Newby... swallowing difficulties
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Hi, I'm new to this particular forum but regularly take part in others on this site, so hoping this one will be as helpful. I developed difficulty swallowing about a year ago - I can swallow but it takes more effort - so had an endoscopy about 6 months ago which all came back fine. I've had reflux for years so the doc just put the swelling in the oesophagus down to damage caused by reflux. I'm now taking Lanzoprazole for it, on a 'when needed' basis, which helps greatly. I received a letter today with an appt in 2 months with the gastroenterologist but I'm thinking of going back to the GP about the swallowing. Interesting to read on here about other conditions such as achalasia so perhaps that's what it is. As with other forums, am eternally grateful to share my experience and learn about others having similar issues x
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dh01 Lara66
Posted
I'm a Newby on here as well. Sorry to her about your swallowing difficulties. Indeed it could be achalasia but I would ask your GP to immediately give you another gastroscopy to ensure they haven't missed anything first time round. If you have been having reflux "for years" you might have developed Barratts, a benign condition, which is a change in the cell lining of the oesophagus caused by constant reflux, and is a little more difficult to pick up. In any case, better to inform the GP now rather than wait 2 months. As for Lanzoprazole, this usually works best taken on a daily basis and is a standard PPI (reduces acid production). There are various doses from 15mg to 60+ for severe reflux. Good luck whatever you decide to do.
AlanJM Lara66
Posted
Having physical difficulty in swallowing is a warning sign that the doctors will pick up on because of the possibility of a tumour causing a physical blockage, but the endoscopy would have detected that, so you should be OK.
Lansoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor that tends to switch off the production of stomach acid, and it is possible that the exposure to stomach acid has caused oesophagitis, where the lining of the oesophagus gets sore. That is a lot more common than achalasia. It sounds to me that you should return to your GP and try and get this resolved. It may be that the dosage of lansoprazole might get adjusted, perhaps, or switched to another medication. Quite a lot of people take a PPI (like omeprazole) on a permanent basis; some doctors would prescribe it for, say a continuous 8 week period and then review the situation. Gaviscon is a good over-the-counter medication that is an alginate - it creates a protective raft for a few hours and would not affect other medication, so you can always top up with that.
Prolonged exposure to stomach acid does cause problems, and if your swallowing problems persist you will probably need to have the endoscopy repeated to make sure there is no issue with dysplasia, the condition which gives a greater risk of cancer. Barrett's Oesophagus should be monitored, usually every 2 - 5 years or if changes occur, and nowadays it can be successfully treated with radio frequency ablation to prevent the cancer risk.
But swallowing problems can be caused by quite a lot of other things too.
Lara66 AlanJM
Posted