Anyone can help me swallow?

I have had a hard time swallowing for the past 4 years. I am currently 20 years old. It happens with anything (water or food). Once I eat or drink, the majority of the liquid or solid rest in my lower throat/upper esophagus until I have a large enough gulp of water to force it down. I have been to several doctors and all say that it is acid reflux and to up my daily dosage of antacid (this has never helped). No one has had the solution to the problem so I just live with. It does not cause pain but is inconvenient and I show troubled facial expressions along with the inability to communicate verbally while trying to force the food/water down. Accompanied with the trouble swallowing I have the ability to regurgitate liquid or liquified food without sticking my finger down my throat. Also a foam like substance develops in my lower throat/upper esophagus on occasion and I regurgitate because it feels like it constricts my throat. Thanks for your input!

[Ratnakar Kini, MD]

Hi,
Acid reflux can cause difficulty in swallowing.
A course of PPI would be helpful.
But before attributing the symptom of difficulty in swallowing to acid reflux, other causes have to be ruled out.
An upper GI endoscopy has to be done to look for lesions like web, stricture etc which may also cause difficulty in swallowing.
================================================================
The information provided is for patients’ education only and is not a medical advice. Always consult your personal physician for complete evaluation of your health problem.

- Ratnakar Kini M.D.

[SteveInTrouble]

You need to see a doctor again, especially a GI specialist. You may have an esophageal stricture, a narrowing of the esophagus which can be dilated with a baloon or bougie. Sometimes only one dilation is necessary to fix the problem.  You may also need to see a speech therapist, who actually works with more than just speech, for a swallowing test. Sometimes if your reflexes are out of whack, a speech therapist can train you on techniques to swallow more effectively.

I am not a medical professional, yada yada, I just know people with these problems.