Back from seeing the specialist about my swallowing problem

[Bartman]

I am a little frustrated.  The barium swallow I had about 6 weeks ago showed no growths in my esophagus, hernia or acid reflux yet did show a spasm and the first thing out of this guys mouth is, "It's probably acid reflux since for 90% of the people that is the problem."  I think my current count of people who have this problem is at least six and I can't imagine that we all have acid reflux.  According to this guy it is not usual to have acid reflux with no actual symptoms of acid reflux other than the spasms.  I know people who have acid reflux (my father has it quite bad at times) yet he doesn't get the spasms.  You'd think it would be a big problem for him since this Doctor said the acid causes the esophagus to shut down.  I told him this thing when it hits is like a cramp.  It isn't just food sitting there waiting for the elevator to start back up.

So, in a couple weeks he is going to stick a camera down my throat to look for evidence of acid reflux.  I can hardly wait - not.  When I asked about that medication that Johns has he didn't even really acknowledge it.   John, isn't this the exact same pissing around you went through before they decided on spasms?

In the meantime I'm suppose to take smaller bites of food, chew more and avoid the trigger foods.  Gee, I never would have thought of that.

I was hoping for some type of acknowledgement or some reassurance something can be done.  I haven't had any of the big attacks since the beginning of August, but have a couple minor twitches that I can get through if I don't panic and just sit still for a minute.  I'd have expected acid reflux to cause the problem all the time if the acid causes the muscles to stop and the food to just sit there.

More waiting.

Bart

[Viv]

Bart, I hope you get some conclusive answers from all these invasive procedures!!

[Esther]

Bart, you don't experience the food seeming to get stuck part way and not want to go down? I have that happen sometimes with chicken, turkey or sometimes bread if there isn't butter or something squishy on it.

[Bartman]

If I eat something too dry - normally meat (it has happened with turkey, beef and pork, but beef is the worst), sometimes bread, it DOES feel like it gets stuck when almost at the bottom.   But, I can eat dry chips or crackers with no problem.  Then there is the waves of pain like a leg cramp, but inside my chest about half way down.  When the food starts to move again the pain quickly ends and everything is back to normal.  Normally it will only happen once, if it happens, during a meal.  After that I can eat normally.  Still doesn't sound much like acid reflux to me when it can start and stop like that.  I must have very selective acid.

Bart

[Sean]

Darn small town doctors...

Sounds to me like this could be your problem which is an actual and treatable condition...

Diffuse esophageal spasm is a condition in which uncoordinated contractions of the esophagus occur. It results from motility disorders of the esophagus. These spasms do not propel food effectively to the stomach. It can cause dysphagia, regurgitation and chest pain. Several drugs, including nitroglycerin and calcium channel blockers are used to treat this condition.

Is the doctor you are seeing a specialist in GI/GU disorders? If not, I would suggest you request a refferal to someone in a Regina hospital. An Endoscopy will enlighten the doctor more than the Barium swallow.

Best of luck figuring this out.

Cheers,
Sean

[Teresa]

Bart, I'm so sorry.  I've come to the conclusion that doctors are not really as smart as they'd have us believe.  And it seems to me the more expertise they have, the bigger the degree, the more specialized they are, the stupider they are in reality.  I've been thru the ringer with doctors who don't listen and don't care and are sure that they know what it's NOT, but can't give you a clue what it IS.

Oh and 3 of them diagnosed my daughter's illness as acid reflux and treated her for it for some time before I finally said "It's Not Helping and We're Done with This!!!"  I think Acid reflux is their catch all phrase for "I haven't a clue but I gotta look like I'm doing something!"

[Mikey]

Bart, I'm so sorry.  I've come to the conclusion that doctors are not really as smart as they'd have us believe.

