Swallowing Problem - Digestive Disorders Message Board

Wounder · 02-03-2002, 06:48 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

aveggieboy · 02-03-2002, 09:25 PM

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, 02:15 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

short circuit · 02-08-2002, 03:09 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, 03:57 PM

Hi,

Thanks for that. Maybe I'll go see my doc and try and get a referal to a gastro guy.

Ta

Wounder