Hiatal hernia, throat constriction after eating , esophageal spasm
Posted , 7 users are following.
29 year old female , I was diagnosed with a Hiatal hernia and esophageal spasm in january. Recently my symptoms have gotten worse and now after eating anything that is not too soft or liquidy I get a terrible constriction in my throats just below my thyroid . It's been so bad that at times I've had to gag myself in order to bring up what was stuck or felt stuck , and usually brings me 50-75% relief . My dr has tried me on peppermint oil pills but not sure if they work. Gaviscon helps sometimes . I can't take bentyl due to side effects. At times it feels like it cuts off my breathing and it's very scary. Anytime I bend over I feel the pressure in my chest and throat and the reflux . I saw my dr today and he ordered a barium swallow and another endoscopy . Wondering if anyone has this same symptoms and what did you do to help and what were your outcomes , etc. this is very nerve wracking as I feel I can't eat much without this terrible feeling . I feel like I need to go on a liquid diet or all soft foods like yogurt , potatoes , soup , etc. 
1 like, 13 replies
amanda16110 Mpsm04
Posted
Sorry to hear you are having this problem. Although mine condition is not as severe I can understand your concerns about eating very little. We are all different - mint tea or fresh just set off chest irritation for me. Along with coffee and chocolate. My Dr. wanted to put me on PPI but I wanted to try to heal myself. It's been hard since I developed palpitations. I did exercises to bring down the hiatal Hernia but the palps have continued on and off for about three weeks now. I'm wearing an event monitor. Over last week I began with a veggie fast then two day water fast then fruit/veggie fast then introduced dairy , beans , rice. No sugar or meat but a little olive oil. Slowly adding foods back in to see what triggers reactions. I feel much better and have lost weight. MY steamed egg omelet with the slightest olive oil heated up set off a minor reaction. So I'll slow down on that. Just have to be very careful with diet until healed. Sincerely hopes this helps in some way. Best,
sandra40121 Mpsm04
Posted
I feel for you as I also had the same thing happen to me a number of times
when the HH has been actiing up.
I switch to soups and salads and when it gets really bad I drink a nutritional drink like Ensure and nothing else for all my meals.
Instead of coffee I will switch to Chamomile tea in the morning, and
Chamomile with lavender tea at bedtime.....after a couple of days of this routine things have calmed down,
in addition I add in deep breathing and a heating pad on my stomach at night which helps me to relax my diaphram.
Hope you start to feel better very soon. Hang in there,
.
Mpsm04 sandra40121
Posted
Do you have esophageal spasm too ? Did you have to make yourself gag up too ? I'm wondering if the food is actually getting stuck somewhere or what makes the esophagus tighten up . I wish there could be imaging done when this is in a flare up to see what exactly goes on when symptomatic . I use gaviscon tablets but wonder if the liquid will be different
amanda16110 Mpsm04
Posted
Mpsm04 amanda16110
Posted
So I had the barium swallow test , it shows spontaneous reflux and the hiatal hernia is gone .however it shows a patulous ge junction and my dr basically says the sphincter isn't working and is referring me to a esophageal surgeon for evaluation as no medication will fix this and endoscopic or surgical intervention will be the only way. Not what I wanted to hear
wdtony Mpsm04
Posted
Mine only does this occasionally but when it does, it is quite painful. The only thing I have found that helps is to eat at a very slow pace and eat very small amounts at the beginning of the meal. Chewing longer also helps. It seems as if something needs to get warmed up to accept food. Once the esophagus gets familiar with the food, it goes down easier. Drinking water doesn't help.
Fee124 Mpsm04
Posted
Hi I'm in the same predicament as yourself waiting on scan then scope.. Just wondering do you get really breathless walking upstairs, folding clothes making bed simple things like that I find it hard even bending over to tie my trainers it's like right in the middle under your chest? I'm on 8 buscopan a day and 4omprezole I'm 41 usually otherwise fit x
amanda16110 Fee124
Posted
VaperZen Mpsm04
Posted
Mpsm04,
Hi. I am 52 and have had the SAME EXACT problems!
