Gas bubbles in esophagus or what?!

[Unregistered]

I am having increasing frequency of episodes that are driving me nuts. When an episode hits, it will almost always hit within 4 to 6 bites of food. Beef in any form is a frequent trigger. However, other things that will or have triggered it include: corn, baked potatoes, plain rice, baked chicken, slice of garlic bread, tomatoes, fried foods. This is not something that is coming up after a meal. This is when barely starting to eat.

I will have esophageal pain and gas in a bubble. I know it is a bubble as I have managed to throw up several of them and they do not break as soon as they hit another surface. They look like beached jellyfish and have a relatively thick surface for a bubble. Throwing up may or may not relieve the bubble or whatever the heck it is. Swallowing anything to get rid of the gas or whatever is NOT an option. Liquid will not go down. These stupid things are painful and embarrassing. Sometimes it feels like it pops and that's it. No gas comes up, no belching, no nothing. Other times, it will take two to three hours to get rid of whatever it is. In the meantime, no liquid will pass.

I have had several runs with failed biopsies. I have familial polyposis. I have had gallbladder surgery. Interestingly enough, getting rid of the gallbladder eliminated the attacks for nearly a year. They are increasing to about 1 a week. I even went to the ER during one major attack that hit while trying to eat at a restaurant, and the drs. did an EGD. No abnormalities were noted.

I do not have GERD. No ulcers, no weird things going on in the esophagus. The bubbles are mostly annoying except when they move and block off the epiglottis and cause lack of breathing ability.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? Personally, I'd just like to know how to get rid of the blankety-blank things when they show up. I will have to have another EGD done soon as a routine thing since I am at a very high risk of cancer and/or other nasty things in the duodenum. In the meantime, these things are driving me absolutely batty.

BTW, I don't do spicy foods. No tobacco, no coffee, no alcohol. My one vice is diet coke; half the time I drink caffeine-free. I have all the hallmark fun things associated with not having a large intestine. Radical hysterectomy. Partial thyroidectomy due to folicular adenocarcinoma.

Someone is going to be nice enough, I know, to suggest seeing my doctor. I'm planning to do that and also schedule an appointment with my gastro. In the meantime, what are these things and how do I get rid of them???

Thanks!

[chattycathy23]

Thank-you for your input. I am sure we are experencing the same episodes. Do you get the mucous? Did you ever find out what they are and what you can do to prevent them? Thanks again---it is a "little reasuring" knowing that there is someone else experencing the same thing!!!

[Unregistered]

Thanks for your input -- I thought I was the only one!

Most of the time I do get the mucous stuff. It's like a super thick goo. I don't always get it, though. But when I do, it reminds me of the stuff I see when someone tries to catch a hagfish -- sticky slimy thick translucent goo.

And most of the time when I do throw up and the bubble comes up, I will end up with vomit coming through the nose. Definitely not fun.

I don't know what the things are. Hopefully the gastro dr. will have a clue. I'd just be thrilled to figure out how to get rid of them pronto when they show up. I've tried those strips that dissolve instantly which are made for gas. Sometimes they help, mostly they don't do anything.

It's embarrassing as heck though to have one of these episodes hit when you go out for dinner.

If you find an answer before I do, please post. If and when I find out anything, I'll let you know!

[kutekitty]

Thank-you for your input. I am sure we are experencing the same episodes. Do you get the mucous? Did you ever find out what they are and what you can do to prevent them? Thanks again---it is a "little reasuring" knowing that there is someone else experencing the same thing!!!

ok i never "throw up" the gas bubble but it does happen to me..... i am very sick right now..the past 5 days ive been having a horible stomach ache... now i am just getting over it.......i had a major gas bubble so i looked up what to do and this is what i foud ....... lay on your stomachwith your knees tucked under you and your rump in the air ( how babies sometimes sleep) it will shift the weight in your body and let gas pass ... it RLLY does work!

[mattCanada]

This sounds like something I have been experiencing for the past couple years...

I have a hard time swallowing food, usually have to use liquid to force it down and if I'm not careful I will go into a choking/gagging and it might last a couple hours or a few mins if it "clears", or goes down. While I choke, I regergitate or spit up a thick mucous. During this episode I cannot eat or drink anything. I do suffer from heartburn and stomache pains as well.

I did a barrium swallow test which gave no answers and next month I have an upper GI endoscopy, hopefully this will find something. I understand your frustration, I am often embarrased when eating around friends and in public places.

Just wondering if you have found some ansers to your issues yet? Hope you are feeling better.

[newyorkkid]

hey guys, i have the same stuff happening to me, it mostly happens with hot dogs, and i try to eat them to quickly. I do not have any other medical problems, but if I have an episode, it sucks cause I have to go to the bathroom and force air down my throat, which forces me to throw up, and usually it gets the Bubble out, but not always. As I write this in fact, I am still feeling the effects of a bubble from 3pm and its now midnight, and I still cant swallow any food or drink. Im hungry, but I cant eat, any ideas on what to do? And does anyone know a doc that can look at all our posts and figure out what the **** is going on?

[Unregistered]

hey i have had the same problems for about 8 years but it seems to come and go..i have not seen anyone mention rather there lymph nodes in there neck on both sides of your throat swell up...mine swell up but then sometimes they are so small i cant tell they are there.......someitmes i go long periods of time where it dont bother me at all then sometimes it does it everyday

[Angellan]

I am having increasing frequency of episodes that are driving me nuts. When an episode hits, it will almost always hit within 4 to 6 bites of food. Beef in any form is a frequent trigger. However, other things that will or have triggered it include: corn, baked potatoes, plain rice, baked chicken, slice of garlic bread, tomatoes, fried foods. This is not something that is coming up after a meal. This is when barely starting to eat.

