This is not really related to diabetes but to health problems in general.
I basically have had weird issues with swallowing (basically food just gets completely stuck and I can't eat/drink until it goes down) for the past five years or so, which was initially investigated but then sort of dropped once it became apparent that I didn't have something scary like a tumour. My GP was literally like, I don't know what causes this, but it's not life-threatening so oh well. He did tell me that going to emergency when it happens may help diagnose it. Over the past few years I've just lived with it, resolving that the next time food gets completely stuck I will go to emergency (even though I never do!). The last time it happened I was SO close to calling 911 because I had bolused, then had food get suck and couldn't eat or drink for almost an hour and my blood sugar was dropping low ... but it stopped in time for me to eat some glucose tablets.
Anyway, somehow over the past year or so I became aware of a condition that sounds EXACTLY like what I'm experiencing, called Eosinophilic Esophagitis. I have a history of allergies (asthma, eczema, food allergy, year-round allergies to almost any living or growing thing), problems swallowing solid foods on a regular basis, random problems with heartburn ... So, I basically want to go to a doctor, tell them I think I have this disorder, and ask to be tested. Making this more complicated is the fact that I currently don't have a GP, so I'd probably be going to a clinic doctor, or maybe my endocrinologist.
I'm just not sure how to go about this. (And also, I'm not sure how to pronounce the condition I'm interested in!) Any suggestions or experiences (about diabetes or other) about how to bring it up and not just be brushed off?
Wow, sounds scary. I would go the er next time if it's really bad. I would just go to a clinic if you don't want to go to your endo. You can print out some info for them in case they have never heard of it. Maybe a neurologist? For some reason this sounds like it could be related to nerves too. I would just make it clear that this could be life threatening since you had taken insulin and couldn't eat, that should help.
Did you have an endoscopy to make sure it isn't anything serious with your esophagus?
I recently found my eosinophils were high, I think it was them, but my wbc has been low for some reason. I have had a strange reaction where my throat seems to swell and I feel like I can't breath, I took prednisone for it a couple of times. It has only happened a handful of times, but I wonder sometimes if it's an allergic reaction.
To me throat swelling sounds like an allergic reaction. Or maybe asthma. Is there any one thing that triggers it?
I think the doctor I need to ask to see is a GI doctor. I find most doctors kind of useless, but maybe it's just because I'm not advocating enough. I haven't had an endoscopy done, just an x-ray swallowing test and some blood tests. I think I do need an endoscopy.
I think you are right, mentioning how taking insulin and then not being able to eat is dangerous would probably help. I always tell myself that I'm going to go to the hospital next time it happens, but then when it actually does, I never do. Once I almost went, my mom was even on her way over to drive me, but by the time she got to my place it had gone away. I think that's partly why I don't go, but I think next time I should set a limit (like say 15 minutes) and if it lasts longer than that, I should go.
I'm probably going to the clinic this weekend, and I have a list of about four things to bring up! I seriously feel like a hypochondriac sometimes. I seem to get all kinds of random, completely unrelated problems.
Yikes! If I had something in my throat, I'd consider finding an ENT, although I'm not sure how it goes in Canada. Here, I relay symptoms and will be referred to a doc although, really, I usually look them up, call them and book an appointment.
Here, unfortunately, you need a referral in order to see any kind of specialist. The only type of doctor I can just call up and make an appointment with is a GP or going to a walk-in clinic (or a podiatrist, I recently learned). When I told my GP about it five years ago he ordered some tests but didn't make a referral to any specialist, just sort of brushed it off after I had the x-ray test done and it came back that it wasn't a tumour. I have seen an ENT but that was because I complained to an allergist that I was stuffed up all the time despite taking antihistamines every day. The ENT just looked up my nose and was like, "It's allergies, here, just take this stronger medication ..." I think that may have been before the swallowing stuff started, either that or I just didn't mention it.
