"info on Esophagal Stretching Please"

jennyVee · 10-26-2005, 08:34 PM

Hi I have severe trouble swallowing, I have to see my doc tomorrow, I will ask him for an endoscopy, a few years ago he told me that I get esophagal spasms, I am wondering if I should ask him to stretch my esophagus, and also is that painful and do they have to put you to sleep to do it or can they do it in the office?? also did it improve your swallowing

wakkochic17 · 10-26-2005, 09:02 PM

^ a friend of mine had this done today actually.. it's similar to an ensocopy. They will give you a sedative and they place the scope down, but it has something similar to a balloon at the end that opens up and "stretches" the esophagus. They keep this "balloon" open for a little while and then deflate it and take it out. It doesn't take terribly long and in most cases they would do it in the office. I only know because he told me he was having it done just the other day so I asked him about the procedure. He said he had it done a few years ago and it wasn't bad.

frosty22 · 10-26-2005, 09:57 PM

I had this pocedure done about three years ago. They put me under for the procedure; out patient surgery. Went smooth, felt no pain at all that I can remember and I could swallow solids again. Still running smooth three years later.

However, my esophogus was closing due to too much acid reflux. I think for your issue they would do some scan where they watch the muscles in the esophogus to make sure they are working properly. I think this is called something like dysphagia? Try researching that to see if it fits your symptoms.

Good Luck,
Frosty

jennyVee · 10-26-2005, 10:02 PM

Hi and thanks for the info!

I have very bad reflux, sometimess when I am trying to swallow, acid comes up to my throat and i have to pushit down with water, its very bad, I also have gastritis which I was put on zelnorm, it helps a bit but not much, I cant wait to see if the doc will do this procedure since I am craving so many foods, and I am mostly just drinking shakes after this swallowing problem got so severe, Thanks for the info about this procedure..... by the way did they do a barium swallow on you first? I think thats what a test is called

frosty22 · 10-28-2005, 01:08 AM

The barium swallow came later for me. When I started having trouble swallowing, Solids would get stuck, couldn't swallow water or even my own saliva. It would sometimes last 20 minutes before finally squeezing down. But I could always breathe fine. When I finally went to the Doctor, they set me up for a scope and when I woke up they explained that they had expanded the esophogus- where it meets the stomach with a balloon like device. I do not That's how I learned I had Barretts. See your doctor and listen to his/her advice, it can be serious stuff.

I wish you the best,

Frosty