Wounder
02-03-2002, 09:48 PM
Hi,
I am not sure whether this is the right place to post this query, but here goes anyway.
Just recently, over the past month or so, when I have eaten some solid food, sometimes it seems to get stuck in my gullet and I can't swallow it properly. It gets stuck at about the height of my adams apple and it is as if my whole throat goes into spasm.
This has just happened now, which is why I thought I would post straight away.
I have not eaten or drunk anything for a few hours. I suddenly felt a little hungry, but as I was on my way to bed, boiled the kettle and ate a piece of bread. As soon as I had taken a couple of bites it seemed to get stuck and my whole throat went into spasm. I try to swallow, but the food will not go down. I feel as if I want to be sick, but can't. Sometimes I find that belching helps, as it somehow moves the food a little further down. I thought it had gone, but it hadn't, so I stopped and massaged my upper belly and it stopped. I can only assume that by then the food had gone so far down that it was nearly in my stomach.
This does not happen regularly, but just sometimes and it catches me totally unaware. I do remember that it happened whilst in a restaurant with a friend not so long ago. It was very embarrassing, as she thought I was going to vomit, but I didn't. I could'nt really explain to her what was happening and I was a little alarmed by this, as it took a good 45 mins to pass. Once it did, I was fine again.
As I say, this does happen all the time and normally passes within about 5 to 10 mins when it does. I do not really have any other belly problems as far as I am aware and tend to have diarrhea more regularly than constipation, which I have never been.
Has anyone else suffered with this. If so, can you tell me what it is, what causes it and what I might do about it?
If not, has anyone got any ideas anyway? Any help gratefully received.
Thanks
Wounder
I am not sure whether this is the right place to post this query, but here goes anyway.
Just recently, over the past month or so, when I have eaten some solid food, sometimes it seems to get stuck in my gullet and I can't swallow it properly. It gets stuck at about the height of my adams apple and it is as if my whole throat goes into spasm.
This has just happened now, which is why I thought I would post straight away.
I have not eaten or drunk anything for a few hours. I suddenly felt a little hungry, but as I was on my way to bed, boiled the kettle and ate a piece of bread. As soon as I had taken a couple of bites it seemed to get stuck and my whole throat went into spasm. I try to swallow, but the food will not go down. I feel as if I want to be sick, but can't. Sometimes I find that belching helps, as it somehow moves the food a little further down. I thought it had gone, but it hadn't, so I stopped and massaged my upper belly and it stopped. I can only assume that by then the food had gone so far down that it was nearly in my stomach.
This does not happen regularly, but just sometimes and it catches me totally unaware. I do remember that it happened whilst in a restaurant with a friend not so long ago. It was very embarrassing, as she thought I was going to vomit, but I didn't. I could'nt really explain to her what was happening and I was a little alarmed by this, as it took a good 45 mins to pass. Once it did, I was fine again.
As I say, this does happen all the time and normally passes within about 5 to 10 mins when it does. I do not really have any other belly problems as far as I am aware and tend to have diarrhea more regularly than constipation, which I have never been.
Has anyone else suffered with this. If so, can you tell me what it is, what causes it and what I might do about it?
If not, has anyone got any ideas anyway? Any help gratefully received.
Thanks
Wounder
Sponsor
aveggieboy
02-04-2002, 12:25 AM
Bread is a known "expander" i guess you could say. I know when people have a lap. nissen fundoplication operation for GERD (as in my case)-- -bread is a no no for a few months---gets stuck/expands---makes your gag.. Maybe watch the bread & drink adequate amounts of water with meals...
Wounder
02-04-2002, 05:15 AM
Hi,
Thanks for your help. However, sometimes it is not just bread and the same thing has happened when I have eaten sprouts. When in the restaurant with a friend, it was risotto that did it.
Should I be worried about it or not? It's just that it can happen one day and then not again for about a month and sometimes more, but it happens when I am least expecting it and sometimes in embarrassing circumstances, where people think I am going to vomit and I have to quickly disappear to the bathroom, but never do vomit.
Thanks anyway. Anymore help gratefully received.
Wounder
Thanks for your help. However, sometimes it is not just bread and the same thing has happened when I have eaten sprouts. When in the restaurant with a friend, it was risotto that did it.
