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What Causes Regurgitation Of Food And Liquid?

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Posted on Thu, 10 May 2018
Question: Last Friday afternoon, I swallowed a bite of meat that I had not chewed thoroughly enough. It felt as if it "stuck" before it got into my stomach completely. There was a burning sensation, and I went to the bathroom to get rid of it be regurgitating - NOT puking, but regurgitating. The bolus had been in my tract for just about 2 minutes, and was still completely recognizable when I expelled it. But here's the problem - ever since that happened, I have not been able to eat or drink anything EXCEPT for 1/2 teaspoon of liquid at one time. I am a Hospice patient, and I cannot even take my prescription meds at this point, unless I chop them up and put them on a spoon with some honey. I have to take liquids a few sips at a time from the spoon. I have lost 13lbs. since Friday. Considering that I am extremely overweight (I was 404 lbs) that isn't entirely a bad thing, I guess, but I much prefer losing weight the way I had been for the past year or so, with it being a pound or two lost per week. I am afraid of becoming dehydrated. But whenever I try to swallow ANYTHING of a normal sized portion, even if it is tepid water, I have to make a dash for my bathroom sink to regurgitate. What in the heck did I do to my throat? Or was it my GI system? I have to tell you, I am frightened. Please - if you can give me any ideas of what happened, and let me know if my body will heal on its own - or should I bypass my Hospice contract and just break down and go to the Emergency Room? Because with me being on Hospice, I don't have a doctor anymore, except through Hospice, and I only get to see their RN once a week, and she said she can't help me.

Not a question, just additional info. I had lost down to 299, which is what I weighed last Friday, but this morning I weighed 287. That canNot be good....
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ramesh Kumar (38 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Take an anti inflammatory.

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks so much for this query.
I have gone through your details and i appreciate your concerns my dear patient.

Chewing and mixing of saliva is important because it lubricates the bolus.Our esophagus is lined by soft layer of thin tissue called mucosa.Sometimes improperly lubricated food causes erosion of this mucosa layer while passing through esophagus.So now when ever you would try to swallow something the already breached and inflamed mucosa lining would cause reverse peristaltic moments in esophagus causing nausea and vomiting. This in most cases regress eventually and really requires no treatment but to hasten recovery i would suggest you to take an anti inflammatory like Tylenol(over the counter) two times a day.
Secondly a food particle could temporarily sit in the throat. Try to drink XXXXXXX warm water with honey . There is no reason to seek a medical consultation at this time unless something else sets in.
Rx
Tylenol twice daily for 2 days.
Nexium 40 mg twice daily for 2 days.
Sip XXXXXXX warm water with honey.
Try to take soft and easily chewable diet for next 2-3 days.
I wish you well. Feel free to follow up with me. If you need more details and clarifications, feel free to follow up with me.

As per query regarding weight i am a bit confused as initially you have mentioned that your weight was 404 lbs and in additional information you have written that its 299 and now 287 lbs.
Kindly repost that part again.
i.e Your weight on last friday and today.

Waiting.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Ramesh Kumar (2 days later)
The weight info was a typo on my part. I weighed 404lbs about 2 years ago, and had lost down to 300 as of last Friday when this incident happened. SINCE the incident with my swallowing improperly, my weight dropped to 284. That is 16lbs gone in less than 6 days. You don't think dehydration could be an impending issue here?

ALSO - I mentioned in my original correspondence that I was sipping 1/2 tsps. of liquid w/honey, there was no need for you to parrot back to me as a "solution" when it was something I was already doing.

LASTLY - Dr. XXXXXXX I most certainly know the difference between "vomiting" and "regurgitating". And I am definitely NOT vomiting. Whatever I did to myself, it has NOTHING to do with nausea - I am not in the least bit "sick to my stomach".

