Carbonation question

[Guest guest]

Hello all...I'm on the verge of panic this afternoon. I've read

several posts about those of you who sip diet Coke or Alka Seltzer to

get the LES to open. I have Alka Seltzer, though it seems to go flat

very fast. I must look for carbonated water or soda water tomorrow,

something with zero sugar.

When even my liquid food won't go down, I can't breathe & that's

what causes me to panic. Do you have suggestions for anything fizzy

that has no sugar, no flavor ? Many thanks, Susie

[Guest guest]

Diet Coke

uses this all the time.

I drink real Coke but may change to diet, must have my blood

checked first.

See book below 2005 version . He has several pages on Achalasia and on

page 72 says " Carbonater Beverages help to loosen the LES " .

A great book on the stomach.

The Doctor's Guide to Gastrointestinal Health: Preventing and Treating

Acid Reflux, Ulcers, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Diverticulitis, Celiac

Disease, Colon ... Pancreatitis, Cirrhosis, Hernias and more by ,

M.D. Miskovitz and n Betancourt (Paperback - Mar 3, 2005)

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8 & search-type=ss & index=books & field-

author=%20Miskovitz & page=1

You might get some pressure in the chest, sip it swallow it slowly, let

it remain in the LES area then swallow it. May take 1/2 a can to really

open it up. Then drink the other half.

Let us know if it works for you. I buy many cases a week of Coke, maybe

3-4 a day with my meals and before I go to bed.

You can also buy Club Soda at the larger super markets, it should meet

your requirement. The brand I bought at Safeway was not as much CO2 but

it may depend on the brand. In Calif Coke is usually on sale at $2.5

per 12 pack. I need the calories so use real Coke.

Ray OC CA 78

>

> Hello all...I'm on the verge of panic this afternoon. I've read

> several posts about those of you who sip diet Coke or Alka Seltzer to

> get the LES to open. I have Alka Seltzer, though it seems to go flat

> very fast. I must look for carbonated water or soda water tomorrow,

> something with zero sugar.

> When even my liquid food won't go down, I can't breathe & that's

> what causes me to panic. Do you have suggestions for anything fizzy

> that has no sugar, no flavor ? Many thanks, Susie

>

[Guest guest]

Susie wrote:

> Do you have suggestions for anything fizzy

> that has no sugar, no flavor ?

Carbonated water, also known as sparkling water, fizzy water and

seltzer, is plain water into which carbon dioxide gas has been

dissolved. Sometime club soda is just carbonated water so look for that,

but watch to see if anything has been added because club soda can

contain other things. Carbonated water without flavoring tastes like

club soda, so one can not say there is no taste. Many stores now carry

flavored water that is carbonated but has no sugar.

You may want to talk to your doctor about some medication to relax the

LES a little while you wait for your tests. You will need to stop them

before your tests though and there could be some rebound. Something to

think about though.

notan

[Guest guest]

> > Do you have suggestions for anything fizzy

> > that has no sugar, no flavor ?

>

> Carbonated water, also known as sparkling water, fizzy water and

> seltzer, is plain water into which carbon dioxide gas has been

> dissolved. Sometime club soda is just carbonated water so look for

that, but watch to see if anything has been added because club soda

can contain other things. Carbonated water without flavoring tastes

like club soda, so one can not say there is no taste. Many stores

now carry flavored water that is carbonated but has no sugar. You

may want to talk to your doctor about some medication to relax the

LES a little while you wait for your tests. You will need to stop

them before your tests though and there could be some rebound.

Something to think about though.

> notan

Thank you Ray & Notan...I'll go to Safeway early tomorrow. I'm

quite alarmed tonight as it's so hard to breathe. Usually, I take a

dinky dose of xanax, just 0.25 mg morning & night which has gotten

me thru the breathing problem for over a year. My consultation with

a GI isn't until Oct 9th & that's a 300 mile round trip. Tests will

likely be farther off so I'm flopping around trying to follow all

your tips for survival. The raw eggs aren't even going down today. I

will research meds which relax the LES. There's no way to talk to my

primary care doctor & an appt with her must be made 2-3 wks in

advance. Thanks so much, Susie

[Guest guest]

>

> Hello all...I'm on the verge of panic this afternoon. I've read

> several posts about those of you who sip diet Coke or Alka Seltzer to

> get the LES to open. I have Alka Seltzer, though it seems to go flat

> very fast. I must look for carbonated water or soda water tomorrow,

> something with zero sugar.

> When even my liquid food won't go down, I can't breathe & that's

> what causes me to panic. Do you have suggestions for anything fizzy

> that has no sugar, no flavor ? Many thanks, Susie

Susie, I actually tried some decaff Coke today for the first time and

it worked. I felt like I had some cream of wheat just stuck in my

esophagus, it was there for like 2 hours, I got disgusted and decided

to try the coke, not caring if it make me feel worse. My esophagus

actually felt opened up, I used it later today to get some ensure

down. I am going to try it with some runny soup in a little while. Am

going to let my stomach have some time to empty. It is probly very

shrunken from little food being in it for so long. I just took small

sips of it and it helped. I am having some heartburn now. I know what

you mean about feeling like you can't breathe when food or fluids feel

stuck. I hope the carbonation works for you!!! Gemini

[Guest guest]

>>

> Susie, I actually tried some decaff Coke today for the first time

and it worked. I felt like I had some cream of wheat just stuck in

my esophagus, it was there for like 2 hours, I got disgusted and

decided to try the coke, not caring if it make me feel worse. My

esophagus actually felt opened up, I used it later today to get

some ensure down. I am going to try it with some runny soup in a

little while. Am going to let my stomach have some time to empty.

