Hurts to eat!

[Lesley]

The only thing that doesn't is coconut ice cream.

I back off after a couple of mouthfuls of food, which takes the edge off hunger, but hurts so much I cannot continue.

And after a week of softeners and laxatives that would have given an elephant D I finally managed to get going yesterday, but there I was passing water and mucous, and I feel like said elephant sat on my nether end.
The relief was there, but the accompanying pain, nausea and total discomfort are just as unpleasant.

So rock candy and coconut ice cream and a little food is what I can eat.

[desertrat]

Lesley,

I asked this on another post, but have you ever tried baby food? It is so soft, I wonder if any of it would soothe your poor throat. I am so, so sorry for what you are going through. Heading "upstairs" with prayers for you tonight. God bless you.

Mandy

[nancyl]

Leslie,
Have you tried aloe vera juice? George's is a good brand and it is tasteless. Keep it in the refrig. It can be soothing, also healing and can sometimes work as a laxative. I agree with Mandy that baby food or even if you pureed your own. What about making your own juice, at least you would be getting some nutrients.

My heart goes out to you, I can't even imagine what you are going through.

Nancy

[jmayk8]

I agree with both baby food and aloe vera juice. Both sound like they may work and are worth a shot?
J

[Leah]

Hi Lesley
This sounds odd, but I was watching Dr. Oz yesterday and he was talking about C. One of his natural remedies was to drink a "shot" of sesame oil every day. Look it up. you never know.....
I really feel awful for you.
Leah

[jme22]

Hi Lesley,

Sorry if I'm coming in late to this but...

What type of mouth pain are you having? Burning? Irritation in general? I ask only because I have had mouth pain issues and have a few ideas that might help, but it really depends on the cause and type of pain.

Also, I have dealt with C a good deal. The surefire cure for me is fresh asparagus, typically roasted or grilled. I went through a recent bout of C and it was the asparagus that helped things get somewhat back to normal.

Hope you are feeling better soon,

Julie

[Lesley]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!!

Nancy and J,
I have tried aloe, so far with no results. Nancy, I will try to get the brand you recommend, since I haven't tried that one.

Mandy - I can't buy baby food because, however natural it is it contains stuff I can't have. I am trying mashing or pureeing foods and eating things like quinoa flakes, which cook into a very soft, mash like cereal. I can only take a couple of mouthfuls because it hurts going down.
It's not really my throat. The swallow is hard, and then the going down is agony.

I am thinking of hiking out my juicer and making a little juice from things I can have, like pears, spinach and apple to get some nutrients to see what happens.

Oh asparagus. I ate it all of last week, and when I went to Costco yesterday I bought one of their big bundles. But it didn't help the C.

Thanks again!

[Zizzle]

Lesley,
Have you tried Slippery Elm lozenges yet?

Slippery elm (alternative names: Elm, American Elm, Japanese Elm, Indian Elm, Red Elm, Sweet Elm, Moose Elm, Ulmus rubra, Ulmus fulva, Winged Elm)

Slippery elm is recognized for having significant mucilage, a substance that swells and becomes slippery without dissolving in fluids. Mucilage is believed to help people find relief from coughs, and a variety of other symptoms involving the respiratory system. Furthermore, mucilage is also recognized for its positive effects on the GI tact, and it antioxidant effects that have the potential to decrease intestinal inflammation.

Slippery elm provides the mouth, esophagus, and GI tract with a coating. The slick residue it leaves in the GI tract can help alleviate sore throats; pain associated with stomach ulcers or colic; and can also help relieve inflammatory bowel symptoms. Additionally, slippery elm may encourage mucous production in the GI tract, which helps to protect the stomach and intestinal linings.

Side effects – When taken orally, slippery elm has no reported side effects. However, it may cause an allergic reaction in sensitive people when slippery elm products are touched, or pollen from the tree is breathed in.

Drug interactions and other precautions - There are no known interactions between slippery elm and medications or other herbal products. Nevertheless, due to the fact that the mucilage may coat the stomach and intestines, the mucilage could potentially delay or block the absorption of nutrients or drugs. Therefore, it is recommended that slippery elm be taken orally a minimum of 2 hours before eating or ingesting medications.

Pregnant women should not take slippery elm.

What you should know before taking any heartburn remedies: You should not take any herbal remedy to treat your acid reflux or GERD symptoms without first consulting your health care provider. This is especially important if you are pregnant, breast feeding, or have another health condition and are taking medications. Furthermore, you must ensure that you take herbs according to the recommended dosage prescribed by a professional or as noted on the product information label on the herbal packaging.

Remember to speak to your doctor should you have any questions or concerns, and immediately stop taking any herbs should you experience an allergic reaction. Allergic reaction symptoms include:
- Skin: redness, rash, itching, or hives
- Eyes: red watery or itchy
- Nose: blocked, runny or sneezing
- Lungs: tightness in chest, wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing
- Stomach: nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
- Swelling: face, tongue or throat.

[Lesley]

I seem to remember looking for it, but not finding it.

Meeting Meg for last session today. I will ask her if she knows about it. And I will look for them again.

Thanks Z!

OHHHH! My non memory! Yes I did. Didn't help me unfortunately!

[Rosie]

Leslie, I don't often post anymore, but a recent experience of a friend of mine made me think of you and your problems with swallowing, and pain. Here is the somewhat outrageous story.

My friend's husband had been having severe problems with pain on swallowing, GERD, severe stomach pain and lots of other stuff. During the past 14 months he had all sorts of tests, and the doctors finally gave up, said nothing more could be done, and he'd just have to deal with it as best he could. My friend is a vet, and in desperation she took her husband to her vet clinic and using her animal X-ray machine took some X-rays to see what she could see. Imagine her surprise when she saw that her husband's stomach was in his chest cavity. He evidently had a hiatal hernia that the doctors hadn't picked up despite all their imaging and tests. And being a vet, she certainly was knowledgeable about medical stuff, and pretty pushy about testing. Her comment to the doctors was something along the lines of "I would hope that your X-ray machines are at least as good as the one I use in my vet practice." He had surgery and is now recovering.

So Leslie, don't give up finding out what's causing your severe symptoms. I'm not suggesting that you have a hiatal hernia, but doctors can miss stuff. It sounds like your doctors are tired of hearing your complaints, but they aren't the ones who are suffering. I really hope that you can find out what's going on and get some relief!

Rosie

[Lesley]

Leah, I have sesame oil here. I will give it a try. Can't hurt.


Rosie - that story is outrageous! Good for our friend for taking control.

I had a hiatal hernia, and had it repaired, but, according to my last upper endoscopy, not very successfully. The wrap isn't very tight. I am loathe to redo this given my reactions to meds etc. I do not need another general anesthetic unless it's life or death.

I think I have Barret's esophagus. I am trying to get my GI to dx it so that I will be screened as per protocol. Not that there is much one can do, but I would hate to have it develop into cancer.

Thank you for your support! Honestly I don't know what I could have done without the people on this board!