I had a barium test last month, because I kept coughing and it felt like food was stuck in my throat all the time. IT WAS SCARY!!! My gastro doc said I have really bad acid reflux and it"s actually a bone that's causing it. A bone from my spine that has bended (from Arthritis😲) and it just sometimes pushes towards my esophagus, making me feel like that. Then he says "There's nothing we can really do about that." But he prescribed HYOSCYAMINE SULF and that has helped me ALOT. Do some research on that drug & see if you think it'll help you; I'm hope it will.

What helps me with my cough is lime and lemon. If you have a squeeze. Buy lemons and lime squeeze together mix it up. I drink a little in the morning and at night. It will help a lot. Try not to scream and yell. Relax your vocal cords. All of this will make a big different.

Sounds like GERD which offen causes dysphagia, coughing, or a choking sensation, along with coughing. It may also be Hiatal hernia or even disfunction/failure of your lower esophageal sphincter (LES). LES failure can cause severe GERD and one can aspirate while sleeping causing coughing and result in pneumonia. As you may already know, Lupus can attack your digestive system similar to Crohns Disease. I suffer from all the above and more. If you have a hiatal hernia it can and should be repaired surgically. If the dysphagia is due to dysfunction of your LES there is a surgery, Nissen Fundoplication, which can resolve above however has a relatively high failure rate. I have had all above surgeries and more. My recommendation is to follow up with gastro. Many lifestyle changes may be necessary. I agree with above posters who reccomend frequent but very small meals, plenty of fluids, avoid soda, spicey/ fried foods, alcohol, minimally. Plan your meals so that you do not eat atleast 3 hours before you go to bed. Getting out and exercising is very important...walking yoga, Tai Chi, kayaking, swimming. I'm not getting into politics or practices here but as someone who lives with several autoimmune diseases and other issues my advice is to get out there and LIVE life to its fullest as you can! There have been and always will be viruses, flus, bacteria, etc out there! Screw them!

Cynthia,
Pantropazole is a Proton-Pump Inhibitor; there are others that you can buy over the counter Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid. There are two others but you would have to get a script for them, they are Aciphex and Protonix.
Pantropazole is suppose to be taken before you eat a meal. Since you can't get in to have your test done; perhaps you should eat smaller meals that are bland (like I have to do). Also after you eat sit up and don't lay down for at least an hour or so. Sometimes walking around helps. Try and drink plenty of liquids. Sometime milk products can cause problems. I cannot eat or drink milk products they make me sick.
I will pray for you and I don't blame you for not wanting to get out. My best friends brother has been in the hospital with the delta virus of COVID-19. This is his 8th day on a ventilator at 85%. A lot of people are praying for him. He did not believe in taking the shot. He has a family and friends that love him very much and they don't know what is going to happen.
I was watching a television show last week that said if you were in a room with Alpha or Beta version of COVID-19 it would take 15 minutes to contact it. If you were in a room that a person had Delta version of COVID-19 it would only take 1 second to contact the virus, that got my attention fast. I had to rewind that part and listen to it again. I never go anywhere without a mask. It was also said that even if you have the shots you could still contact Delta, but the shots really do help those patients and they usually go home and let it run it course, but you don't die.
I have been doing research right now that I am going to take to my Rheumatologist tomorrow morning.
Michigan Medicine had a article that referred autoimmune diseases were from exposure to a virus, that most recovered from and left then unharmed. But in others, it triggered something in their immune systems that left them with diseases like MS, Lupus or R.A. Researchers at the University of Michigan are discovering this very event in some COVID patients that developed blood clots throughout the body. This may very well lead to a real treatment for these diseases rather than giving drugs to shut down our immune systems.
I am going to try and get more information on this because I feel this could be a break through.
I hope you get to feeling better and please be safe.
Take care.

Low in fats,no lactose milk or cheese,no salt,no pepper,mostly vegetables and fruits,small potions of protein,beans in portions,I dont drink carbonateted soda,no alcohol.