It is probly very shrunken from little food being in it for so

long. I just took small sips of it and it helped. I am having

some heartburn now. I know what you mean about feeling like you

can't breathe when food or fluids feel stuck. I hope the

carbonation works for you!!! Gemini

Gemini, I'm glad the Coke worked for you ! I bought plain seltzer

water yesterday & opened it too fast, spurting it all over my shirt.

Anyway, I took 3 big swallows & waited 5 minutes before chugging

down some pureed chicken. No bueno. I was so bloated all day, I was

afraid to try the seltzer again. I couldn't even burp it up. I bet

the Coke is stronger, more carbonated. Today I'm sipping gobs of

peppermint tea before each tiny liquid meal. Good luck ! Susie

[Guest guest]

Hi Susie

You really need to try real COKE or Pepsi or diet types. Get it cold

as it holds the CO2 in. Sip it from the can, hold it in the lower E

for a few seconds, then try to swallow it.Maybe stand up.

If it comes up spit in a glass.Do it many times! I bet after a half a

can the LES will open a bit. Continue on for the whole can.

If it opens have your soup, I also use a second can at times. I do

this first when I have pasta at lunch, the Coke really helps.

uses diet Coke all the time, maybe he can also explain more.

Yes we are all different. Hope it works.

Ray OC CA 78

> >>

> > Susie, I actually tried some decaff Coke today for the first

time

> and it worked. I felt like I had some cream of wheat just stuck

in

> my esophagus, it was there for like 2 hours, I got disgusted and

> decided to try the coke, not caring if it make me feel worse. My

> esophagus actually felt opened up, I used it later today to get

> some ensure down. I am going to try it with some runny soup in a

> little while. Am going to let my stomach have some time to

empty.

> It is probly very shrunken from little food being in it for so

> long. I just took small sips of it and it helped. I am having

> some heartburn now. I know what you mean about feeling like you

> can't breathe when food or fluids feel stuck. I hope the

> carbonation works for you!!! Gemini

>

> Gemini, I'm glad the Coke worked for you ! I bought plain seltzer

> water yesterday & opened it too fast, spurting it all over my

shirt.

> Anyway, I took 3 big swallows & waited 5 minutes before chugging

> down some pureed chicken. No bueno. I was so bloated all day, I was

> afraid to try the seltzer again. I couldn't even burp it up. I bet

> the Coke is stronger, more carbonated. Today I'm sipping gobs of

> peppermint tea before each tiny liquid meal. Good luck ! Susie

>

[Guest guest]

Responding to Ray, regarding Diet Coke and other carbonated drinks:

First of all, I drink on a much larger scale than Ray does.  Nothing less than

the 2 liter size for me!  12 ounce cans?  I inhale them, then move on to the

next one!  It doesn't matter to me whether the drink is hot or cold.  Bubbles

are bubbles.  (For the record, I prefer cold).

Ok, let's put the " macho " stuff aside for now.

The interesting thing about carbonated drinks is that there are 2 groups here. 

Either it works wonderfully, or it doesn't work at all and may even cause more

problems.  Nobody seems to know why.

I thank Ray for mentioning the techniques he uses.  Amongst the people who

successfully use soda, there are probably different " methods " for successfully

utilizing the drink.

I have talked before about the " one bite of food - one drink of liquid " way I

eat (I must confess that there are times that something tastes so good I'll go

for the second bite before having the next drink, but a 3rd bite is very

rare).  As I have said in other posts, my GI told me that the name of the game

is " clearance. "   Don't wait until you feel that food might be accumulating

before you start drinking more.  By then it might be too late.

Even when I have my meal according to plan, due to the shape or texture of the

food, it is possible for it to get backed up.  Then all eating stops, and I must

either continue to just drink, or excuse myself and go to the " regurgitation "

room to clear myself.  Follow that with some soda and often there is no further

problem eating after that (as long as its accompanied with liquids).

There was a person (was it Dave?) who coined the term " Power Swallow " which is

done when the food is really, REALLY backed up, and then you chug down a glass

(or can) of soda really fast.  Gutsy play!  If it works, you're " clear. "   If it

fails, you could essentially drown yourself.  Call it a " do or die " move, when

all else fails, and not for the faint of heart.  I had tried it before it got a

" name, " and its a situation you never want to encounter.

It has also been suggested that there might be something in the cola syrup which

relaxes the LES and helps to get food down.  Thus it may have an advantage over

drinking Club soda (seltzer).

