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Home > Archive > Nursing > December 2005 > Treatment For Narrowing of Upper Esophagus
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Treatment For Narrowing of Upper Esophagus
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| My father has an extreme narrowing of his esophagus right below the
epiglotis. He had lymphoma more than 40 years ago, and the doctors think
this may have damaged the muscle action of the esophagus. Food accumulates
at this narrowing and eventually backflows above the epiglotis, causing him
to choke and cough. He often has to regurgitate his food when he cannot
get it to travel down.
What are some possible treatments for this condition? For example, are
there:
- drugs or foods that will dilate the upper portion of the esophagus?
- drugs or foods that will lubricate this area, making it easier for food to
pass through a narrow opening?
- treatments that would widen this area?
The doctor has treated him with some kind of balloon in his lower esophagus,
but this I don't really understand since it is not the area that is
restricted in movement. Apparently the doctor feels that a balloon cannot
widen the affected area, or maybe the movement of food in this area requires
coordinated muscular contractions that just cannot be treated surgically or
with mechanical means?
Any help in understanding this condition or in suggestion treatments to
explore is appreciated. Of course I will talk to the doctor as well, but I
would like to have some ideas to explore with him before I have that
conversation.
--
Will
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| SEEKER 2005-12-18, 1:03 am |
| well-it is a common problem among neur-muscular persons--example
polio-it is very painful codition--first rlax when eating-2-small
bites-the throat muscle gets spasims-barrium solution will clear the
throat if chocking-meds-use 1mg of valuim-rr
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| O'Hush 2005-12-18, 12:54 pm |
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Will wrote:
> My father has an extreme narrowing of his esophagus right below the
> epiglotis. He had lymphoma more than 40 years ago, and the doctors think
> this may have damaged the muscle action of the esophagus. Food accumulates
> at this narrowing and eventually backflows above the epiglotis, causing him
> to choke and cough. He often has to regurgitate his food when he cannot
> get it to travel down.
>
> What are some possible treatments for this condition? For example, are
> there:
>
> - drugs or foods that will dilate the upper portion of the esophagus?
>
> - drugs or foods that will lubricate this area, making it easier for food to
> pass through a narrow opening?
>
> - treatments that would widen this area?
>
> The doctor has treated him with some kind of balloon in his lower esophagus,
> but this I don't really understand since it is not the area that is
> restricted in movement. Apparently the doctor feels that a balloon cannot
> widen the affected area, or maybe the movement of food in this area requires
> coordinated muscular contractions that just cannot be treated surgically or
> with mechanical means?
>
> Any help in understanding this condition or in suggestion treatments to
> explore is appreciated. Of course I will talk to the doctor as well, but I
> would like to have some ideas to explore with him before I have that
> conversation.
>
> --
> Will
Hi Will,
There are a couple of docs including a surgeon (I think he's a GI
surgeon) in sci.med who sometimes answer questions. It wouldn't hurt
to repost this in there. Did he have radiation therapy to treat his
lymphoma? Sometimes radiation therapy causes fibrosis of structures
near the radiation target.
Some of this may be pertinent as well, but on searching I didn't find
anything specific to proximal esophageal stricture resulting from
lymphoma or treatment, that was intended for patient education.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...ageal+stricture
--Patti
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| O'Hush 2005-12-18, 12:54 pm |
| SEEKER wrote:
> barrium solution will clear the
> throat if chocking
Huh? The only barium solution I know about is a contrast dye used for
GI radiologic studies.
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| Peanutjake 2005-12-19, 6:00 pm |
| Check out Nexium.
FDA has approved it for some conditions of the esophagus.
PJ
Will <DELETE_westes@earthbroadcast.com> wrote in message
news:aKydnYyhxNkfGjneRVn-hw@giganews.com...
> My father has an extreme narrowing of his esophagus right below the
> epiglotis. He had lymphoma more than 40 years ago, and the doctors think
> this may have damaged the muscle action of the esophagus. Food
accumulates
> at this narrowing and eventually backflows above the epiglotis, causing
him
> to choke and cough. He often has to regurgitate his food when he cannot
> get it to travel down.
>
> What are some possible treatments for this condition? For example, are
> there:
>
> - drugs or foods that will dilate the upper portion of the esophagus?
>
> - drugs or foods that will lubricate this area, making it easier for food
to
> pass through a narrow opening?
>
> - treatments that would widen this area?
>
> The doctor has treated him with some kind of balloon in his lower
esophagus,
> but this I don't really understand since it is not the area that is
> restricted in movement. Apparently the doctor feels that a balloon
cannot
> widen the affected area, or maybe the movement of food in this area
requires
> coordinated muscular contractions that just cannot be treated surgically
or
> with mechanical means?
>
> Any help in understanding this condition or in suggestion treatments to
> explore is appreciated. Of course I will talk to the doctor as well, but
I
> would like to have some ideas to explore with him before I have that
> conversation.
>
> --
> Will
>
>
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