Barrett’s esophagus

@pdilly i hope you find someone who has experience and good ideas for you. I'm having problems with that myself for a different problem. I was lucky to see a different specialist who looked at some recent records and discovered he had at least seen someone who had the same problem as me. At least I now know I'm on the right trail to finding answers.

Praying for you to find some relief. Have a safe, happy and healthy New Year!

@pdilly RFA's are technically not a surgery but a procedure. I know, potato vs potatoe. Recovering after it depends on how large of an area treated. For me after 3 days I was able to swallow pretty much anything without pain. Now, if you are asking how long it takes to be rid of Barrett's after an RFA my understanding is that there is no firm answer since my Mayo Gastro MD tells me that some people are never rid of Barrett's and will require monitoring at least annually. Hope you have a Happy New Year!

@konniehoover thank you again! I hope your new specialist keeps helping you ou your issues!

Thank you @dandl48 — I wasn’t clear in my post! Sorry! I’m not really asking about when Barrett’s will be gone. I’ve had it for 20 years and will continue to have it since the ablation is only being done on those Barrett’s segments with low grade dysplasia — getting rid of them before they change to high grade dysplasia and cancer!

Thanks for sharing that you could easily swallow after 3 days without pain. I’ve actually been able to swallow the prescribed soft diet without much pain since the day of the ablation. I haven’t had to take any pain meds. But I have constant mild to moderate nausea. I’ve lost about 7 pounds since Friday morning because it’s hard to make myself eat. I took a teeny tiny zofran for nausea on Saturday and was knocked out for about 7 hours and hung over from it for another day!

Maybe this is just normal for some people after this ablation procedure/surgery?

I've never been nauseous after my procedures. Could it be a reaction to the sedation? Probably just me but since you aren't eating much, I used to get nauseous when I went too long without eating.

Good to know you’ve never had nausea after ablations. I wonder too if it’s just the way my body reacts after anesthesia. They say that the Michael Jackson/Prince drug combo given for anesthesia leaves your system quickly after the anesthesia is stopped. But apparently i experience a lingering side effect of nausea. Maybe when I wake up in 2019 tomorrow it will be gone! Or I will find an anti nausea drug that doesn’t knock me out!

Hi @pdilly,

How are you feeling? Since you mentioned radio frequency ablation (RFA), I’d like to invite @grandmar @waterboy @hogan_g1937 to join in and share their insights about RFA. You might be interested in reading this discussion on Connect:
– Experience with Radio Frequency Ablation procedures? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/experience-with-radio-frequency-ablation-procedures/

I sincerely hope you’ve found much-needed relief from the nausea?

Thank you @kanaazpereira — it’s getting better finally! The procedure was one week ago today — I’ll let you know what my doc’s office says when I hear back from them!

I was just diagnosed with early stage Barrett's esophagus after having a bleeding ulcer repaired via endoscope. This really scares me. I was put on protonix and told to eat a low acid diet. No fried foods, no candy, no soda, I've been eating baked chicken with no seasoning. I cut out all salt and most sugar. No booze too. So I've been told my esophagus lining is like a shag carpet. So now what is the treatment with no low or high grade dysphasia? I see my Dr. In March. I've been drinking 12. bottles of water a day. I stop eating 5 hrs before bed. Can this reversed?

@riflemanz64 I’m sorry you’ve been diagnosed with Barrett’s. To answer your question, I think what you’re doing now is your treatment from now on — eating differently and taking protonix. They may also Have you raise the head of your bed about 6 inches.

In the 20 years since diagnosed, I’ve always been told that it can’t be reversed. So when I had my EDGs every 1 1/2 to 2 years I hoped my Barrett’s had not worsened — that it was the same. And that’s what happened for 18 years.

But then I developed segments with low grade dysplasia — thus the radio frequency ablation procedures now that I have a hard time bouncing back from.

I hope your Barrett’s never worsens. Take your meds and stick with your new eating plan.