Part of my problem is that I only have a really bad "episode" once or twice a year. So I tend to forget about it between those (although I don't tend to eat if I don't have water I can sip ...). But I think I will definitely go to the clinic this weekend and mention it, along with my symptoms of carpel tunnel, and asthma (I've been using my rescue inhaler almost daily). I'm also going across the city to see my cardiologist on Tuesday and am just taking the whole day off work since I have some flex time I have to use, so I may call up my old GP (who is in the same area) and see if he has a time slot I can come in. He's the guy who brushed it off a few years ago, but I also didn't push for anything else to be done back then.
I have asthma so it could be that, my asthma is strange in that it seems to be both anxiety and allergy/exercise related. It also gets worse when my gerds is worse too- I have to take meds all the time for it... I only use ventolin when needed but have been using it more.. I get more congestion that wheezing. I think it is different though and sometimes it seems to be brought on by anxiety, but I'm not sure. I also get numbness in my throat now when I'm hypo.
I wouldn't worry about being hypochondriac, this could be serious, but hopefully it will be something minor. Seriously just go next time.. if I had gone to an er right away my dka would not have been so bad and I wouldn't have had a blood clot most likely.
Well, I think a gastro doc is the one to see- not being able to swallow is serious and if you have food caught in your throat you could also choke. I once swallowed a lollypop, horrible- it got caught in my throat and I had to drink tea to make it melt. And endoscopy should show more hopefully.
I have lots of weird symptoms at times too,but I will never not take them seriously now
Whoa, lollipop in throat does sound horrible! When I was about eight I accidentally swallowed a hard candy and it got stuck. I still to this day remember how horrible it felt!
I think allergies and asthma can be hard to tell apart sometimes. I get a lot of coughing/congestion but I think it's allergies, even though it happens in the morning which can also be asthma. I'm allergic to dust mites, so I'm guessing that's it. I've been using Ventolin a lot lately, though, so that's one other thing I'm going to mention at the clinic (and also symptoms of carpel tunnel that I've been getting).
In the past ten years I have been to emergency at least once a year, sometimes two or three times, most for unrelated things. I think I've almost gotten burned out from it, which is why I'm so hesitant to go. (I had a serious food allergic reaction a few months ago and didn't call 911 even though I definitely should have!) I think you are right, though, that I should go next time (or I'll probably just go to the clinic tomorrow and tell a doctor about it). Hopefully when I go tomorrow I can get a referral to the appropriate specialist for the appropriate tests.
it was a childhood event, like yours, I was terrified too and still remember it too.
They are hard to tell apart- ventolin usually is enough for me and de-congests me. I sleep with my bed/head elevated etc. too. Definitely mention about the ventolin because you don't want to use it too much.
at some point when my asthma seemed worse I tried a steroid inhaler too, but it gave me a soar throat so I stopped and it seemed to get better again.
I understand the er burnout. I have not gone as much as you but I was back twice for blood clots after getting out of hospital and back twice with my father too at least, so I'm sick of the er for sure, lol.
I hope you get the referral you need.
Here are some links that I thought could be related to what it is maybe?
Thanks for your thoughts and experiences. I didn't realize throat problems could have so many causes.
I'm not sure if I have acid reflux, but that is one of the things my old GP said could cause problems swallowing. I get occasional heartburn but it's always linked to food I ate and is never severe (I take one Tums and it's gone). But I have also heard you can have acid reflux and not know it, so maybe it is a problem.
I definitely do have problems with mucus draining down my throat. I have pretty bad allergies and I get this even when I take extra-strength Reactine (Zyrtec in the U.S.). I have been prescribed nasal spray that helps, but I don't know if it's good to take that long-term (I have year-round allergies), something I will have to ask about today.
All of my issues started about a year after my allergies developed, so I'm hoping it's something related to that rather than something more serious like cancer! I will definitely be asking for a referral to a specialist at the clinic today, and if they don't listen I will see if I can make an appointment with my old GP for Tuesday, and if I can't do that I can always just go to another walk-in clinic to ask.
