Hey there Josh, just discovered your video. I'm a bit older than you. i just turned 59. I was diagnosed with Barrett's after getting sick after eating. I also passed out several times.. I was told I had Gastritis, then it was my Gallbladder (not), then finally diagnosed in October 2022 with an acute gastric ulcer and also they found I had Barrett's Esophagus. I hardly ever had symptoms of heartburn. They immediately put me on PPI's and antiacids. The ulcer healed. I was told Barrett's is not going to get better. It's for life. I'm on my 3rd GI Dr. My 1st Dr. retired suddenly, they put me with another who I did not mesh with at all. My concerns about PPI's were completely dismissed. I now have a new GI Dr. who listens but feels the same way about PPI's. She said she doesn't trust the studies, she said there is no dementia risk and kidneys we can monitor. I've had 3 endoscopies since 2022. There is still quite a bit of inflammation. I was told PPI's are for life and I need to stay on them because there is no cure. My dad died of Esophageal Cancer. I can tell you it was 9 months of pure hell for my dad and for our family. It was just a horrific experience. When he passed it wasn't peaceful, it was traumatic. He began hemorrhaging at home and bled to death 6 days after a procedure they did. I don't understand the surgery you were talking about. I was told that surgery was only if they found malignant cells. Otherwise I was told to stay on PPI's, watch my diet, and my next endoscopy is in 5 years. I really would like to get off PPI's but I also have a great fear of Esophageal cancer after going through it with my dad. Sorry for the long comment. Your video just made me vent about everything I've gone through the last 2 years and also my dad. I still have stomach discomfort sometimes, and June 1st I had another episode of near syncope at the gym (passed out 2 other times at the same gym) this was followed by a week of being short of breath when I talk. My heart is fine I'm told. Dr's have no answer for me. GI, cardiologist, and Neurologist. I need to catch up on your other videos this weekend. (My dad passed in 2013 so it wasn't decades ago, I don't think the treatment has improved much.)
I hear you about the barretts and ppis. I too don’t want to be on them but scared not to be. A friend passed of esophageal cancer 3 months ago ths after I was dx. So I understand.
Totally understand your frustrations. I've been through the same process. Doctors were of little help when it came to symptom management until I reached out to a naturopath who worked on calming my nervous system. It wasn't until that point that I could start focus on healing. Obviously none of this is medical advice, it is just my experience. But getting checked every 5 years seems a bit too long between checks. I don't think I ever went more than 2 years, and as it progressed, it was every 6 months for a while. The RFA procedure I mentioned is something that many doctors aren't qualified to do, which is why yours may not have offered it to you. But it is being utilized more often in earlier stages because it does allow for that tissue to heal as normal tissue. I would consider pressing your doctor further, or getting a second opinion/find a new one. Hope you're doing ok, and I'm sorry to hear about your dad. That must make a tough situation even more traumatic 🙏🏼
@@joshscutnik I thought 5 years was also too long but my new GI Dr said that is the new recommendation. They will do a colonoscopy at the same time. (In May I had two precancerous polyps removed). Have you heard of Dr. Jaime Koufman? I just discovered her today while researching. She is supposed to be one of the leading experts in Acid Reflux/BE. She has a channel on TH-cam and also still has a practice in New York City. She said a Dutch study of 10,000 participants with BE showed PPI use actually increased the chance of getting Esophageal Cancer long term. She also wrote some diet books for acid reflux. She seems legit. She said BE can be reversed but diet is very important.
@@duke613 please.....Find a better specialist. So sad about your dad. It's horrible that E cancer, none of us want this. My problem is they upped me to 40mg of Omeprazole, but within a month, I had gastro issues big time, amd the bloating was so terrible. Had to go back to 20mg and Pecid AC before bed instead. Now i'm petrified its not enough to keep this from progressing. I'm trying out the alginate products hoping the raft barrier it creates to block acid will help. Have u tried those yet? I'm in USA, so wasn't able to get Gaviscon Advance one with Alginate here which uses the 1000mg of alginate..but I'm about to try Reflux Gourmet, and Life Extensions Esophageal Guardian...lot of ppl say those help.
Hi , I have some thing going on, I also have exactly the same symptoms as Josh hard breathing, heart palpitations losing vision to the point of passing out, I spent months going from doctor to doctor many times emergency rooms, i’m not sure if you are coffee drinker, but this is number one thing you should touch when I look my diet. This is the number one thing. I feel pressure on my stomach if I drink too much coffee also don’t touch , chocolate.wish you best
I just had an endoscopy with a pretty decent sized hiatal hernia and I'm really nervous it'll turn into this. Feeling like you're having a heart attack every day waking up sick and dizzy is not a fun way to live. Keep staying healthy!
Just diagnosed. Thanks for the informative video. I literally didn’t know what BE was until yesterday. Gives me a good idea where to start opposed to just taking PPIs for life
I'm on my 3rd GI Dr. (the first retired) and they all said I have to be on PPI's the rest of my life. When i expressed my concerns I was told "we are trying to prevent you from getting cancer". My dad died from Esophageal Cancer and it was a horrific experience to go through for everyone. I was originally on two PPI's a day but I cut it down to one. GI dr. was OK with that. All the Dr's had no concerns about PPI's or the dementia risk saying the studies were flawed. I don't want to be on PPI's because what if the studies are right.
@@duke613 at my follow up they basically told me my only option was PPIs for life. I expressed my concerns about long term consequences on my gut health and cognitive health and they dismissed my concerns. Then I asked what I could expect as far as progression if I continue to eat healthy and the Dr said “over the next 3 years (my next recommended endoscopy), probably not much. Over the next 40yrs, probably 1% - 2%”. I’m not taking PPIs for life for that. Going to continue to eat healthy and within a feeding window (10a - 6pm) and take my chances. If any of my subsequent endoscopies show any major progression I’ll reassess my position.