Swallowing anything to get rid of the gas or whatever is NOT an option. Liquid will not go down. These stupid things are painful and embarrassing. Sometimes it feels like it pops and that's it. No gas comes up, no belching, no nothing. Other times, it will take two to three hours to get rid of whatever it is. In the meantime, no liquid will pass.

Your symptoms describe a textbook case of Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EE), which I have, and I've been through the same thing. It normally goes undiagnosed for years because ost doctors have never heard of the disease. When you had the biopsies done, did they test for eosinophils? They are a type of white blood cells that people with this disease will accumulate in the esophagus, causing the pains. If this continues to go untreated, you may get a food impaction, where food becomes stuck in your throat and needs to be surgically removed. The most common treatment for this disease is Flovent (usually used for asthma), twice daily, except instead of inhaled, it is swallowed; with no food or drink for half an hour after.

Common symptoms include:

• Esophageal spasms when eating meats, mostly red meat, starches such as potatoes, and breads/pastas, and grasy/fried/fatty foods
• An abundance of acid, often mistaken for GERD
• A "geographical tongue" where you lose spots on your tongue (called glossitis)
• Regurgitation/throwing up, sometimes through the nose
• Furrows and "rubber-band"-looking rings (strictures) in the esophagus
• Eosinophil count > 0 in esophageal biopsies (moderate is 20-40, severe is 90+)
• Leg pain. This is not entirely understood, but is found in almost every case of EE.
• Food allergies, not always anaphylaxic, but causing itcing/irritation on the tongue, mouth or throat.

A good place for information is the CURED foundation. There's also an eosinophilic disorder group on Yahoo; they have an abundance of information.

If tere's anything you want to ask me about your syptoms or about Eosinophilic disorders, you can email me at wingyuy07@aim.com.

[rakkassan]

I am having increasing frequency of episodes that are driving me nuts. When an episode hits, it will almost always hit within 4 to 6 bites of food. Beef in any form is a frequent trigger. However, other things that will or have triggered it include: corn, baked potatoes, plain rice, baked chicken, slice of garlic bread, tomatoes, fried foods. This is not something that is coming up after a meal. This is when barely starting to eat.

I will have esophageal pain and gas in a bubble. I know it is a bubble as I have managed to throw up several of them and they do not break as soon as they hit another surface. They look like beached jellyfish and have a relatively thick surface for a bubble. Throwing up may or may not relieve the bubble or whatever the heck it is. Swallowing anything to get rid of the gas or whatever is NOT an option. Liquid will not go down. These stupid things are painful and embarrassing. Sometimes it feels like it pops and that's it. No gas comes up, no belching, no nothing. Other times, it will take two to three hours to get rid of whatever it is. In the meantime, no liquid will pass.

I have had several runs with failed biopsies. I have familial polyposis. I have had gallbladder surgery. Interestingly enough, getting rid of the gallbladder eliminated the attacks for nearly a year. They are increasing to about 1 a week. I even went to the ER during one major attack that hit while trying to eat at a restaurant, and the drs. did an EGD. No abnormalities were noted.

I do not have GERD. No ulcers, no weird things going on in the esophagus. The bubbles are mostly annoying except when they move and block off the epiglottis and cause lack of breathing ability.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? Personally, I'd just like to know how to get rid of the blankety-blank things when they show up. I will have to have another EGD done soon as a routine thing since I am at a very high risk of cancer and/or other nasty things in the duodenum. In the meantime, these things are driving me absolutely batty.

BTW, I don't do spicy foods. No tobacco, no coffee, no alcohol. My one vice is diet coke; half the time I drink caffeine-free. I have all the hallmark fun things associated with not having a large intestine. Radical hysterectomy. Partial thyroidectomy due to folicular adenocarcinoma.

Someone is going to be nice enough, I know, to suggest seeing my doctor. I'm planning to do that and also schedule an appointment with my gastro. In the meantime, what are these things and how do I get rid of them???

Thanks!

Wow i have never heard a person explain exactly what I have. Soemtimes I cant even eat around people because I am afraid I am going to have an episode of this. I have had it for about 3 yrs now and last night I had to make myself throw up several times to get rid of it. When I do throw up it looks like bubbles and other times it just relieves itself by going away in a couple of minutes. Have you found out what it is? I would really appreciate it if you or anyone could share any information on this with me. Here is my email philinlv@yahoo.com Thank you!!!

[Unregistered]

I have the exact situation and most described here. About 3 years ago I went to a gastro specialist and explained my problem. He said it's a possible restricted esophagus and did an endoscopy and passed a balloon through my esophagus and blew it up at the mouth of my stomach. As soon as the procedure was done my problems went away completely. Steak which almost always caused my condition to come back in a severe form would go down as if it were water and I couldn't be happier. The doctor did mention that I'd have to do this procedure another 2 or 3 times and sure enough my condition came back about 2 months ago to my dismay. At a business dinner I bit into my 3rd piece of steak and and it got stuck. When this happens my saliva volumes increases 10 folds and since I can't swallow anything I have to discreetly spit into a napkin. Eventually I have to leave , go to the bathroom and force myself to throw up to relive the pressure momentarily. Like all of you it can take 5 minutes to 5 hours to get rid of the bubble. I find carbonated drinkssometimes aid in passing the bubbles before they develope full force. I have also discovered that if I avoid acidic starchy food and dairy product like chocolate , my episodes seem to calm down. It sucks!!