RE: Barrett's and Gall Bladder Infection

I have a question for everyone regarding my brother who was diagnosed with Barrett's last year. He has spent many years taking antacid's that never worked and the gastroenterologist prescribed different acid preventers that did not work. He was brought into the hospital with symptoms of vomiting, not able to eat and throwing up blood. They diagnosed him with Barrett's and put in a stent and started him on a feeding tube. They started chemotherapy and the heartburn and acid reflux continued. After almost a year of chemotherapy, CT scans, blood transfusions and still could not figure out why he couldn't eat. Two weeks ago he went to the ER in severe pain and they found his gall bladder was enlarged and infected and leaking bile into his stomach. They doctors had never checked his gall bladder and had assumed the acid reflux from his stomach was causing the Barrett's syndrme. My question is, can bile cause Barrett's syndrome as well? Could this be why the chemotherapy, antacids, and stents never worked because it was bile and perhaps that doesn't respond to ant-acids? He is now out of the hospital after eight days and they have put in a drain that goes through his liver and gall bladder and put him on antibiotics. He is feeling better but they didn't want to remove the gall bladder after all of the chemotherapy he has been going under. I can't to seem any info on the gall bladder causing Barrett's syndrome. Yesterday was the first time he was able to eat real food in almost a year. Thanks in advance.

[Ratnakar Kini, MD]

Hi,
Gallbladder disease does not cause Barrett's esophagus.
Any reflux can cause Barrett's esophagus whether it is acid reflux or bile reflux.
Antacids can control the symptoms of bile reflux. Sucralfate, cholestyramine are some of the other medications that are useful. If medications cannot control the symptoms of bile reflux then surgery has to be done.