I feel like I am choking!

[BlackButterflies]

Hi everyone

I have been having flaring symptoms that I have barely been keeping under control through being stubborn and refusing steroids because I hate them - instead I've been trying to use diet, exercise, steroid enemas and suppositories. It isn't working. I am now having worse flaring symptoms that are progressively becoming more painful and unbearable. With this flaring I have started having throat issues. Throat may be the wrong descriptor - basically I feel like something is choking me from the top of my larynx to mid breastbone inside. Like something is stuck. After being up all night in discomfort I went to Emerg this morning. They checked my breathing, heart, arteries, and did an ultrasound on my throat. Everything looks and sounds great and nothing is stuck in there. The doctor decided there are two possibilities. One, and the most likely, he said is I damaged my esophagus lining by scratching it (I am not sure how I could have done this - my diet consists of eggs, rice, mussels, shrimps, bananas, pineapples, broths... all soft/blended foods). The other he said is Crohn's, but he emphasized how unlikely it is and dismissed it.
The reason I went to emerg instead of my GI is because my apt for tomorrow got cancelled and pushed out until end of April. In the meantime he gave me the prednisone.
Has anyone experienced this symptom or know what this is? I am very worried, and very uncomfortable. I am ready to cry, partly because I feel like I failed and have ended up on pred again which I never wanted and partly because I have no idea what this really is and the possibility of it being Crohn's there sounds scary and makes me worry even more. I hope it is just coincidence. Any input is appreciated. I just want to feel ok and get some sleep.

Thank you for listening

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Did they do anything to check your esophageal motility? I believe the test is called esophageal manometry. If you have abnormal esophageal motility, then your esophagus isn't able to move food down into your stomach correctly, and stuff might just be sitting there for awhile - that could explain the choking feeling.

Another thought - do you have GERD or acid reflux? Chronic reflux can cause damage to the esophagus. It wouldn't scratch the esophagus, but it basically burns it repeatedly with stomach acid - perhaps that's what the doctor meant?

If it were me, I'd be on the phone with my GI requesting an urgent upper endoscopy. If you do have an upper endoscopy, make sure they take lots of biopsies (things like Barrett's esophagus can be found on biopsy). Waiting until the end of April is just too long when you're this miserable. Good luck, I hope you can have some tests done soon and I also hope the pred helps you feel better!

 

[Marlena]

You may also be suffering from a great deal of tension/anxierty which will make you feel this way. I know because I have experienced this and didn't ralize the amount of tension I had. But I would do what cat-a-tonic said first. and also perhaps get some tension reliever or anti-anxiety meds as well.

 

[JenS]

My first thought was GERD.

 

[jwfoise]

On top of what Cat-a-tonic said, could it be very bad gas? I can't say I've felt a choking feeling, but I have felt it behind the breastbone. I also think you need to get on the phone with your GI and see if they can see you sooner.