@@zrieger84 1 to 2% risk for Cancer or dementia? You are going to reassess after 3 years and potentially stop PPI's? I've been on PPI's since Oct. 2022. My last endoscopy was Dec 2023. i was told to come back in 5 years because that is the new recommendation. There was still inflammation on my last endoscopy. I just don't know what to do at this point. The DR's seemed so dismissive of my concerns as if I was being silly.
@@zrieger84 Thanks. I guess I'm very worried to stop them but also worried being on them. I've seen that cancer first hand with my dad so that fear is there.
I've had gastritis and ulcers for about a decade too with the same root cause: drinking. Developed the beginnings of Barret's about two years ago thanks, I presume, to silent GERD happening in my sleep (I do burp a lot but rarely have obvious acid regurgitation where you taste your food at the back of your throat). It's grade A so not the worst, and I will have another endoscopy soon to find out if it's gotten worse, better or the same over the past year. I'm 46 now so after battling this thing for a decade I decided to go all in recently and will go completely sober until 50 (I've been at about 1% of my pre gastritis diagnosis level of drinking for the past decade but evidently a few drinks on holiday a couple of times a year is still too much). I'm also gonna try and really improve my diet (which also isn't that bad) by getting rid of gluten as much as possible and cutting out all occasional processed treats (nuts are a great replacement for junky snack food I find) and trying to do a bit more fasting. I'll also ask my doc about ablation too, though I think he'll just say I'm not advanced enough for that. I have taken ppis on and off, probably a total of one year over the decade. But I know that in my case, getting better will really entail just stopping consuming the things I know make my stomach unhappy and continuing to do the good things I do, like walking at least a km after meals, not eating for at least 3 hours before bed, sleeping on a wedge pillow etc.
@@formulaic78 Lay the bottle down...for good...for ever! Toxic poison for your brain neurotoxin .. if i said yum, I made these delicious arsenic cookies, so you would know about it before u eat...would u eat? Booze is no different. It's not just a drink, It's poisoning every single cell, organ, micro biome in your body, all your stystems with toxic chemicals. Wish u a long healthy life.
Josh you are the only person that I know that has the same symptoms like I have , unbelievable. heart palpitations, hard breeding, losing vision to the point of passing out, I was diagnosed five years ago. I take omeprazole 20 mil, I feel very good, I was told not to drink coffee alcohol don’t eat chocolate and mint. I was very heavy coffee drinker now I have 1-2cups a week. I was told I have to take medicine for the rest of my life. I didn’t know there are other options like surgeries. I guess I have to educate myself more. I’m glad you feel better.
I'm glad you feel good! That is the most important thing right now healing and living a symptom-free life. But read up on gut health and keep yourself on the path to healing!
Thank you for this video!!! I’ve been recently diagnosed 42 yo male. I have kids and all I could think about was cancer. This video gives me a much better perspective. Did you have a hiatal hernia when you were diagnosed with Barrett’s as well?
I didn't have a hiatal hernia, but I did progress to dysplasia. Take care of yourself now and it shouldn't progress to cancer. The correlation is a lot lower than they used to think!
Hello Josh. Im 23 and have a hiatal hernia with barrets esophagus. I have a hiatal hernia and reflux with esophagitis since im 18. Im currently waiting on my hiatal hernia repair with toupet fundoplication as I dont want to take ppis my whole life and I want the hernie to be fixed
I’m stuck on this PPI crap. Fighting with my Dr trying to get the frequency ablation. My brother died from Barrett’s esophageal cancer at the age of 33. Im now 34 and been dealing with this the past 3 years. Doing a lot of what you do. Sleep, eat whole foods, taking vitamin C. I also do intermittent fasting and only drink liquids in the morning. I found a lot of my acid is caused by Carbs. I have tried zero carbs days and I noticed I didn’t have any acid those days. It’s hard to do no carbs for more than a few days. So I just keep my carbs as low as I can and also don’t eat before bed. Thank you for this video. I will keep fighting to get the ablation.
@@Mrinternational89 I’m so sorry to hear about your brother. I’m glad you’re paying attention to what works best for you and being vocal with your doctor about keeping options open.
Hi Josh. Read me please. Great video, thanks for sharing your remarkable journey....I'm very happy for you!! I have beginning stage of Barrett's and before it got to that point, I had severe heartburn on and off for 20 years. One day i took just 1 tea of chicken soup and thought i was having a heart attack..that went on for the next 4 days, couldn't even take a sip of water, so for 4 days i didn't eat or drink before i could even get to a Dr. Before all that happened, years ago, they did put me on PPI's for 5 years, but i found out how bad they were and told my dr I wanted off. He switched me to Zantac generic Ranitidine which I did for 4 years till that was pulled off the market for cancer fears. Next as choices were wilting, he said take Pepcid AC 20mg twice day, did that for 5 years...during my time taking this, that is when my acid wasn't being controlled enough and I unfortunately progressed to Barrett's. I think my doctor should have known better than to do that since it is really no true help for severe GERD. Now here i sit, wondering how i can keep this acid at bay so i don't progress further, of course Dr. says I MUST stay on PPI's now, and have no choice! That fear is real, when u consider not taking a PPI at all what may happen. But there is also that fear of the PPI which has tons of risks and side effects for long term takers. Esophagus cancer is a monster!!! Josh, have u seen Life Extension's product called " Esophageal Guardian?" That uses 1000 mg of alginate (Kelp) when chewed and swallowed, it forms a foamy type pillow of fluff. Once in the stomach it floats up and blocking acid to that area, so no acid can get through, and it is totally safe. I saw a video of it doing its job and it was mind blowing. No acid is allowed to get through at all. Gaviscon came out with same type product, called Gaviscon Advanced, only it is just available in Europe not the USA...why who knows. I was recently on 40 PPI and I just reduced it to 20mg with Pepcid AC at night because of very awful digestive symptoms. Have you heard of the 1 hour procedure where they wrap some of the stomach around the hiatal tube? I am thinking to ask my doctor if i am a candidate for it. Doing that I heard then I wouldn't have to take PPI's anymore because i wouldn't have acid reflux anymore. I changed my diet way back because i already had another cancer. What do u think of that procedure? Did u consider that ever in your journey?I'm going on to watch more of your video's. Wishing you all the best!!! God Bless!!!!