A number of us having had the barium swallow were witness to the fact that the

barium did not move at all into the stomach, that drinking water gave it a

little push, but drinking soda cleared it through much, much faster.  There is

something about a " pressure " being created by these drinks that enable food (for

those benefiting from it) to pass thru to the stomach so much better.

Having soda may make eating easier, but its also possilble, even likely, that it

will not slow down the progress of the disease.  There is no yardstick to

follow, as there are many of us (not me) who had the disease for years without

suffering much appreciable decline (Notan comes to mind).  For others, the

disease hits and its straight off to surgery.

 

Re: Carbonation question

Hi Susie

You really need to try real COKE or Pepsi or diet types. Get it cold

as it holds the CO2 in. Sip it from the can, hold it in the lower E

for a few seconds, then try to swallow it.Maybe stand up.

If it comes up spit in a glass.Do it many times! I bet after a half a

can the LES will open a bit. Continue on for the whole can.

If it opens have your soup, I also use a second can at times. I do

this first when I have pasta at lunch, the Coke really helps.

uses diet Coke all the time, maybe he can also explain more.

Yes we are all different. Hope it works.

Ray OC CA 78

> >>

> > Susie, I actually tried some decaff Coke today for the first

time

> and it worked. I felt like I had some cream of wheat just stuck

in

> my esophagus, it was there for like 2 hours, I got disgusted and

> decided to try the coke, not caring if it make me feel worse. My

> esophagus actually felt opened up, I used it later today to get

> some ensure down. I am going to try it with some runny soup in a

> little while. Am going to let my stomach have some time to

empty.

> It is probly very shrunken from little food being in it for so

> long. I just took small sips of it and it helped. I am having

> some heartburn now. I know what you mean about feeling like you

> can't breathe when food or fluids feel stuck. I hope the

> carbonation works for you!!! Gemini

>

> Gemini, I'm glad the Coke worked for you ! I bought plain seltzer

> water yesterday & opened it too fast, spurting it all over my

shirt.

> Anyway, I took 3 big swallows & waited 5 minutes before chugging

> down some pureed chicken. No bueno. I was so bloated all day, I was

> afraid to try the seltzer again. I couldn't even burp it up. I bet

> the Coke is stronger, more carbonated. Today I'm sipping gobs of

> peppermint tea before each tiny liquid meal. Good luck ! Susie

>

[Guest guest]

wrote:

> First of all, I drink on a much larger scale than Ray does. Nothing less than

the 2 liter size for me!

>

Do those drinks have sugar/syrup? If you were younger I would wonder

about the years of subjecting your body to possibly large glucose

spikes. The body responds by producing a large insulin spike. Some

researchers are thinking this may lead to insulin resistance, which

could lead to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Those that have

quicker gastric emptying would be the most at risk. Drinking a lot with

a meal can also speed up gastric emptying. being overweight also

increases the chances of getting those disorders but you don't have to

be overweight.

> The interesting thing about carbonated drinks is that there are 2 groups here.

Either it works wonderfully, or it doesn't work at all and may even cause more

problems. Nobody seems to know why.

>

There was some talk about using drinks that have a lot of carbonation. I

would like to say that how much carbonation a person likes is also

something that can differ. Before surgery I actually preferred the plain

carbonated water. Sometimes I liked it when it had almost gone half

flat. I could drink more of something that was less fizzy. Also the

carbonated water is less foamy. Root beer could be hard to drink at

times because of the foam, not just the foam in the glass but the foam

it makes after you drink it. I had a situation happen in high school a

year or too before I knew something wasn't working right. I had just

eaten a mint when my friends started to leave the room and I couldn't

take my cola with me. I quickly chugged an almost full can then thought

I was going to die choking on the foam it made in my throat. I am told

there are web sites about mixing some kind of mint and cola. I think of

that when I think of someone that the carbonation doesn't work for and

what it would be like to drink too much before knowing it was not going

down. Less foamy would be better then I think.

> It has also been suggested that there might be something in the cola syrup

which relaxes the LES and helps to get food down. Thus it may have an advantage

over drinking Club soda (seltzer).

>

I don't know if anyone in the group still uses it, but years ago there

were positive posts about using cola syrup.

> ... There is something about a " pressure " being created by these drinks that

enable food (for those benefiting from it) to pass thru to the stomach so much

better.

>

Years ago I read something about some people with achalasia have a funny

response to gas at the UES (U-upper). In stead of relaxing like it

should, to let the gas out, it will tighten in some people. This would

mean that the pressure can build for them to push the food through the

LES. There may also be something about the bubbles stimulating

contractions in the esophagus. The pressure and bubbles stimulate nerves

that cause the esophagus muscles to try to clear whatever it is that is

stimulating them.

> there are many of us (not me) who had the disease for years without suffering

much appreciable decline (Notan comes to mind). For others, the disease hits

and its straight off to surgery.

>

In the last decade the decline may have been accelerating. One of the

things that kept me going so many years was that I kept having times

where I would get better. But the problem times got worse and worse over

the years. I am thinking that my peristalsis is getting worse. Even

though my surgery has been very good I wonder what my progression will

be like in the long-term. I wonder what aging does to the process. Maybe

I should have kept that thought private for a while.

notan