Food doesn't go down

[sickNhungry]

Im having problem with solid food going down to my stomach. Most of the time it get stuck in the middle of my chest, thick mucus starts to build up, and my face turns blue as if I was choking. So I must forced it out of my mouth. Swallowing liquid is somewhat better but still having a hard time.
   I went to the doctor to have an upper GI done and came back neg with any esauphagus(sp?) damage/cancer. Prior to all this problem, I was having bad heartburn in the middle of night and 6 month after having frequent heartburns this swallowing problem came about. Doctor said its just contractions on the esauphagus and prescribe me some regulan, which did little to no help. And some Nexium that cured my frequent heartburn.
  Now Im afraid to eat out in public as I constantly rushing to the restroom to cough out all the food and waste money on it which ends up in the toilet(undigested). Im losing alot of weight. Im tired of eating soup or liquidy food and looking forward to eat a nice piece of steak that will go through my digestive system and exit the normal way. Sorry for being too detail, Im just anxious. Thank you for all help.
  
  

[grendslori]

I also have this problem but am lucky enough to have a great GI doctor. Every few months or so I have an EGD done to stretch the lower third of my esophagus because it no longer contracts very well. He told me this problem is very common but to have it as bad as I have it is extremely rare, hence the EGDs. Acid reflux causes scar tissue to form and that can cause this problem....strangely enough I never had a problem with reflux. See about doing an EGD, it might help.

[specialmom]

Wow, thanks for coming on and sharing that!!

[RSHI2018]

Here is my story (and hope it helps you all). Had the same problem for a few years as described above and went through the same regiment of CT, Scopes, Barium, motility study, Bravo test…etc..etc. Problem just kept getting worse. Come to find out it was caused by multiple issues needing multiple resolutions. (First) poor diet choices/soda, lack of sleep and stress caused acid reflux….that led to (Second), weakening of the LES (Lower esophagus sphincter) and then eventually led to (Third) the erosion of the (ES) esophagus over a year. By then the erosion of ES & damage to LES cause the nerves in the esophagus to become overly sensitive and cause the peristalsis movement to go haywire so each time I tried to eat the esophagus tighten up or food couldn’t move through properly and sometimes gets stuck causing you to start clearing your throat, feeling chocked …etc. (misdiagnosed as food allergy), food that did go through sometimes stayed in the stomach (due to low motility) and fermented leading to full and sick feeling and eventually could not eat well and lost lots of weight. Liquid diet was ok but not heavy liquids…like weight gainers etc.
First they had to heal the esophagus and secondly fix the LES (mine was badly damaged due to bad reflux and over close to 2 years of misdiagnosis and no treatment). First, I was to be on a strict bland diet (no spicy food, pizza, soda etc.), drink a lot of water and get plenty of sleep (kill the stress) along with putting me on Nexium 40mg twice a day immediately and after 2 months the acid was under control and by the 3rd month the esophagus started to heal. Nexium did both.
Just about then, they did surgery to fix my LES. As I said mine was far gone. So they did the (Nissen Fundoplication/LES wrap) procedure and I opted for open surgery rather than laparoscopic, so the surgeon could use his hands and do a proper wrap. As he put it…he was able to get in there and had ample room to do the wrap as thin as possible which was properly places and allows me to burp as need. Sometimes these surgeries may fix the LES but you can’t burp.  Over the next few months the acid was under control, esophagus was healing/healed and not all haywire and the LES wrap had healed. 4 months after the surgery I was able to eat better, swallow better and had controlled my acid.  At the one year mark the acid was well under control, LES wrap and esophagus had healed and I went down to Nexium once a day. They eventually found out that although my pancreas had normal blood test results it wasn’t producing enough or strong enough digestive enzymes. So they put me on CERON 36000. Taken each time I eat with each meal it worked for digestion and motility and fixed my acid reflux which was now very low anyway. Now I no longer use the Nexium (rarely needed maybe once in 4-5 months) and no longer have full feeling or any stomach or motility issues. I add fiber (I use Equate Daily Fiber from Walmart cause I am cheap) with each morning protein shake and have a great bowel movement. Hope my story and journey helps you all. Good luck.

[Mtntallady]

My mom had a difficult to swallow with food or drink thru her stomach and I tried to tell her, go see doctor but refused, what can I do with her "issues"?

[mdactivist]

its a shame insurance is so expensive yet hate to say this but foreigners get med help with no id needed in most states whether they need it or not. Go to social service and try to get med assistance. gl

[Nanee1214]

You are correct. They should def apply for it until she is able to have insurance through her employer.

[BlondeBomer]

I just started having this problem with the swallowing and then throwing up, and I have been noticing how my neck really has been swelling up when I get sick.  I haven't been to the doctor yet due to not having insurance. and wont have it until late June. My throat hurts all the  time due to getting sick. I don't eat all day for fear of throwing up at work. I need HELP or some suggestions, anyone........

[eli246]

Not all problems with swallowing problems are down to lack of iodine in salt. In fact, I would not associate it with that at all. I would always advocate any swallowing difficulties be reported to the doctor with further tests to find the cause. Dysphagia can get worse with time and there can be serious implications if left untreated.

