Gagging or couging after falling asleep

Posted , 2 users are following.

Whenever I eat, I still feel like I can throw up at any time and feel like there’s something in back of my throat. I wake up almost every night gagging or coughing and have to get up and spit out gunk and then it takes a few minutes before  I  am able to go back to sleep.    I have elevated my bed by my head and it does not seem to help much.   My doctor put me on a 42 day regiment of Prilosec which I took and really didn’t notice a difference in my symptoms of feeling like I have to burp or throw up and  feeling like there’s something in the back of my throat.  I take generic ranitidine as needed.  Please advise as I am frustrated.  See a GI doctor?

1 like, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Posted

    Do you have any difficulty with swallowing?  It sounds to me like you may have a motility issue in your esophagus.  Food and liquids tend to stay in there rather than completely emptying and can come back up or regurgitate, especially at night when you're laying down.  You should get evaluated for motility disorders such as Achalasia.  With this disease, you have difficulty swallowing along with regurgitation and sometimes painful spasms as well.  Many people with Achalasia are misdiagnosed for years and put on the medication you describe above which is not treating the actual issue.  Of course, there could be other explanations and I'm not a doctor, just someone with Achalasia. You should definitely consult a GI doctor.

    • Posted

      Not really trouble swallowing.  Every once in a while I will have trouble eating certain foods as they will cause me to pause and then continue eating.  I also have a tendency to burp at just about anytime.  What is your treatment and how were you diagnosed?

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