollen glands which is also unexplained. I have not been sleeping well and I am thinking i cant cope any longer. There are financial worries on top and life is just not fun any more its just constant misery. I dont see the point in fighting any more. I feel like my life is over now. I never smoked or drank and took care of myself yet here I am being punished for no reason. Life can be really cruel for some people. Some people get lucky and others are just constantly unlucky.

[Jsp]

I too am suffering from terrible anxiety about my health but in my case its actually real and not just in my head. I have reflux issues which is permanent and it puts me at risk of cancer. And now I have swollen glands which is also unexplained. I have not been sleeping well and I am thinking i cant cope any longer. There are financial worries on top and life is just not fun any more its just constant misery. I dont see the point in fighting any more. I feel like my life is over now. I never smoked or drank and took care of myself yet here I am being punished for no reason. Life can be really cruel for some people. Some people get lucky and others are just constantly unlucky.

Hi Chung. I'm sorry to hear that you're not feeling so good.

I also have reflux issues too, as do many other people on this forum. Are you taking any medication for it? I currently take 20mg Omeprazole and that really helps. The risk of developing cancer due to reflux is only increased by a small amount, and that amount is cut if you're seeking treatment for it. You MUST realise that a huge amount of people suffer from acid reflux disease and it's really not as serious as you're making it sound. Try to take a step back and look at what you're saying - you will find that it is irrational. 99% of people get reflux from time to time, and the amount of people who suffer regularly is also huge!

There are also so many reasons why your glands could be up. Mine were up a few days ago actually then went back down. There may be a bug going around or something, but anxiety can make your glands swell up too.

Are you seeking any treatment for your anxiety?

[chung]

I sometimes take omeprazole but that too causes side effects or doesnt work much. I have LPR rather than GERD. So mine is not really being treated which puts me at higher risk. I might even already have cancer judging by the swollen glands I have. Yes lots of people have reflux but its difficult to say what is serious and what is not. What about people who get barretts and then get cancer? It could be any one of us who gets it. Why are you so confident its not serious? Cancer doesnt care who it attacks next. You could be young or old, smoker or non smoker, white or black, it doesnt care.

---------- Post added at 20:48 ---------- Previous post was at 20:45 ----------

100% of the 99% who get reflux wont die from it because thats just normal reflux. Mine is a different case. It is persistent. Diet or lifestyle doesnt improve it. We need 24 hour protection through heavy doses of omeprazole. Its a life of misery at best and at worst, it will lead to throat cancer and then from that point onwards it will be a horrible way to die.

---------- Post added at 20:49 ---------- Previous post was at 20:48 ----------

No i dont have treatment for anxiety. The doctors would only give me more drugs to take!

They dont usually stay swollen for a month though do they?

[Rennie1989]

Yes, cancer is indiscriminate, but is it worth wasting those precious moments of your life worrying about you could have when you don't? If you're really worried about your swollen glands then by all means see a doctor, but glands can and do swell up from time to time.

[Jsp]

I sometimes take omeprazole but that too causes side effects or doesnt work much. I have LPR rather than GERD. So mine is not really being treated which puts me at higher risk. I might even already have cancer judging by the swollen glands I have. Yes lots of people have reflux but its difficult to say what is serious and what is not. What about people who get barretts and then get cancer? It could be any one of us who gets it. Why are you so confident its not serious? Cancer doesnt care who it attacks next. You could be young or old, smoker or non smoker, white or black, it doesnt care.

---------- Post added at 20:48 ---------- Previous post was at 20:45 ----------

100% of the 99% who get reflux wont die from it because thats just normal reflux. Mine is a different case. It is persistent. Diet or lifestyle doesnt improve it. We need 24 hour protection through heavy doses of omeprazole. Its a life of misery at best and at worst, it will lead to throat cancer and then from that point onwards it will be a horrible way to die.

---------- Post added at 20:49 ---------- Previous post was at 20:48 ----------

No i dont have treatment for anxiety. The doctors would only give me more drugs to take!

They dont usually stay swollen for a month though do they?

Omeprazole won't work if you only take it sometimes. It takes a little while for it to build up in your system. It would be worth giving it a try for a month or so, if that doesn't work then you could go back to your doctor for a higher dose or an alternative medication. There's quite a few treatments out there which help reflux.

I'm just saying that it is normal to get reflux, and it is also common to get it regularly. I really recommend you going back to your doctor again and speaking about this - it's obviously effecting you mentally very much so it would be worth it. My entire family are on medication for it and it really helps.

Yes, cancer is indiscriminate but this does not mean you have it, and that doesn't mean you have to spend your life worrying about it. The chances of you getting Barrett's is still slim even with your reflux disease, especially if you go and get treatment, you must remember that.

And yes, glands can stay swollen for a long time depending on the reason. Sometimes they swell up and stay swollen for no reason (this happened to me). A simple blood test can indicate whether there is something more serious going on.

