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Undiagnosed problem swallowing food or pills

Posted , 12 users are following.

s.93300
s.93300

This started 2 months ago, when I was swallowing a multi-vitamin and another hard-coated pill. Seems like it went down wrong tube, no coughing as such, but landed on left side back of throat. Went to ER and they goobed gel in my nose and went down both pipes and it slipped down. Nothing to see by doctor. A few weeks later plastic coated capsules (unsure how many, took 4) went to same place and same left side. Tried everything, could eat, talk, drink fluids, but just bobbled from left to middle of throat. Went to have an endoscopic, and were gone afterwards, but nothing in esphogaus as per doctor. Started crushing pills and emptying capsules in pudding or yogurt. Nasty taste believe me. Yesterday forgot and took metformin hard-coated pill and a capsules. Both went to that place in back of my tongue/back of my throat. I tried garggling with head back for hours and then hard pill lodged in left side hole (believe to left side lung, unsure) and capsule still bobbling in middle. I can feel left side plugged all along left side of my throat. Started having chest discomfort on left lower to left upper middle chest. Went to ER. Blood Pressure was around 160 and they ran all sorts of blood work and tests. Told them my story and they said 'in your records, you have had a scope, endoscopic, and swallow test and nothing not normal' I said 'I can't explain why nothing shows on tests, but I know what has happend in back of my throat' Tried to google this happening to others, but nothing like this. Worried about capsule block middle/right side breathing hole or problems from left hole plugged. Like cause heart attack or stroke.

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  • bookgirl5
    bookgirl5 s.93300

    Posted

    I had this problem. All the same tests as well. During the Barium swallow the pill just sat there and wouldn't go down. When I added some cracker and water to help it go down it just caused a horrible choking fit. Soon after that I went back to my GP very frustrated because for ten months eating had become just a painful experience and I had lost twenty pounds. I asked them to test my iron and it was found to be at 2. I took iron pills which bobbed around in my throat before going down. after 5 days of iron the problem was gone. Evidently the anemia created esophageal webs that weren't detected in any of the tests. I see you had blood work. Did they test your iron? You shouldn't take iron unless you need it and maybe my solution was kind of weird ( I have a hiatel herni with acid reflux, as well) but I thought I'd share just in case it is any help to anybody. I have been able to eat pain free since July! Hope you find an answer.
    • wendy83249
      wendy83249 bookgirl5

      Posted

      Hi bookgirl5, interesting that you pointed out iron, my blood test have all been normal, but i have not been fully tested for an iron deficiency.  I will look into having one.  As a child and most of my teenage years i was iron deficient, but i find when i eat more leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale and callaloo along with fish i body my digestion is better along with my mental state and energy level.

       

    • bookgirl5
      bookgirl5 wendy83249

      Posted

      Hi Wendy83249. Hope you get answers. If you Google iron deficiency and dysphagia it comes up. Seems to not be a common thing. None of my doctors thought to look for it and I never saw the connection when I was trying to research the swallowing problem. I just happened to go back to a GP when I had dizziness and generally feeling unwell. He said he would test my thyroid and I asked him to test my iron. I was craving exhaust fumes and chemical smells and I had read that it could be a lack of iron. When I see people who have had every test done showing nothing I wonder if their solution could be like mine. I was supposed to do the esophageal motility test next. But thankfully the iron pills solved the problem.

      I wish you the best.

  • sandy49021
    sandy49021 s.93300

    Posted

    I am having this same problem. I just had a barium swallow test done and they found nothing. Of course I have no problems swallowing liquids. Now all of a sudden I am getting these gelatin capsuled vitamins stuck in the bottom of my throat. I can still eat and drink but the gelatin caps are stuck. If I massage my throat I can get them to turn in a different direction. I can drink 6 bottles of water without unsticking the caps. Today I coated a cap with mayonnaise however it is still stuck in there. I dont know what to do. I too tried emptying the caps into food however some of them you just cannot do that with.
    • AlanJM
      AlanJM sandy49021

      Posted

      It is too late for me to say you have to be careful with pills - I would definitley ask the pharmacist for liquid versions of medications and so on.   It becomes really important if they are strong pills that might start burning your oesophagus lining.   If it won't come free with massage whilst you are also drinking liquid, I think you will have to go to the hospital to get if freed by an endoscopist.   I am not sure whether the pill casing will dissolve over time.   keep a sample of the pill so that the doctors can have a look at it and check its specification.

      I do not think that a coating with a sauce would stay for very long, as you have found out.

      ?One way that the body can absrob vitamins is by keeping them under the tongue by the way, but they have to be in the right form.

       

  • Guest
    Guest s.93300

    Posted

    The same or similar thing just happened to me this AM for hours!! After taking my 2 seizure pills they (felt) got stuck and felt they were painfully lodged in the right side of throat from the epiglottis down to a burning in my chest. I tried everything; drank tons of water, carbonated water, tap baking soda/water, lying down, standing up, drank really hot coffee drink, massaged my throat for hours and THEN, Finally:

    1. swallowed a scoop of almond butter

    2. made a cup of hot ginger tea and gargled with it trying to focus on the right side

    3. Took a hot shower and used the spray handle to shoot hot water on my throat/neck and it was almost instantly gone!

    Spray HOT water on throat, neck and chest area!

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