Oesophageal Achalasia / Spasm :: Swallowing Difficulty
Jul 2, 2010
God this is really getting me down, to point I have been wondering if I am ever going to eat again and I am frightening myself with the thoughts I am having.
I just cannot swallow solid foods, it started 4 weeks ago. i was happily eating some chicken and all of a sudden my throat 'closed' and I choked. I managed to cough it back up and carried on eating after.
Next day, for love nor money could I swallow, each time I tried i choked.
4 weeks later and I still keep trying the odd bit of food here and there and it just won't go down.
I have had an endoscope - that was a highly unpleasant experience but it found nothing. I was told to go home and eat and to stop being so stressed.
I have been to seen a sports therapist and she has found that I have very very tight neck and jaw muscles. But it still feels like food won't go down, although I did feel better once I had seen her.
Trying to get another appointment with the doctor is like golddust.
I am normally a fit and healthy 37yr old woman, mum of three. I love my food and I want to eat. Thing is, this has gone on so long now I have gone past being hungry. I think this is probably a bit phycological now as well but the tightening really does happen.
The back of my neck, round to the front and up under the jaw is so tight.
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I have suspected bilateral diaphragm paralysis and increasing difficulties breathing and swallow king. Weak and short breath on inspiration and expiration and barely sleeping. Are there any exercises can be done at this late stage as now have impending feeling of doom. Have been told intervention is pointless.
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I have had swallowing problems, oesophagus pain, burning in chest feeling as though food is getting stuck and an awful sensation of a lump in my throat for the last four years. I was wrongly diagnosed with GERD and treated with PPIs. My symptoms have gradually got worse and after three attempts managed the manometry and twenty four hour pH test following this I have been recently diagnosed with achalasia. I feel so unwell and life is feeling unbearable I can only tolerate liquids at present and my symptoms seem to have deteriorated since diagnosis feels like everything sticking in my throat an awful taste the lump has got worse and feels like I can't feel my throat properly and my swallow feels weak. All my symptoms are bringing on the most awful feeling of anxiety and I just don't know where to turn no one understands how bad this feels. Has anyone else had this terrible sensation of a lump and at the same time a sort of lack of sensation in the throat.
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tuberculosis..? difficulty swallowing , difficulty breathing, cough out blood, dark-brown phlegm, cough doesn't go and mucus, weight loss,tired always......
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I have had Achalasia for over 20 years with all the accompanying problems: regurgitation, aspiration pneumonia, spontaneous and embarrassing regurgitation in restaurants, etc. Recently my doctor suggested that Cialis might be helpful. Too make a long story short I now take 2.5 mg of Cialis daily and have experienced almost complete relief from my Achalasia.
I know there is some research on Viagra relieving Achalasia, but I do not believe there is any research on Cialis. I throw my experience out there in the hopes that someone has more information on the use of Cialis and in the hope that perhaps someone else might profit from my experience.
In the U.S. where I live Cialis is expensive, however I was able to find a Canadian company with reasonable prices.
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After 15 years with Achalasia and difficulty with food passing into my stomach I finally had Botox injections yesterday. During the endoscopy the dr said the valve at the bottom of my oesophagus was really tight and he's hoping the Botox will help me.
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For a long time i suffered with acute pain from O S mostly brought on by acid reflux from hiatus hernia. I came across a sort of solution which works for me.
At the first sign(generally slight pain and a tightening of my chest around the base of the esophagus ) which generally happens during the night ,but not always I eat dry biscuits(digestives are good) they seem to force the stomach back where it's supposed to be.If that doesn't work then its a piece of toast and hot tea.
It seems to happen more when my stomach is empty,but that may be just co-incedence.It has helped me avoid the development of a more serious,painful problem.
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I've been taking ramipril now for 9 years with no significant side effects, but lately I've developed a dry mouth and difficulty in swallowing. I've had various blood tests which have all been ok. Could Ramipril cause this condition after so many years ?
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I am currently feeling a weird tingling throughout my body, mostly at the top of my stomach. It feels like something moving! it sometimes gives me nipping almost biting pains.I also have got a feeling that something is currently latched onto the back of my throat that I can not wash away or get rid of, it has been like this for the last 24 hours. Call me crazy but I feel that I can pull it back down into my stomach ( but something is still latched to my throat). After not concentrating on this I then get a bit lump at the back of my throat. I am almost Gipping with how close it is to my mouth.
