Hi all I am suffering with this condition is there light at the end of the tunnel, really struggling.
Hi
I know how you feel , very frustrating illness . Seems theres no quick fix , I have tried almost everything . I think the key is to find a solution that makes it more acceptable and easier to live with .
Can get to you at the best of times .
On a positive note there are many ways that you can try to help you with this illness , so dont give up just yet .
What have you tried so far ?
John
Hi John,
I have been suffering for almost 1 year my GP has prescribed me Buscopan to relax my muscles and has told me it is due to stress and tension, I have tried meditation (sahaja yoga), I have had a massage, I am about to start acupuncture. My diet is limited I am so fed up!
These medical terms can be confusing. Dysphasia is a lack of language and ability to speak, and I cannot help on this, but if you meant dysphagia, difficulty in swallowing, there are things that can be done.
First is to work out the cause. If there is some kind of blockage or stricture, an endoscopy should be able to reveal whether there is some form of physical cause. A barium swallow test should show how your swallowing function works: you swallow white liquid which is tracked through x-ray. High resolution manometry measures the pressure from the muscles bwteeen your throat and your stomach to work out whether the swallowing process is working, and, if not, where the problem lies.
Sometimes people have achalasia where the nerve endings driving the peristalsis muscles do are not working effectively and the spincter valve between the oesophagus and the stomach (near the diaphragm) is often clamped tight shut. Try and relax as far as you can. Eat little and often. Avoid food that might congeal in your oesophagus or is of a stringy texture.
You could download A Patient's Guide to Achalasia from the website of the Oesophageal Patients Association under The Oesophagus and Achalasia. It will tell you that 80%+ of patinets who have surgery for achalasia have significant benefit, notwothstanding that it is normally a lifelong condition that will always create a need to be careful around eating.
But the first thing is to see the doctors and let them do their tests and establish a proper diagnosis - which you may, of course, have already done.
Hi Tanya
I suffer from Achalasia , have you been diagnosed with a perticular illness .
John
I John, just Dysphagia, Swallowing difficulties. I have had camera down the mouth and nasoendoscopy all came back fine, I have been told it is tension and stress related.
Just Dysphagia alan
It took me almost 15 years of being told that i had several minor issues with my esophagus before I finally had a manometry test that showed type 1 Achalasia .
I had barium swallow tests which showed a complete stop of fluids and solids in my esophagus , this was diagnosed as a hernia !
I would go back to your GP and ask first to be refered for a barium swallow test and if that shows anything unusual then press to have a manometry test which will show how well your gullet is preforming .
It is possible that being stressed can affect your swallowing as your muscles tend to tighten up , but theres no harm in looking further into your situation , if only to put your mind at rest .
John
Hi John, I have had a normal barium swallow and a modified barium both of which have the ENT specialist have said they are normal. But I am still having difficult swallowing.
Hi Tanya
A Manometry test will show any pressure issues due to muscles not preforming as they should be in your gullet . Might be an idea to suggest this to your GP .