Has anyone had difficulties swallowing and it was NOT cancer?

[LtMarvel]

I am sorry to post in aibu but please desperately needing some hope.

I have been having swallowing problems 'food foes go down but some (mainly breads, pastas and similar stodgy stuff like chips) are more difficult to pass. I feel them moving down my food pipe and it's uncomfortable. I also keep feeling like there's something stuck there afterwards and there's pressure right behind my breastbone

I am 38 and with a small son, and everything I saw online.... well swallowing difficulties are a massive red flag for esophagus cancer...

So just hoping to hear maybe someone else had these symptoms and it wasnt cancer?

I have gastrostomy booked for end of May and I just need to keep it together.

I will give myself a shake but hearing hopeful stories will help massively.

Thank you!

DH had it - turned out he had helicopter pylori and a badly inflamed oesophagus from reflux.

I'd like to offer some reassurance because I have experience of oesophageal cancer. My mum had it. The food getting stuck was a very late symptom and indeed it didn't actually go down, it invariably came up. She'd had lots of other symptoms over a period of years but an utterly shit and negligent GP who dismissed them all. She had severe acid reflux and sudden weight loss. Her blood work was abnormal and not followed up. She also had significant stomach pain.

What you are describing is more likely to be a hiatus hernia or acid reflux. I can often get the feeling of a lump in my throat if I'm particularly anxious. My Dad has also suffered with similar symptoms to you and it was GERD. It is now well controlled with meds. You are still young and OC is vanishingly rare at your age. I realise how hideous the wait is, I've had cancer myself, but I'm certain if that was a concern I you'd be seen very quickly. Stop Googling! I hope you get back to normal quickly

OMG i could have written this! i started getting acid reflux in Nov/Dec randomly. and occasionally i get that very very slow swallowing thing, it makes me sweat and its hard not to panic. i don't get it very often, it was once a week so i think its my bodies way of showing anxiety that i didnt know i had

I now try to chew food longer, and thats taken it down to once/twice a month

i find it scary when it happens!

I think this is really important for you to acknowledge , definitely try and cut out the fizzy drinks asap .if you are trying to push yourself through the day by relying on sugary snacks then it’s again something to note. There are some really basic things that you can do like chewing really well, sitting down properly and taking your time to eat, sometimes if we have background anxiety issues it’s easy to throw our food down and not actually relax whilst eating.

I came on to suggest this.

Me. It was achalasia, diagnosed after a barium swallow (not painful). Particularly I have one band of muscle which tends to spasm and cause issues. I have to make sure to eat slowly, and definitely not turn my head whilst eating (can be an issue if in a cafe in a group for example) which exacerbates it.

Anxiety is probably one of the more common reasons, especially in your age group. Reflux is also common, and a lot more common than cancer.
Look after yourself.

It's incredibly unlikely to be cancer OP. I've worked in UPGI surgery for 5 years and I've only ever seen 2 people under 40 with Oesophageal cancer, both male. I've never seen a woman under 40 diagnosed

It's much more likely to be reflux or a hiatus hernia. I had problems swallowing when I was on Fluoxetine which gave me silent reflux

Do you need to lose weight? I have the same problem and found that when I lost about half a stone it made all the difference and I haven't had a problem with it since

I had this when I was 33, I was referred urgently and luckily it was all clear for cancer. They said it was acid reflux and i started taking omeprazole that helped. Hope you get some answers soon.

Anxiety for me as well. The stress made it hard to swallow and also lead to a lot of acid reflux which just made it worse.

I had this due to two different medications. If I took them without water they caused a very uncomfortable lump in throat feeling all day

Another one with a hiatus hernia and reflux that gets this.

My mum had exactly this and it was achalasia, she had to have her oesophagus stretched

And yet another with hiatus hernia and reflux diagnosed following gastroscopy. Treated with proton pump inhibitor and all well.

There's also simply eating too fast/too great a volume so that the food immediately beforehand hasn't had a chance to enter the stomach. Quite common when very hungry, in a rush or anxiously trying to swallow down anxiety/anger/feelings.

I have had my gastroscopy and it was normal! Not even inflammation.

I want to say huge thanks to everyone who contributed here with words of support and reassurance. I can't tell you how many times I went back to reread some of the messages whilst I was awaiting the procedure. It really helped me to function normally and not to spiral.

The problem still persists so my gastrologist thinks it could be a problem with how the muscles work. Like a spasm, which sort of fits because the food swallow problem is really behind my chest bone but when I drink I feel the pressure in my throat so could be something to do with that.

Another possibility is that I have been having problems with one side of my teeth so maybe i stopped chewing correctly, i dont know.

They also took biopsies for hystology, EOE and some bacteria which could explain some of that too so waiting for those. Gastrologist isnt worried and I am now not anymore.

What a lesson! The symptom is very much there and very much physical and always needs to be checked out, but it is not what Google will scare you into!

With the spasms, peppermint helps. I drink peppermint tea. Not eating very cold food helps. Not leaving it too long between meals. Some foods trigger more than others...egg and tuna seem to trigger mine

Sounds like achalasia which I have. Look it up on the nhs website for more info but you should ask for a barium swallow. It can’t be cured but can be treated to make swallowing easier

I also have achalasia, I’ve never come across anybody else with it. Did you have surgery?

Are you very bendy / double jointed?

Good news (relatively), I recall the relief following gastroscopy as being great. Best of luck treating your symptoms.