[Serenity1990]

Reflux issues, whether GERD or LPR aren't necessarily permanent. Given you suffer from anxiety it could simply go away when you deal with your anxiety, or alternatively it can be entirely elevated with diet. I have silent reflux and omeprozole didn't help at all, but diet has pretty much got rid of it. Whoever has told you it's permanent is talking rubbish: if it's due to hiatal hernia it is but otherwise that's just garbage.

The increased cancer risk is very small, and is zero if you deal with it.

As much as 1/3 of the British population are estimated to develop reflux (silent or otherwise), it really isn't at all serious.

[chung]

Omeprazole won't work if you only take it sometimes. It takes a little while for it to build up in your system. It would be worth giving it a try for a month or so, if that doesn't work then you could go back to your doctor for a higher dose or an alternative medication.

If it doesnt work, increase the dose. That is terrible treatment. Doctors should learn more about how to fix problems not just increase dosages. omeprazole used to work like antacids for me. They would work in half an hour. But Sometimes they do not work at all. So why should i need to take it for a month if it sometimes works immediately? explain to me. Omeprazole doesnt stop pepsin reflux.

---------- Post added at 21:10 ---------- Previous post was at 21:08 ----------

A simple blood test can indicate whether there is something more serious going on.

Unfortunately not. It requires a full surgical biopsy to be sure if its cancerous. Nothing else will do. Biopsies are not for the faint hearted.

---------- Post added at 21:15 ---------- Previous post was at 21:10 ----------

Reflux issues, whether GERD or LPR aren't necessarily permanent. Given you suffer from anxiety it could simply go away when you deal with your anxiety, or alternatively it can be entirely elevated with diet. I have silent reflux and omeprozole didn't help at all, but diet has pretty much got rid of it. Whoever has told you it's permanent is talking rubbish: if it's due to hiatal hernia it is but otherwise that's just garbage.

The increased cancer risk is very small, and is zero if you deal with it.

As much as 1/3 of the British population are estimated to develop reflux (silent or otherwise), it really isn't at all serious.

It did go away or at least it went away to the point that LPR was not an issue in my life, for about 5 months, and now its come back again. During the time it wasnt an issue, I got occasional problems but not like what is happening now.
And I also feasted on pizza, pastries and other delights during that time with no problem at all. And now, I cant eat anything without it worsening my throat symptoms. Its very cruel.

If you dont think its serious, why are people dying from it? Isnt it serious if LPR is implicated in throat cancer even in non smokers? Just imagine pouring acid on your finger every single day, for the next 50 years. Your throat is 100 times more sensitive than your finger. Just imagine what damage is being done as I type this.

[claireypoo]

If reflux has given you some inflammation, a day here and there on a PPi won't do much. Sure, it will reduce the acid but it won't cure the inflammation immediately! If you still feel acid burning on a low dose, the doctor is obviously increasing your dose to a therapeutic level to reduce your acid thus allowing the stomach or oesophagus, or both, to heal. Maybe go back to your doctor, there are other PPI's to try, I am taking Lansoprazole for mine.

I have found GERD/GORD to be fairly common amongst anxiety sufferers. Google search REFLUX/GERD/ACID INDIGESTION and No more panic together and see for yourself.

Hope you feel better soon.

---------- Post added at 21:24 ---------- Previous post was at 21:20 ----------

I am also waiting for a Endoscopy appointment to see what is going on. Many people on here have had endoscopies, it is my understanding that biopsies are taken from the gullet/stomach/duodenum while the camera is down, and that most people can't even feel the tissue being taken. Admittedly, I am not looking forward to the endoscopy, but I will opt for sedation and hopefully it won't be too bad.

---------- Post added at 21:34 ---------- Previous post was at 21:24 ----------

Serenity is absolutely right. Reflux is very common (particularly for anxiety sufferers) and rarely serious. I know of three people who have been scoped and told they have NERD. (Non-erosive or Functional reflux disease) of these three, one went on to develop GERD (which was due to a hiatus hernia but was controlled very well with PPI's and Gaviscon) the other two got completely better when their stress levels reduced.

[chung]

are you going for the transnasal endoscopy or normal? Its not serious if its being adequately treated I agree. But the problem with LPR is many of us cannot find any relief even after surgery, medication and lifestyle changes. That means we are at higher risk because it is not being adequately treated. LPR is more serious than GERD anyway. The throat is much more easily damaged. And as I said its not just a case of worrying about cancer, it seriously diminishes your enjoyment of life. You can rarely eat out and you can say goodbye to all your favourite foods. It also stops you from sleeping because it can choke you while you are asleep. It can attack you just when you trying to get a good nights sleep.

[claireypoo]

I am having the camera down my throat, I believe. What scope did you have?