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Acid reflux? Really?

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 12/5/2010 10:39 PM (GMT 0)
about a year ago I almost choked on chinese food, then it happened several times again on various foods over the span of this year and after that first incident. The food wasn't going down. I thought it was from eating too much too fast. But it wasn't the case. So I finally couldn't swallow well at all with or without foods. Ended up in the ER so scared. Thought I would choke or my throat would close on me. They did an endoscopy a day later and found out I had a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis. It was a struggle for several months after that. They gave me some meds- Nexium-and we hoped for the best. I showed some signs of improvement and then would get bad again for weeks and weeks. They did tons of allergy testing and I was negative for all. MRI of throat was negative of anything abnormal. 
Now at this point 5 months after that initial diagnosis I am still struggling having a hard time eating foods getting foods to go down and swallowing. And now believe my symptoms to be in my throat. And all along. That is where the food gets stuck and won't go down. Then I get so scared. I have to drink tons of water in hopes it will pass and go down. The last endoscopy shows no more eosinophils present and my esophagus is open now. So it is something else. And I believe something with my throat or trachea. I have no other symptoms- no heartburn or pain or anything. But the Dr's still now say it's possible it's acid reflux causing this. Sometimes feels like a lump in my throat and a pressure and very hard to swallow and often even without foods. Been to so many different Dr's and tons of tests. I do have acid reflux present.
Not sure what to do next. I am not living life now and haven't been for some time. Just existing. I want my life back!
Posted 12/5/2010 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Time to get referred to a good GI doctor and have some tests!
Not all of us get active reflux - though I did - but GERD could be doing this to you.
Endoscopy, Barrium swallow, ph testing, motility testing - you need a work up.
Once you have some answers, some real answers, you can get started on the road to getting better.
That much erosion and burning in your esophagus could lead to Barretts or even cancer, so don't sit on it - call and get started.
There is life on the other side of GERD - life without pain and choking - if it turns out that's what is causing the problem.
The others on here may know more about what you're describing but I've read others on here who had what is called "silent GERD" where they had none of the symptoms of vomiting up their food, etc - but still were all burned up inside....
We'll see what they have to say but I'm betting they will all tell you that it's time for tests!
I wish you the best of luck.

Cat
Posted 12/5/2010 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
Been to 2 GI Drs and ALL the test. All negative and normal. ph showed acid. That's it. No other symptoms at all. Had MRI barium ph monitoring scope twice blood work. All are fine. Very sad and frustrated. Want my life back!
Posted 12/6/2010 12:04 AM (GMT 0)
You might want to check out this list of acid and alkaline foods. I've had good success eating alkaline foods while avoiding the acid foods:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=1942384
Posted 12/6/2010 12:06 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks. But keep in mind I have symptoms with or without foods. And I always have eaten clean and healthy. So it's very crazy!
Posted 12/6/2010 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,

I had about a year where I had to chew my food very slow and take small bites as I would choke and cough.  It became very embarassing whenever I was eating around anyone as I would only be 1/4 done with my meal and everyone else would be done.  I was eventually dx with GERD and the medication has help me.  The choking went away but if it ever happens again I would go back to the Doctors.


Sometimes emotional distress, such as anxiety, can lead to difficulty swallowing or the fear of choking. Most people might take swallowing for granted, but for some who suffer with anxiety, difficulty swallowing makes every meal a challenge. It may leave you feeling like you are choking, or feeling like there's a lump, or something stuck in the throat. Difficulty swallowing may take more time and effort to move food or liquid from your mouth to your stomach. In some cases, you may not be able to swallow at all.

Just food for thought.  I wish you well.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 12/6/2010 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
Mslman530,

What do you normally eat? You may be surprised at which foods are acid-causing and which foods are anti-acids.

