Swallowing exercises are not working

kateel
kateel Member Posts: 28
in Esophageal Cancer #1
Hello all,

We still need your advice. Last time, I mentioned that the surgeon said after Bill's bronchoscopy that his muscles were weak in his throat and he needed to do swallowing exercises. Well, he has been trying but is unable to do those exercises because he is gagging and throwing up phlegm so much. They have told him now to try Claritin for his nasal drainage, to drink warm tea to cut down on the amount of phlegm in his stomach and throat, and to take Mylanta when he gets the bitter taste coming up. We are trying all of this, but things are still not good. He is on a protein pump inhibitor already. Yesterday, he threw up 2 peas that he had eaten 3 days ago. Something's still not right. They say the barium swallow showed that there is no stricture, but that was done 3 or 4 weeks ago. Some food is starting to come up, not much, but after almost every meal. He is so tired from coughing and throwing up. He is still on the feeding tube at night. He does try to eat and I'm packing protein powder into everything. But we don't go anywhere because we know he will be gagging and throwing up soon after a meal and then also every morning upon rising.

Any other ideas? You are all so great about answering. There's got to be a good answer for all of this. Does it usually take this long to get over this part? He had his surgery 10 weeks ago, but had several setbacks and was in the hospital for 35 days.

Thanks for helping,

Kateel

Comments

  • Alaska_Kim
    Alaska_Kim Member Posts: 34
    #2
    Bummer
    Hey Kateel,

    Sorry things still aren't better. Is there a reason the doctor will not do an Endoscopy? I swear it does sound like he is constricted (just because he could do the barium swallow does not rule out the possibility that his esophagus is constricted at the surgical site). my husbands was down to a 6 mm opening and he was doing the same thing, throwing up bits and pieces of food from days prior. It was at that point that he admitted he was constricted (but not 100%).

    As for immediate relief from the phlegm, my husband recently found that ginger ale helps him get "the bubble" down most of the time. He is also using a patch (for motion sickness of all things) that has cut down the amount of froth and saliva. I can't recall the name, but when I get home from work, I'll pass it along. That's all I can come up with for now.

    Believe me when I say I completely understand your frustration. We are still trying to get my husbands vomitting issues under control, everyday is different. You really need to get your husband in for an endoscopy and you want to see the pictures the little camera takes to confirm he does or does not need his esophagus dilated (they can dilate at the same time they look).

    In the meantime, I'll try to think of other phlegm cutting remedies! Kim
  • nancyann3
    nancyann3 Member Posts: 173 Member
    #3
    Kateel
    When you mentioned him bringing up peas he ate three days ago, it reminded me of steve before his surgery. During one stent replacement he had, the surgeon said his stomach wasnt emptying. He put him on a drug called Reglan. It makes the stomach empty. Just an idea.

    Take care
  • ArchTB
    ArchTB Member Posts: 150
    #4
    Insist on tests?
    Kateel, so sorry to hear Bill is still having problems. I really cannot share any experience regarding this problem, but I would urge you to talk to the doctors and insist on additional tests. Maybe it is still too early for an endoscopy, but perhaps another swallow test and x-rays. The fact that he threw up food that he ate several days ago might mean that the food never reached the stomach.
    Wishing you and Bill to overcome these bumps and feel good again.

    Olya
  • kateel
    kateel Member Posts: 28
    #5
    Alaska_Kim said:

    Bummer
    Hey Kateel,

    Sorry things still aren't better. Is there a reason the doctor will not do an Endoscopy? I swear it does sound like he is constricted (just because he could do the barium swallow does not rule out the possibility that his esophagus is constricted at the surgical site). my husbands was down to a 6 mm opening and he was doing the same thing, throwing up bits and pieces of food from days prior. It was at that point that he admitted he was constricted (but not 100%).

    As for immediate relief from the phlegm, my husband recently found that ginger ale helps him get "the bubble" down most of the time. He is also using a patch (for motion sickness of all things) that has cut down the amount of froth and saliva. I can't recall the name, but when I get home from work, I'll pass it along. That's all I can come up with for now.

    Believe me when I say I completely understand your frustration. We are still trying to get my husbands vomitting issues under control, everyday is different. You really need to get your husband in for an endoscopy and you want to see the pictures the little camera takes to confirm he does or does not need his esophagus dilated (they can dilate at the same time they look).

