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Pregnant with possible Achalasia

Posted , 5 users are following.

kutieluvsmj
kutieluvsmj

i am 9 weeks pregnant i been going through difficulty swallowing for almost 2 years now. since ive gotten pregnant my swallowing is alot worse! i cant even drink ensure shakes. i am miserable on top of miserable and my poor baby cant get any nutrrience. my gi  apt isnt till dec 5th, i tried drinking a boost shake just now i chugged it big mistake i feel like theres a huge knot in my chest and now its all comming back up. i feel so overly tired im not getting the proper nutrience at all i dnt know if i can wait till dec 5 this is just too much

1 like, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Dr_Chetan_Mehta
    Dr_Chetan_Mehta kutieluvsmj

    Posted

    As early as possible consult Gastroenerologist & get Endoscopy done
    • kutieluvsmj
      kutieluvsmj Dr_Chetan_Mehta

      Posted

      im only 9 weeks and i cant get sedated until 13 weeks. they are telling me its bad for the baby. im lost on what to do
  • AlanJM
    AlanJM kutieluvsmj

    Posted

    You may need to consult, jointly, someone who knows about sickness in pregnancy and someone who understands achalasia.   As you progress, there will be increasing pressure coming from the natural pregnancy expansion, with potential for heartburn and so on.   But sometimes the changes in your body might somehow be helpful - as a hope to cling on to!

    I would hope that your pregnancy would trigger off more urgency in relation to achalasia-related tests.   Meanwhile I imagine that it would be best to continue experimenting with liquid / soft food  and at differetn times in the day perhaps?

  • Merryl
    Merryl kutieluvsmj

    Posted

    Hi, sorry to hear about your problem. Why don't you phone your local surgery and ask to speak to a Dr, you can have a telephone appointment now. The Dr will ring you back. Or you could make an emergency appointment for today. Dec 5th is too long as you say. I don't know where you live but this is what they do where I live.

    I am waiting for an appointment to see a Gastro Dr. I was diagnosed with a dismotility problem 3 months ago after a barium swallow I also get that feeling in my chest and it feels awful when food is stuck. 

  • tc7
    tc7 kutieluvsmj

    Posted

    So sorry to hear about your problem.  I've had it for 5-6 years now and can thankfully say that I've learned to live with it ok nowadays.  There were times when it was pretty tough for sure. 

    My advice to you would be to:

    1. Always have a bottle of Peptac handy (peppermint - my favourite or aniseed) you can get it from most chemists though they may need to order it in. One by the bed for sure,  one in the car also. Get a few at once, the moment you feel anything then take a good few swigs from it. Peptac is like gaviscon but more effective,  cheaper and the bottles are bigger! Also,  carry the gaviscon/equivalent tablets + small bottle of water when out and about in case of emergency if possible. 

    2. Cut right down on tea - if that applies to you.  I used to drink massive amounts in a day,  now just a couple in the morning and 1-2 right of day. 

    3. If you get really really painful heartburn and can't seem to shake it off then: get up,  sit upright and have a few bland Biscuits like m&s digestives or hobnobs.

    4. Stress is a big factor.  At this time for you,  especially,  try to keep this under control by relaxing as much as possible.  Everything *will* be ok! 

    5. Become like a horse!  Eat more often but eat less. I need 2 pints of water to finish most meals but that's a small price to pay and we should always count our blessings that we haven't got something much worse. 

    With love

    Tom

    • Merryl
      Merryl tc7

      Posted

      Hi, I was diagnosed with a dismotility problem 3 months ago after a barium swallow, but no mention of achalasia. My symptoms seem to be getting worse over the last 6 months. I also have an hiatus hernia which was diagnosed over 20 years ago. I was told after an endoscopy over a year ago that the hernia was mild and so is the dismotility problem.

      I would like to know if you suffer with severe chest pain? I am getting this most days now along with food sticking in my oesophagus. It is like a crushing heavy feeling and comes on with or without eating, but more so after eating and can last for a while or brief.  I had my heart checked and was told it is sound. There don't seem to be many people on these sites suffering chest pain with this condition. With me having the hernia as well it is difficult  to tell which is causing the pain. I am on the waiting list to see a Gastro Dr but don't know how long I have to wait. 

      Bert wishes.

       

    • tc7
      tc7 Merryl

      Posted

      Yes Merryl, until quite recently I had quite a few episodes of really painful chest pain.

      Had an endoscopy a couple of weeks ago (more of a checkup about the health of my oesophagus due) and a mild hiatus hernia was also found (though apparently this is pretty common once you get older). 

      Like yourself, a barium swallow was the test that showed the problem.

      I do a lot of sport (running and football) so I wouldn't worry too much about other things like heart and lungs but get it seen to asap and would recommend following the tips in my answer to kutieuvsmj. 

      I had a "balloon" op 4 years ago and that helped a lot for a while. Things started to go back to as before but now I find it ok and not really a problem as I'm used to it -  it is more an inconvenience, just need to manage it with water and be prepared.

      Hope that helps,

      Tom

    • Merryl
      Merryl tc7

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply. I have read the balloon op does'nt last long. What kind of chest pain was you having? It is a nuisance because I can't go far or do much when I get the pain because movement starts it off as well.  I just have to sit down and hope it goes away.

      I see you mentioned Peptac, does this get rid of the pain? I only get heartburn pain when I forget to take lansoprazole. The other pain is more intense similar to heart attack and makes me dizzy at times with facial flushing. When the pain is bad it increases my blood pressure quite high. I am at the end of my tether with all this. 

  • kutieluvsmj
    kutieluvsmj

    Posted

    Yall my chest has been tight and hurting for 2 days i cant even take a full deep breath. For the past 2 mornings i drank water it all came up with green stuff. Im worried is this an infection?
    • Merryl
      Merryl kutieluvsmj

      Posted

      I think green stuff could be bile, if it has a bitter taste.
    • AlanJM
      AlanJM kutieluvsmj

      Posted

      I think you should check with the doctor as it could be an infection if your sputum is green rather than yellow.  

      Bile helps you digest fat and comes from your gall bladder into your digestive system, but sometimes we refer to quite a lot of stuff we cough up as bile, so it is worth getting it checked out.

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