Swelling in esophagus post vomiting??

[ss_s]

After an episode of natural vomiting & 1 episode of induced vomiting due to uneasiness, i started having a feeling of some sort of swelling in my esophagus. I dont know if its exactly esophagus. Its the area in the middle where the clavicle bone joins. I dont have any pain, difficulty swallowing. I am able to eat and drink normally. I dont have any reflux, gerd, heartburn or the vomiting has not recurred either. What could this be? what is the treatment? i thought since i induced vomiting and strained a lot i have a swelling in my esophagus. Pls let me know. It feels like a lump in the lower half of throat. Thanks.

[Werenotalone__]

Hi. I think I have this problem that started today. I threw up a few time's each day but after today, it feels like food stuck. As vomiting, I noticed towards the end of it, food or chunks weren't coming up completely.

So does your lump, feel like trapped food? And has it gone away? If so, how long did it take? Thank you. I'm scared a bit by it.

[momoftwins2008]

I have the exact same problem! I had a soar throat to start with which caused involuntary vomiting. Since then I feel like a lump in my throat which hurts more when I swallow and especially late in the day and at night. The lump feeling is also accompanied by tightness which is persisting for over 2 weeks now.

[InsularFLY]

I have this exact problem. It's been four days and it's moved down to my chest area and back of throat. 2 months? REALLY? It stops me sleeping and causes me stress. Does milk help? Does eating less or liquids help?

[J_Wo]

Thank you for helping to ease my mind. I have also had a post vomit swelling of the oesophagus. Was just online researching the symptoms and was getting scared with cancer of the oesophagus posts. With your advice, I'm going to get it checked out by my GP just in case.

Thanks for the info, it really helps to put the mind at ease.

J-Wo

[skydivinryan]

Hello-

I have the exact same feeling. Mine came after a terrible bout with vomiting 2 months ago.

I have seen my general practice doctor, an ENT and a gastroenterologist. The general practice doctor said he sees this problem not too infrequently.. He said that young people (I am 21) vomit very forcefully and often times they can strain the muscles in their esophagus and irritate it. He said it usually heals up in 2-4 months. The reason it takes so long is that unlike other muscles (like a strained/sprained ankle) it really is not possible or practical to rest your esophagus. You have to use it all the time every day to swallow food, liquid and saliva.

I saw an ENT first, and he said all was well in his area. He put a small scope in my nose to look into my throat, but the area I was complaining about is more gastro territory, and his scope doesn't go down that far.

So he recomended that I see a gastro. and have a scope put down my throat just to make sure. He cautioned me, however, that often times this procedure won't be able to pick up on this type of damage. It is important to do though, just to rule out other things.

As he predicted the gastro. didn't see anything. All my blood work came back normal (I had enlarged lymph nodes, probably due to the inflammation/injury in my esophagus-but had to rule out lymphoma), and my doctor says he thinks this should heal up for me in a couple of months. He gave me an Rx for Voltaren 75mg (an anti-inflammatory) 2x/day.

It is still very uncomfortable, but I feel better knowing that my Dr. HAS seen this before, and it DOES go away. Also, if you got this sensation after an episode of vomiting/retching (like I did) you can use common sense and suppose that it is NOT related to anxiety, and if you didn't have GERD before, its probably not related to that either.

I have been having this for 2 months now. But I feel like it would have gone away sooner if I had taken care of it from the start. Things I have noticed to help:
1)Avoid Alcohol- everytime I drink alcohol it is like taking 2 steps backwards in this thing healing. As much as it sucks not drinking as a newly 21 college student, you just have to abstain.
2) Don't smoke- Same idea. The smoke irritates it horribly
3) Coffee- Seems to make mine hurt
4) Excessive use of voice- Seems to exacerbate my symptoms.

Good luck.

[lizziecee]

Hi there, I am no gastroenterologist, just have had Crohn's for some 37 yrs and now, breast cancer for 4 yrs. I can well remember some 35 yrs ago, with a flare of Crohn's, as an in patient for 3 weeks in a Metabolic Unit in London, England, for Crohn's, that I had this terrible choking feeling in my throat as if there was a lump there.  My gastro thought I had a stricture in my small bowel and/or oesophagus. Turned out it was just anxiety at the complexity of my problem. As life works out, I now have a stricture in my small bowel - hope I can get to a hospital in time before it bursts"  Geez - whoever had heard of Crohn's in 1970? Certainly not me or anyone I knew. My parents drove some 600 miles through the night as I was only given a 50% chance of coming through the laparotomy to diagnose it/ Investigations are not so traumatic now - an endoscopy of the small bowel, or colonoscopy of the large bowel. Both investigations now give anaesthesia, and I don't know anything until I am wakened with a cup of tea and a cookie.  The prep is horrendous for people like me, but when you have to do it, you will.

I really don't know what your problem is....but if I was you I would see a Gastro. I don't know how old you are, but my husband, now 79 yrs old, who has had the problem for some 30 yrs,  has had a problem with vomiting after two mouthfuls of food - turned out to be Swartzki's ring narrowing in the oesophagus. I made him go and see my gastro who sorted it out. I think you should get checked out, at the very least with an upper GI series, and an endoscopy to see what is causing the problem

Please do it, because the problem is probably not going to go away, and the better seen, soonest mended.
Love, Liz.

[ss_s]

Thank you Liz. Your message comes as a relief. It is exactly 4 days since I started having this feeling. Today it kind of seems to have moved down the esophagus. What do you suggest I do? Shud i see an ENT for this or gastro doc? Awaiting your reply.

[lizziecee]

Hi - doesn't sound alarming - you have probably irritated the lining of the esophagus by the vomiting. Anxiety can also cause this feeling of an obstruction in the throat. Take it easy for a few days and see if it clears up - if not, better go and see your doctor.
Liz.