I knew this whole thing was a bad idea. Doctors don't really listen even when you are sitting face-to-face with them in the exam room, and conducting a request for information from one through the de-personalizing process of the internet is not going to get anyone to pay closer attention to details. But hey, just for the heck of it - please re-read my original inquiry, and then re-read your response to me and you will see how patronizing and inappropriate it is. But hey - have a good day.

Thanks for suggesting to me that I treat myself by doing what I had told you I was all ready doing!!
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ramesh Kumar (3 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Follow up.

Detailed Answer:
Hello again my dear patient,
Firstly i am sorry that you were disappointed by my answer.
I would like to re explain the things to you again,And hope that you will find my advice useful this time.However in case if the answer can’t satisfy you again you may ask the customer care executive to forward your question to another specialist.Don’t worry HealthcareMagic strives to satisfy their patient.At any point of time you can ask for refund also.
As a non medical professional i can very well understand your concerns my dear patient.
As per your auery regarding regurgitation i would say that as explained earlier esophagus is lined by a layer of soft tissue called mucosa.If this layer is breeched it results in inflammation of that part.This inflammation results in secretion of large amount of mucous from mucosa cells.Actually this is a protective phenomenon.As lower esophageal sphincter is closed this mucous regurgitates back into mouth.Again treatment is same we have to give anti inflammatory to patient to suppress inflammation.As inflammation settles down production of excessive mucous would stop hence regurgitation would stop by itself.

As per your expaination i can understand the intensity of problem in your case.Losing 13lbs in 6-7 days is something which could be suggestive of red flag sign.
However as per query regarding dehydration there are some common signs of dehydration which appears in patient very early.You can infact check them yourself.
1)Pinch your skin on arm for 3 sec.If it returns back to normal immediately you are not dehydrated.
2)Look at your tongue in mirror unless its completely dry you are not dehydrated.

But considering the intesnsity of problem i would recommend you to visit a physician or emergency room so that doctor could examine you physically as well as clinically.Vitals like pulse blood pressure etc could be checked once and if required fluid could be given intravenously.I hope you can understand that i can just give you an assumption or differencial diagnosis as i could clinally examine you.

As a matter of fact if a person don’t take maintainence calories for a week he/she would lose 10-15 pounds(Exactly the amount you lost).It’s basically the fat used by delpeted body stores to produce energy.

Please feel free to follow up in case you have any other query in this regards.
I would be happy to provide you with professional advice.
Take Tylenol asap and you would feel much relieved till time you visit your physician or RN.
Hope you will be helped.
Warm regards get well soon!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Ramesh Kumar

Gastroenterologist

Practicing since :1986

Answered : 2906 Questions

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What Causes Regurgitation Of Food And Liquid?

Brief Answer: Take an anti inflammatory. Detailed Answer: Hi and thanks so much for this query. I have gone through your details and i appreciate your concerns my dear patient. Chewing and mixing of saliva is important because it lubricates the bolus.Our esophagus is lined by soft layer of thin tissue called mucosa.Sometimes improperly lubricated food causes erosion of this mucosa layer while passing through esophagus.So now when ever you would try to swallow something the already breached and inflamed mucosa lining would cause reverse peristaltic moments in esophagus causing nausea and vomiting. This in most cases regress eventually and really requires no treatment but to hasten recovery i would suggest you to take an anti inflammatory like Tylenol(over the counter) two times a day. Secondly a food particle could temporarily sit in the throat. Try to drink XXXXXXX warm water with honey . There is no reason to seek a medical consultation at this time unless something else sets in. Rx Tylenol twice daily for 2 days. Nexium 40 mg twice daily for 2 days. Sip XXXXXXX warm water with honey. Try to take soft and easily chewable diet for next 2-3 days. I wish you well. Feel free to follow up with me. If you need more details and clarifications, feel free to follow up with me. As per query regarding weight i am a bit confused as initially you have mentioned that your weight was 404 lbs and in additional information you have written that its 299 and now 287 lbs. Kindly repost that part again. i.e Your weight on last friday and today. Waiting.