Hi Guys,
I was visiting AC board and saw this thread thought I'd drop in and say hello and ask a curbside consult of my favorite group of docs.
I was Dx'ed with Erosive Esophagitis about 5-7 years ago and have been taking 40 mgs of Nexium pretty much consistently ever since although I did do Step Therapy upwards for just a bit. I also was diagnosed with Rip Roaring entire Colon Ulcerative Colitis at that time as well. I also was able to get Dexilent covered for awhile but eventually had to cut back to Nexium. My dose varied awhile because NYS carriers stopped covering actual Nexium and moved me over eventually to OTC version (Same thing but slightly different dose) so I took 2 capsules at what if I remember was 22 or 23 point something or other named brand OTC times two for a slightly higher dose. Now I'm back at regular 40's once daily. I do wonder if, because Dexilent seems to last longer, more effective as I have been told by my own GI if all this up and down has impacted my body in anyway not that I don't have one bad human habit of my own to contribute to my troubles... I love Pepsi and drink it regularly and I drink regular coffee light with 1 or 2% Lactaid.
On very recent reexam of both top and bottom scopings my UC has calmed down and receded to a much smaller section of my colon and some non cancerous polyps were removed as well. BUT, now my EE has evolved into Barrett's and obviously I'm pretty darn concerned. And the mention of ZE here just gave me the shivers as I have never heard of such a thing before...
But my Paternal Grandfather died fairly young of some sort of Pancreatic Cancer (68 years old). I've had full body cavity scans once or twice before just in case because of this family history combined with a hard to describe or pin point a cause of a fairly consistent pain on my left side just at the rib tummy line that get's especially bad on long drives when I'm obviously squashing my guts together sitting straight up for long periods of time. Those scans were clean and nobody said anything of interest about them. But internal pain that I can not say if it is just a long term strain or my UC colon being a pain or something else lead us to do it all, again just in case.
1) So, are there any other causes of Barrett's besides acid and reflux?
2) I read that Barrett's converting to a cancerous state was still pretty low but higher than normal population numbers. What is the truth about all this?
3) I've always wondered about things like HPV which most of us sexually active middle aged folks probably have been exposed to as a possible cause. Seeing that we are finding more and more cancers and the like being associated with various infections lately including Throat with HPV, why the heck not, right?
4) Is there anyway to possibly reverse this nasty thing before it progresses to the next more concerning stages? And should I consider getting the GI to get the Dexilent approved seeing that it is supposed to really last the full 24 hours or close to it at least as compared to other PPI's presently on the market.
5) I do take my Nexium as two 20 mg caps and I do spread them out by a few hours, usually one in the morning and then one later around 4 pm with my other 2nd dose meds to try and spread out the coverage since I was taught that Nexium really last about 20 hours or so tops. My GI used to give local talks on and for Nexium at some dinners I used to attend.
I have been trying to cut back on my nasty love of Pepsi lately and going back to good old coffee which never seem to impact me the way the soda does. But caffeine is my one and only real vice I have left. I was a fairly heavy smoker between my late teens and about 26 years old when I quite pretty much for good. Those of you who know me I used to be in a very crazy abusive relationship and so I returned to smoking twice when things got heavier and crazier for about two, 6 month stents in 96-97 and again in 2008-09 but I've been tobacco free ever since and otherwise. The past two years have been a crank up in a new and crazy level of abuses from afar of a more controlling financial like manner cause tons of worry and stress around our home and family... I sure I must be suffering some of those stresses internally in my body, brain and gastrointestinal systems.
Any insights or thoughts, tests to be considered or suggestions would be greatly appreciated from this knowledgeable group of friends. I need to stick around a good long time for my two still recovering from it all teenaged kids no less myself...
Sorry to impose and thanks so much my dear old friends,
Paul