    In the meantime, I'll try to think of other phlegm cutting remedies! Kim

    Thanks
    Kim,

    Thanks for all the great ideas. The doctor says why do an endoscopy when it is not needed? I am frustrated. Did you go to M.D. Anderson for the surgery? I thought I saw that somewhere. That is where we went also. I have been very pleased with everything until now.

    Thanks again for the good advice.

    Kateel
  • kateel
    kateel Member Posts: 28
    #6
    nancyann3 said:

    Kateel
    When you mentioned him bringing up peas he ate three days ago, it reminded me of steve before his surgery. During one stent replacement he had, the surgeon said his stomach wasnt emptying. He put him on a drug called Reglan. It makes the stomach empty. Just an idea.

    Take care

    Thanks
    Nancy,

    I will mention this to the doctor.

    Thanks,

    Kateel
  • kateel
    kateel Member Posts: 28
    #7
    ArchTB said:

    Insist on tests?
    Kateel, so sorry to hear Bill is still having problems. I really cannot share any experience regarding this problem, but I would urge you to talk to the doctors and insist on additional tests. Maybe it is still too early for an endoscopy, but perhaps another swallow test and x-rays. The fact that he threw up food that he ate several days ago might mean that the food never reached the stomach.
    Wishing you and Bill to overcome these bumps and feel good again.

    Olya

    Some good ideas
    Olya,

    Boy, would we both like to see Bill feeling good again. Thanks for your insight. Looks like we have to get firm with the doctor. He seems so stubborn about this.

    Kateel
  • Alaska_Kim
    Alaska_Kim Member Posts: 34
    #8
    kateel said:

    Thanks
    Kim,

    Thanks for all the great ideas. The doctor says why do an endoscopy when it is not needed? I am frustrated. Did you go to M.D. Anderson for the surgery? I thought I saw that somewhere. That is where we went also. I have been very pleased with everything until now.

    Thanks again for the good advice.

    Kateel

    Kateel,
    We did go to MD
    Kateel,

    We did go to MD Anderson in Texas for my husbands surgery and were more than satisfied with his team. Concerning the dilation, it was his MD Anderson surgeon who told us he needed to have it done (via phone conversation only). Mike has been using a transderm scopolamine 72 hr. Patch for the last 2 weeks and it has helped with the excess saliva, which caused a lot of choking and vomitting. Took about a week before he noticed wasn't having the same problems. I hope your husband is improving.

    Kim
  • TerryV
    TerryV Member Posts: 887
    #9
    nancyann3 said:

    Kateel
    When you mentioned him bringing up peas he ate three days ago, it reminded me of steve before his surgery. During one stent replacement he had, the surgeon said his stomach wasnt emptying. He put him on a drug called Reglan. It makes the stomach empty. Just an idea.

    Take care

    Just a caution about Reglan - and remember *everyone's experiences are different*

    My sister was taking Reglan for an irritable bowel/Crohn's type issue. Reglan gave her extreme anxiety and made it impossible for her to drive. She couldn't go more than a mile or two without tears and fears. She became very reclusive while taking Reglan. Two weeks off the Reglan and she's back to happily driving 60 plus miles one way and no visible anxiety issues. Her Gastro doc said that many others have mentioned similar issues while on Reglan.

    I realize that driving may not be your concern, but did want you to know about the possibility of unreasonable anxiety setting in.

    Just wanted to mention....
  • jojoshort
    jojoshort Member Posts: 230 Member
    #10
    kateel said:

    Some good ideas
    Olya,

    Boy, would we both like to see Bill feeling good again. Thanks for your insight. Looks like we have to get firm with the doctor. He seems so stubborn about this.

    Kateel

    Don't know if this applies
    But my Steve has a stent and he ate too big a piece of chicken yesterday. Stuck! He called the gastro guy, who asked him if ANYTHING was getting down. Steve told him, a little fluid was able to pass. The doc told him (since we live a distance away from the hospital where the stent was placed) to try ginger ale and then cranberry juice, alternately, every 15 minutes to dislodge the stuck food. Now the ginger ale was really tough to do, bubbles and everything. But the cranberry was easier. He worked on it as best he could and this brought up some saliva with food pieces in it. This morning, he was able to call "all's clear".

    If this can help anyone, I don't know, but you never know.

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