For example, the following foods are generally acid-causing:
meat
grains/cereals
most nuts
most sweets
beans
soy
tofu
legumes
peas carrots
beer
sugar
most vinegar except for apple cider vinegar
Posted 12/6/2010 1:05 AM (GMT 0)
My symptom is food getting stuck in my throat and difficulty swallowing and me having to drink tons of water to get food down. And sometimes I even have difficulty swallowing at all. Without foods. Something is not right. And I been tested for all kinds of things. Only conculsion is acid reflux. But I never had the symptoms of it. Until this started. Which is rare, but does and can happen.

I just want to have my life back and live normal again. I lost 20 pounds. I haven't been to the gym or work. It's completely took my life away. The fact that sometimes I can't swallow is so scary. And sometimes can't eat or drink for days. Is not normal. And definitely not anxiety or stress related. No way!

I eat clean. Always. I am on Nexium now. Twice a day. Started 6 days ago. Hoping it kicks in soon.

Posted 12/6/2010 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
I've had trouble with food getting stuck in my throat, too. It's typically chicken, rice, or some other acid-causing food. I've had good success chewing up some chewable calcium pills and then slowly trying to swallow them. Eventually, after a few minutes of this I can get the food down. Another thing that really helped me with stuck food was freshly-made watermelon juice. Note that watermelon and calcium are both highly alkaline (highly anti-acid).

I'm not sure if this would work for you, but it worked great for me when I used to get acid reflux.
Posted 12/6/2010 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Mslman,
I'm so sorry to hear about your problems swallowing. You said you had all the testing...did you have manometry, when they test your swallowing reflex? I would imagine you would have had it, but you didn't mention it, so I was wondering.

Did your GI doc ever think you were having strictures, where your esophagus was too tight, and needed to be stretched/dilated? Some people with GERD find that to be helpful.

Good luck finding an answer!
Denise
Posted 12/6/2010 4:00 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, I have had that and all the tests. And had the dilation of my esophagus. It's open there. No problems there. It's my throat area. Where my symptoms are and been actually. No strictures were found. No obstructions. When I can eat the food is difficult to get down. It gets stuck in my throat. Then I have to panic and drink tons of water to get it down. And often I even have difficulty swallowing at all. Without foods. My reading and research concludes I have silent acid reflux and have had it for some time. No symptoms though. But it has caused some damages to my throat food pipe. So need to see what is what now and get the right treatment and cure. So I can get my life back.
Posted 12/6/2010 7:30 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Mslman

Sorry to hear about your problems.   I went thru a bad patch recently myself - extremely thick phlegm/mucus in my throat, by times so thick, I even battled to swallow water - I felt as if I had an obstruction, and found that cold water was the worst - it didnt "mix" with the sticky phlegm, and the only thing that helped was sipping hot herbal tea (rooibos), but just a little as this tea liquified the sticky stuff so much, it started running into my lungs. This seemed to clear the stuff away for a while.   In an earlier posting of mine "Calling everybody with sticky phlegm in their throats" I explained what happened to me and that eventually adding enzymes to my diet cleared my problem up - but  - if I don't follow the "live with Gerd rules",  ie. don't eat large meals,  don't bend,  dont eat or drink anything for 2 hrs before retiring at night.stay away from chocolate, peppermint and menthol which relaxes the LES so that it opens up ... I have this stuff in my throat all over again. Fortunately having low acid, I can have coffee and tea without any after effects.     I have an idea,  dont know whether I'm right ... that as your stomach makes its own acid, and also its own mucus to protect itself from its own acid ... that when your stomach acid is low,  there is excess stomach mucus, so when the LES opens up, this sticky stuff works its way up to your throat.  And boy .. is it sticky!!   As in toffee ...unless you try and liquify same, it just stays where it is in your throat ....   

hope the herbal tea will help ..

Cecelia

PS- if your medication doesnt kick in soon ...  you might also have low stomach acid.   After taking mine for 3 weeks, actually getting worse, the penny dropped that I didnt have high acid, so stopped taking my emoprazole, did research and came up with the enzymes.

