u/Sneetchie1

31(m).

No real symptoms of GERD or reflux in general over the years, aside from very occasional globular feeling. Had an endoscopy due to a persistent tight, gnawing sensation below my ribcage (still undetermined cause), and in having that done I was diagnosed with <1cm Barrett’s.

Since the endoscopy, which was about three weeks ago, I have had persistent regurgitation and a globular feeling, making it feel like I am short of breath and that something is stuck in my throat. I had heartburn and burping off and on as well after the endoscopy, but the heartburn went away after about 5 days, and the burping is still happening but not as frequent.

I have cut out everything from diet that is a potentially known trigger, and I have changed to left-side sleeping. I am on 40 mg PPI.

Has anyone else had symptoms start to actually appear after the endoscopy? I guess I was largely asymptomatic before or had silent GERD, but now I am very much having near-constant symptoms in some form or another.

31(m).

No real symptoms of GERD or reflux in general over the years, aside from very occasional globular feeling. Had an endoscopy due to a persistent tight, gnawing sensation below my ribcage (still undetermined cause), and in having that done I was diagnosed with <1cm Barrett’s.

Since the endoscopy, which was about three weeks ago, I have had persistent regurgitation and a globular feeling, making it feel like I am short of breath and that something is stuck in my throat. I had heartburn and burping off and on as well after the endoscopy, but the heartburn went away after about 5 days, and the burping is still happening but not as frequent.

I have cut out everything from diet that is a potentially known trigger, and I have changed to left-side sleeping. I am on 40 mg PPI.

Has anyone else had symptoms start to actually appear after the endoscopy? I guess I was largely asymptomatic before or had silent GERD, but now I am very much having near-constant symptoms in some form or another.

31(m). I’ve been mostly symptom free my whole life, except when I was a kid and took Zantac, with only occasional globular feeling in throat and once in a while a slight and brief regurgitation feeling the first moment I lay down some nights. Otherwise, no symptoms, and I didn’t even consider I had a reflux problem.

Developed a gnawing sensation around the stomach area about 2 years ago. Mimics hunger, and there’s a constant feeling of my diaphragm and/or stomach being constricted. Sometimes it’s painful to touch during a flare up. I had an endoscopy, and everything was clear.

Fast forward, i try a few PPI for the gnawing, and no luck. I do a LEAP food inflammation test. I do the exclusion diet for that at the guidance of my nutritionist for about 5 weeks. No real change noticed—still having the gnawing. Right as I’m finishing, my new GI does another endoscopy and finds Barrett’s Esophagus <1cm. I’m not really given any info other than being given a PPI again, and I had to ask about the diet restrictions to be given a sheet of “here is a list of foods to avoid”. No GERD or other diagnosis, but I have to assume it’s implied.

Since my endoscopy two weeks ago, I’ve been having persistent actual reflux symptoms for the first time since I was a kid—constant burping and regurgitation, with on and off heartburn. This plus the BE diagnosis admittedly scares me, so I’ve tried to make what changes I can.

I’ve immediately cut out everything on the food list and am eating very bland. And I’m trying stuff like sleeping at an incline etc. So a few questions:

1. The food list says no fats and oils. How do you all cook without using any olive oil or anything? Is it just limiting to boiling and steaming for the most part?
2. The incline sleeping is massively aggravating my sciatica. I’ve always been a “out in 2 minutes” sleeper, and now I am struggling to stay asleep and in constant pain because of the sciatica. Any tips to make this more comfortable? How necessary is it if I normally (postendoscopy this is a little different) don’t have noticeable reflux while sleeping (might still occur but I don’t notice).
3. Any advice on maintaining a social life while navigating the diet and restrictions? I regularly would go out with friends to eat, but that seems kind of out of the question now unless I just sit there. I have a “food and brewery tour” multi-day trip booked across the country next month where I feel like I’m gonna be a drag within my friend group the whole time due to not eating or drinking anything.
4. Any advice for maintaining coffee? Coffee was my motivation for reading, writing, and exercising, and was just a great pleasure. Admittedly it probably is a huge part of the damage because I often drank it on an empty stomach (I knew it was bad to, but I thought it was just because it might upset the stomach, not cause damage). I’m trying barley tea and going to order chicory coffee. But I already miss coffee badly.
5. Is it normal for worsened symptoms weeks after endoscopy?

My QoL has plummeted, mostly due to the precautions I am taking, not the symptoms or pain itself. Trying to figure out best practices moving forward.