@@boe1956 Hey there! I can’t comment on the medicine or procedures as I’m not a doctor and I’m not familiar with some of them. All I can share is my journey in the hopes that something that worked for me is something you can discuss with your doctor as a potential treatment plan. I can say I currently have esophageal guardian for when I feel symptoms coming on a bit (usually at night), and ai absolutely love it. I take it after dinner and it makes a big difference for me through the night. One other consideration would be to ask your doctor to test you for LOW stomach acid. For many people, these symptoms can actually be a result of having low stomach acid. And finally, I have added some supplements to my regimen in the past couple years because they have been shown to neutralize a free radical that may have a correlation to Barrett’s Esophagus. NAC, Vitamin C, and Folate. On top of those, I keep organic bone broth in my regimen and those are the things I use to maintain my health (for staying Barrett’s free). It has done very well for me to this point. But again, always discuss all parts of your protocol with your doctor as you make decisions on what to do or what to change. Good luck with everything 🙏🏼
@@joshscutnik But in actuality nothing helped you, until you had those procedures. After those surgeries when everything was finally good, are u saying you still have acid reflux and take all these things because u do or now u do it as a preventative measure. I get the procedure doesn't cure Gerd, from all I've read. Curious, do u make your own bone broth or what company do u find good for bb? All the best!
@@boe1956 Not sure by what you mean when you say nothing helped me until I had the procedures. My symptoms finally became manageable and inflammation came down. That’s why the procedures were actually able to work properly. The goal is to have healthy tissue grow back, but that is not always the case. And then post-procedure, I’m around 4 years clear with no PPIs. You are correct, the procedure will not cure GERD. That’s going to be diet and lifestyle changes. Again, the procedure simply allows for the possibility of healing, with healthy tissue growing back. I use Pacific Foods organic bone broth!
I have the same symptoms, never thought they could be from the Barrett's. Knowing the doctors here I don't think they will be even acknowledging that the symptoms could be caused from it but now at least I can bring up the idea.
Congrats to you! I have an open LES and chronic gastritis and dyspepsia. I can’t lie flat to sleep neither can I sleep on my back as I had childhood fears associated with sleeping on my back. Some nights I fight myself tossing and turning around. Still trying to sleep on my back years now. 😂 but the pain after a flare up! Oh god it’s a miserable life
I was diagnosed with barretts and a hiatel hernia about 4 years ago. Im now 41 and have been on PPIs ever since. I absolutely hate taking them, but my doctor said its non negotiable as theres no cure for barrets and I'll be on them for life. Is there an alternative? Glad your all fixed 💪🏻
There are some natural alternatives, though not as potent as PPI's obviously. I was able to avoid the reflux by altering what I ate and when I ate (I talk about that in this video: th-cam.com/video/iNy_e0NGEzU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=5znYDxbQOFh9Gyc2) I hope you're able to get on a path you feel better about!
Is radio frequency ablation exteemely expensive does insurance cover it? I feel like insurance will be a b*tch over it. Just take your ppis my doctor will say im sure. But i have a constant burning in my upper left abdomen almost every day constantly.
Can you please tell us the mgs of these you use and are tgey once a day? NAC, C and Folate? Since off PpI few wks ago, I am finding, 1/4 tea baking soda helps my stomach. I take a pecid in morning then 15 min b4 lunch and again baking soda and Pecid b4 bed...and havent had such bad heartburn as b4. The alginate didnt work for my Barretts, the acid blew right thru it into throat with regergeration of food..several times..u know how that feels like battery acid..ear, nose and throat docotor who developed it said Barrett patient would need triple the amount recommended to form a very large raft and it would be expensive to keep up with for the patient.The aloe Vera is soothing in between meals some too. Im just afraid though i may feel like its better, the acid is still in a silent way still burning the Esophagus. Just hired a naturopathic doctor..he seems to think he can get to the root of why i have acid, then go from there to help prevent it...we shall see. Ur a gem.im happy your feeling better..u have been thru so much...bless your heart.
@@ilonaghine9690 no not gastro..it's general. It's really a functional doctor. Google and found him. PPi's and acid reducers are not good for us. They dry up or reduce acid, but then our micro biome gets all screwed up in the gut. Regular doctors never cure they only bandaid the situation. U can go to one for 30 years and still have same issue, never fixed. That's BS, keeping us sick and big pharm wealthy. Functional doctors find root causes..thru tests, paper work u feel out info all about how u feel, when u feel, how often etc...u do blood work at your lab, lab sends it to a Functional lab, it comes back showing way more than labs ur regular doctor runs. The 1st visit and labs was 525.00, includes 3rd visit to discuss his findings and plan of action to start. He told me in advance, this is not gonna be cheap...expect to pay between 5 and 7 grand before we get u straight. Insurance doesn't cover
@@ilonaghine9690 I sent reply day u did. But don't know where it went. So I Google it, hrs a functional doctor. When u do labs at your primary doc or wherever, those lab results are not really giving you the optimal values, only the in-between as the way they are set up is based off levels for disease. Functional doctors take those labs, send them to a Functional lab, upon reviewing they now can see what your levels are if the are OPTIMAL for your best health or not. For instance.. my doctor said I was good with D3, the test says low is 32, high is 70..and mine came back 32...Optimal health for D3 is 70 to 120. See how he missed me...for him I had NO deficiencies in D3..but I did..so now I bumped my D3 to 10, 000 units daily..if i stayed with the his lab findings I would still be deficient today. Those labs are optimized for better health. They are just set for the bare minimal. Hope this helps..find yourself a good Functional doctor..worth EVERY PENNY.
Brother I recommend you Ayurvedic treatment for GERD. I myself suffering from Gerd for like 4 and half year. I am feeling difficulty swallowing. I am thinking about having an endoscopy lets see how it goes. But sooner or later i will reach out to Ayurvedic medicines.
Having same issues now, I've always had regurgitation issues and now it's turned to some pain in my esophagus and heart palpitations. Endo scope coming up soon...
