Aspiration??

sharon 1
sharon 1 Member Posts: 50
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I have been having severe heart burn whenever I use my peg and it doesnt matter if I am using food or water in it. Could this be a sign of aspiration? I am going to talk to my Dr about this, but I wanted to know if anyone else has had this problem?

Comments

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #2
    NO it is not.

    Aspiration is when you swallow and it goes down the wrong pipe. It goes down your trach instead of your esophagus. If you have bad acid reflex or GURD it can burn your esophagus and if you are lying down flat it can go to the throat, but your epiglottitis closes so it goes down back to your stomach.

  • sharon 1
    sharon 1 Member Posts: 50
    #3
    wmc said:

    NO it is not.

    Aspiration is when you swallow and it goes down the wrong pipe. It goes down your trach instead of your esophagus. If you have bad acid reflex or GURD it can burn your esophagus and if you are lying down flat it can go to the throat, but your epiglottitis closes so it goes down back to your stomach.

    Thanks Bill

    Thanks Bill, the reason that I was concerened is because after driving by Mc Donalds a few days ago, I decided that I wanted a hamburger(I havnt had anything like that in months). Anyhow it got stuck in my throat and took me almost all day to get rid of it. It seems like this started after that and I wondered if maybepart of it went down the wrong hole. Do you feel when it does?

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #4
    sharon 1 said:

    Thanks Bill

    Thanks Bill, the reason that I was concerened is because after driving by Mc Donalds a few days ago, I decided that I wanted a hamburger(I havnt had anything like that in months). Anyhow it got stuck in my throat and took me almost all day to get rid of it. It seems like this started after that and I wondered if maybepart of it went down the wrong hole. Do you feel when it does?

    Yes you will feel it.

    It can feel stuck and be very hard to swallow which is different. You might need to take very small bites and chew chew chew, and take a sip of water when you eat solid food like that. If you had radiation, it has or will change the tissue whether skin or muscle and make it not move freely as it did before. You seem to have the feeling it is stuck or still there and not going down. Try to make sure to take some water [liquid] with certain foods like bread and crackers, food that can be dry feeling.

     

    If you aspirate it does go down wrong, most people will turn red and choke and cough it up and out. It can if large enough block your airway and you can stop breathing until it is out. You will aspirate on liquid first then if it gets worse it can be small parts of food.

    Hope this helps.

    Bill

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #5
    wmc said:

    Yes you will feel it.

    It can feel stuck and be very hard to swallow which is different. You might need to take very small bites and chew chew chew, and take a sip of water when you eat solid food like that. If you had radiation, it has or will change the tissue whether skin or muscle and make it not move freely as it did before. You seem to have the feeling it is stuck or still there and not going down. Try to make sure to take some water [liquid] with certain foods like bread and crackers, food that can be dry feeling.

     

    If you aspirate it does go down wrong, most people will turn red and choke and cough it up and out. It can if large enough block your airway and you can stop breathing until it is out. You will aspirate on liquid first then if it gets worse it can be small parts of food.

    Hope this helps.

    Bill

    Hi Sharon

    I agree with what Bill is saying, also if you are aspirating you need to see your doctor and have them run some swallowing test on you. If you aspirate enough you will end up with pneumonia; Believe me you don’t want that along with your other problems.

     

    Tim Hondo

  • thennies61
    thennies61 Member Posts: 285
    #6
    sharon 1 said:

    Thanks Bill

    Thanks Bill, the reason that I was concerened is because after driving by Mc Donalds a few days ago, I decided that I wanted a hamburger(I havnt had anything like that in months). Anyhow it got stuck in my throat and took me almost all day to get rid of it. It seems like this started after that and I wondered if maybepart of it went down the wrong hole. Do you feel when it does?

    What might also is that I not

    What might also is that I not sip water but when eating I usally drink something alittle thicker.I will have a shake or what they have is chug milk which is thicker milk or even strawberry milk.You can also but thick-it which will thicken just about everything but not lose the taste.It does help to get everything down but as Bill has said take smaller bites.

  • ErthWlkr
    ErthWlkr Member Posts: 60
    #7
    Apiration vs reflux

    Hey Sharon:

    If you're getting an acidic kickback after eating, then you're having stomach/esophagus issues, not aspiration issues. After using the PEG for several months, I developed Barrett's Esophagus where the the lining of the tissue of the esophagus changes. Ended up on Omeprazole. After discussion with my radiologist, turns out not to be uncommon.

