Throat closes up about 15 minutes AFTER swallowing pill--why
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My husband is 65 and has developed a problem where, about 10-20 minutes after swallowing a pill, he starts to retch and vomits up saliva. He says the pill goes down fine, but his throat closes up and will no longer allow saliva to drain down, so it collects in his throat and then eventually comes back up. Sometimes he has to sit for hours with a cup held to his lips to spit the excess saliva into.
Recently this went on for 2 days (while I was out of town) and he couldn't even get water down his throat it was closed so tightly, so he went to the emergency room, where they hydrated him intravenously. He was referred to a gastroenterologist and he did a barium swallow. They said everything is okay and he is healthy.
Well, obviously everything is not okay because this is continuing to happen. He thought it was an allergic reaction to the pill coating, but it seems that no matter what pill he takes, regardless of the coating, it triggers the closure of his esophagus 15 minutes+/- later.
Has anyone else heard of this?
0 likes, 8 replies
ffmffm7 elizadoo
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AlanJM elizadoo
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I think I would ask a pharmacist if he can have the medication in a liquid form. It sounds quite a long time for a pill to remain in the oesophagus before passing into the stomach (if this is indeed what is happening), and perhaps the coating of the pill is being dissolved and the contents causing a reaction in the oesophagus when this process should be happening in the stomach itself? Try drinking plenty of water right after the pill to help wash it through?
Alternatively, if the pill is passing into the stomach and is creating a reaction there, it may be that an alternative medication could be identified by the doctor that does not cause this reaction?
I am presmuming that otherwise his swallowing is quite normal ie with other food and drink?
dreamweaver elizadoo
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elizadoo
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Thinking that it might be an allergy, last night I broke open an antihistamine capsule, sprinkled the powder into a teaspoon of water, mixed, then gave it to my husband. He took it in his mouth as best he could and swished. Within 5 minutes his esophagus "released" and his throat opened up completely, as if this had never happened.
AlanJM elizadoo
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ffmffm7 elizadoo
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dreamweaver elizadoo
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emlou487 elizadoo
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