Food sticking

I,m now 10weeks post op and for the last week food and even water sometimes feels like it's sticking in my throat I also have a dry irritating cough which is worse after eating has anyone else had this problem it does eventually go but I dread eating because I know it will happen again .

[slobjohnb]

This is normal, explain it to your Doctor/Surgeon and they will arrange for you to have your throat stretched at the join, they wont do it yet as it take time for the scar tissue to heal but they will send you for a stretch during an endoscopy which will also test for lesions. This all takes time and can be very tiresome. After 18 months and three 'stretches' I still sometimes have difficulty swallowing. It is a lot better now and I can eat most things in small quantities and after lot of chewing. The join between the stomach and what is left of the oesophagus is not a smooth area, it is lumpy and can trap food for a while. It will get better.

[gerrykhoo]

My dry cough improved 4 months post op. My swallowing has improved- I have food sticking or stucked at back fo throat but not water. But that was before i went through a month of vomiting. You may need dilation if water has issue.

[Hidden in reply to gerrykhoo]

Thanks for replying did your cough improve on its own or did you take anything ? What foods stick in your throat ?

[gerrykhoo in reply to Hidden]

On its own. I chew thoroughly most of the time. Food like grape skin, dry biscuit crumbs, rice, peanut butter from spoon, one time i accidentally swallowed a lozenges (sensation last over night). Sometimes i cant swallow, body wont response to swallow motion and that scare me.

[sportsman]

Hi Molly,

I'm now 14 years post op but I well remember food sticking for maybe the first year to the point of choking it up. That then subsided but I am never totally free of it but manage it with experience. Initially I was nervous of big gulps of water in case that stuck but, based on a conversation with a lady at an OPA meeting, I took my courage in both hands and have a frequent significant gulp of water when eating. Even eating out in a restaurant I make sure there is a plentiful supply of water (and a glass of wine!) near at hand. I might drink a good part of a litre of water when eating out. That helped me immensely but may not be a solution for some.

With regard to coughing, as I have said in previous posts, I could cough for England for the first year or so but it declined with time and has not been a significant issue for quite a few years. Good luck but remember it is very early days.