I'm Suffering from Barrett's Es too, however i just switched my diet to healthy option with small quantity . luckily my case is caught at the beginning and i feel much better after i started the diet journey. thanks for sharing your experience it really helps. i just need to ask you more details about the folate i tried to buy it on amazon and seemed to have many more details like Methyl, fully active, B9, B12 .... etc which one of those do you use? thanks Josh
So sorry to hear that! They do have supplements to re-populate with the good bacteria (even beyond regular probiotics). Look into a regimen with your doctor (or a wellness PA)!
@@joshscutnik Thanks for the reply! My esophagus is really bad and I have reflux due to using antibiotics. Can't eat anything. It's been a month or so lol. I think natural remedies are always the best options... I really hate myself for using antibiotics. 😩🥲
Hey, Josh! I’m awaiting my biopsies and just had an endoscopy yesterday. I’m super scared right now. My radiology report said that I have an irregular Z-Line. Does that mean I have Barrett’s?
@@thomascraig6814 Hey Thomas! I’m not sure about that. It’s important to keep in mind that they recently reduced the correlation between BE and esophageal cancer. Lifestyle modifications should allow you to live a long and healthy life!
Hi Josh! I was wondering who your dr is and where he is located. I’m like you and don’t want to take PPis for a lot of the same reasons. Thank you for the great information you have shared. God bless you!! 🥰🙏🏼
I just had my first RFA procedure for long-segment Barrett's esophagus 10 days ago and every time I drink or eat it feels like heartburn. I had to drink water to push the food down. I hope this side effect is normal after 10 days post op. I hope it's not a stricture. I think 7 times to go under anesthesia for RFA is a lot in such a short period of time. Imagine being over 50 and super-morbid obese ( 6'3" tall and 400lbs) having to go through all those procedures. Plus the Proton Pump Inhibitors meds do a work out on your kidneys and are a precursor for dementia as you mentioned. Having previous Endoscopic Mucusol Resection EMR procedures , place you at higher risk for stricture after RFA.
@@gregorydamienmech Bless u I hope u do well. U would better ur life journey if u can drop some weight...have a look at Dr.Bergs videos on TH-cam. Most go there for that, but he talks about many, many other topics.Many have started a journey to lose weight following him and are very sucessful. Best wishes
@@triciabethelart2300 I stop eating 3 hours before bed and when symptoms are bad, I use a wedge pillow. I also started taking a supplement called Esophageal Guardian at my last meal that helps block stomach acid from coming back up for about 5-6 hours, so it helps on top of everything else with improving sleep
Getting my first endo in a few weeks to find out what I have. But have been feeling the heart attack feel almost daily for a week now.. I’m on ozemporale for 3 days, what should I start doing in place of the meds. I feel like dog doodoo on them..
I wouldn't cut them out right away (work on scaling back with your doctor's consent and supervision). But prioritizing whole foods, spacing meals 3-4 hours apart, not eating at least 3 hrs before bedtime are great places to start!
I was able to get off meds for a while too but noticing receding gums from the acid have you figured anything out for that? I started using salt water and baking soda mouthwash. I am back on meds but taking h2 blockers. My diet is mostly clean also. Do you drink coffee at all? Or did you cut it out also
I haven't noticed that in my situation, so I haven't looked into that at all. I drink coffee when I'm feeling well enough to. I go through streaks where it doesn't bother me, and then I have streaks where it does so I cut it out for a while. When things were really bad, I removed it entirely for a few years.
Hey Josh first off I’ve been following you for some time, you and your wife and your growing family. Love the podcast and your Q&A’s. It hit me hard when I heard you have BE. I never heard about until my recent Endo where I was told I have IM. I believe this to be a symptom of BE. But not 100% on that. Anyways I was and am now more concerned about the cancer risk of prolong use of PPIs now also. So thanks for your recommendations on some supplements to take. Also the term I think you were looking for is EOE. Eosinophil Esophagitis. By maybe I’m wrong.
@@ericpelz Yes, that is the term I was looking for! I appreciate you being a part of this community! I’m glad you’re taking the necessary steps toward healing in your journey 🙏🏼
Josh you are the only person that I know that has the same symptoms like I have , unbelievable. heart palpitations, hard breeding, losing vision to the point of passing out, I was diagnosed five years ago. I take omeprazole 20 mil, I feel very good, I was told not to drink coffee alcohol don’t eat chocolate and mint. I was very heavy coffee drinker now I have 1-2cups a week. I was told I have to take medicine for the rest of my life. I didn’t know there are other options like surgeries. I guess I have to educate myself more. I’m glad you feel better.
Hey there Josh, just discovered your video. I'm a bit older than you. i just turned 59. I was diagnosed with Barrett's after getting sick after eating. I also passed out several times.. I was told I had Gastritis, then it was my Gallbladder (not), then finally diagnosed in October 2022 with an acute gastric ulcer and also they found I had Barrett's Esophagus. I hardly ever had symptoms of heartburn. They immediately put me on PPI's and antiacids. The ulcer healed. I was told Barrett's is not going to get better. It's for life. I'm on my 3rd GI Dr. My 1st Dr. retired suddenly, they put me with another who I did not mesh with at all. My concerns about PPI's were completely dismissed. I now have a new GI Dr. who listens but feels the same way about PPI's. She said she doesn't trust the studies, she said there is no dementia risk and kidneys we can monitor. I've had 3 endoscopies since 2022. There is still quite a bit of inflammation. I was told PPI's are for life and I need to stay on them because there is no cure. My dad died of Esophageal Cancer. I can tell you it was 9 months of pure hell for my dad and for our family. It was just a horrific experience. When he passed it wasn't peaceful, it was traumatic. He began hemorrhaging at home and bled to death 6 days after a procedure they did. I don't understand the surgery you were talking about. I was told that surgery was only if they found malignant cells. Otherwise I was told to stay on PPI's, watch my diet, and my next endoscopy is in 5 years. I really would like to get off PPI's but I also have a great fear of Esophageal cancer after going through it with my dad. Sorry for the long comment. Your video just made me vent about everything I've gone through the last 2 years and also my dad. I still have stomach discomfort sometimes, and June 1st I had another episode of near syncope at the gym (passed out 2 other times at the same gym) this was followed by a week of being short of breath when I talk. My heart is fine I'm told. Dr's have no answer for me. GI, cardiologist, and Neurologist. I need to catch up on your other videos this weekend. (My dad passed in 2013 so it wasn't decades ago, I don't think the treatment has improved much.)
