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What Causes Excessive Swallowing Of Air While Eating?
Question: When I first swallow during eating it feels like I get a gulp of air trapped as it goes down. Once the air reaches my stomach, I can't burp it out and have trouble breathing. Usually a pause of 1-5 minutes before my next bite, it will clear. However, on occasion, a larger gulp will get stuck. Which makes me cough up and vomit significant amounts of mucous from a cup to a pint. On these occasions it feels like I am on the verge of suffocating and this episode will last 30 minutes or so of spitting up mucous. It is not specific to any foods. However drinking beer seems to fill my stomach and intestines with air and it lasts 4-5 hours, thus I've excluded beer since this all started 6 months ago.
Brief Answer:
Please provide more information and consider these guidelines
Detailed Answer:
Hello
I had gone through your question very diligently and I appreciate your concern.
Here I would like further information for better assessment of the condition like
Since how long you have this problem?
Are you having acid reflux or regurgitation of food content into mouth?
Do you smoke?
Have you taken any medicine?
Looking at your description This seems to be related to aerophagia (swallowing of air) or acid reflux.
Since your barium swallow study is normal so I would advise you for an X ray chest standing or an endoscopy if need be.
I would advise you to take pantoprazole or ranitidine group if drugs with antacids for 5 to 7 days
you should take small meals and small bites at a time, have lots of free fruits and vegetables.
Have plenty of fluids
Please write back to me with these details so that I will be able to tell you more precisely.
Best wishes
Please provide more information and consider these guidelines
Detailed Answer:
Hello
I had gone through your question very diligently and I appreciate your concern.
Here I would like further information for better assessment of the condition like
Since how long you have this problem?
Are you having acid reflux or regurgitation of food content into mouth?
Do you smoke?
Have you taken any medicine?
Looking at your description This seems to be related to aerophagia (swallowing of air) or acid reflux.
Since your barium swallow study is normal so I would advise you for an X ray chest standing or an endoscopy if need be.
I would advise you to take pantoprazole or ranitidine group if drugs with antacids for 5 to 7 days
you should take small meals and small bites at a time, have lots of free fruits and vegetables.
Have plenty of fluids
Please write back to me with these details so that I will be able to tell you more precisely.
Best wishes
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Sonia Raina
I have had this problem for 7 months now. No, I do not smoke. Sometimes I vomit food, but mainly just mucous. I have taken Prilosec for 2 weeks and it seems to be helping along with not eating close to bedtime.
Brief Answer:
Please follow these guidelines
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome again and thanks for the details
Since barium swallow study is normal so you need not to worry much
You should take all the measure to avoid regurgitation of food as I advised you in my previous reply like
Avoidance of fatty fried spicy and junk food or carbonated drinks like cola, cold drinks and beer.
You should take small and frequent meals, try to avoid over eating.
If I were your treating doctor I would have advised you to take pantoprazole 40 mg once daily, half an hour before breakfast for 2 to 3 weeks with antacids.
If your symptoms doesn't subside with these measures than I would referred you to an Gastroenterologist for an endoscopy and further course of action.
Hope this answers your question
Best wishes
Please follow these guidelines
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome again and thanks for the details
Since barium swallow study is normal so you need not to worry much
You should take all the measure to avoid regurgitation of food as I advised you in my previous reply like
Avoidance of fatty fried spicy and junk food or carbonated drinks like cola, cold drinks and beer.
You should take small and frequent meals, try to avoid over eating.
If I were your treating doctor I would have advised you to take pantoprazole 40 mg once daily, half an hour before breakfast for 2 to 3 weeks with antacids.
If your symptoms doesn't subside with these measures than I would referred you to an Gastroenterologist for an endoscopy and further course of action.
Hope this answers your question
Best wishes
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Answered by
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