Aa
Esophagus and Gastro Report
Had colonoscopy and endoscopy this morning, no probs. One tiny polyp was removed from the colon for biopsy, nothing sinister is expected.
The upper testing somewhat confuses me, although I was given a printout replete with 11 vivid pink-and-red photos. The GI doc was much more interested in the lower esophagus than anyplace else. She found an esophageal stricture, possibly due to esophagitis, and performed a dilation. Some inflammation was found in stomach and part of duodenum. Mild gastritis, etc. Several biopsies were done, once again without thinking anything major is going on. I have to take Prilosec and come back, etc.
The reason I'm mentioning all this on the forum is that I've had the sensation that my stomach valve doesn't always open and close properly as I'm eating. When that happens, I get a fiery flood of acid for maybe 15 or 20 seconds, then when things close, this disappears like magic. I don't get regular heartburn at all.
I know that reflux can burn the esophagus, causing scarring and maybe stricture. I'm wondering whether this whole problem can be due to weak or malfunctioning muscles at this level.
My initial problem was esophageal pain at the very top, right after swallowing. She said my esophagus may be spasming. She didn't see it in action, of course, because it was a very occasional thing. Lower part is only very occasional also, but when it happens I'm on fire momentarily.
Sorry for all this explanatory verbiage, but it leads to my question? What is the probability that ths stuff has anything to do with MS?
Mucho thanks,
ess
The upper testing somewhat confuses me, although I was given a printout replete with 11 vivid pink-and-red photos. The GI doc was much more interested in the lower esophagus than anyplace else. She found an esophageal stricture, possibly due to esophagitis, and performed a dilation. Some inflammation was found in stomach and part of duodenum. Mild gastritis, etc. Several biopsies were done, once again without thinking anything major is going on. I have to take Prilosec and come back, etc.
The reason I'm mentioning all this on the forum is that I've had the sensation that my stomach valve doesn't always open and close properly as I'm eating. When that happens, I get a fiery flood of acid for maybe 15 or 20 seconds, then when things close, this disappears like magic. I don't get regular heartburn at all.
I know that reflux can burn the esophagus, causing scarring and maybe stricture. I'm wondering whether this whole problem can be due to weak or malfunctioning muscles at this level.
My initial problem was esophageal pain at the very top, right after swallowing. She said my esophagus may be spasming. She didn't see it in action, of course, because it was a very occasional thing. Lower part is only very occasional also, but when it happens I'm on fire momentarily.
Sorry for all this explanatory verbiage, but it leads to my question? What is the probability that ths stuff has anything to do with MS?
Mucho thanks,
ess
Heck with gel lidocaine--I used a sliver of ice I stuck up my nostril once to prove to myself I had a 5th nerve pathway that gave me trouble sometimes.Nothing fancy here! Jane
Yeah - I had the gel lidocaine too...only mine was applied via cotton swab, not sucked in as you described. Neither are appealing... :)
I should also note that I too had dilation done in January. It helped with some of my "food sticking" issues.
Chrisy
I should also note that I too had dilation done in January. It helped with some of my "food sticking" issues.
Chrisy
Well this all sounds like me. Over the last 2 months I have had all the tests you have mentioned.
My results: nexius for esophageal burns caused by acid reflux. Valve at bottom of esophagus opens sometimes when it shouldn't. My esophagus was dilated because of gastric thickening. It seems to have relieved some of the pressure.
The motility study was just as Chrisy described it. The only thing I did not like was I had to suck gelled litocaine up my nose to numb it. They gave me a gargle to numb my throat. I showed no spasm but was told the same thing...if it doesn't happen during the test we won't get to see....common sense.
I did have a speech and swallowing eval this past week. It was a videoflourascophy( something like that?) They put a video camera in the back of my throat and watched my larynx and vocal cords. The swallowing was a modified barium swallow. Both showed that my throat muscles are week. My vocal chords will not stay or struggle to stay over the larynx causing my aphonia. DX spastic aphonia, strangled voice syndrome and dysphagia. All were contributed to my CNS by theraphist and ENT and gastoenterologist.
I start speech therapy soon..twice a week...75 miles from home :)
I think I have rattled on. Probably without making a single point.
terry
My results: nexius for esophageal burns caused by acid reflux. Valve at bottom of esophagus opens sometimes when it shouldn't. My esophagus was dilated because of gastric thickening. It seems to have relieved some of the pressure.
The motility study was just as Chrisy described it. The only thing I did not like was I had to suck gelled litocaine up my nose to numb it. They gave me a gargle to numb my throat. I showed no spasm but was told the same thing...if it doesn't happen during the test we won't get to see....common sense.
I did have a speech and swallowing eval this past week. It was a videoflourascophy( something like that?) They put a video camera in the back of my throat and watched my larynx and vocal cords. The swallowing was a modified barium swallow. Both showed that my throat muscles are week. My vocal chords will not stay or struggle to stay over the larynx causing my aphonia. DX spastic aphonia, strangled voice syndrome and dysphagia. All were contributed to my CNS by theraphist and ENT and gastoenterologist.