I hear you about the barretts and ppis. I too don’t want to be on them but scared not to be. A friend passed of esophageal cancer 3 months ago ths after I was dx. So I understand.
Totally understand your frustrations. I've been through the same process. Doctors were of little help when it came to symptom management until I reached out to a naturopath who worked on calming my nervous system. It wasn't until that point that I could start focus on healing. Obviously none of this is medical advice, it is just my experience. But getting checked every 5 years seems a bit too long between checks. I don't think I ever went more than 2 years, and as it progressed, it was every 6 months for a while.
The RFA procedure I mentioned is something that many doctors aren't qualified to do, which is why yours may not have offered it to you. But it is being utilized more often in earlier stages because it does allow for that tissue to heal as normal tissue. I would consider pressing your doctor further, or getting a second opinion/find a new one.
Hope you're doing ok, and I'm sorry to hear about your dad. That must make a tough situation even more traumatic 🙏🏼
@@joshscutnik I thought 5 years was also too long but my new GI Dr said that is the new recommendation. They will do a colonoscopy at the same time. (In May I had two precancerous polyps removed). Have you heard of Dr. Jaime Koufman? I just discovered her today while researching. She is supposed to be one of the leading experts in Acid Reflux/BE. She has a channel on TH-cam and also still has a practice in New York City. She said a Dutch study of 10,000 participants with BE showed PPI use actually increased the chance of getting Esophageal Cancer long term. She also wrote some diet books for acid reflux. She seems legit. She said BE can be reversed but diet is very important.
@@duke613 please.....Find a better specialist. So sad about your dad. It's horrible that E cancer, none of us want this. My problem is they upped me to 40mg of Omeprazole, but within a month, I had gastro issues big time, amd the bloating was so terrible. Had to go back to 20mg and Pecid AC before bed instead. Now i'm petrified its not enough to keep this from progressing. I'm trying out the alginate products hoping the raft barrier it creates to block acid will help. Have u tried those yet? I'm in USA, so wasn't able to get Gaviscon Advance one with Alginate here which uses the 1000mg of alginate..but I'm about to try Reflux Gourmet, and Life Extensions Esophageal Guardian...lot of ppl say those help.
Hi , I have some thing going on, I also have exactly the same symptoms as Josh hard breathing, heart palpitations losing vision to the point of passing out, I spent months going from doctor to doctor many times emergency rooms, i’m not sure if you are coffee drinker, but this is number one thing you should touch when I look my diet. This is the number one thing. I feel pressure on my stomach if I drink too much coffee also don’t touch , chocolate.wish you best
Josh, you are a Godsend. So much anxiety surrounding my first endoscopy. Thank you for sharing so openly !!
I understand the feeling. Sending good vibes your way!
I just had an endoscopy with a pretty decent sized hiatal hernia and I'm really nervous it'll turn into this. Feeling like you're having a heart attack every day waking up sick and dizzy is not a fun way to live. Keep staying healthy!
Sending healing vibes your way Christian!
i have the same, what are you doing to treat it?
@arnoheens7900 Higher dosage of anti acids, any bigger and they'll perform a laproscopy to bring it back into place
Just diagnosed. Thanks for the informative video. I literally didn’t know what BE was until yesterday. Gives me a good idea where to start opposed to just taking PPIs for life
I'm on my 3rd GI Dr. (the first retired) and they all said I have to be on PPI's the rest of my life. When i expressed my concerns I was told "we are trying to prevent you from getting cancer". My dad died from Esophageal Cancer and it was a horrific experience to go through for everyone. I was originally on two PPI's a day but I cut it down to one. GI dr. was OK with that. All the Dr's had no concerns about PPI's or the dementia risk saying the studies were flawed. I don't want to be on PPI's because what if the studies are right.
@@duke613 at my follow up they basically told me my only option was PPIs for life. I expressed my concerns about long term consequences on my gut health and cognitive health and they dismissed my concerns. Then I asked what I could expect as far as progression if I continue to eat healthy and the Dr said “over the next 3 years (my next recommended endoscopy), probably not much. Over the next 40yrs, probably 1% - 2%”. I’m not taking PPIs for life for that. Going to continue to eat healthy and within a feeding window (10a - 6pm) and take my chances. If any of my subsequent endoscopies show any major progression I’ll reassess my position.
@@zrieger84 1 to 2% risk for Cancer or dementia? You are going to reassess after 3 years and potentially stop PPI's? I've been on PPI's since Oct. 2022. My last endoscopy was Dec 2023. i was told to come back in 5 years because that is the new recommendation. There was still inflammation on my last endoscopy. I just don't know what to do at this point. The DR's seemed so dismissive of my concerns as if I was being silly.
@@duke613 not taking PPIs but eating healthy, I can expect my Barrett’s to get 1-2% worse in 40 years. I’m not taking PPIs
@@zrieger84 Thanks. I guess I'm very worried to stop them but also worried being on them. I've seen that cancer first hand with my dad so that fear is there.
