Barrett’s esophagus-friendly diet

Hello! My gastro thinks I may be lactose intolerant, so she recommended giving up dairy thus eliminating whey. When I would eat it, I would bloat. Same with pea protein. @t98, thank you for that! I think I am a little overwhelmed and that didn’t even occur to me. @klrick007 what whey product do you use? When I begin to reintroduce dairy, I may give it a try. Thanks, all! I appreciate the support and suggestions!

Neither have I. Is there a problem? I use a high-quality whey protein powder with no problem. In fact, that is sometimes what works the best as it is my “go to” when I’m really having trouble. 🤔

I hadn’t heard that whey powder was a problem with GERD?

I'm not familiar with the issues with protein powders, but why not just have the cooked protein if the powder is problematic? (cooked peas, lentils, fish more often, etc ...)

Awesome, thank you! I am doing all these things. I have Acid Watchers books, several other GERD cookbooks, and will talk to my dr about the PPI as a temporary solution. I looked up the side effects of long term use of PPIs, and they are not anything I want.Only a few days in to switching my diet, and already, I see and feel a difference. I have read all the posts here and gotten some great suggestions and insights. One thing I could use help with: protein. I like to lift weights, and cutting out pea and whey protein powders has been a bummer bc there goes some of my protein for the day. I do not eat red meat and only eat chicken and fish once or twice a week. I eat a lot of tofu. No eggs or dairy, so those are out for protein. I also eat a lot of legumes and beans. Any protein powders that anyone can recommend that are ok with gerd and BE? Thank you!

I would think the low-acid, whole food diet used by people with laryngopharangeal reflux and GERD would help with BE. Dr. Jonathan Aviv and Dr. Jamie Kaufman, both ENTs, have published books for that diet. there is a FB group devoted to recipes based on Aviv's diet, which slightly differs from Kaufman's. https://www.facebook.com/groups/199013402360712 You can google Kaufman to get to her web site, which is full of free information. I think Aviv is more on Instagram but you can find some stuff from him on the Internet. Diet has helped me a lot, when I stay on it. Also drinking alkaline water. There are water pitcher filters that make water alkaline. If you already have a water filter, test it to see if the water is acidic. My filtered water was extremely acidic, so I use pH drops now to alkanize it. Municipal water is usually neutral. BTW, for those of you talking about throat, nasal drip, ear issues that may be LPR, which needs an ENT for diagnosis. GI docs scope past the throat and focus on the esophagus and the stomach. I have both LPR and GERD and find the diet works for both. I never got DX'd with LPR but going to the low acid, whole food diet cleared up my sore throat and nasal drip. Good luck with whatever paths you choose!

The point is to treat the Barretts before it becomes cancerous. So
@wesleyrocket, you should look up all the posts about how to treat GERD, and speak to the doctor. You might need to take a PPI for a short time - but don't do it for a long time, and instead change diet, sit straight while eating, don't overeat, don't eat 3 hours before bedtime, sleep on a wedge or raise the head of your bed, don't drink coffee, don't eat chocolate (both these loosen the sphincter that lets the acid go into your esophagus), try the Gaviscon that contains sodium alginate... and there are many other suggestions to consider. If lifestyle changes are not enough, maybe take an H2 blocker (famotidine). Do lifestyle changes right away and maybe best to also take some meds for a short time to let it heal, and then continue with just lifestyle changes. Good luck

Hi Don, glad you're now able to eat your "normal" food again, and I hope your condition will continue to improve.

Hi
I was treated with Radiation and chemo to remove cancerous tumor in my lower esophagus that was limiting swallowing. The treatment worked but now I've had 3 endoscopy and oblations and each time they end up burning off precancerous cells in lower esophagus which is Barrotts. I also just has scan this week and will see what it shows now. I eat normally now.
Don

Hi all. I was just diagnosed with Barrett’s and am getting used to the idea of a radical diet change. I eat well anyways and have not had red meat for nearly thirty years and am very active. So this was a surprise and also a little scary. I was basically asymptomatic but it was discovered during a routine endoscopy bc I have had a chronic cough since January when I was hideously sick. Over the last six months, I began clearing my throat a lot, both a cough and throat clearing are symptoms, but no actual GERD symptoms. I got the endoscopy on the advice of my asthma Dr to rule out GERD and got the Barrett’s diagnosis. Any suggestions or advice of being newly diagnosed are welcomed and appreciated. Thanks!