[eli246]

What you and the top contributor are describing is dysphagia, difficulty with swallowing. Food gets stuck, or you feel the sensation of food getting stuck and you are either sick or have to make yourself sick to bring it up, (regurgitation). This can be caused by Acid reflux. I would ask for a test called a barium meal, which is  harmless chemical that shows up as it goes down on the screen. Sometimes the muscles that force the food down and then relax, do not coordinate. I would definitely continue pressing for help pinpointing what you have, and then appropriate treatment.
Swallowing is a complex procedure.  Dysphagia means swallowing difficulties, and usually caused by nerve or muscle problems. Dysphagia may occur after a stroke, throat and mouth cancer, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), or as a symptoms of several different neurological conditions disorders. Pain can be the sole cause of dysphagia; a pain in the throat makes swallowing difficult.

  A typical "swallow" involves several different muscles and nerves. •Seeing, smelling and tasting - when we see, smell or taste food/drink we produce saliva, which is designed to make chewing easier.
•We chew the food until it becomes a soft bolus - a mass of food that is ready to swallow. The tongue pushes the bolus to the back of the mouth to the pharynx. From this moment onwards, the swallowing movement is a reflex action (automatic).
•The larynx (voice box) closes to prevent food/liquid from going down the windpipe into the lungs. The gulping action pushes the food into the oesophagus, which has muscular walls and pushes the food down to the stomach.
Dysphagia can be caused by a difficulty anywhere in the swallowing process described above.

There are two types of dysphagia: •Oropharyngeal dysphagia (high dysphagia). The problem is in the mouth and/or throat. This is usually caused by a neurological problem - there is something wrong with the nerves (and muscles). Doctors say this type of dysphagia is more difficult to treat.


•Oesophageal dysphagia (low dysphagia). The problem is in the oesophagus. This is usually because of some blockage or irritation. Often, a surgical procedure is required to solve the problem.

[nolongerafraid]

I too was constantly having problems swollowing.  It was growing progressively worse.  Had to have the Heimlich manuver 3 times and was increasingly becoming afraid to eat.  I too went to the doctor who did tests to no avail.  I started taking liquid iodine because a doctor had told me most people in USA are iodine deficient as companies no longer put the amount of iodine in salt that they previously did.  When I did this, my energy level increased, appetite decreased and NO MORE SWOLLOWING PROBLEMS!    Nolongerafraid

[Apostolic99]

I have been dealing with my food getting caught in my throat/chest area and I have to throw it up sometimes mixed with mucus so I thought it was just the mucus but mucinex wouldn't help it,I thought it may have something to do with my esophagus

[CeeCee1980tired]

I experienced the same thing for months now...not being able to eat or drink cause if i do it gets caught in my throat and its forced back...like my body is automatically balemic(?). I went thru test after test...they tried tosay it was acid reflux in stuff but i knew it wasnt so i went to my G.I Dr. to get what they call The Barium Swallow which is some white chalky sttuff that u have to swallow while getting x-rayed. They found out that the barium didnot go down into my stomache. So they came to the conclusion that i possibably had a rare illness called Achalasia. Then i had to go and get a Monometric Study done which confimed it. My Doc tried to give me heart meds to try to help relax my muscles so that i can see if food or liquid stay down...but that didnt work AT ALL. Now im weighing my options of getting botox injections in my throat...which only last from weeks to months. Balloon Dialation...i heard could only last months and the symphoms might come back, or Surgery...which is not a 100% guarantee that i am cured. I guess it all depends on your body...to each its own. Ive been going thru this for over 7mths now and lost over 70lbs....im am willing to take that change on the surgery...i just want a Good Meal that stays down so i can gain my weight back...im sooo tired of throwing up. Have your Dr. test yall for possible Alchalsia...that could be the problem.

[jimhadey3]

good post

[fmt57]

I'm pretty sure I have something very similar.  I can pretty much attribute mine to stress just before eating, and it seems to close off the muscle at the opening to my stomach.  Been happening to me for years.  Just have to get stress under control.  (I know, easier said than done)

[worried29161]

my dad is experiencing the same problem, I'm at the moment very worried!! he says he gets a chocking sensation every time he swallows anything even water! he them coughs until he vomits it all up!! sometimes when hes eating soft food it comes down his nose, doctors have already sent him for a chest x-ray, and were waiting for him to get a call to get a camera put down?? please help..

[banglamom]

I was told that EE is mostly linked to allergies.... only I have had no allergies as far as I know.  For now, I am afraid of about everything.  Trying not to have to puke and be able to hold down my pills.  Having been on medhelp for a while, most of my questions and answers are on the cardiac forums.  Keeping my meds down is a huge issue.  Has anybody experinced treatment of allergies to make a difference in the choking, gagging, puking...?

[banglamom]

I have been having this problem increasingly for the last few years.  Today I got a EGD scope done and he called it EE- eosinophilic esophagitis.  I am yet to learn about what exactly to do about it, but I am certainly anxious to know.

[whatsthisabout]

Did you ever get a response?  I have the same problem!  They told me it was acid reflux, but I know it's not because like you explained the food just sit in your throat until you have to "cough" it up... mine is more of a make myself vomit type thing, but yeah... me too!