Should I be worried about it or not? It's just that it can happen one day and then not again for about a month and sometimes more, but it happens when I am least expecting it and sometimes in embarrassing circumstances, where people think I am going to vomit and I have to quickly disappear to the bathroom, but never do vomit.
Thanks anyway. Anymore help gratefully received.
Wounder
short circuit
02-08-2002, 06:09 PM
I had a similar problem with swallowing food that got progressively worse. I also felt that it got stuck & caused a very hard cough for quite a long time although I sometimes vomited it up. It usually happened while eating & the type food really could vary, really didn't matter what or how much I ate. I also have to disappear quickly to the bathroom in restaurants, etc. I ended up having an upper GI endoscopy in Nov where it was discovered that I have Schwartz's ring along with an esophagal stricture, esopagitis, gastritis, duodonitis & multiple ulcers in all those locations. After trying several proton pump inhibitors (Prevacid, Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix), I just started taking Aciphex. You need to go to a gastroenterologist & get an endoscope done of your esophagus to make sure you don't have a stricture.
Wounder
02-08-2002, 06:57 PM
Hi,
Thanks for that. Maybe I'll go see my doc and try and get a referal to a gastro guy.
Ta
Wounder
Thanks for that. Maybe I'll go see my doc and try and get a referal to a gastro guy.
Ta
Wounder
CINDERELLA
02-10-2002, 03:51 PM
Hi, my husband went through a stage of being unable to swallow. Not all the time but on occasions. Once we were at friends having dinner and he choked so bad we had to leave. It turned out to be a hiatus hernia, which has settled itself and he doesnt have a prob now.
Wounder
02-10-2002, 06:18 PM
Thanks for that. That was useful to know.
Did your husband have to take any meds. or did it just resolve naturally?
Ta
Wounder
Did your husband have to take any meds. or did it just resolve naturally?
Ta
Wounder
Lyndal Stuhr
02-12-2002, 05:10 AM
It sounds very much like the Hiatyl Hernia I have had for over 20 years.It started with a hurt feeling in the chest (eshopagus), like I swallowed a sharp rock or something like it. Usually happened when I was hungry, at about the second bite. Felt as though the food was stuck and wouldn't go down! It became more frequent, especially when eating meat (thick) or breads, but not always. It can happen with most anything. When I finally went to the Doctor he did and upper G.I. and it confirmed the the Hyatial Hernia. Since then I have learned many things to help, raise the head of your bed so that the entire bed is slanted. This will prevent the indegistion problems while sleeping. Just using extra pillows will cause more trouble you need to keep your body straight and elevate the esophagus above the stomach. I put a brick on its side, stood on edge under the legs of the headboard. When I try to eat in a hurry, that is the most trouble! Can't do it, better to skip a meal or drink it. When the pain becomes almost unbearable I learned to excuse myself (usually when eating out, eating too fast, not paying attention to eating slower & chewing more, and drinking LIQUID BEFORE SWALLOWING). A friend who had the same problem said to stick your finger in your throat to make yourself vomit will bring relief. I do it when it hurts so bad or when I feel like I can't breathe with it. Only the food that you just ate will come back up, not what has gone down to the stomach.
Does any of this sound familiar?
I hope this is of help to you. There are a few more things I can share with you to help. I found an excellent article in a health magazine that explains what is happening.
Does any of this sound familiar?
I hope this is of help to you. There are a few more things I can share with you to help. I found an excellent article in a health magazine that explains what is happening.
Wounder
02-12-2002, 06:44 PM
Hi,
Thanks so much. I will try your suggestions.
Yes, a lot of the symptoms are familiar to me, especially when I have not eaten for sometime and am hungry. It is normally the second mouthful that is the problem. I do not have pain though. It just feels like I could vomit to dislodge the offending food, but I never have. I have just had to stand upright and keep swallowing hard until is dislodges and moves. I did find that after swallowing hard one time the food would not go down. However, I tried rubbing my upper belly really hard and it moved to my stomach.
Like you, I have had to leave the table in a restaurant before now. My friend actually thought I was going to vomit, but I didn't.
Anyway, thanks and my next step is a visit to the docs.
Thanks all.
Wounder
Thanks so much. I will try your suggestions.