  - The fetching one came to that conclusion some 20+ years ago when are kids were frequent visitors.  She used to frequently challenge the doctors and proved them wrong a few times.  Remember, they are only practicing physicians...  Which takes me to the joke:  What do they call the medical student who graduated last in his class?.......  Doctor

[Bartman]

That is exactly what I think it is.  Johns, here, has went through the same thing until they finally decided this was the cause.  Because the disorder Sean mention is most often triggered by hot or cold liquid the Doctors are less likely to think that when it is food related.  The more "common" reason is acid reflux.  I told him why I don't buy the acid reflux line (the barium swallow results were right there to illustrate - that specialist said flat out "No acid reflux") and how I know other people with the same problem.  Johns is also caused by solid food, not liquid just like mine.  It's not unheardof.  I'm sure we do not all have acid reflux and just don't know it.  My co-worker mention this moring that she had a mild attack just this morning when eating scrambled eggs.  That's not even dry so everyone has their triggers.  I've tried the antacid pills previous to this and they don't do anything positive.  Generally they just make my stomach feel like I've swallowed a brick because I stop the production of acid so nothing is digested - just sits there.

This doctor is a specialist in GI/GU disorders so I have to assume he does know something more than the average person I just think he is going to find acid isn't the problem.  I hope at that point we're not back to square one and he has some other ideas up his sleeve.  I'd like to be able to go out for a meal every so often and not be afraid of eating it and becoming ill in the restaurant.

Bart

[Sean]

Hey Bart,

When you do go in for the Endoscopy and they scope your esophagus, it is quite likely they might find other associated problems. I know they do their best to try and narrow it down without scoping patients. Usually, only seven or eight patients a day can get an Endoscopy because the same doctor does all the scopes and it takes quite a bit of time. There are often long waiting lists for this procedure so if you are getting it soon, you are quite lucky. The hospital I work at never does more than 10 a day and that is between two physicians.
Vancouver General Hospital where I work is the second largest hospital in Canada. I have a co-worker who had to wait 6 months for an Endo to diagnose Crohn's disease.

I hope they find your problem. Once you know what is causing it, you can treat it.

Cheers,
Sean

[Bartman]

Yes, luckly I can get in fairly soon.  I was fast tracked a bit because of my Doctor not being happy about me having to have these attacks as opposed to people who can swallow, but aren't having the chest pains.  I just hope that any associated problems will be minor or nothing to worry about.  I just want to eat without fear!  I don't want to add anything more to the problem to worry about.

Bart

[Jerry]

Good luck Bart.  I think you got some fine advice here.
Sean you amaze me!

[Bonnie]

Bart, I know you are frustrated BUT on the other hand at least this DR. is not assuming things right now and wants to do a good exam before he treats you and lets you go.

The endoscopy will also let the Dr. see if you have an symptoms of severe reflux, etc.
My Mom has the spasms alot more than I, and she's had her esophagus stretched two times which has helped her so it's possible that this might also help you.


Hang in there......
You'll be in my thought and prayers,
Bonnie

[Johns]

Bart, I am pulling for you.  I still have occaisional episodes where I eat too fast and then have to just stop for a few minutes until food finally goes down.  The esophageal spasms still sometimes occur when i am not eating anything. The spasms feel like a heart attack, and are sometimes preceded by a feeling that something is amiss, but once they start, there is no question as to the cause.  That is when I take "the pill" and usually one does the trick.  There are some things we must just deal with as we get older.

[Krista]

oh my.. still no real answer eh. Hope the next step brings full enlightenment and a solution.

[Teresa]

Oh Bart - I do hope that this will help identify what's going on . . . if not to you, to the doctors.  Sometimes it takes a lot of proof to get them to believe what their eyes are telling them.  Good luck!

[Bartman]

Well, I got the call today that my appointment with the tube camera goes next Tuesday the 10th..  I immediately tensed up about this thing since I am sure it will be horrible no matter what drugs they inject beforehand.  I just keep telling myself that the specialist said I shouldn't panic about the procedure or the test results, but how can one not dread the idea of someone rooting around like that?

Bart