I was wanting to ask about this. Some times when I have been eating and only when I have first start to eat.I have some trouble swallowing my throat isn't sore just seems not to work properly for a little while. I have this problem sometimes if I take my meds with cold water. and it takes a while to get past that. I can drink some coffee and it has helped in the past.
my question ,
Can RA act in this way as well as in the joints? Thanks for your reply.
CJames
DX for 4 months and just learning. Mtx , Mobic , Folic Acid,
I do take pain meds and have high blood pressure that fluxuates with the pain.
CJames I have a lot of trouble swallowing meds and food due to a swollen esophagus. It is a rare symptom. Maybe talk to your Dr about it? Not sure why the coffee helps except to maybe dissolve meds and food quicker.I have esophageal stricture, it causes difficulty swallowing as well. It can be caused by hiatal hernia, GERD, or even a bad endoscopy. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000207.htm
Esophageal spasms can be triggered by hot or cold. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000289.htm
I've heard that RA can attack the voice box but I don't think it would cause swallowing problems.
If you have Sjogrens along with the RA it can cause your mouth to be so dry that it is hard to swallow. I hope you can find a fix.CJames I too have difficulty swallowing. I urge you to go to a gastroenterologist and get yourself checked out. There can be many different reasons for this - some much more serious than others. There are treatments available. One that I recently heard about is using a balloon type treatment to enlarge the esophagus, similar to angioplasty.
I always have the most trouble in the morning, or if I have gone a long time without eating. It's like my esophagus forgets what it is supposed to do!
hi cjames
my mom has had problems swallowing for about 4 years and has just found out she has a thyroid cyst pressing on her gullet. its now very large and should have been picked up a long time ago. she now needs an urgent operation to remove the whole thyroid. just mentioning this as it seems there can be lots of reasons for having problems swallowing and i would always see my doc straight away because of what i have found out from my mom.
anna_london
CJames, ask your rd if the Mobic is causing the throat swelling. That's one of the side effects, and I had to discontinue it because of that same problem. There are other nsaids that do not cause trouble swallowing.
Ellie, "the lurker"
CJ-
I've had difficulty in the past with swallowing larger meds-- and was advised to take the largest pills with milk to prevent the 'stuck in throat' feeling & that seemed to help me get them down easier... perhaps, if you don't have problems with lactose intolerance, having a few swallows of milk prior to eating will help? (the nurse had said it helps lubricate the throat better than water because its a little oilier).
Hermsi85 - What is Enos - I'm not familiar with that.
My GP just called it a motility problem and hasn't really offered any suggestions other than eat slowly and take small bites. Someday when I have money, LOL, I will pursue it further and see what can be done.
Typing this off the box. ENO, antacid, effervescing powder, sodium citrate.Well I do know that NSAIDS can cause gastro problems that cause difficulty swallowing, and I take 800 mg. of Ibuprofen 4 times a day (if needed), so that doesn't help. I also know that asthma inhaler medications can sometimes cause problems. And I do notice for me it occurs when I have recently been using my inhaler more. I am a OA patient, not an RA patient, so mine is not related to that. I also have thyroid disease, so that can be a part of it too!
I'm just a mess, - with bad hips and knees and difficulty swallowing, I will never be able to get a job as an intern for Bill Clinton, that's for sure!
I have had many endoscopies due to sphincter of oddi dysfunction. I'm sure