Can you help me? Diagnosed today :( im so scared! I want to cure this naturally and for it not to advance
Do you have a hiatal hernia
I've had gastritis and ulcers for about a decade too with the same root cause: drinking. Developed the beginnings of Barret's about two years ago thanks, I presume, to silent GERD happening in my sleep (I do burp a lot but rarely have obvious acid regurgitation where you taste your food at the back of your throat). It's grade A so not the worst, and I will have another endoscopy soon to find out if it's gotten worse, better or the same over the past year. I'm 46 now so after battling this thing for a decade I decided to go all in recently and will go completely sober until 50 (I've been at about 1% of my pre gastritis diagnosis level of drinking for the past decade but evidently a few drinks on holiday a couple of times a year is still too much). I'm also gonna try and really improve my diet (which also isn't that bad) by getting rid of gluten as much as possible and cutting out all occasional processed treats (nuts are a great replacement for junky snack food I find) and trying to do a bit more fasting. I'll also ask my doc about ablation too, though I think he'll just say I'm not advanced enough for that. I have taken ppis on and off, probably a total of one year over the decade. But I know that in my case, getting better will really entail just stopping consuming the things I know make my stomach unhappy and continuing to do the good things I do, like walking at least a km after meals, not eating for at least 3 hours before bed, sleeping on a wedge pillow etc.
Lifestyle changes make a huge difference. Good luck on your journey!
@@formulaic78 Lay the bottle down...for good...for ever! Toxic poison for your brain neurotoxin .. if i said yum, I made these delicious arsenic cookies, so you would know about it before u eat...would u eat? Booze is no different. It's not just a drink, It's poisoning every single cell, organ, micro biome in your body, all your stystems with toxic chemicals. Wish u a long healthy life.
Josh you are the only person that I know that has the same symptoms like I have , unbelievable. heart palpitations, hard breeding, losing vision to the point of passing out, I was diagnosed five years ago. I take omeprazole 20 mil, I feel very good, I was told not to drink coffee alcohol don’t eat chocolate and mint. I was very heavy coffee drinker now I have 1-2cups a week. I was told I have to take medicine for the rest of my life. I didn’t know there are other options like surgeries. I guess I have to educate myself more. I’m glad you feel better.
I'm glad you feel good! That is the most important thing right now healing and living a symptom-free life. But read up on gut health and keep yourself on the path to healing!
Thank you for this video!!! I’ve been recently diagnosed 42 yo male. I have kids and all I could think about was cancer. This video gives me a much better perspective. Did you have a hiatal hernia when you were diagnosed with Barrett’s as well?
I didn't have a hiatal hernia, but I did progress to dysplasia. Take care of yourself now and it shouldn't progress to cancer. The correlation is a lot lower than they used to think!
Hello Josh. Im 23 and have a hiatal hernia with barrets esophagus. I have a hiatal hernia and reflux with esophagitis since im 18. Im currently waiting on my hiatal hernia repair with toupet fundoplication as I dont want to take ppis my whole life and I want the hernie to be fixed
How did the fundoplication go, hiatus hernia is a forgotten source of GERD
@@gerofiore9695 i am getting toupet fundoplication next month
I’m stuck on this PPI crap. Fighting with my Dr trying to get the frequency ablation. My brother died from Barrett’s esophageal cancer at the age of 33. Im now 34 and been dealing with this the past 3 years. Doing a lot of what you do. Sleep, eat whole foods, taking vitamin C. I also do intermittent fasting and only drink liquids in the morning. I found a lot of my acid is caused by Carbs. I have tried zero carbs days and I noticed I didn’t have any acid those days. It’s hard to do no carbs for more than a few days. So I just keep my carbs as low as I can and also don’t eat before bed. Thank you for this video. I will keep fighting to get the ablation.
@@Mrinternational89 I’m so sorry to hear about your brother. I’m glad you’re paying attention to what works best for you and being vocal with your doctor about keeping options open.
Hi Josh. Read me please. Great video, thanks for sharing your remarkable journey....I'm very happy for you!! I have beginning stage of Barrett's and before it got to that point, I had severe heartburn on and off for 20 years. One day i took just 1 tea of chicken soup and thought i was having a heart attack..that went on for the next 4 days, couldn't even take a sip of water, so for 4 days i didn't eat or drink before i could even get to a Dr. Before all that happened, years ago, they did put me on PPI's for 5 years, but i found out how bad they were and told my dr I wanted off. He switched me to Zantac generic Ranitidine which I did for 4 years till that was pulled off the market for cancer fears. Next as choices were wilting, he said take Pepcid AC 20mg twice day, did that for 5 years...during my time taking this, that is when my acid wasn't being controlled enough and I unfortunately progressed to Barrett's. I think my doctor should have known better than to do that since it is really no true help for severe GERD. Now here i sit, wondering how i can keep this acid at bay so i don't progress further, of course Dr. says I MUST stay on PPI's now, and have no choice! That fear is real, when u consider not taking a PPI at all what may happen. But there is also that fear of the PPI which has tons of risks and side effects for long term takers. Esophagus cancer is a monster!!! Josh, have u seen Life Extension's product called " Esophageal Guardian?" That uses 1000 mg of alginate (Kelp) when chewed and swallowed, it forms a foamy type pillow of fluff. Once in the stomach it floats up and blocking acid to that area, so no acid can get through, and it is totally safe. I saw a video of it doing its job and it was mind blowing. No acid is allowed to get through at all. Gaviscon came out with same type product, called Gaviscon Advanced, only it is just available in Europe not the USA...why who knows. I was recently on 40 PPI and I just reduced it to 20mg with Pepcid AC at night because of very awful digestive symptoms. Have you heard of the 1 hour procedure where they wrap some of the stomach around the hiatal tube? I am thinking to ask my doctor if i am a candidate for it. Doing that I heard then I wouldn't have to take PPI's anymore because i wouldn't have acid reflux anymore. I changed my diet way back because i already had another cancer. What do u think of that procedure? Did u consider that ever in your journey?I'm going on to watch more of your video's. Wishing you all the best!!! God Bless!!!!
