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Indigestion
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
My boyfriend's had bad heartburn problems for a few years now. He mentioned it to a nurse and one of those doctors that does workplace health checks about 18 months ago and both just suggested that maybe it was stress and that was that. A couple of months or so back, as it had been getting worse he eventually got a doctor's appointment and was proscribed Omeprozole. Whilst it works like magic when he takes it, just forgetting one tablet can make him feel like crap again. He went back to the doctors a couple of days ago and was told he'd be referred for a endoscopy but it sounds like it could be a long time until an appointment comes through - the doctor asked him if he had private medical cover at all, and when he said no, she said 'oh dear' or something!
What's been particularly frustrating is that noone took it seriously for ages and even now his doctor isn't being particularly communicative - she hasn't told him what is or could be wrong, or even what else he could do to reduce the symptoms (dietry measures etc.). Yesterday he read an article in the paper about Barrett's oeesophagus, which chimes well with his symptoms, and it said that it can lead to cancer of the oesophagus. If that is indeed a risk, why is the doctor being so blase? If it's not a risk, it still might be nice to be told what his problem may be.
Aggh. I suppose this partly just a rant and partly to ask whether anyone else has experienced Barrett's (or anything similar) and what it was like trying to get a diagnosis. Thanks for reading.
What's been particularly frustrating is that noone took it seriously for ages and even now his doctor isn't being particularly communicative - she hasn't told him what is or could be wrong, or even what else he could do to reduce the symptoms (dietry measures etc.). Yesterday he read an article in the paper about Barrett's oeesophagus, which chimes well with his symptoms, and it said that it can lead to cancer of the oesophagus. If that is indeed a risk, why is the doctor being so blase? If it's not a risk, it still might be nice to be told what his problem may be.
Aggh. I suppose this partly just a rant and partly to ask whether anyone else has experienced Barrett's (or anything similar) and what it was like trying to get a diagnosis. Thanks for reading.
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Oh I realise that waiting is part and parcel of it all, we've no problems on that score, it's just a shame the doctor couldn't have said a tiny bit more, even if it was just a vague 'well it could be a number of things but a consultant will be able to say more'. Obviously the endoscopy should hopefully prove a bit more revealing. As you say, at least he's now being referred on to someone and so an answer should be in sight...eventually!
He doesn't think it is/was stress related, as he wasn't having a particularly heavy time at work or anything at the time, and it cropped up just as much on weekends and holidays as manic work periods. That was more a cop out excuse from a work 'health MOT' doctor type person who didn't seem to want to deal with anything out of the ordinary. At least he's got the pills now, which are a solution of sorts
He's been reading up a bit anyway - not in a paranoid way, more in a wish to find some answers way (he's not getting panicky about it) - but at least a GP's suggestion - even an iffly wiffly GP's suggestion covered with provisos- would have a bit more medical knowledge behind it.
Cheers for your replies