Food getting stuck

Hi all, I am new here. I've had problems with reflux and heartburn for several years. I've also had episodes of food getting stuck and either had to wait for it to go down, or come up. Last year, I finally had an endoscopy. Everything was normal, no damage, I just have a small hiatal hernia.

I was told to eat small meals, nothing 3 hours before bed time, and take OTC Pepcid or Prilosec as need. Several months ago, I had an episode where the last bite of a meal (fish) felt like it was getting stuck. I got terrible esophageal cramps and eventually threw up. This went on for hours, I couldn't even keep water down. Finally, everything went back to normal.

Last night, the same thing happened again. When I even took a sip of water, my esophagus cramped up, I started burping, and it came back up. This morning, I am back to normal, but too afraid to eat anything solid. My stomach has also been very gassy and sometimes even just drinking water causes lots of stomach acid. If anyone here has experienced similar problems I would love to hear from you!!

Hello Hernia...and welcome to healingwell. I am sorry you are suffering, but I am happy you have found us. Here you will find the support and encouragement you need. Feel free to look back at old posts for help, and also feel free to answer other peoples questions if you feel you can.

I don't have the same issues that you do, but I am wondering, have you been to a GI since last year? It might be a good idea to go ahead with another visit.

You should be taking small bites of food, and chewing them as much as you can. Eating small meals helps too.

That is the only real advice I can offer you. I would think another visit with a GI, and you telling him all about this couldn't hurt.

Again, welcome to healingwell. Please, stick around.

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Hernia

 

Your post has my name written all over it. I had the same problem but not as  you. The only difference is that after the endo they could find absolutely nothing wrong with me, I had the endo done 10-06 and was problem free for a whole year. Well guess again the problem is starting up and its very stressful because you always worry the worst.

 

I am beginning to wonder if stress plays a factor in all of this.

 

Hi Tammy, thanks for replying!! No, I haven't been to the gastro this year. I was not too thrilled with him (I was initially referred to him for a colonoscopy/endoscopy because my annual blood test showed anemia) because he just didn't listen and he scared the heck out of me. He is the only gastro in our HMO network within driving distance and I don't want to go back to him, unless I absolutely have to. I had these episodes before the endoscopy, and nothing except for a small Hiatal Hernia was found.

skooby, tell me about your symptoms!! Are you also able to eat fine for days, and then one day, often the last bite of the meal, or in the middle of eating, boom, it starts up again? I just don't think it is an obstruction. I asked the family doc, and he said with an obstruction, this would happen all the time. Makes sense!

Oh my gosh hernia

that is me. I will be eating and then like you said after the middle of the meal or towards the end the swallowing issues start to act up. I was going to compose this in a seperate post but instead I will add it to this.

Does anyone out there and I mean anyone have any idea on how long it is suppose to take for food to go down the esophagus from the moment you swallow it?

also and I hope I can make sense with this. Can a person because they are worried about the swallowing make it worse. I mean lets just say its normal and you start to dwell can you actually make yourself feel the swallowing going down.

I hate it when this happens. Its almost like clockwork that close to a year since the endo the problem starts up again and I start to worry about it. Can cancer show up a year after a normal endo....

Thanks

You don't have cancer!! Like my family doc said, if an obstruction is involved, you will have problems each time you eat, and they will get progressively worse. If it is only intermittent, it is something else. Also, most obstructions are strictures due to GERD, cancer of the esophagus is pretty rare. I had the "food sticking" problem prior to the endoscopy and all I have is a small hiatal hernia.

Look into a condition called Eosinophilic Esophagitis. It is increasing in prevelance. Cause is usually some kind of allergic reaction to food and/or airborne allergens. Requires a biopsy to diagnose it, so doctors who scope without biopsying are doing their patients a disservice. Appearance visually can be completely normal, but biopsies can reveal intense eosinophilic inflammation when viewed under a microscope. Food impactions are a hallmark symptom. See http://www.apfed.org/ for additional information.

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-Razzle

Thank you Razzle for that information. I am going back to the doctor next week because the anxiety over this is worse than anything. something interesting is that I have bad allergies eyes watering and sneezing all the time.

Treatment for your allergy eye/sneezing symptoms may in and of itself help, since these tend to go along with post nasal drip. Post nasal drip has caused me to have food get stuck temporarily in my throat, and the only way I've found to deal with it is to keep the allergy symptoms under control. I use an Asthma-strength steroid inhaler to treat my allergic rhinitis (thanks to a creative Allergist), since the regular nasal steroid inhalers never were enough. Good luck,

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-Razzle

I finally realized that I got the spasm of the esophogus when I take a drink of ice water or other cold beverage during a meal. Now I don't consume iced drinks and have not had the problem since. May be worth a try?

Hey there Rambler...1st of all, welcome to healingwell.

It is recommended to drink warmer drinks, or at least not iced drinks. I have heard people suggest drinking room temp. water with meals. So yea, worth a try indeed!

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