I start speech therapy soon..twice a week...75 miles from home :)
I think I have rattled on. Probably without making a single point.
terry
ess,
I had a motility study done in January. I will warn you - it is kinda gross! You just have to get past the gag reflex... :) Too much information? :) Actually, it wasn't absolutely awful - and it was fairly quick. I think mine took less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
They put a very thin tube up your nose down the back of your throat and into your esophagus to read the amplitude of your swallowing. They record your swallowing small sips of water and then small bites of dry cracker. It can tell them if you are having spasms, or the cause of swallowing issues (low muscle contractions which move the food or liquid).
It won't tell them if you are having spasms, unless you happen to have one during the test...so it isn't perfect for diagnosis of esophageal spasm. But based on my test, which didn't include a spasm at the time of the test unfortunately, and my other GI tests, the doctor did agree that esophageal spasm was a very high probability for me.
jensequitur,
The only thing the GI doctor would say about the esophageal spasms, was that they *could* be caused by another medical condition, but he wouldn't go any further than that as I was still being tested for my neurological symptoms.
Chrisy
I had a motility study done in January. I will warn you - it is kinda gross! You just have to get past the gag reflex... :) Too much information? :) Actually, it wasn't absolutely awful - and it was fairly quick. I think mine took less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
They put a very thin tube up your nose down the back of your throat and into your esophagus to read the amplitude of your swallowing. They record your swallowing small sips of water and then small bites of dry cracker. It can tell them if you are having spasms, or the cause of swallowing issues (low muscle contractions which move the food or liquid).
It won't tell them if you are having spasms, unless you happen to have one during the test...so it isn't perfect for diagnosis of esophageal spasm. But based on my test, which didn't include a spasm at the time of the test unfortunately, and my other GI tests, the doctor did agree that esophageal spasm was a very high probability for me.
jensequitur,
The only thing the GI doctor would say about the esophageal spasms, was that they *could* be caused by another medical condition, but he wouldn't go any further than that as I was still being tested for my neurological symptoms.
Chrisy
MS can cause weakness in the stomach valve at the top, causing it to stay open and acid to splash up into your esophagus. Aspiration of stomach acid can cause you to have problems with your lungs, like bronchitis and pneumonia.
Acid can also cause your esophagus to spasm. I used to have problems with acid reflux - during a flare last year, it was really bad. Now I still have a spasming esophagus, but the reflux is much better. So it's possible that they're two separate problems, but one is aggravated by the other.
As to whether it's MS or not - who knows! I would say probably, but it's not an obvious MS symptom.
Acid can also cause your esophagus to spasm. I used to have problems with acid reflux - during a flare last year, it was really bad. Now I still have a spasming esophagus, but the reflux is much better. So it's possible that they're two separate problems, but one is aggravated by the other.
As to whether it's MS or not - who knows! I would say probably, but it's not an obvious MS symptom.
Forgot to mention:
GI doc said I should be referred back to the swallowing center. That's where my PCP sent me in the first place! There I had an abnormal modified barium swallow. Gastro doc has report. Swallowing center sent me to ENT, ENT sent me to GI.
I ain't a-goin' nowhere else unless someone gets awfully persuasive that I need to! Enuff a'ready.
But BTW, what is an eshopageal motility study, who does it, how useful is it, and if it's abnormal, is there anything to be done about it anyway?
I'm totally doctored out!
ess
GI doc said I should be referred back to the swallowing center. That's where my PCP sent me in the first place! There I had an abnormal modified barium swallow. Gastro doc has report. Swallowing center sent me to ENT, ENT sent me to GI.
I ain't a-goin' nowhere else unless someone gets awfully persuasive that I need to! Enuff a'ready.
But BTW, what is an eshopageal motility study, who does it, how useful is it, and if it's abnormal, is there anything to be done about it anyway?
I'm totally doctored out!
ess
I have the very same question that you do. I have been diagnosed with acid reflux (no heartburn), esophageal spasms and hypersensitive esophagus. I am currently taking prilosec twice a day and a calcium channel blocker at night for some relief of the spasms. The sensitivity seems to be getting better (I assume because the acid reflux is under control) and is limited to certain foods now.
This all started abruptly - along with my first tingling symptoms in July of 2007. since then I have developed a number of neurological symptoms, but have found no answers.
I have always believed that the GI stuff is somehow related (only because it started so abruptly and so did the tingling)...but no doctor has said the same.
It will be interesting to hear what others think.
Be well,
Chrisy
This all started abruptly - along with my first tingling symptoms in July of 2007. since then I have developed a number of neurological symptoms, but have found no answers.
I have always believed that the GI stuff is somehow related (only because it started so abruptly and so did the tingling)...but no doctor has said the same.
It will be interesting to hear what others think.
Be well,
Chrisy
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