@@boe1956 Hey there! I can’t comment on the medicine or procedures as I’m not a doctor and I’m not familiar with some of them. All I can share is my journey in the hopes that something that worked for me is something you can discuss with your doctor as a potential treatment plan. I can say I currently have esophageal guardian for when I feel symptoms coming on a bit (usually at night), and ai absolutely love it. I take it after dinner and it makes a big difference for me through the night. One other consideration would be to ask your doctor to test you for LOW stomach acid. For many people, these symptoms can actually be a result of having low stomach acid. And finally, I have added some supplements to my regimen in the past couple years because they have been shown to neutralize a free radical that may have a correlation to Barrett’s Esophagus. NAC, Vitamin C, and Folate. On top of those, I keep organic bone broth in my regimen and those are the things I use to maintain my health (for staying Barrett’s free). It has done very well for me to this point. But again, always discuss all parts of your protocol with your doctor as you make decisions on what to do or what to change. Good luck with everything 🙏🏼
@@joshscutnik But in actuality nothing helped you, until you had those procedures. After those surgeries when everything was finally good, are u saying you still have acid reflux and take all these things because u do or now u do it as a preventative measure. I get the procedure doesn't cure Gerd, from all I've read. Curious, do u make your own bone broth or what company do u find good for bb? All the best!
@@boe1956 Not sure by what you mean when you say nothing helped me until I had the procedures. My symptoms finally became manageable and inflammation came down. That’s why the procedures were actually able
to work properly. The goal is to have healthy tissue grow back, but that is not always the case. And then post-procedure, I’m around 4 years clear with no PPIs. You are correct, the procedure will not cure GERD. That’s going to be diet and lifestyle changes. Again, the procedure simply allows for the possibility of healing, with healthy tissue growing back. I use Pacific Foods organic bone broth!
I have the same symptoms, never thought they could be from the Barrett's. Knowing the doctors here I don't think they will be even acknowledging that the symptoms could be caused from it but now at least I can bring up the idea.
Congrats to you! I have an open LES and chronic gastritis and dyspepsia. I can’t lie flat to sleep neither can I sleep on my back as I had childhood fears associated with sleeping on my back. Some nights I fight myself tossing and turning around. Still trying to sleep on my back years now. 😂 but the pain after a flare up! Oh god it’s a miserable life
I hear ya! I can't sleep on my back either, so I end up on my side on the wedge pillow and wake up with back and neck pain like an old man 😆
I was diagnosed with barretts and a hiatel hernia about 4 years ago. Im now 41 and have been on PPIs ever since. I absolutely hate taking them, but my doctor said its non negotiable as theres no cure for barrets and I'll be on them for life. Is there an alternative?
Glad your all fixed 💪🏻
There are some natural alternatives, though not as potent as PPI's obviously. I was able to avoid the reflux by altering what I ate and when I ate (I talk about that in this video: th-cam.com/video/iNy_e0NGEzU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=5znYDxbQOFh9Gyc2)
I hope you're able to get on a path you feel better about!
Is radio frequency ablation exteemely expensive does insurance cover it? I feel like insurance will be a b*tch over it. Just take your ppis my doctor will say im sure. But i have a constant burning in my upper left abdomen almost every day constantly.
@@Helmholtzwatson1984 Insurance SHOULD cover it if it’s deemed medically necessary. Hope things get better and you get the help you deserve!
Can you please tell us the mgs of these you use and are tgey once a day? NAC, C and Folate? Since off PpI few wks ago, I am finding, 1/4 tea baking soda helps my stomach. I take a pecid in morning then 15 min b4 lunch and again baking soda and Pecid b4 bed...and havent had such bad heartburn as b4. The alginate didnt work for my Barretts, the acid blew right thru it into throat with regergeration of food..several times..u know how that feels like battery acid..ear, nose and throat docotor who developed it said Barrett patient would need triple the amount recommended to form a very large raft and it would be expensive to keep up with for the patient.The aloe Vera is soothing in between meals some too. Im just afraid though i may feel like its better, the acid is still in a silent way still burning the Esophagus. Just hired a naturopathic doctor..he seems to think he can get to the root of why i have acid, then go from there to help prevent it...we shall see. Ur a gem.im happy your feeling better..u have been thru so much...bless your heart.
How do you find a naturopathic doctor? Is it a Gastro naturopathic or just a general doc?
@@ilonaghine9690 no not gastro..it's general. It's really a functional doctor. Google and found him. PPi's and acid reducers are not good for us. They dry up or reduce acid, but then our micro biome gets all screwed up in the gut. Regular doctors never cure they only bandaid the situation. U can go to one for 30 years and still have same issue, never fixed. That's BS, keeping us sick and big pharm wealthy. Functional doctors find root causes..thru tests, paper work u feel out info all about how u feel, when u feel, how often etc...u do blood work at your lab, lab sends it to a Functional lab, it comes back showing way more than labs ur regular doctor runs. The 1st visit and labs was 525.00, includes 3rd visit to discuss his findings and plan of action to start. He told me in advance, this is not gonna be cheap...expect to pay between 5 and 7 grand before we get u straight. Insurance doesn't cover
@@ilonaghine9690 Just general. I searched online, he is a functional practitioner.
@@ilonaghine9690 I sent reply day u did. But don't know where it went. So I Google it, hrs a functional doctor. When u do labs at your primary doc or wherever, those lab results are not really giving you the optimal values, only the in-between as the way they are set up is based off levels for disease. Functional doctors take those labs, send them to a Functional lab, upon reviewing they now can see what your levels are if the are OPTIMAL for your best health or not. For instance.. my doctor said I was good with D3, the test says low is 32, high is 70..and mine came back 32...Optimal health for D3 is 70 to 120. See how he missed me...for him I had NO deficiencies in D3..but I did..so now I bumped my D3 to 10, 000 units daily..if i stayed with the his lab findings I would still be deficient today. Those labs are optimized for better health. They are just set for the bare minimal. Hope this helps..find yourself a good Functional doctor..worth EVERY PENNY.
@@ilonaghine9690 I just Googled for a functional doctor. Not gastro
Brother I recommend you Ayurvedic treatment for GERD. I myself suffering from Gerd for like 4 and half year. I am feeling difficulty swallowing. I am thinking about having an endoscopy lets see how it goes. But sooner or later i will reach out to Ayurvedic medicines.
Having same issues now, I've always had regurgitation issues and now it's turned to some pain in my esophagus and heart palpitations. Endo scope coming up soon...
I hope it goes well and you get some answers!
