Stopping repetitive swallowing

Question:
Hi my GI doc has suggested that I suffer from aerophagia which has led to repetitive belching. That’s not really a big unfortunately, the belching brings up acid into my throat and I have had a sore throat for over 9 months

One of the complications of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is sore throat (chronic pharyngitis). One can have GERD without heartburn and only the complication(s) of GERD, such as sore throat (chronic pharyngitis), or chronic hoarseness (chronic laryngitis), or wheezing (asthma), or post nasal discharge (rhinitis/sinusitis). Doctors often overlook GERD as a cause of these problems. You could take an H-2 blocker (like Tagamet) or a PPI (like Prilosec) to reduce the acid in your stomach.

On 2nd thought, skip the H-2 blocker and go right to the PPI (proton pump inhibitor) which reduces stomach acid more effectively. Ask your GI doc to treat you for GERD. Also ask him if you have GERD. He won’t treat you for it if he doesn’t think you have it. Then you would have less eructation of sour acid matter into your throat, and reduce/eliminate the sore throat. People swallow alot of air and saliva when their throat is sore.

Upper GI disorders (including GERD) cause reflex hypersalivation, which could explain your excessive salivation. If you treat the excessive salivation with a drying agent (like an anticholinergic) it will reduce lower esophageal sphincter tone and increase GE reflux. So I’d avoid drying agents (anticholinergics) Bottom line: ask your GI doc if you have GERD, and if you do, treat it effectively. That should eliminate the sore throat and hypersalivation (which is associated with swollowing air along with the saliva). If aerophagia remains after treatment of GERD, and is still a problem, treatment includes the following: avoid chewing gum and smoking and carbonated beverages. Eat and swallow foods slowly. Anxious people may swallow air without knowing it. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

You could take an H-2 blocker (like Tagamet) or a PPI (like Prilosec) to reduce the acid in your stomach. Then you would have less eructation of sour acid matter into your throat, and reduce/eliminate the sore throat. People swallow alot of air and saliva when their throat is sore. So this could decrease the amount of air you’re swallowing. You can also buy simethicone OTC to decrease gas in the GI tract. So you have less belching. Background, I’m on 10mg of Lexpro daily for depression and anxiety.

The SSRIs (like Lexapro) can cause GI upset and heartburn. I don’t know how much this is contributing to your GI problem. If you notice that the acid in your throat follows taking the Lexapro, you could take Lexapro with food and/or split the dose in half and take it twice a day. I would only try one of the above at a time. If you try them all at the same time, you won’t know which variable caused a change. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:
Hi my GI doc has suggested that I suffer from aerophagia which has led to repetitive belching. That’s not really a big unfortunately, the belching brings up acid into my throat and I have had a sore throat for over 9 months. I’m doing a number of things to lessen the aerophagia but can’t figure out how to stop swallowing all the time. And I think this is where most the air is coming from. I swallow all the time because of the sore throat and post nasal drip. But even when there’s no post nasal drip, I’ll still swallow. It’s become second nature.

See also Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment

it is a cycle-reduce the post nasal drip using a steroid nasal spray may help, saline sprays and decongestants that do not increase anxiety-coricidin comes to mind-possibly antihistamines if you have allergies-try seeing an ent doc I’ve tried putting a pen between my teeth as I hear this prevents swallowing.

a hard rubber eraser works better, make sure it islarge enough so you don’t swallow or choke on it But I must be doing it wrong because I can swallow. Plus, I can’t do it for long because my saliva starts to pool in my mouth.

is this because of the pen or does it normally happen-if the later then ask your doc about using a drug called an anticholinergic to dry out saliva secretion-the advise of using an h2 blocker or proton pump blocker is a good one-simethicone can increase gas eruction but usually out the other end-if you don’t have any blood pressure issues you can try rubarb and soda if you can find a druggits that still carries it-it initially causes some rather dramatic gas release because it rapidly neutralizes stomach acid but you cannot use too much of it or you may alakalinize your blood, not a good thing-people with anxiety swallow more frequently-another trick would be to nix the lexapro and use a tricyclic drug like imipramine-it will reduce anxiety and decrease salivation all in one pill, that may help your swallowing habit, hypnosis is another possibility Any tips? Background, I’m on 10mg of Lexpro daily for depression and anxiety.

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi my GI doc has suggested that I suffer from aerophagia which has led to repetitive belching. That’s not really a big unfortunately, the belching brings up acid into my throat and I have had a sore throat for over 9 months. I’m doing a number of things to lessen the aerophagia but can’t figure out how to stop swallowing all the time. And I think this is where most the air is coming from. I swallow all the time because of the sore throat and post nasal drip. But even when there’s no post nasal drip, I’ll still swallow. It’s become second nature. I’ve tried putting a pen between my teeth as I hear this prevents swallowing. But I must be doing it wrong because I can swallow. Plus, I can’t do it for long because my saliva starts to pool in my mouth. Any tips? Background, I’m on 10mg of Lexpro daily for depression and anxiety.