Dysphagia - Please Help

Hello,

I am a periodic sufferer of acid reflux. Sometimes, when my symptoms are particularly bad on a few days, I will feel a feeling of difficulty swallowing, where I feel like some of the food get stuck on the way down. I have discussed this with the doctor, and he seems to attribute this to irritation of my esophagus. I know a lot of people have this condition on the forum, but present with persistent difficulty swallowing. However, I've never really read about people who have this problem off and on, and seem to get it when their symptoms are particularly bad. Does it make sense that when one's GERD symptoms are acting up, one could be experiencing the sensation of dysphagia? I will go weeks where my swallowing is fine and then maybe a week where I have a problem and then it goes away on its own.

As a note, I had an endoscopy two years ago. Went well and nothing was indicated negatively, so my doctor wants to continue having me go for endoscopies every few years or so. But he doesn't see the need to send me right now, he says that this is due to my age (23) and the fact that my dysphasia is not persistent or gets worse. I am of course worried about cancer.

I guess I tell myself that if it was something serious, but it wouldn't go away and come back. My doctor seems to agree, as I mentioned I'm worried about cancer and it doesn't seem to make much sense that if it really was growing in me, I would have this problem off and on. At the same time, that goes for stricture as well, because most people I have read about who have these problems have them persistently not off and on. Something I've also read that has sparked my interest is the possibility of a hypersensitive esophagus, especially because I used to experience very painful heartburn but on my endoscopy, there was absolutely no damage.

Post Edited (Ardogz) : 8/2/2016 7:49:34 PM (GMT-6)

I wouldn't worry at all about cancer, especially at your age. An endoscopy would have shown any irregularities. How 'clean' is your diet? Certain foods can certainly cause havoc and if you find those that do, avoid them.

Ardogz Welcome to our forum. My thought is that you certainly Can do lifestyle changes that can help you. Our doctor told us clean healthy eating can do wonders and it should have been done all along even before the health issue occurred. (#1 priority). Avoid carbonated drinks (beer, soda etc.). Acid foods to be avoided to allow healing. Avoid fried stuff. It's hard but so worth it. The human body will work real hard to fix what needs to be fixed if given the nutrition it needs. Treat yourself kindly, be gentle and don't let anyone talk you into that pizza, fried chicken, . This is what we were told-- of course, follow your doctors guidance. Others will write more soon. We are not doctors, only passing on what helped us.

Kar102 you replied on my post before one year. You had same problem with saliva as I.

I want to tell you I won this problem. I won reflux. And I want to tell you how I did it.

My symptoms were: excesive saliva, saliva coming out from my mouth , nervous breakdown because of that, I could breathe , preasure in my chest , hungry all the time, eating a lot.

I am today completely sure I had low acid. I think dr Koufman is just partialy wright. Your PPI destroyed ability of your stomach to produce acid. And then the problem started.

Listen to my story: i quit caffeine , alchocol , meat , basicaly everthing. It was not enough. One day out of desperation i drink apple cide vinegar - but lot of it. I put one quarter of vinegar in 2 dcl glass and then mixed with water. It completely stopped. Not only that. I instantly felt energy, power, I was happy.

But still I cant eat as I want , I will try now HCL Betaine.

you dont feel heartburn simply because your ph acid level is to high - maybe 5 or 6 so there is not inside you what can burn you - or your esophagus.

So i dont believe in Silent reflux and these sort of things.

I feel much BETTER NOW.

My advice to you is to check your B12 levels, measure your iron in blood, because you probably feel tired , lack of energy etc....

One last thing : when I took lot of vinegar : i could eat EVERYTHING except eggs.

So before you do some sugery check your acid level.

If somebody would ever give 1 000 000 dollars for taking one nexium I would refuse it. PPI made my condition worse.

Post Edited (vindex) : 8/24/2016 2:14:08 AM (GMT-6)