Esophageal spasms are one of the worst things to have to go through! I am so very sorry that you have these things to have to deal with. I went through a surgeon and had some tests done that are required and not pleasant. My Dr. did a Nisin Fundoplication. It completely stopped the esophageal spasms for over a year and I am just now getting some acid back at night and I had this surgery in 2004. I did end up going through trial and error with Acid Pills to find one that worked for me, that would stop the spasms. What finally worked for me was the Wal-Mart brand ranitidine 150mg once a day in the afternoon, it is totally weird that I can't buy this anywhere else and get it to work! I got my hiatal hernia fixed in the same surgery but Be Careful! I ended up with a surgical hernia at the bellybutton from that surgery. My surgical hernia that was "fixed" with a patch that has now adhered to my stomach wall and intestines. This hurts so very bad I was on Oxy and later Morphine because it is inoperable. With the new law about pain meds, thanks to the government my pain doc will no longer write these meds for me! Thanks Obama! A$$#@/=
I have had trouble swallowing things forever and the nisin fundoplication only made a bad situation - Impossible!! I rarely eat in public anymore due to the fact that my food gets stuck and I have to leave my husband at the table alone while I go to the bathroom to stick my finger down my throat to get up all of the stuck food! I have had one Dialating Surgery for my stomach entrance and they say I will need 4-5 more to be able to eat and have the food go down. This is nuts!
The surgery (nisin fundoplication) may not be for everyone due to these side affects! I wish I had been informed as to what could happen!
I even didn't know that I would wake up with a tube down my nose to my stomach, that sucked out all stomach acid! ASK QUESTIONS! Don't wake up with a tube down your nose to your stomach, without knowing about it! Lol
Just be careful and get a second and third opinion!
VaperZen
Mpsm04 VaperZen
Posted
Wow it is certainly comforting to know people have the same exact symptoms , but of course I wish none of us did . I spoke with my GI Dr today and he squeezed me in this week for the endoscopy since it's getting so bad . So Thursday I'll know what's going on. He says to see the esophagus specialist anyway just go get an opinion , but obviously surgery is last resort . The research I did on those possible surgeries are definitely worrisome ,esp at29 years old . And I really can't be out of work long
Bentyl if I take with meals it doesn't give me the spasm as much , but I really can't take it during the day @ work so I have to be careful as to what I eat during the day. I've taken peppermint oil pills which help I think so I think I'll stick with those during the day and Bentyl at night or don't have to go anywhere .all I know is I can't go on like this , I can't just rely on the medicine each meal and still discomfort. There has to be another answer . Question tho I wonder , when we have the sensation of the food stuck , is it actually still in the esophagus or does it reach the stomach and we feel it stuck up higher ? Have to ask my dr that.
VaperZen Mpsm04
Posted
Mpsm04,
I asked my Dr. the same thing! It really does get stuck but when you feel it in your throat it is really at the stomach entrance a little lower down.
If you can't live like this then I truly suggest the surgery, just talk to your doc about not wrapping it too tight. If you are overweight though, if he wraps it tight it uses more of the stomach! It's like a mini version of getting your stomach stapled! I lost 60+ pounds from my surgery in the subsequent year and a half.
I am finally going see my surgeon on Wednesday to find out if he can try to fix this mess of my hernia repair and the new one as well. It causes me so much pain I can barely cope. Forget about wearing jeans.😫
Good luck!
VaperZen
Mpsm04 VaperZen
Posted
Wow that's crazy where it gets stuck . Well I have to see what the endoscopy shows, what his suggestion is and I have to get an appt with the esophagus specialist and decide from there. I can't take it . It's getting worse and worse .even this morning I woke up and didn't eat anything for a few hours and even felt the constriction . All day I've felt my airway is constricted in my trachea . It's unreal . I feel like I'm malnourished and bringing up food is just making it worse , need to take a multivitamin . Think I'll just be on a liquid diet tomorrow until the scope Thursday. Best of luck to you , let's keep posted on here.
VaperZen Mpsm04
Posted
Good Luck! Will keep you posted here. I didn't even know that there was such a thing as an Esophageal specialist! What are they called? Please let me know what they are called, ie. Ear, Nose and Throat docs, etc.
Thanks!
VaperZen