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I just left the hospital this evening after having an endoscopy. I had a barium swallow also last week. The doctor that did the endoscopy really thinks I have achalasia and the bill fits because I have had this serious swallowing condition for 11 years now. I find it horribly difficult to swallow both liquids and solids. I feel an acute pain in my chest and back and I only get relief after I have taken a few sips of water. When I eat, (every single time I do) I feel the food is stuck in my throat and sometimes it feels like I can't breathe. I need mouthfuls of water to forcefully push the food down and it takes over 20 seconds of me pushing hard, swallowing repeatedly before the food now feel likes its gone down and most times I actually hear the food drop with a thud into my stomach. Its harrowing, it feel like I am abnormal and I wonder if I can go on like this but I am glad now that a diagnosis has been made and we'd see what method of treatment and management they are willing to give me. I am sure I will get something done before January is over. Thank you for this opportunity to share my story

I was first diagnosed about 3 years ago. My symptoms were pain and a feeling of 'blockage' in my throat when swallowing and regurgitation of food and liquids, especially at night when asleep. I had a Botox injection treatment which worked wonderfully for about a year. It was painless, an outpatient procedure and I was home in 2 hours. When my symptoms reappeared I called the doctor and was scheduled for a second treatment, which also was problem-free. That was 2 years ago and unfortunately I am experiencing symptoms again. I have difficulty swallowing, pain and discomfort and occasional throwing up. The most scary is the regurgitation at night when I wake up choking, even when I haven't eaten or had anything for a few hours before bed. I have scheduled a treatment for next week. The only symptom I don't share with other correspondents is weight loss. I am overweight and really need to lose, but obviously I must be getting through enough high calorie stuff to maintain my bulk! It doesn't seem to matter what food I eat, sometimes I can eat anything, other times a lettuce leaf or even a sip of water will set it off for hours.

I suffered from achalasia for the last 25 years. It took me a year to find a surgeon who could perform the surgery to treat it. It has been almost four years after my surgery, and I can now eat without pain, choking or vomiting. My only problem now is mild acid reflux that I did not have before my surgery.

I was diagnosed with achalasia when I was around 7 years old, but since I was born, my parents have been telling me I was always throwing up. When I was 4, I told them that I had these pains in my chest. After about three years of being tested to figure out what I had, they finally said it was achalasia. They held off doing surgery to me since I was only a kid, but by the time I was 13, I had not been able to even complete a full meal. I had surgery, and it worked for about a year. Then I started having problems again. It's not as bad as it used to be, but it keeps on getting worse over the months. I recently had a test performed about a month ago, and they told me the food was getting stuck on the uppermost part of my esophagus. They said they could do nothing for me at the moment with the technology and treatment options available.

I am a 52 year old male and had a myotomy procedure performed 24 years ago. It took 10 or more years of symptoms for my doctors to diagnose it correctly. The surgery has been very successful. Be careful of your weight gain; it's your biggest enemy. I have been following up with endoscopies every three to four years since the surgery. The surgery was very difficult to go through, even at a young age. It can be very frustrating.

I am 29 years old. In November of 2007, I started having trouble swallowing. A short time after that, I stared having heartburn. After months of going to the doctors, I was diagnosed with achalasia. I am going to have esophagomyotomy surgery in January of 2009.

My mom is 55 years old and was diagnosed with achalasia about two years ago. We have tried various medications (allopathic and homeopathic), but they have not helped. Some of the homeopathic medicines give some relief when swallowing but only marginal. Mom had a balloon dilation performed about 15 months ago. It seemed to resolve the issue for about four months, but then the symptoms were back with a vengeance. She used to throw up regularly (foamy and watery vomits), about three to four times a day. Now the foamy discharge is gone, but it still pains her every time she swallows. And as soon as she has the first couple of bites, the sphincter jams up. She seems to have resigned herself to these symptoms, and we are trying to alter her diet with fluid supplements as she has lost a lot of weight over the last year. We are keeping our fingers crossed that her health improves with these minor adjustments to the diet.