help understanding stuff caught in throat after Fundo

Hi all! I had my fundoplication about 7 weeks ago.

To this point, I've never had the sensation, which other people describe as painful, of food being trapped above the wrap. What I have felt, is sometimes stuff goes down slow, like trying to drink water too fast doesn't work great.

I've been taking an omeprazole pill since about day 14, it's not a small pill but not a large one, and it's always gone down fine.. I can't even feel it going down.

Tonight, I cut a moderately large vitamin (b-complex) in 1/2 with a pill cutter, and swallowed half of it. It immediately felt like it got caught just below my adams apple.. and it seemed to be going down slowly. Swallowing again just made me feel like my anatomy was scraping over it, and may have helped it down. After about 15 seconds and 3 swallows, it seemed to pass.

Now to my question. I understand there is swelling in the wrap area and that certainly explains food going down slowly.. But why would something become stuck in my UPPER esophagus or pharynx(?) area, where food is immediately after swallowing?

Is that area, way above the wrap, swollen or otherwise dysfunctional after fundoplication? I never had problems with anything getting stuck in that area before the fundo.

And for anyone else with a fundo who has experienced that in their throat, after how long were you no longer experiencing it?

Thanks.

drtinsac

I have had this happen before. Most of the time it is when I have to split a tablet and seems like the sharp edges stick. I have had some capsules and whole tablets do this too though. I don't believe it has anything to do with the nissen, but believe it is along Joy's line of thought.
I also think it can be from a dry throat situation, so I almost always take a small drink first and then take the meds with more water. If I feel it stick anywhere then I take a few more drinks.

Take care,
Bill

This is what I was told. The pills/capsules are DRY and they have to be dry to be in the bottle and stored for long durations on the shelf. Always moisten the pill/capsule in your mouth by swishing it for 20 seconds in water in your mouth, then swallow. Works for me. As an experiment, I poured a dry pill and capsule on my counter,-- then very lightly licked (gross I know) my finger and touched the pill. This picked up the pill and clung to my finger for short period of time. Maybe this is what happens in the throat area.

He also told me for a capsule to tilt head down as it raises capsule to top of liquid making easier to swallow. For pills, tilt head up and pill go back some and easier to swallow.

Hi.

Just out of curiosity...

If you are taking a pill that can be split, how about crushing it with the back of a spoon and puting it in applesauce? For certain capsules, they can be easily opened and again put into applesauce.

Might be easier to swallow that way, I think.

GM