Post Edited (Cecelia) : 12/6/2010 12:33:55 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/6/2010 11:59 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, but I don't have phlegm/mucus in my throat. Wish that was all that was going on. I will however still try enxzymes. Can't hurt.

 

Posted 12/6/2010 1:46 PM (GMT 0)
Its me again!

When you mentioned that they could not find any obstruction in your throat, but that you battled to get food down, I remembered how I struggled.  The sticky stuff doesnt feel like phlegm, you don't even know its in your throat unless it moves up where it interferes with your breathing . . at times I even battled to get water down.  I thought I had high acid and wasnt allowed to drink coffee or ceylon tea, so drank herbal tea, and only afterwards realised that it was the herbal tea that diluted the" toffee" so that it ran into my bronchial tubes - and I can assure you it wasnt easy getting that sticky stuff out. even after being diluted.

If though  in future you do battle to swallow food ..  maybe you could try sipping hot herbal tea first, very very slowly... you never know!

Good luck,  Cecelia

PS.  A thought just crossed my mind.   If it is stomach mucus being released thru the LES - stomach mucus is made by the stomach to protect its own lining, so obviously it must be sticky .. to stick to the lining ... so how is the mucus to know it is now in a throat and not a stomach??  Maybe it sticks to the lining of our throats and the constriction will depend on the amount of mucus released??  ehehehe ...

Post Edited (Cecelia) : 12/6/2010 7:14:30 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/6/2010 8:02 PM (GMT 0)
Are you male or female. What is your age?
Is your mouth dry alot? Is it possible you're not making enough saliva or it doesn't have the right composition?
Posted 12/6/2010 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
Male. 35. Yes, dry a lot. But was told that is from the Nexium. I have now been told I probably have what is called silent acid reflex. I've probably had it for years most likely. It's when acid reflux is present, but I have no symptoms. Which I haven't had. No symptoms. Until recently I have this terrible time swallowing. Sometimes even without foods. And when I do eat often the foods get stuck in my throat and I have to panic and drinks tons of water to get food down. So now that they supposedly know what I have going on someone needs to be good enough smart enough to find the right treatment and restore my health and life. Been on Nexium for one week now. So waiting hoping that will start to work soon. Otherwise they'll have to figure out other meds or some surgery.
It feels like my throat is so inflammed swollen or narrow. Why foods won't go down. Probably from having acid reflux and it coming up to my throat. And me not even knowing it.
Posted 12/7/2010 1:11 AM (GMT 0)
You could have a condition that causes limited saliva production. You need saliva to lubercate your throat in the eating process.

Question? Do you have any face pain and/or swelling? If so get checked for salivary gland stones. They can block the ducts. It's like bladder stones.
Posted 12/7/2010 1:16 AM (GMT 0)
No pain. At all. Just difficulty swallowing and often even without foods. Sad. And when I do eat many most foods get stuck and I always have to have tons of water present to get food down. Clearly not normal and no way to live life. I refuse to live this way much longer. No way!
Posted 12/7/2010 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
Ask your doctor for some sialogogues substances that naturally increase salivary flow.
Posted 12/7/2010 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
I highly doubt has anything to do with that. But thanks. It's definitely something else.
Posted 1/13/2011 4:59 AM (GMT 0)
What is happening to you is awful and I wish you the best possible outcome.
I had many other symptoms, however difficulty swallowing foods was one. My problem ended up being a skeletal muscle disease called myositis (in particular polymyositis). I was fortunate to begin the process of diagnosis rather quickly due to a truly wonderful rural medicine doctor in the town where I lived. The process did take over a year. Mostly because I moved to a different state half way into testing. It's a rare disease with no cure, but you never know (symptoms can be managed). Have a blood test done called CPK. If the levels are elevated you have more CPK tests done over time. Then it's on to the next test and so on. This initial test is simple and inexpensive and is the first done in the 'elimination' process. Also, you might want to have your vitamin D level tested. Consider hormone testing too. I just got off the phone with a friend...she suggested that you be tested for cricopharyngeal spasms. Good luck to you.
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