Hi doctor,
I am a 43-year-old male. I am 5'11 and weigh approximately 176.37 lb. I have been living in a country with predominantly cold weather conditions for quite some time. I am married with kids. I am an eggetarian and do not smoke or drink alcohol. I started a feeling of a pill or food stuck in my throat a few months back, just around the time I was put on cholesterol medication, tablet Atorvastatin. After a month, I had muscle weakness, and hence my primary care physician changed the prescription to tablet Rosuvastatin. Once the drug was changed, the symptom of food or pill getting stuck in the throat became intermittent. Parallelly, my primary care physician suggested I consult an ENT, and he ordered an ultrasound of the neck. After the ultrasound was done, my physician said no problems found on the ultrasound that required treatment. I have attached a copy of the ultrasound results. When I visited the ENT doctor, he inserted an endoscope to check my throat. He also noticed the throat functions through the scope while drinking and eating semi-liquid and solid food. He assessed that there was nothing in the throat visible to naked eyes. To examine further, he ordered a CT scan of the neck. I expressed my hesitation to expose myself to radiation from a CT scan. So he ordered an MRI scan and said he could see more details in MRI than CT scan. I have attached the MRI scan report. Both ENT and Primary care physicians reviewed the MRI scan report and said there is nothing they see that could be the cause of concern. The ENT doctor wants me to undergo a "modified barium swallow study." After researching, I found this study to be based on radioactive substances, and hence I have the following queries and need suggestions. I still have an intermittent feeling of something in my throat (primarily on the right side). There are days I do not feel anything (totally normal), and there are days I feel something is in my throat. Usually, I have this feeling when the outside temperature is cold or after a meal or snack. Since the ultrasound scan, endoscope study, and MRI scan did not find anything concerning, do I still need to go through a modified barium swallow study? Since the modified barium swallow study is based on radioactive substances, is there any risk (short-term or long-term) that I need to know before undergoing the test? I have a medical history of hyperactive thyroid, twice in the past few years, which lasted for a few weeks. My endocrinologist asked me to go through a test that required me to take a radioactive pill to evaluate the thyroid gland. Thyroid levels returned to the normal range in six to eight weeks, as expected by the endocrinologist. I was not on any medications. I had to undergo a CT scan thrice to diagnose the causes of abdominal pain in the past few years. I was diagnosed with UTI the first time, appendicitis the second time, and kidney stone the third time. I have not undergone any surgery. I was on Rosuvastatin for two months to manage cholesterol levels. A few years back, I requested my Primary care physician to get my thyroid scanned. They found a benign nodule and said I don't need to do anything. Considering these, could you please suggest if I need to take up a "modified barium swallow study" and if it is worth exposing myself to radiation?