Am I crazy?

[ebar822 0]

I posted last week about this mucus-y feeling I was having every time I swallowed. Someone mentioned that it might be too tight, and even though I could eat fine (shrimp, steak, chewed well of course but still...), I decided to go in and get it checked out.

I took it upon myself to get an esophagram because I am now completely paranoid that my band will slip again, and even though I ahve had absolutely no symptoms of that, I was still worried.

I had it all checked out and all is normal. The band is in perfect position and according to the barium swallow, it's wide open as well. He said I could use another 2cc fill if I wanted to have it.

I opted against it because I ahve 3 vacations coming up over the next 6 weeks and I don't want to be too tight or get sick while I'm away from home so I'll go in for another fill on 9/2.

But is this all in my head? I still feel thickness when I swallow. I'm trying not to think about it but it's hard to put out of my mind! It makes me feel like something's wrong, even though the scans prove otherwise. What do I do?!

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Are you getting enough Water?

And ... maybe that's just how it feels now and you need to get used to it? Sometimes I feel a little resistance when I swallow (although it is not mucouslike, to me. That's slimey. This is just resistance) But it doesn't bug me; I AM different inside so I expect things to act differently sometimes.

Ask your surgeon again...and if he is 100% sure it is all ok (and you don't have allergies, and you are getting enough Water, and your sinuses check out ok, and you only feel it when you swallow) then maybe some sessions with a therapist to get past it. Not just a "therapy" therapist, but one to help you get used to the new way of eating/swallowing etc?

I don't think you're crazy, whatever is discovered; but it's possible your body is misreading something as "mucous"...AND it is also possible that you have an issue your doc has missed (like I said, allergies, dehydrated, whatever). Only you can really decide if you want to pursue getting it checked out, or wait and see if it either gets worse or resolves on its own.

[als74 1]

I have that issue sometimes when I am not drinking enough Water. I also have the issue if i do not take my previcid every day. Are you on anything for reflux?

[greytz 4]

This is going to sound nutty and I haven't been filled yet but something similar happened to me only I hadn't been banded. I was swallowing a lot of mucus and no one could figure it out. I thought I had sinus infection, then I thought I had allergies, I thought everything. Had a dozen tests all came back negative and are you ready for this? My regular physician did a routine check one day and found a ton of ear wax in my ears! I clean them out all the time, but I had forgotten when I was a kid one of my doctors told my Mom that I produce a lot of ear wax and he had to take one of those alligator things and get it out on both sides. When it started again about a year ago, I got a Murine pack and washed my ears out real good, let them drain and problem solved. Not saying this is your problem but just giving you an experience I had since you have checked everything else.

[ebar822 0]

Thank you for the replies, guys :thumbup:

The ear wax definitely doesn't sound crazy...but I just recently had a physical and I had an ear infection so I know my doctor checked my ears and there was no buildup there.

The Water thing sounds like it might be it, though. I need to work a lot harder at getting all of my water in. I am not on anything for reflux, but I don't have any acid problems so I don't think that's it. I have been making an effort to drink more water and I need to do better than what I'm doing now.

Sometimes I think seeing a therapist wouldn't be the worst idea for me...I mean, I definitely feel something when I swallow and I don't know if mucus is the right word. It's not slimy, but it's thickness there and it's everytime I swallow--i'm not even talking about when I eat. I don't know...I hope that the water helps!

Thanks again for the replies!

[ParrotheadCathy 0]

You're definitely not crazy. Certain foods can increase mucous production (dairy and orange juice are examples). But the most likely offender is the time of year....allergies can cause post nasal drip (PND) and you may not even be aware that you have allergies because they can be quite mild....not every suffers terribly with allergies. Also, if you had a summer cold (like I did), it can take weeks for the PND to end (it took me more than a month after the cold was gone).