    This does NOT mean that's what you have. But if acid kickback becomes a chronic issue, then you should get checked by a gastroenterologist. Possibly the doc that placed the PEG is one and can give you some guidance. If you've developed GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) then it must treated since it's considered a precancerous condition. Not what you want to hear but gotta give you the heads up.

    That being said - you should be highly careful while eating solid food especially if you have dry mouth. Food can get caught as both you and I found out. Chew well and always have liquids handy. As stated above, if you aspirate, you will hopefully cough it out. But you also have to be careful of "silent" aspriation where you don't know that you've aspirated something until it creates an issues. In my cases, I developed a funny wheeze when I exhaled.

    I am NOT telling you this to frighten you but it sounds like you're at the recovery stage? Even if you're not, you do have to be aware of the changes that treatment can cause, much of it reversible. Caution is always best - get your physician involved when convenient.

    Hope this helps!

    - Jeff

  • sharon 1
    sharon 1 Member Posts: 50
    #8
    wmc said:

    NO it is not.

    Aspiration is when you swallow and it goes down the wrong pipe. It goes down your trach instead of your esophagus. If you have bad acid reflex or GURD it can burn your esophagus and if you are lying down flat it can go to the throat, but your epiglottitis closes so it goes down back to your stomach.

    Throat study

    Well, yesterday I went for my throat study and the findngs were surprising to be sure! After swollowing many different quanities of barium and different textures. they found NOTHING WRONG WITH MY SWOLLOWING!! Thank God! In fact she said that I swollow so well that if I can start eating by mouth and still gaining weight that I can have my peg removed in 4 weeks. So what is the problem then? Evidently, I have nerve damage that makes me think that the food isnt going down(similar to people that have limbs removed still feel them there after removal) I cant remember the name she used. Anyhow we set up an appt for my ent for next week to discuss this. I am so blown away. She said that I can eat anything I like. I just finished radiation 2 weeks ago and just have to get past this imaginary feeling in my throat. I only wish food and water tasted like something other than liquid sweat.

  • ErthWlkr
    ErthWlkr Member Posts: 60
    #9
    sharon 1 said:

    Throat study

    Well, yesterday I went for my throat study and the findngs were surprising to be sure! After swollowing many different quanities of barium and different textures. they found NOTHING WRONG WITH MY SWOLLOWING!! Thank God! In fact she said that I swollow so well that if I can start eating by mouth and still gaining weight that I can have my peg removed in 4 weeks. So what is the problem then? Evidently, I have nerve damage that makes me think that the food isnt going down(similar to people that have limbs removed still feel them there after removal) I cant remember the name she used. Anyhow we set up an appt for my ent for next week to discuss this. I am so blown away. She said that I can eat anything I like. I just finished radiation 2 weeks ago and just have to get past this imaginary feeling in my throat. I only wish food and water tasted like something other than liquid sweat.

    Burning sensation

    Sharon -

    That's good news on the swallow study. But in your original post you mentioned "severe heartburn". This is distinctively different from swallowing/aspriation issues.

    As I wrote earlier, if you're having severe or chronic acid kickback after eating or swallowing, you must follow up with an ENT since it's highly inflammatory and considered a precancerous condition.

    I know that you don't want or need yet another physician in your life right now - but caution is paramount after treatment. When the body signals with pain, that means it's trying to get your attention. Listen to it - it's from a very wise source. :)

    - Jeff

  • sharon 1
    sharon 1 Member Posts: 50
    #10
    ErthWlkr said:

    Burning sensation

    Sharon -

    That's good news on the swallow study. But in your original post you mentioned "severe heartburn". This is distinctively different from swallowing/aspriation issues.

    As I wrote earlier, if you're having severe or chronic acid kickback after eating or swallowing, you must follow up with an ENT since it's highly inflammatory and considered a precancerous condition.

    I know that you don't want or need yet another physician in your life right now - but caution is paramount after treatment. When the body signals with pain, that means it's trying to get your attention. Listen to it - it's from a very wise source. :)

    - Jeff

    Jeff

    Yes Jeff I do have heart burn and I will be talking with the ent about it next week. I wanted the swollow study done because I also have these feelings of stuck food in my throat after eating which kept me from eating by mouth. I still even tho I know that the food is going down, am a bit apprenhesive of eating because it literally seems as if it is still there. 

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