Does anyone know what might cause a severe gagging reaction, like the body is trying to throw up? My father experiences this about every three weeks where it makes him bed-ridden for a half a day until his body goes through a couple cylcles of gagging where his body, quite violently, tries to throw something up, never more than flem. Doctors have not heard of this before and can’t find anything wrong??? Probably not peritonitis–he’s been tested.
Has he seen a gastroenterologist (GI) doctor?
What kinds of tests have they done to look for problems in his GI tract, gallstones, etc.?
Is he taking any medication that could be contributing to the gagging?
Is there any event that occurs around the time that he experiences the gagging that could be stressful to him?
Yes, they did a full body scan with dye (CAT) I think. They found nothing. The gagging isn’t triggered by stress–it comes on very suddenly, lasts for several hours, and then stops just as suddenly as it came on. Would gallstones show up?
According to the WebMD website, a CT scan can find blockage in the bile ducts, but to find gallstones, they should do an ultrasound. Have the doctors done tests of his esophagus to be sure it’s working like it should? You didn’t say whether he is seeing a GI specialist, but I hope so.