Problems swallowing

[Birdee]

Anyone on Palbo and letrozole having trouble swallowing. ?

[KMBL_]

Yes. I’ve asked about this before, but it seemed I was the only one. For me it feels like thick phlegm, and I do get some up, but I do have what feels like a thick heavy feeling in the back of my throat, like there is a golf ball. This makes it hard to swallow. I went to an ENT, who basically gave me the nose rinse bottle and told me to rinse my nose with saline. That does not help me. There are also times when I’m eating that the food tends to stop after I swallow and sit there for a while until it moves down. Let me know if that’s how it feels for you.

[hdhonda in reply to KMBL_]

I have the same thing sometimes. I have a large hernia and that is what is causing me swallowing problems. Blessings Hannah

[Birdee in reply to KMBL_]

Exactly. Everytime l swallow the food stops. I must drink copious amounts of fluid to get it into my stomach. Sometimes lm not successfull and must run to the sink because it's on it's way back up.

[KMBL_ in reply to Birdee]

Very strange. I’m not sure why it happens, but I haven’t gotten so bad that it comes back up. I’m sorry you’re dealing with that.

[Birdee in reply to KMBL_]

Thank you. Truly not very pleasant.

[Mets1 in reply to Birdee]

I don’t know if this will be helpful for anyone else or not, but I thought I would share just in case. I take metoclopramide 5 mg 3x a day before meals. It is a substitute for Reglan. It helps push everything in my digestive system down before I eat and may be helpful for anyone struggling with fullness after eating small amounts of food or other digestive issues.

[Birdee in reply to Mets1]

Thank you. Good info.

[Hidden in reply to KMBL_]

I have the same as you. It can be scary when the good won’t go down. I’ve told my oncologist but he doesn’t seem concerned. .

[Valisa]

I don’t necessarily have trouble swallowing but have a very sore throat on my right side for one to two weeks each cycle. This does make swallowing more uncomfortable. This seems to start on my week off and clears sometime first week back on Ibrance. Oncologist has checked my throat each time and can’t see anything.

I hope you start to feel better and this symptom does not persist for you.

[Birdee in reply to Valisa]

Thank you l appreciate that very much.

[Red71]

I had radiation to my spine when I was first diagnosed and this was a problem for about 6 months afterwards due to irritation at the end of my esophagus. I learned to take small bites and chew throughly and I could mostly avoid those choking problems, but I did have a few in the beginning where I coughed and choked and things came back up. The first time it happened my esophagus spasmed and it felt like I was having a heart attack. Good thing my husband is a retired anesthesiologist and realized what was going on! It’s better now but I’m still careful with things like steak and bread. My mother had that problem in hers 80’s and 90’s and was told that over time your esophagus does it smaller or more irritable just due to use. I hope your resolves over time, whatever is causing it.

Elaine

[Hidden in reply to Red71]

I have a sore “burn” on my esophagus from radiation on the 27th. It doesn’t seem to be getting any better. I hope it doesn’t take 6 months like yours did to heal.

[Red71 in reply to Hidden]

I hope not either! Mine wasn’t sore, it was just a problem with food that didn’t collapse well while eating. Since my eating habits stretch back to being a nurse with not enough time to eat meals, I’ve now relearned the art of chewing!

[Birdee]

Ahhh yah still a nurse and struggling with not wolfing food.

[LaliChicago]

I too have issues swallowing. For whatever it is worth, I made a connection between Ibrance and this issue. It seems to me that if I don’t drink a lot of water when I take the Ibrance capsule it irritates my esophagus and causes difficulty. If I drink about 1 1/2 cups of water with the Ibrance, issue is averted. Placebo? Maybe, but it seems to work for me.

[Birdee]

As long as you figured ig out so it doesn't bother you. All that matters.

[Timtam56]

Yes KMBL.

I have had this. I had it after about y months of being on both. I told the docs/hospital, and I wrote down the date that it happened to me. Then about one month after is started, I had radiation to spine, ribs and hips. It got so bad. It made me feel sick. They could not comprehend that it had happened before the radiation, but I assured the, that it had. They really annoyed me with this contradicting me about what I knew absolutely. Because I remember my partner, now deceased, and I were driving for a weekend holiday. I said to him that day, “I feel like I have a golf ball sitting in the back of my oesophagus.”

It’s disgusting. I can’t tell you half happy I am now not to have it. I also could not eat or drink without feeling like there was something there. I was scared I had cancer of the oesophagus.

Sorry. But these kind of things don’t seem to worry the medical profession. They really didn’t seem to care and it was driving me to distraction. I am now on daily heart burn, reflux medication, and if I take that I am fine. A actually forgot all my meds yesterday morning, (I take that with my morning meds) the feeling immediately came back.

I hope this helps.

Timtam56/ Chris

[Timtam56]

Ps. The medication I take is called Esomeprazole here in Oz. Might be different wherever you are.

[Birdee]

Thank you. I shall have a look. I'm so sorry about the situation in Oz hope you are safe.

[Birdee]

Thank you your info is very helpful.