I Have A New Problem Now

[mytummyhurts]

I don't think this is celiac related. But I wanted to ask you guys if you have had this or know what it could be.

A few days ago I started having a problem swallowing and it keeps getting worse. It feels like in the bottom of my throat (where my neck meets my body) that something is getting caught or popping about ever other time I swallow. It's really annoying and kind of scary. I'm afraid it will get worse and it may get stuck (I don't even know what it is that's popping though). It's really bad when I lay down, but almost goes away if I elogate my neck before I swallow. Also, if I push on my neck right before I swallow it doesn't happen. Weird.

[jenvan]

Abby-- Sorry

My only input is relux/esophagus issues. Have you ever had any? When I had relux years back, the symptom that sent me to the doctor was trouble swallowing when I was eating. For me, it felt like all the food was getting stuck and building up in my throat. It gave me trouble swallowing/eating. My esophagus was inflamed and swollen b/c of the reflux. I had to get it dialated and take some reflux meds, but after that, I didn't have any issues.

Not sure if this will help you, hope it does girl!

[mytummyhurts]

I haven't really had nay problems with bad reflux. Sometimes I get heartburn, but not that often and not really bad. The other thing is that I've had really bad sore throats off and on for about 6 months now.

[jenvan]

Sore throat is another possible symptom of reflux. Not that it may be what you have--but it is another symptom of it some have. For me, the swallowing issue was the only symptom.

Saw this---has some ideas on causes for trouble swallowing: Open Original Shared Link

Sounds like you'll have to go to the dr... Sorry !

[jknnej]

I have had this problem, too, for a while now.

Yesterday when I had my endoscopy he showed me pictures of my Schatzki's Ring. This is when your esophogus swells up or whatever and it feels like it's hard to swallow.

He dialated mine using a little balloon and I already feel the difference.

You should talk to your GI dr. about this. I don't know if it's related to reflux or not, but he did say that plenty of people have reflux with my symptoms whatsoever.

[mytummyhurts]

Sounds like you'll have to go to the dr...    Sorry !

NO! I don't want to!

My endoscope thing was done last year, I wonder if nothing in my throat was showing up at that time. Otherwise, I hope they would have said something. I definitely don't want to have that done again. I'm still paying for the last one.

[jknnej]

Did you have a bad experiene with your endo? Mine was pretty easy and now I can swallow better.

Maybe it hadn't developed last year? I don't know how long these things take to form. Mine had only been happening recently.

[Guest Eloisa]

I don't think this is celiac related. But I wanted to ask you guys if you have had this or know what it could be.

A few days ago I started having a problem swallowing and it keeps getting worse. It feels like in the bottom of my throat (where my neck meets my body) that something is getting caught or popping about ever other time I swallow. It's really annoying and kind of scary. I'm afraid it will get worse and it may get stuck (I don't even know what it is that's popping though). It's really bad when I lay down, but almost goes away if I elogate my neck before I swallow. Also, if I push on my neck right before I swallow it doesn't happen. Weird.

This is how I found out I had Celiac. I thought it was silly that I couldn't swollow but what would happen first was that I would get chest pains then the next day I couldn't swollow food and if I tried I would gag. When I went to DR. he said it happends when you have so much reflux and all the acid you create irritates the esophogus. My doctor said I probably OD'd on wheat which is exactly what I'd done. I kept thinking it was the beans I was eating thinking they were too heavy but it was the flour tortillas I had eaten.

[mytummyhurts]

Did you have a bad experiene with your endo? Mine was pretty easy and now I can swallow better.

Maybe it hadn't developed last year? I don't know how long these things take to form. Mine had only been happening recently.

No, it was just expensive. My insurance basically sucks and we ended up having to pay $600 for it. I don't want to have to pay that again!

So it's looking like maybe the reflux thing. So I may have to go to the doctor again. Crap!

[cdford]

Two questions and possible answers to them:

1- Do you have any muscle or neurological problems from the celiac disease? Muscle spasms in the throat can cause what you are describing. I have them when I get glutened or get too fatigued. I take medication for the spasms since they occur so regularly for me. You may also want to take small bites and chew well. This will help keep you from having that scary feeling that something is stuck and you can't get it to go either way.

2- Do you have any allergic type reactions that might cause the throat to swell? Gluten does this to us as well. Benadryl (or it's stonger relative Vistaril) can help this. It is one of the first ways I know I have been glutened. My tongue feels big and my throat feels clogged up.

[jenvan]

Dang Ab--that stinks with your insurance !! I wish I knew of a better way. The one thing would be to even see your dr and try and reflux med, (or an over the counter), and if this reflux issue is your problem you should start to notice some improvement...

How's it feeling today?

Also, if that is your problem, a few helpful things-- may want to cut out spicy foods (at least for a while), try not to eat an hour or so, at least, before laying down/going to bed, and lastly, elevate the head of your bed several inches. That helps prevent reflux at night. The head of my bed has been on bricks for years !

[jknnej]

Yes, that sucks about your insurance. Why don't you ask your dr. if you could try Nexium for a while. That helps reflux, but it probably won't help if you have a Schatzki's Ring...I think the only answer to that is to have the scope done again.

But it may just be reflux and It could really help you...

[mytummyhurts]

Two questions and possible answers to them:

1- Do you have any muscle or neurological problems from the celiac disease? Muscle spasms in the throat can cause what you are describing. I have them when I get glutened or get too fatigued. I take medication for the spasms since they occur so regularly for me. You may also want to take small bites and chew well. This will help keep you from having that scary feeling that something is stuck and you can't get it to go either way.

2- Do you have any allergic type reactions that might cause the throat to swell? Gluten does this to us as well. Benadryl  (or it's stonger relative Vistaril) can help this. It is one of the first ways I know I have been glutened. My tongue feels big and my throat feels clogged up.

I haven't had any other muscle or neurological problems. And the problem isn't only when I'm eating, it actually happens less then. Mostly it's just when I'm swallowing my saliva.

It's actually gotten better since I wrote this on here. You know how when you feel sick and then you make a doctor's appt and it goes away. That's kind of what it's like. It's still there, just not as noticeable and doesn't happen as often.

I am really frustrated with my insurane. We pay $2400 a year just to have me covered and even then they hardly even pay for anything. I think it would be a lot cheaper to not have insurance at all and just pay for stuff out of pocket, since I'm basically doing that anyways. I'm just afraid about not having insurance if I have to go to the hospital or get a major illness or injury. So I kind of have to have it.

[jenvan]

Ab--depending on what you want for insurance, there are other options. If you only want coverage for major expenses, you can get a major medical policy, it is far less a month than a full coverage policy. However, it won't pay for drs visits or prescriptions.

[mytummyhurts]

Ab--depending on what you want for insurance, there are other options. If you only want coverage for major expenses, you can get a major medical policy, it is far less a month than a full coverage policy. However, it won't pay for drs visits or prescriptions.

I should look into that because what we are paying right now for the coverage we are getting is just silly.

[jenvan]

my mom's an HR VP (knows ALL about insurance!), so if you want more insurance details on that coverage i mentioned, i should be able to get you some more... help you know what to look for...

[mytummyhurts]

Thanks, Jen. I would be interested to know how much it costs to get insurance that covers just emergencies and serious illnesses. If that is possible.