Please help. Husband can't swallow even some liquids

  • Thread starter Thread starter linden13
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linden13

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My husband is having a nightmare at the moment. Can only take a little soup and milk shakes. Can't swallow anything solid. Tried some soft mashed potato yesterday but coughed it back up. He has lost two stone in the last month. He has had symptoms for about six weeks.
He describes it like when the food get to bottom of oesohpagus it gets stuck and he has to cough it up. He has has a lot of frothy bile. Constantly clearing his throat and coughing. Came on really bad after a bout of what we think was swine flu. He does have a gastric hernia and was three stone overweiight but GP says it is nothing to do with this and put him on omprazole. After a week this made no difference and emergency doctor at walk-in centre changed it to lansoprazole, Still no different but now how really bad stomach cramps, constipation and BAD back pain. If he does get any liquid down it is followed by the loudest burps imaginable for about ten minutes. He sounRABd very nasal, as if he has a cold, which he hasn't and seems to be gasping for air.
He is seeing a consultant on Friday after GP made an emergeny appointment. He is diabetic and can;t exist on a cup of soup and a shake. I am going mad with worry. We fear the worst and what with Christmas only two weeks away we are unsure what treatment he will have as all the hospital departments seem to scale down for the holiday period. We are considering private endoscopy but that is over
 
Linden13, sorry I can't offer any advice but I hope everything gets better for him soon!!! Kind regarRAB
 
If your husband hasn't been able to eat anything solid for six weeks I think he neeRAB to have an endoscopy. That is really the only way to see precisely what is going on internally. Have you been referred to a gasteroenterologist? I think you should insist that your GP refer your husband to a specialist asap. There can be many reasons for his symptoms, from the relatively benign to the more serious. You don't want to wait much longer if his symptoms haven't cleared up. Even if his symptoms have improved, I would still insist on an endoscopy. I have had two myself, and my symptoms weren't nearly as bad as your husband's. At first my doctor brushed it off and said it's acid reflux so take this medicine. But I wanted to know exactly what was going on. Luckily, in my case, the endoscopy was fine. But it did put my mind at rest. I know others who have had less positive results.
Good luck.
Kassie
 
I see you put "private" endoscopy. I don't know anything about healthcare in Europe. If it is the time factor of getting the test and husband has to wait on a list or something, then i would keep calling and seeing the GP till he gets you moved up. It doesn't sound like your husband has time to be waiting. $1500 is alot to have to pay. Hopefully he can get this test soon and not have to pay such a high out-of-pocket. Is there anyway that you can get financial assistance for a private test?
I wish you and your husband luck and let us know how things are.:angel:
 
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