Question:
Stricture Help/Remedy

I had a stricture and they did 5 dilations on me. Nothing was seeming to work so at 4 months without barely any food the Dr's finally decided to try something different. They did a 6th dilation and injected a steroid on the inside of my esophagus which is suppose to make it contract. I am feeling 100% better now. I was hopeless sooo ready to give up and done with trying to eat all together and they fixed me. I just wanted to put this up here just in case there is anyone else dealing with stricture issues. Ask about the steriod shot, its a miracle worker! I am so grateful I am fixed, hopefully this post helps someone else.    — jillian_amari (posted on September 14, 2010)

September 14, 2010
Thanks for the information. I have had 4 dilations and for the past week, I have been miserable. When you have had this so many times, you know when it's narrowing again. I will discuss this with my surgeon next week at my appointment. I hope that it works for me. Thanks again for sharing.
   — dowens67

September 14, 2010
When I had my surgery I too had I believe I had 3 strictures too. It was a rough year for me, I threw up all the time and I barely ate anything. But I did get my protein in and vitamins. My NUT kept telling me it is going to get better, well, after one year it did get better. I am still having problems with meat, but it is better. If anyone says this process is a piece of cake I would have to laugh!
   — FSUMom

September 14, 2010
Hi Shelley! I have to laugh at your "piece of cake" statement.....because even with a stricture at 6 weeks out, for me it HAS been a piece of cake. I'm now 18 months, and although I don't usually have any problems eating, it seems that recently, my pouch is NOT liking dense protein, like fish and turkey and chicken. I'm not much of a red-meat eater, but I don't think it would like that, either. For about the past 4 weeks, even when I've been eating stuff I've eaten without problem for the past 18 months (like poached fish, or tender chicken cooked with spices in a non-stick spray just until they're no longer pink, it seems that they are refusing to "go down" and within 15 minutes to half an hour, I have to throw up. Now this doesn't happen with ALL foods, just the denser proteins....and I'm a little confused. But, I have an appointment with my doc next week, so we'll see what's going on. It feels suspiciously like a stricture, or at least some narrowing of the stoma.... but that would be very unusual at 18 months out.
   — Erica Alikchihoo