Yes, a lot of the symptoms are familiar to me, especially when I have not eaten for sometime and am hungry. It is normally the second mouthful that is the problem. I do not have pain though. It just feels like I could vomit to dislodge the offending food, but I never have. I have just had to stand upright and keep swallowing hard until is dislodges and moves. I did find that after swallowing hard one time the food would not go down. However, I tried rubbing my upper belly really hard and it moved to my stomach.
Like you, I have had to leave the table in a restaurant before now. My friend actually thought I was going to vomit, but I didn't.
Anyway, thanks and my next step is a visit to the docs.
Thanks all.
Wounder
CINDERELLA
02-19-2002, 02:34 AM
Hi, my husbands problem seemed to go away by itself in time.
Lyndal Stuhr
03-07-2002, 06:09 AM
Wounder: Hi I hope you are doing better by now. I forgot to tell you something that a DR. told told me. He said when that"stuck" feeling comes, to take your fingers and push hard on the spot just below your breast bone. This will help to push the herniated area back down into the stomach and thus giving you relief. When he told me that I was already doing that because it made me feel better. I had discovered that trick by myself. But sometimes even THAT won't help.
Tension and stress seem to play an important role in this. Whenever I am in a hurry to eat I get into Trouble with it. Or if I find myself upset about something (and up-tight) I will definitly have a problem with the swallowing. It will also seem to take a turn for the worse, or a turn for the better, for no reason. Just learn how to live with it and what you can do to help you get through the bad times.
I hope some of this has been a help to you. Take care. Lyndal :)
Tension and stress seem to play an important role in this. Whenever I am in a hurry to eat I get into Trouble with it. Or if I find myself upset about something (and up-tight) I will definitly have a problem with the swallowing. It will also seem to take a turn for the worse, or a turn for the better, for no reason. Just learn how to live with it and what you can do to help you get through the bad times.
I hope some of this has been a help to you. Take care. Lyndal :)
Wounder
03-07-2002, 08:27 AM
Hi,
Thanks for that. I think that some of it is stress related to a great degree. Yes, I discovered your trick of rubbing hard on my upper belly to relieve the stuck feeling. I got something stuck the other day and didn't know whether I want to throw up or what, so I stuck my fist hard into my upper abdomen and the problem resolved.
I have been through quite a stressful couple of weeks and I think due to this and suddenly found that I had continuous bellyache and diarrhea for about two days. I went for an acupuncture treatment today and my acupuncturist always palpates my belly to find tender places. He actually commented on how tense my belly and other parts of my body felt. I feel better after the treatment though.
I have also started Qi Gong exercises which includes things like 'belly breathing exercises'. I have found these really grounding and it helps you to breathe more deeply from your belly rather than your chest.
I am feeling a lot better now. I think everyone should try it.
Take care
Wounder
Thanks for that. I think that some of it is stress related to a great degree. Yes, I discovered your trick of rubbing hard on my upper belly to relieve the stuck feeling. I got something stuck the other day and didn't know whether I want to throw up or what, so I stuck my fist hard into my upper abdomen and the problem resolved.
I have been through quite a stressful couple of weeks and I think due to this and suddenly found that I had continuous bellyache and diarrhea for about two days. I went for an acupuncture treatment today and my acupuncturist always palpates my belly to find tender places. He actually commented on how tense my belly and other parts of my body felt. I feel better after the treatment though.
I have also started Qi Gong exercises which includes things like 'belly breathing exercises'. I have found these really grounding and it helps you to breathe more deeply from your belly rather than your chest.
I am feeling a lot better now. I think everyone should try it.
Take care
Wounder
claujuh
04-06-2002, 03:22 PM
hey wounder...here's my two cents.....i was having the swallowing problem plus terrible pain, constipation...went to a GI doc who got me in right away for an endoscopy. here's what he found: hiatal hernia, GERD,ulcers, a constricted esophogus and, after the biopsy of the ulcers to see if they had been caused by the bacteria that can cause them,Celiac Disease. i had NONE of the "classic symptoms" for celiac but i sure do have it. whenever i eat anything with gluten in it (found in rye, oats, wheat and barley...you know, just about everything!)i get pretty sick stomach wise.......SO.....i have repeat esophagus stretching via endoscopy too...and sometimes a gastroparesis problem flares up, which i take a medication for. i'm a mess, aren't i? lol
sadkins415
05-02-2002, 07:52 PM
Is anyone taking prevacid for this problem? About how long does it take to work?