After a lot of playing with my throat, swallowing I managed to "pull" one down into my stomach.I can now feel this moving around again, it feels like it is trying to get back up and at times nips. Swallowing is still hard and I just feel sick. Could you please tell me what you think it could be?
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Are these symptoms of throat cancer? please help! have difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, weight loss,cough out blood , have dark-brown mucus, been smoking for years....
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I'm now 38 and was diagnosed with achalasia in 1998. The condition stated in late 1997 and progressed very quickly. I was unable to eat any form of solid food and every meal had to be accompanied by buckets of water!
I had the myotomy and a fundoplication in Sept 1999.
However, the symptoms soon returned. They never got as bad as they were before the operation, but I think suffers of the condition become very adept at managing the condition.
I went through a series of dilations and other tests until, in 2005, my surgeon decided that another operation was the only hope. However, by this time, I had completely lost confidence in my surgeon and decided to live with the condition.
I have found that swallowing has continued to get worse over the years, but I manage it reasonably well by drinking lots of water with meals and avoiding problematic foods such as bread, pasta and fruit.
However, I suffer from dreadful substernal pain and have been admitted twice to A&E with a suspected heart attack. My use of painkillers is now at pretty serious levels so I am having the condition investigated again.
I guess that I knew this was inevitable, but I'm not looking forward to the barium swallows, endoscopy, manometry etc and I guess further surgery is unavoidable.
I utterly sympathise with those who have the condition. It is painful, restricting and embarrassing - you only have to regurgitate an oesophagus full of chewed food over a plate to realise what a bummer of a condition this is. It may not be life threatening, but it is certainly not fun!
I wish everyone with the condition every best wish in managing their condition.
PS - I really struggle with my weight and am now 5 stone overweight which must be a record for achalasia!!! Would love to hear from anyone in a similar position.
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i was diagnosed with hyperthyroid 6 weeks ago, started taking metoprolol 25mg twice a day... on the 4th day i noticed my ears were popping every time i swallowed... and have been ever since. went to ENT today and had a scope done of nose and throat w/everything fine... anyone else had this type of issue?
I finally see specialist tomorrow and hope to get on meds... i have tremors all over body, anxiety, fatigue, high heart rate (120 at times)
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I'm a 21 year old girl who is scared of choking on food and swallowing do you know anyone who went through this problem it's been now since April I had this problem I was at my parents house eating meat and I didn't realize that I have let the peace of meat pass it got stuck on my throat for at least 5 seconds and finally let it down with soda after that it was a week ago that I couldn't swallow my saliva and yes it was really scary at that time that same night I got an anxiety attack so I went to the emergency room so I didn't left till 5 in the morning all they did was give me something to swallow the liquid but doctors couldn't find anything in my throat and since then I lost so much weight that I didn't expect I'm halfway skinny now but this has been the worst experience I had ever have in my life and idk if my life could be normal again all I ate was sweet food and liquids cause it will get food and since than I don't remember having a good full meal like pizza or burgers ever again it ruined my life but after that months went by it got better I was eating food again and than it happen again I don't know how much longer this will last I want to feel normal and a have a normal life again I keep thinking to myself that my food will get stuck again or choke to death and I don't want that no more please help or any medications I can take to solve this problem I don't want my husband to get mad at me by not eating all day and yes my life has changed ever since that happen and I sometimes I cry because of it and most of all I don't wanna get sick from it someone should give me an advice or any medication I can take to take away my fear and I do believe I do have something in my throat doctors don't check me well please help?
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i have trouble breathing and swallowing well just swallowing can anybody help me figure out whats wrong?
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I've been very disturbed and anxious with the condition of my wife. She's 24, gave birth to our first born 3 mos. ago, 4'9 in height and about 136 lbs. A month ago we noticed a lump at the right site of her neck just about half an inch from her adam's apple. The we decided to consult to an internist and instructed to do a thyroid ultrasound immediately. The result says that there is a small nodule in the right side of her thyroid gland, "a cyst" but her endocrinologist says that all his patients with the same diagnosis didn't have cancerous ones. My wife was given oral medications for about 3 months, one I can recall is the Levothyroxine.
Despite the doctor's calmness and no sense of urgency I can't help but to worry about my wife's condition. She finds it difficult to swallow food and sometimes feel little aching on that part of her neck.
I've always thought that eastern medical practices (here in the Philippines) are different from that in the west. And if I am right I'd like to consult here with somebody who can give us some advice on what to do/eat naturally and what to avoid.
