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need help with facts of achalasia

Posted , 4 users are following.

timg
timg

hi everyone i am new to this site and would like some friendly advice on achalasia.Not quite sure if i have it or not but it seems to look that way.About a year or so ago i started having severe chest pain and pain in my throat at the base of my throat where my collar bone is.sometimes i get pain in the left side of my jaw by my neck.When i get chest pains they tend to feel heavy.tnd he strange thing is when i get chest pains and the throat pain right behind it the only thing that makes it go away is by drinking water.Feels like i am having a heart attack when this is happening.It is definitely getting worse.Also,when i eat its hard to swallow anything.Food goes down so slow seems like its getting stuck in my chest.Water even goes down very slow to where that even feels i got stuck.                                                                                                                                                                              thank you for any help

 

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • teresa_08485
    teresa_08485 timg

    Posted

    This is exactly how my achalasia started. Chest pain like a heart attack with drinking water to stop it. Radiating into my jaw. Then came the difficulty swallowing. It progressed over 4 years or so with no one believing what I had to say until I could not keep even water down and I finally went to the Mayo Clinic for diagnosis and urgent surgery. (Made my own appointment) I was in really rough shape. Be your own advocate and find a Dr who will listen to your concerns. You describe how mine started exactly.
  • janski
    janski timg

    Posted

    Good Morning,

    Indeed it does sound like Achalasia, but you do need to obtain a clinical diagnosis to know how to go forward from here.

    I presume you are in the U.K?   Have you been to your GP? There are many procedures which will determine the problem you have, as you will know Achalasia is not the most common of conditions causing Dysphagia.

    I wish you well and better health in 2017.

    • timg
      timg janski

      Posted

      actually from the us.Like i said very strange to have to drink water to get the pains in my chest to stop.Within the last week i have had a harder time with swallowing and i also developed lumps in my neck by my jaw and down the side of my neck.also developed a swelling over my right eye.I thought it sounded like something with the salivary gland.doc said i am more than likely right.says probably a salivary gland stone.I wonder if there is a strange connection between the two or if it is a coincidence.I just started getting swelling a week ago but have had trouble with swallowing and chest pain for about a year.the swallowing has gotten worse over the last week and swelling in my neck and jaw where my glands and lymph nodes are .Not sure if you have heard of this or not.
    • timg
      timg janski

      Posted

      actually from the us.Like i said very strange to have to drink water to get the pains in my chest to stop.Within the last week i have had a harder time with swallowing and i also developed lumps in my neck by my jaw and down the side of my neck.also developed a swelling over my right eye.I thought it sounded like something with the salivary gland.doc said i am more than likely right.says probably a salivary gland stone.I wonder if there is a strange connection between the two or if it is a coincidence.I just started getting swelling a week ago but have had trouble with swallowing and chest pain for about a year.the swallowing has gotten worse over the last week and swelling in my neck and jaw where my glands and lymph nodes are .Not sure if you have heard of this or not.
    • AlanJM
      AlanJM timg

      Posted

      They should normally be able to work out whether you have a salivary gland stone or not by probing or a scan.   There is a description on the NHS Choices website which is normally very reliable.

      ​I think prolonged difficulty with swallowing and absorption of nutrition can make your system lose its balance a bit, so it might be worth getting your nutrition / vitamin / mineral levels checked.

  • AlanJM
    AlanJM timg

    Posted

    Probably the best place to start is the website of the Oesophageal Patients Association under The Oesophagus and then Achalasia. You can download 'A Patient's Guide to Achalasia'

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