Barium Swallow test/ info from Hobb

[Guest guest]

I talked to Hobb. A member had a question about the Barium Swallow

that was suppost to have and was wondering what happened. Her is her

reply.

I had the test this week and the little barium cracker got stuck just like I

said while most of the other stuff went down OK.

The therapist said that if it is neuropathy there is nothing that can be

done - I just have to change my eating habits to smaller bites and lots of

fluid.

I always have the feeling that something is stuck in my throat - not really

what I would call choking.

The sensation is that it is high in the back of the throat and that is

where the pressure builds until it is sometimes painful to swallow.

The test showed only that the barium cookie/cracker (not the applesauce and

not the liquid) got stuck fairly high in the throat until I drank extra water

a little at a time. She said it is not high enough to risk that some of the

food getting stuck there will be in danger of being aspirated into the lungs.

I think that the list members should know that aspirating food can be a

serious problem if someone has this going on.

The other cause -- if not neuropathy--could be collapse of some of the

cartilage in the throat/larynx/hyoid structures. I may take a throat scan

to discover this.

If someone has the barium swallow test with all of the different items - thin

liquid, thick liquid, applesauce, cookie and a barium pill (about the size of

a small tums) it is the right test. A test with just the liquid will not do.

A laryngologist with the little TV camera on a probe that will go down

into your throat an look around may be able to see if anything is out of

place. Mine said it looked OK, she ordered the barium swallow and said if

it showed nothing they would do a scan. You need someone with an attitude

to do a thorough check...