So I went to the clinic, waited an hour, and it was a complete waste of time ... The doctor was totally unconcerned about the swallowing thing. Just said to not eat dry foods!!! She said it's not a concern since food doesn't get stuck ALL the time, even though I said I always make sure I have water. So no referral, said I didn't need one unless it started happening all the time. (I even told her about taking insulin and then not being able to eat ... didn't seem to understand why I was concerned about that.) She said if the x-ray showed nothing then it was just a spasm, and that I would only need a referral if it was so bad that I had trouble eating normally.
For the hand numbness in the morning and when carrying objects she said it's probably carpel tunnel. Didn't even look at my wrist at all, just asked me what my job was and if it involved typing (I may be wrong, but isn't it a myth that carpel tunnel is caused by typing too much?). Said to just go to the pharmacy and get a splint, which I did, although the pharmacist seemed surprised I had zero idea of what kind of splint I needed (I didn't realize there would be like 20 types).
For asthma, she said that using Ventolin 4-5x a week is fine. She said if someone is taking it 4x a DAY and still wheezing that they would need a steroid inhaler. I don't know a lot about asthma and even I know that is ridiculous! If you are using your inhaler 4x a day and still wheezing it's time to go to emergency. She may be right that using it 4-5x a week is fine, but after the other two things and the comment about she'd only be worried if someone was using it 4x a day and still wheezing, I just didn't trust anything she said.
She also asked repeatedly why I didn't have a GP and why I didn't just go to my old GP. I told her that it's a 1.5 hour commute each way and I basically have to take an entire day off work to get there and back. For the time being I have been seeing him, but not very often since it's hard to get an appointment on days I happen to be off work and in the area. I'm going to see if there's a slot on Tuesday I can get in to see him for a second opinion on basically everything, but the swallowing thing especially.
Hi Jen, I used to work in Gastroenterology and we would see this now and then with some of our patients. A gastroenterologist can do an EGD and look at your esophagus and do biopsies. You might also potentially have a stricture in your esophagus too, which can cause foods to get stuck. But given your history with allergies I'd say you are probably on the right track, but either way a gastroenterologist can diagnosis this.
Thanks - I think you are probably right. Just need to actually get a referral now. Hopefully my old GP will be willing to give me one, if I can get an appointment with him on Tuesday.
I don't know if this is it, but I am attaching a link to what I was diagnosed with, called an esophageal ring. Mine was aggravated by acid reflux. It constricted the ring so I couldn't swallow. I was put on Nexium for the acid reflux and will keep taking that indefinitely. Since then, which has been several yrs ago, I haven't had any more episodes of stuck food. Dry food was always the worst. Sometimes, I just had to force myself to throw up when I realized the food wasn't going down. Not pleasant. If I recall, I believe I had a barium x-ray to diagnose this condition. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Lower+Esophageal+Ring
I hope you get it figured out.
Yeah, the forcing-myself-to-throw-up thing has happened on several occasions. It's horrible! I've had the barium x-ray test a few years ago and that showed nothing (apparently that test can pick up most structural abnormalities or tumours, etc.), which is partly why my doctor just sort of shrugged it off.
It's continued to happen a couple of times a year, and the last time food got really stuck I had already bolused and then couldn't eat for nearly an hour and was going low (I ended up forcing myself to throw up in the end). So I'd really like to get it checked out. I think the people who have suggested an endoscopy are right. I was talking to my mom about it tonight and she thought the same thing.
What kind of doctor did you see to get your problem treated?
It was my GP who sent me to a tech at my local hospital who did the x-rays. When I went back to the GP, she scripted the Nexium. But definitely get yourself checked and consider a second opinion. If you want to try something in the meantime, try an over the counter for acid reflux (if this is a problem for you). It sure cleared up my problem quickly. Good luck.
The first thing I thought when I read the first paragraph was eosinophilic esophagitis. I haven't heard of it coming and going, though. My guess is that's still probably what it is and you need to see a GI.