I'm Suffering from Barrett's Es too, however i just switched my diet to healthy option with small quantity . luckily my case is caught at the beginning and i feel much better after i started the diet journey. thanks for sharing your experience it really helps. i just need to ask you more details about the folate i tried to buy it on amazon and seemed to have many more details like Methyl, fully active, B9, B12 .... etc which one of those do you use? thanks Josh
I use the one from Thorne (Methyl-Guard).
Glad u r doing well! Antibiotics ruined my life. 😢
So sorry to hear that! They do have supplements to re-populate with the good bacteria (even beyond regular probiotics). Look into a regimen with your doctor (or a wellness PA)!
@@joshscutnik Thanks for the reply! My esophagus is really bad and I have reflux due to using antibiotics. Can't eat anything. It's been a month or so lol. I think natural remedies are always the best options... I really hate myself for using antibiotics. 😩🥲
Shortness of breath can be anxiety too
Hey, Josh! I’m awaiting my biopsies and just had an endoscopy yesterday. I’m super scared right now. My radiology report said that I have an irregular Z-Line. Does that mean I have Barrett’s?
@@thomascraig6814 Hey Thomas! I’m not sure about that. It’s important to keep in mind that they recently reduced the correlation between BE and esophageal cancer. Lifestyle modifications should allow you to live a long and healthy life!
Hi Josh! I was wondering who your dr is and where he is located. I’m like you and don’t want to take PPis for a lot of the same reasons. Thank you for the great information you have shared. God bless you!! 🥰🙏🏼
Ppi ... Exactly, not even worth the conversation. I don't want osteoporosis risk any higher ... Now, to continue treatment on my own without ppi
Have you thought about BPC157 peptide therapy? Curious as I’m considering it
@@andrewferree7898 I took it for a month orally. I’m not sure how much it did for me
I just had my first RFA procedure for long-segment Barrett's esophagus 10 days ago and every time I drink or eat it feels like heartburn. I had to drink water to push the food down. I hope this side effect is normal after 10 days post op. I hope it's not a stricture. I think 7 times to go under anesthesia for RFA is a lot in such a short period of time. Imagine being over 50 and super-morbid obese ( 6'3" tall and 400lbs) having to go through all those procedures. Plus the Proton Pump Inhibitors meds do a work out on your kidneys and are a precursor for dementia as you mentioned. Having previous Endoscopic Mucusol Resection EMR procedures , place you at higher risk for stricture after RFA.
Did your Barrett have dysplasia?
@@tatianebassani8792 Yes. High grade.
@@gregorydamienmech Bless u I hope u do well. U would better ur life journey if u can drop some weight...have a look at Dr.Bergs videos on TH-cam. Most go there for that, but he talks about many, many other topics.Many have started a journey to lose weight following him and are very sucessful. Best wishes
Do you recommend taking HCL and Pepin while you have Barrett esophagus
Hi did you have Barrett with metaplasia or with dysplasia . Thanks
@@maximusjoe7806 I had it with dysplasia
But how can you sleep? What did you take for sleep
I got three hours last night after a flare up
@@triciabethelart2300 I stop eating 3 hours before bed and when symptoms are bad, I use a wedge pillow. I also started taking a supplement called Esophageal Guardian at my last meal that helps block stomach acid from coming back up for about 5-6 hours, so it helps on top of everything else with improving sleep
Getting my first endo in a few weeks to find out what I have. But have been feeling the heart attack feel almost daily for a week now.. I’m on ozemporale for 3 days, what should I start doing in place of the meds. I feel like dog doodoo on them..
I wouldn't cut them out right away (work on scaling back with your doctor's consent and supervision). But prioritizing whole foods, spacing meals 3-4 hours apart, not eating at least 3 hrs before bedtime are great places to start!
Thanks for the bro science
Did you feel like you could you get a full breath in. I’ve had this for 16 years 😔
After antibiotics I had acid reflux at night my doctor give me ppi 3 weeks nothing helps
Try bone broth a few times a day while symptoms are bad (not medical advice, just something that has worked for me personally).
Antibiotics destroy gut flora and cause autoimmune issues. Eat only the lion diet for remission.
Do you had or have a hiatal hernia?
Not that I was aware of!
Did Keto help?
@@KnicksNYanks84 I’ve never done keto
Who did your rfa
I was able to get off meds for a while too but noticing receding gums from the acid have you figured anything out for that? I started using salt water and baking soda mouthwash. I am back on meds but taking h2 blockers. My diet is mostly clean also. Do you drink coffee at all? Or did you cut it out also
I haven't noticed that in my situation, so I haven't looked into that at all. I drink coffee when I'm feeling well enough to. I go through streaks where it doesn't bother me, and then I have streaks where it does so I cut it out for a while. When things were really bad, I removed it entirely for a few years.
Hey Josh first off I’ve been following you for some time, you and your wife and your growing family. Love the podcast and your Q&A’s. It hit me hard when I heard you have BE. I never heard about until my recent Endo where I was told I have IM. I believe this to be a symptom of BE. But not 100% on that. Anyways I was and am now more concerned about the cancer risk of prolong use of PPIs now also. So thanks for your recommendations on some supplements to take. Also the term I think you were looking for is EOE. Eosinophil Esophagitis. By maybe I’m wrong.
@@ericpelz Yes, that is the term I was looking for! I appreciate you being a part of this community! I’m glad you’re taking the necessary steps toward healing in your journey 🙏🏼
Hi where do i go medically
To a gastroenterologist
Surgery? Never...
How big was your barrett's C_M_ size? It must have been big for 7 rfa treatments.
Josh you are the only person that I know that has the same symptoms like I have , unbelievable. heart palpitations, hard breeding, losing vision to the point of passing out, I was diagnosed five years ago. I take omeprazole 20 mil, I feel very good, I was told not to drink coffee alcohol don’t eat chocolate and mint. I was very heavy coffee drinker now I have 1-2cups a week. I was told I have to take medicine for the rest of my life. I didn’t know there are other options like surgeries. I guess I have to educate myself more. I’m glad you feel better.
@@thomaskurek3524 You’re on the right path.. Keep learning and finding out what works best for you!