Eosinophilic Esophagitis

I was diagnosed with EOE (Eosinophilic Esophagitis : a chronic allergic inflammation of esophagus) at the age of 14. It was a long winding road from the symptoms, that I have experienced pretty much my whole life….to actual diagnosis. The condition presents as reflux, difficulty swallowing, food impaction and sometimes nausea and vomiting. Sometimes these symptoms would be so significant I would be afraid to eat.

It was not until I was 14 and unable to swallow Amoxicillin that my parents went to a gastroenterologist. And subsequently went through an  esophageal biopsy. The biopsy was diagnostic: More than 100 eosinophils per high power field. And then started the management.

The first step is the six food elimination diet (SFED) No wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, nuts, and fish. Since I am vegetarian, the fish one wasn't hard.

This was probably the hardest time in my life. We realized how soy was in everything. It was not fun to watch my friends eat pizza and donuts while I couldn’t. Because of this, my family researched extensively and found alternatives and helped me settle a little bit.

The SFED didn't help and the next step was medications. I am currently on topical fluticasone and it seems to be helpful. I still need a repeat endoscopy but I am hopeful.