As for the asthma, I've been shadowing a pulmonologist all summer. His rule is to immediately put asthmatics on steroid inhalers unless he has a good reason not to. Once they're on the steroid, he rarely increases the dose unless they're using their inhalers all the time. Because your body is so reaction-prone, I'd recommend a steroid inhaler to avoid severe asthma attacks.
The hand thing does sound like carpal tunnel, but I wouldn't trust a doctor who didn't do an exam and didn't understand why bolusing and then not being able to eat is a problem.
It scares me that some doctors seem to just have NO clue.
If it is an allergic reaction as you suspect, then I would think an Allergist would be the person to go to for proper diagnosis. Since you have a history of allergies you should be able to get a referral to an Allergist.
But since we're diagnoses ourselves with the internet, it could also be an undiagnosed poor swallow reflex. My mom had that her whole life and it wasn't diagnosed until it caused her problems with pneumonia late in her life. It was diagnosed using a barium xray test, but you probably don't need that unless you are having severe problems.
This discusses workarounds to improve results. There are apparently exercises and advice on posture while eating. Huge is to always drink water while you are eating. Chew food well, then a swallow of water with each bite of food to swallow. It becomes routine. Chopping food fine before eating may also help in more extreme cases.
Thanks for the information. Wouldn't a poor reflex be something that bothered me all my life? This started pretty suddenly a few years ago. At the time I had the barium x-ray test and it was normal (partly why I'm having trouble getting a referral to any kind of specialist).
I'll have a look at the article. I already make sure I have water (or another drink) with me whenever I eat, since it definitely does help.
I am hoping I can get in to see my old GP on Tuesday. At least he
Yeah, I do find some doctors kind of scary. I don't understand how you can make a diagnosis without touching a patient. (Okay, she did look down my throat, but that was it.)
I told the doctor I have a "major" episode where food gets completely stuck for a rather extended period of time a couple of times a year. But I also never eat without having water I can drink, which helps a lot, and I also tend to avoid foods that have caused trouble in the past. I think if I didn't do that, it might affect me a lot more often.
When I was first re-diagnosed with asthma (I had it as a kid, then it disappeared for years, then it came back) my GP prescribed a daily steroid inhaler, but I refused to take it. He said it was the standard now. From other people I've talked to, I think he is probably right, so hopefully I can get in to see him. He wasn't the greatest doctor but I trust him more than the clinic doctor I saw!
I think my hands are probably carpel tunnel, but by the time I got around to that I just didn't trust anything this doctor said! I did buy a wrist brace that said "carpel tunnel" on the package and tried it last night. My hand wasn't numb this morning (which it has been the past few mornings). I'm going to see how it works out for my right hand, and if it helps I'll get one for my left hand (which doesn't go numb/tingly as often).
That doctor was very lacking obviously, not sure how some people get a medical degree. I hope you find someone better soon. I went to two allergists who were terrible, one told me the first time I went that my lung capacity was terrible, rxed all sort of new meds and inhalers, wanted me to start more reflux meds several times a day and so on. And then when patch tests I was doing were negative for everything except 2 grass pollens she tried to tell me I have no allergies. I pointed out to her that my asthma was also allergy related, from dust, dust mites, etc. and that when I had removed that as much as possible from my environment both my asthma and my other allergies improved.
I was having the patch tests done so that I could have an eye drop compounded without preservatives, my eye doc wanted the testing done before doing that. It was a total waste of time and money and it caused me a lot of stress also. They charged my insurance company about $1400 to do them. When I told my eye doc what happened he admitted and agreed with me that those tests are only 70% accurate and he said that you can have severe sensitivities to things as well which will not show up on them. My father was also told by an allergist that if he didn't get allergy shots he was going to die from his asthma. He is still alive and well, and his asthma although it can still be in the severe range if not treated properly is much better than it was when he was a child. I don't plan to go to allergists anymore after my experiences, I got my last ventolin rx from a clinic doctor I was going to before I found a new gp. I have had pretty good experiences here with them for the most part. I went to them a couple of times after my hospitalization and they did everything needed to be done and took my symptoms seriously.