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I am a 34 year old female with a swallowing problem. I have had it for many years, it comes and goes.When I have any cold, flu or sickness it is worse and I choke so bad on liquid that I fall in the floor and can't catch my breath.I get scared after and I cry.I know this sounds crazy but I think for sure it will probably be how I die.I can even sip on liquids and it feels like I am going to choke. I have spit out liquids many times just because I couldn't swallow them.
Yes, I have stomach issues, but even on medication this problem never stopped. I have had tested on my throat ,I was even choking on the barium swallow and everything came back normal.It is my body however and I know there is a problem with my throat but no body believes me. I am tired of going to the doctors going through the same procedures 4 and 5 times and paying big amounts of money only to be told there is nothing they can do.I am at my wits end and feel hopeless. Can anyone explain this problem? Or am I alone?
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Had this problem for as long as I can remember. I was advised to go on antidepressants when I was 18, but my GP thought it was best not to go on them with me being so young. I was eventually told to take vitamins (b25) for 3 months, but I couldn't bare swallowing them whole, so I didn't.
My dentist has put me on antibiotics for a week. (3 a day) I'm yet to start because I just can't convince myself to do it. If I manage to actually put the tablet in my mouth, my body physically refuses it when I go to swallow. I really need to take these tablets. Has anyone got any suggestions on how I can bring myself to take them?
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Does anyone have speech therapy for multiple sclerosis for swallowing or breathing?
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I was initially diagnosed with LPR for my symptoms, which were constant post nasal drip, hoarse voice, and a click when I swallowed. I have since figured out it wasn't LPR at all, and that all the protocols for LPR only make things worse.
I came here to hopefully help others who may have been told they have LPR when really, they have something else.
The symptoms of LPR are exactly the same as the symptoms of nutritional deficiencies of B vitamins, vitamin A, and iron.
In particular, a riboflavin deficiency will dry out the soft tissues of your throat so that you feel every tiny drip of what is actually normal mucus. Riboflavin is a B vitamin that is not stored in the body and you must eat it every day. Dairy products, something many of us with mucus are told to avoid, are very high in riboflavin, and one of the best sources. Stress, illness and certain chronic conditions can increase the body's requirements for riboflavin, causing deficiency symptoms, like a dry, post nasal drip in the throat. (In my case, I became deficient due to an undiscovered thyroid issue. When the thyroid is not functioning properly, you do not metabolize riboflavin.) Mild riboflavin deficiency will also cause dry, itchy or burning feeling of the eyes.
Other B vitamins which affect the throat are niacin and folate. Iron deficiency causes tongue and throat swelling and can even cause webbing of the esophagus. Vitamin A and zinc also affect the mouth, tongue and throat. Iodine is essential for the salivary glands.
Certain health issues can affect the metabolism of nutrients. You can be deficient even though you get plenty of it in your diet. Your genetics, your diet, and your current health conditions all affect your nutritional status.
Proton pump inhibitors and acid reducers can make things worse by reducing your absorption of nutrients.
If you want to try some vitamins to see if they will help, start with the water soluble B vitamins. I recommend taking coenzymated sublinguals which melt under your tongue, so that you don't have to worry about whether you are digesting and metabolizing them properly.
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For GCA, I just dropped from 40 to 30 msg of prednisone. Suddenly I thought I was having a heart attack. The righting pain on chest and back would not let up. We were told to go to the ER where after a second hour and medical help while hooked up to who knows, the pain began to ease. I am now on antacids and tums. Eileen, I think I dropped too many mgs. I love the super go slowly taper, no more than 10% drop. Now I have to convince my rheumy. Has anyone else had severe spasms? I did not know what was happening .
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I am 16 years old and have been experiencing my latest (and worst yet) bout of tonsillitis for the past 4-5 days. I have been taking soluble aspirin and paracetamol, and today my GP prescribed me some soluble penicillin antibiotics to help fight it off. However, I am experiencing lots of thick green mucus in my throat and a yellow-greenish coating of mucus on my tongue that just will not go away no matter how many times I spit it out. The mucus is causing many difficulties for me in terms of swallowing food and drink, as (with drinks) either I swallow some of the mucus with the fluid or the drink mixes with the mucus and ends up stuck in my throat.
I am going on holiday to Egypt for a week on the 26th June so I really need to get this cleared up before then! Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can alleviate the pain and get rid of all this mucus?
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