Pre celiac disease Diagnosis Question?

[rmmadden]

Before I was diagnosed with celiac disease I used to get (this is hard to explain) these little food globs stuck in the back of my throat. It made me feel like I constantly had to clear my throat. They seemed to come-and-go thru the years and didn't bother me other than as a general nuisance. Every once-and-a-while I would even hack one up and they would be light green (sorry for being graphic) in color and smell absolutely terrible.

After a while I noticed that they would be more prevalent when I ate bread, pretzels, etc. and if I stayed away from these items then I'de be fine. The texture of these globs of food would be soft and I could actually see them sometimes in the folds of skin at the back of my throat.

Since going gluten-free I haven't had any problems and have been wondering if anyone else could relate / similar instances?

Thanks,

Cleveland Bob

[jerseyangel]

O M G! I had those "globs" too. I had all but forgotten about it, but when you brought it up, it all came back to me. And, like you said, it was not much more than a nusance, and I had lots of other stuff going on that was much worse. I really never connected it to any particular food. On a related note--before I went gluten-free, when I would eat, I would get the feeling that I was constantly going to choke on my food when I was swallowing it. That has not happened since I began feeling better, post gluten-free.

[Mango04]

Weird. That used to happen to me too. I definitley stopped having that problem after eliminating gluten. I never made the connection though.

[DonnaD]

It just so happens that I was reading a magazine at the doctors the other day about this, I'v looked it up for you on google They sound like Tonsil Stones.

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The tonsils usually appear like small, dimpled golf balls set on either side of the back of the throat. Children with large tonsils and deep crypts often get food particles trapped in there. Because saliva contains digestive enzymes, trapped food begins to break down. Particularly, the starch or carbohydrate part of the food melts away, leaving firmer, harder remains of food in the tonsils. This does not look like the food that went into the mouth.

There is more to these hard lumps than just food. The tonsils also trap other mouth debris such as bacteria and old cells from the surface of the mouth's lining. Some of these cells contain small amounts of keratin, the same substance found in fingernails and rhinoceros horns. Whatever the nature of the debris, it is then attacked by white blood cells. The aftermath of this battle leaves the crevices of the tonsil strewn with hardened remains.

Most people swallow this material without ever noticing it, while it is still tiny. In those whose tonsils are large, however, the particles can lodge in the deep crypts, where they continue to grow. The enlarging lumps are called calculi of the tonsil, or tonsilloliths (tonsil stones). These stones are most common during adolescence.

Microscopic studies of these tonsilloliths have shown them to contain a combination of food particles, bacteria, oral debris, and white blood cells in a concentrically laminated pattern -- rather like a pearl. Usually they are small gritty particles found in the center of soft, cheesy flecks. Sometimes, however, they become quite large, appearing as rough, yellow or gray, round stones. At times they reach an extraordinary size. Affected people usually have a history of repeated attacks of tonsillitis in earlier years.

Alan Greene MD FAAP

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[tiredofdoctors]

That is fascinating about the tonsoliths. I have neurologic damage from gluten -- I am celiac negative, but have had (in the past) a "highly" elevated anti-gliadin antibody level. I had a barium swallow, followed by a video swallow with a speech-language pathologist which showed marked slowed transit in the upper cervical segments of my esophagus. I have been told now that this is due to the slowly progressive neurological damage that was happening until I became gluten-free.

[jerseyangel]

Donna--Thanks for taking the time to post all of that info. It's a little gross to think about all of that happening in my throat. I do still have my tonsils, so that could be it. Anyway, it seems to be gone--hasen't happened since I 've been gluten-free. Thanks again!

[DonnaD]

Donna--Thanks for taking the time to post all of that info. It's a little gross to think about all of that happening in my throat. I do still have my tonsils, so that could be it. Anyway, it seems to be gone--hasen't happened since I 've been gluten-free. Thanks again!

No problem! I have learnt so much from everyone here that it is good to be able to repay the favour!

[AmandaD]

I had this similar feeling, but it felt a bit liky my esophagus was swollen?

Does that make sense?

No problem! I have learnt so much from everyone here that it is good to be able to repay the favour!

[debmidge]

pre diagnosis my hubby had esophogitis and that was cause of his difficulty in swallowing.

[Pois]

Hi, Im new *waves*

I had these too, especially after bread or pasta, i used to get them all the time - Originally i thought it was tonsilitis all the time cos i could see little white things on the back of my throat, but since i had no symptoms of that i asked the doctor and he said it was just food getting stuck - however Ive been on the gluten free thing for a month (really new to this hehe) and I havent had a single one with my new pasta. But I didnt even think about it until i saw this thread!

Kind of another thing that makes me think my "food issues" must be gluten...