Air in the esophagus gets trapped next to the pharynx and larynx. Gastritis or GERD often is the cause. Reflux of stomach gas caught in the throat hurts because of the unnatural contractions in the throat that is trapping the gas, the gas’s acidic nature and the pressure against surrounding structures in the throat. I get them frequently enough to appreciate how it really feels like a stuck up hiccup. I don’t know why air in the esophagus gets trapped but it may have to do with peristalsis or a swallow wave. Peristalsis is triggered above the pharynx which causes a wave of constriction milking the swallowed food toward the stomach.
In the short term if she can drink a thick liquid like half and half, or a milkshake this may help. Liquid Gaviscon diluted with 10% water may soothe her throat and pop the impasse in her throat. Consider a children’s dose of Zantac on a regular basis for a couple weeks. See if that helps her at all. It could point at GERD.
Addressing any GERD, she might have could eliminate the problem. If my GERD weren’t managed, this would be a daily thing for me so getting it down to a couple incidents a month is acceptable. If this is GERD, lung infections could be coming from aspirated food so there are good reasons to visit or revisit this issue. Gastritis is common in CF but a contributor recently noted the chance of low stomach acid, a condition that looks a lot like hyperacidity or classic gastritis. Low stomach acid allows bacteria to “sour” the food in the stomach producing a revolting cocktail that feels just like gastritis. A simple hydrogen breath test can determine if it is low stomach acid or not.
My throat has been bothering me for several years but more so recently. I had fluoroscopic swallow tests done as far back as 2007 when it was determined my problem swallowing was Parkinson’s disease. Maybe not! I had a CT scan done recently of my neck and they found a Multi-Nodal Goiter (MNG). The odd difference between an MNG and a classic goiter is physical detection. All the illustrations of thyroid disease seem to include some bizarre lumps, bulging eyes and thick leathery skin.
An MNG can look more like hyperactivity, anxiety or restlessness with no bulges in the neck to betray a problem. The MNG is distorting my esophagus to where I can eat potato soup but a French fry isn’t going down my gullet. In any case I would be having a CT done of her neck to see if there is any mechanical obstruction like a growth or a deformed bronchial stem.
Swallowing difficulty seems endemic in CF so be aggressive in your search for why,
LL
