Anyone (hic) else have (hic) pro (hic) blems with (hic)

[BeBe]

Hi BeBe,
Yes, it does sound like esophageal spasms.  I also found out on my last appt. with my gastro that the hiccups are a side effect of GERD.  He laughed when I ask him about it.  I said "What's so funny?" He said when he was in his last term of medical school he had to write a paper on hiccups and he was interviewed by the local newspaper to print his paper. 

That's when he told me that they are caused by irritation of the epiglottis.  In my case it is irritated by reflux disorder or other irritants.

Pooh

Thanks, Pooh, that's interesting.  I was just dxd with gastritis, but the gastro said everything else was fine, and though I forgot to ask, I think he probably would have said if I have GERD.  However, I've always had a very "touchy" epiglottis!  I do the "choking cough" thing a lot, or I used to more often when I had saliva!  If even the tiniest drip hit my epiglottis, I'd go into a coughing fit.  It happened at least once a week.  Always had problems swallowing food, too- probably because of the esophageal spasm thing.
I've scared many a person who thought I would choke on my food!

[Pooh]

BeBe,
You are not alone with the choking.  My poor friend Carolyn turns white when I start choking.  I've told her "it's just me, I'm okay", but she is so afraid I'm choking to death. 

I guess we'll just have to wear a sign that says "Just Sjogren's Folks, Not dying!"

I had my esophagus stretched about 3 or 4 months ago during an endoscopy, but I think it's time to do it again as I'm having problems swallowing again.  If it isn't one thing with this disease, it's 10 others. 

Take care and I hope you don't get to choking or hiccuping to much. 

Pooh

[Chana M]

Hi BeBe and Pooh

Do you wake choking?  I've had the coughing/choking combination for about 18 months now.  I have a lot of neuro symptoms, most of which begin after odd 'episodes' triggered by severe, killer headaches.  The usual picture is that I get an unbelievably horrible headache and then shortly afterwards new areas of numbness appear.  Summer 2007 the left side of my face, throat and tongue were affected.  Since then the choking and coughing got a lot worse, often waking me in the night. 

Food can start it off, particularly crumbs, and also fizzy drinks.  My speech therapist had some good advice about eating toast with lots of butter on it, advice I was more than happy to take!  She didn't have much to say about my failing voice except to suggest that I didn't talk so much.  Now that's almost impossible for me!

I haven't noticed more hiccups than usual but my daughter gets them a lot, and always has done.  Drinking from the other side of the cup doesn't make much difference, nor does a sudden shock.  However ... this summer while we were visiting a friend in Belgium, Ruby got really bad hiccups.  The friend offered her 20 euros if she could hiccup once more and, do you know, she just couldn't do it!  Maybe it made her relax and the spasm passed?  Might be worth a try?  Maybe instead of 20 euros you could get another lovely handbag/purse, Pooh?!

Love to all - Chana

[Sjenny]

Chana:

Have you seen this thread 

https://sjogrensworld.org/index.php?topic=7248.0

They are studying ECGc in MS to see if it has a neuroprotective effect.  I wonder if it would work for the neuropathy complications in Sjogrens as well?

Just a thought, it would be wonderful is the answer was so simple.

Sue

[heyamy]

Pooh,
I read about hiccups being related to a nerve. I also read that stimulating the nerve is what they believe stops them. I get them A LOT and so much that my family thinks it's hysterical. I just make sure to swallow right afterwards so that I can wash the acid back down to my stomach. I never get them while asleep but my husband burps in his sleep so I assume it's not really weird to get hiccups too. And given your neuro involvement (and mine are involved as well), it would seem that hiccups are typical, I suppose.

I'll share what I do that works all of the time for me, and doesn't involve weird positions. I take a deep breath and without letting any of it out, I swallow three times. It's weird, but if I let air out, it won't work and I seem to need the time of three swallows before they will go away. My theory is the pressure of both holding air (without exhaling one bit) and swallowing, stimulates the nerve enough to reset it or something. I don't have to actually swallow any liquid but just do a swallow.

Nerves are a real pain. I've had to find a bunch of things to eliminate or ease pressure on my nerves all over the place. I wish someone in the medical community could offer suggestions rather than us having to experiment and research to find relief.

I wish you well.
Amy

[Pooh]

Amy, you are quite right about the nerve involvement.  I had completely forgotten about that.  It's called the vargus (sp) I believe.  Thanks for penetrating my "Brain Fog".  Sometimes I come out of it long enough to remember things but not always.

Pooh