Edited: Eosinophilic Esophagitis - Autoimmune related? Help Please.

Tulsamom, I get this all the time!  If you take the steroids get. An antidepressant. It helps, really.  I get manic on steroids so I feel your pain.  Also, mostly esophagitis is caused by allergies, but GERD can be a major contributor.  I would see a really good ENT.  Also, if you don't want to take the steroids by mouth you can get a shot.  Also a medril dose pack.  I didn't spell correctly, but I did sound it out!  Someone help!  I have less mood issues with the dose pack.  Sadly, I'm on steroids a lot because of severe sinus and allergy problems.  The nasal sprays will help too.  Feel better!  Oh, the last time I had esophagitis, I also had infected tonsils and adenoids!  I hit the trifecta!  Good luck!

Thank you for sharing your experience. I can't take anti depressants anymore. And those med... Packs are usually OK because it's a short time and small amount. But they want me to use something you swallow and it coats the esophagus. Flovent. What did you find you were allergic to?

Flovent is a nasel spray  you dont swallow it.  It may drip, but it is sprayed in your nose. I am allergic to everything except dogs. I have seasonal allergies that are all fiur seasons with spring and fall being the wirst. Im also allergic to fruit and vegetables. Its a complicated allergy situation but i get bad nasel polyps as a result. I have asthma as well.  In simply terms, its the asprin allergy. So i get sick alot because of allergies and serious sinus infections. Its a mess in my nose!  

The way the doctor wants me to use it is to spray it into the back of my mouth and swallow so it coats the esophagus. Sort of a topical treatment. This is to get the inflammation where it is instead of it being absorbed systemically, I guess.

I'm surprised no one else has weighed in because it's being diagnosed as an autoimmune disease more recently. 

Wow!  I had not heard that.  I will have to ask my ENT.  I know it's rather painful, that much I remember.  For me, it's allergy induced.  My ENT wanted me to have my tonsils and adenoids out.  I said no thank you!  I'm 61, too old for that kind of surgery, and pain!  I'm on a kick now days to stay out of hospitals and no more surgery except maybe and it's a huge maybe, a face life!  

Fel,better and good luck

 Tulsamom, 

It really does not matter whether your case is allergy or autoimmune, the treatment is the same, particularly during the acute phase. Mainly, swallowing small doses of topical steroids. 

GERD is associated with it also.

If you have a food allergy, avoiding that food should help.

I found this link informative:

http://www.aaaai.org/condition...nophilic-esophagitis

Jan

Thanks Jan! Good website. I see your point  that the only things that help are the same whether it's autoimmune or allergy. I'm just really upset that I have another thing to deal with. I already have a problem with partial obstructions so I avoid certain foods. And now this will restrict me even more. Plus I'm 100% vegetarian, 90% vegan, so most of the protein I get is on the elimination list. I need to move on to acceptance, because I've been struggling with the bargaining stage and researching and not getting the answers I want. The answer I want is that this isn't happening.

So strange that food elimination would have anything to do with an autoimmune disease. I guess I'm glad there haven't been more responses because that means most people don't have this extra burden. 

Sorry I could not give you a "feel good" answer. I can empathise, as I continue to develop one chronic problem after another. I hate to mention the option of getting away from vegetarian, or at least vegan, since you are probably very committed to it. However, if it is primarily for health reasons, then your actual health is more relevant than what you feel should be healthy for you. Humans really are evolved to eat a variety of foods. My point being that limiting your options to a severe degree may not be in your best interests.

Good luck sorting this out. Try to be nice to yourself and just do what you need to do to feel better.

Jan

Thanks for the kind words. I know I have some difficulty choices ahead of me. I've been researching everything and will decide what action to take with that info, and what the allergist says. It would be very nice to not be in pain every day. Wishing you the best, Jan!

Thanks! Not being in pain every day is a reasonable goal. However, it is not always possible. For me, after a lifetime of UC, and now more than a decade of enteropathic arthritis, I am settling on tolerable pain. Sometimes, you just have to go with good enough. You can't turn back the clock to before you had chronic disease. Beats the alternative of having a chronic pity party! 

Jan

Chronic pity parties are the worst! They color the rest of your life as unbearable. And nobody can afford to live that way. Thanks for the reminder!