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Esophagitis?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 12/9/2013 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
At the beginning of my Crohn's journey, or more exactly 3 years after that first bloody stool, I started feeling like it was hard to swallow. I complained about it to my GI whenever I saw him, but he didn't respond until I told him I could not possibly swallow my Pentasa anymore. That was after a year of complaints.

sigh.

He scheduled me for a swallow study and ultimately did an upper GI with a balloon to open a stricture. He told me it wouldn't be a forever fix but he prescribed a ppi and sent me on my way. That was in 2004 I think? So long ago.

Up until last week I hadn't had any experience like that. Suddenly, while on a business trip, I had that same feeling - that my food was just not going down right. I have it still today. I've started a two week round of Prevacid to see if that will help, but honestly, I don't feel any heartburn or gastritis. I suppose it could be a spasm but from what I hear those really hurt. Any BTDT?

I have a check-up with my GI set for next week and this is definitely on the agenda. Just thought I'd tag up with my homies to see if there was something else to think about.

Posted 12/10/2013 1:54 AM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry I cannot really help but, have you had your thyroid checked?

Wishing you well

Xx
Posted 12/10/2013 2:53 AM (GMT 0)
My dad has Barrett's esophagus and has to have endoscopy procedures to have it stretched every year or so. His symptoms sound similar to what you are describing. In 2004 did your GI think the stricture was from your Crohn's disease? I hope you can get in with your GI very soon. In the meantime, have small meals and chew your food exceptionally well. Sorry you are going through this!
Posted 12/10/2013 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
At my last upper GI there was nothing, no inflammation, no stricture. That was about 6 years ago I think? I am certain I do not have Barrett's, but yeah, I do worry about inflammation in the esophagus. When the first stricture was found my GI at the time was not willing to link it definitely to Crohn's. I've never been given a clear IBD diagnosis by any of my DRs.

In recent years I've begun to think that stricture was a result of my 2 pregnancies and the reflux that came with them. Now I'm not so sure.
Posted 12/10/2013 10:35 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear that , Kazbern. I get inflammation in my esophagus every now and then coz of my long-standing GERD. Sometimes the hyperacidity and reflux cause this sense of not being able to swallow anything. When I reach this point, I can't take any oral meds. My GI usually switches me to Nexium iv and Zantac iv until I can swallow meds again. Also, eat very smooth food that does not irritate it like rice pudding, jelly and custard and if you can drink Ensure. Eat 6 or 7 snacks. If things are unbearable, call your GI.
Hope things go on well :)
Posted 12/10/2013 11:31 AM (GMT 0)
Years before I got Crohn's, I started having a hard time swallowing. One night food got caught and I couldn't get it out at all. We went to the ER and they removed it. I was diagnosed with GERD, and I had strictures that took 3 dilations a few weeks apart from each other to fully get rid of. I told the doctor I never got heartburn or anything like that, and he said that that could happen. He said at night, laying down flat, the acid comes up and rests on the throat. So you don't feel it, but it's happening. He started me on omeprazole and told me to buy a wedge pillow. Both of those things turned out to be fantastic. I've only needed a dilation one other time, and it was a minor one.
Posted 12/11/2013 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
So I've taken Prevacid for 3 days now and I have seen some incremental improvement, which is good - I hate that feeling of not being able to swallow well.

I suppose you're right, scifigal, that I could have reflux without feeling any pain. It's just weird that no inflammation was found on my last EGD, but I don't even remember when that was so I will review that with my GI next week. I suppose I will be having another one now. Hopefully he won't want to do a full scope because I am not ready for that this year, LOL.
Posted 12/13/2013 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
I have esophageal cd, it's in remission right now, with pred and my tincture. But let me tell youi know exactly how you feel. It started where when I swallowed anything, Evan water, like swallowing glass, and I would have horrible canker sores inside my mouth, they did scopes, saw nothing, Evan while it was inflamed, all they saw was inflammation at resection site, so treated my gut, did nothing, my gut started bothering me from meds remicade and Immuran, got infections almost immediately, then food started getting stuck in my Adam's apple area, I think ocillias rings.i could bring but not swallow, so into Er and they would Er scope, then after a while like three more incidents, they tried I.v. Then inject a solution that would make me vomit, but from real deep and up would be stuck food, then I would be perfect. Now thank god it's remission, but I had to find all this out on my own, all dr's failed, they did the swallow test, perfect. They did the herd thing, I had acid reflux real bad, but tincture took that away within three days, I was on 3 Prilosec a day. It started after my last resection, in "88 then "92 it moved to esophageal cd, suffered until my own discovery of combo, small dose pred and tincture, suffered for almost 21 yr's. sorry for your suffering I feel your pain
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