Eating/swallowing anxiety & globus symptoms
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi, I had a baby 9 months ago, was rushing eating a chinese when she was 7 weeks old and felt the sensation of either rice/chicken or bit of both caught half way in my throat and not go down properly. I could breathe but constantly tried to swallow this sensation of the food I thought was or was indeed caught and therefore began to panic ALOT as it would not go. From there my life has been turned upside down. I have become phobic and cannot eat a single meal without thinking about every bite, chew, swallow. I manage to eat but I feel that I eat differently, dont push the food to the back of my throat with my tongue as I used to, bite my tongue, cant eat and talk, generally eating and swallowing is a chore. I always get a feeling near my oesophagus that food is caught but on some occasions I can feel a hard swallow action actually move something further down and I feel relived. I do understand it is anxiety but I generally believe I cannot eat normally now due to the anxiety (like I have forgotten how to eat & wont let my subconcious mind take back over) and that my new style of eating is causing real problems and food is generally not going down as it should if I was relaxed. So a mixture of anxiety causing real actual swallowing problems. Any advise welcome. Reluctant to take the prozac my doctor prescribed. On a massive waiting list for extensive CBT since November haha!! I'm a rational normal person and every other aspect of my life is normal, Im not depressed im desperate to just get rid of this out of my mind and get on with my life x
1 like, 6 replies
jane95355 Loolabee
Posted
It's too bad the specialist can't see you sooner. Is there some way you can make a fuss and get bumped to the front of the line? Despite what they tell you, they do reserve spots for urgent cases. Maybe tell them you're living on liquids and having suicidal thoughts. I think once you are told that nothing is physical is wrong and that's likely the case, your condition will improve. It's a bit of a mind game, I'm afraid. If you can't see a specialist, at least try to see different GPs. Go to a bunch of different walk-ins. It mights set your mind at ease to get different opinions.
Ways I managed to cope when things were bad like this: meal replacement drinks ( I actually lived on them for awhile), eating while standing or walking around, trying to distract myself with music or something else. Yes, you need to focus to make sure you're not choking, but if you focus too much it makes it worse, as you know. Pick foods that will go down easy and are calorie dense. Bananas were pretty good for me. Pork meatballs with sauce. I also tried to do things that made me happy and focus on that. The more you focus on the swallowing, the worse it makes it.
Loolabee jane95355
Posted
Just so frustrated that something so simple that I have done everyday for 31 years and everyone else does all day everyday is just such a problem to me now! Plus we need to eat to survive so not the best phobia hey!
I presume you are all better now? How did you get sorted and what was a turning point for you if you dont mind me asking? What did you feel bought yours on?
Thanks again x
jane95355 Loolabee
Posted
Glad to hear you've been bumped up. That' s great news!
It's been a couple years now. I believe it started one night when I choked on some toothpaste. It was pretty bad. I could barely get any air in. I was careful eating after that, then one week I was munching on raw celery which I think really triggered things. I could have sworn something was stuck in my throat, I kept trying to get it out, but there was nothing there and the doctor couldn't see anything. There was nothing really emotional going on in my life at that moment. I'm much better, but I still don't eat raw celery! Too stringy. I'm paranoid about choking on it. I still also like to avoid some foods, stuff that is dry and crumbly, for example. I cook my veggies so they're mushy. Can't eat them crisp as it triggers the old problem. So I don't think I'm 100% back to normal, but I can eat most things. I never got the point of seeing a specialist. Maybe I should, but the inconveniences are so minor at this point I can live with them.
The worst part is I thought maybe it would make me lose weight, but it didn't. LOL!
There is hope!! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
jane95355
Posted
laurenrhigham Loolabee
Posted
Wow. This is the first discussion I've come across which pretty much explains my life lately and is recent. Hope everything's getting better for you. I think I'm in the worst stage
I had reflux early March and it was quite bad. I had it for ages and it was basically really stressful trying to find meals that weren't acidic, spicy, too fatty or had dairy in them. After a while I started eating a bit less and sticking to softer foods, then one night it "felt" like I got some chicken nugget stuck in my throat. It was scratchy and annoying and really bothersome. I went to the doctors and of course nothing was there.
Since then my throat and mouth hasn't been the same. Constantly feels like a lump or something stuck, feels sore and sometimes feels like there's hair in my throat, my throat feels closed up and recently my jaw has even started aching. I've seen the doctor numerous times, been to an ENT and other specialists and had heaps of tests, even been to hospital after working myself into a state and still nothing can be found. They've put it down to globus caused by anxiety and stress but lately it's gotten so bad that, similar to you, im living off liquids. Whether it's sustagen or up and go or a smoothie, I feel like I can't get solids down and the thought of it scares me.
I use to be such a good eater and im losing a heap of weight. This is easily ruining my life and it's the hardest thing I've ever been through. However it was somewhat reassuring reading this and knowing im not alone. I feel honestly crazy and cannot understand how I've bought all of this on myself. All I want is to go back to normal and be able to eat whatever I want, whenever I want. I managed to get some blended up porridge down the other day but had to walk around whilst doing so so I didn't focus on my swallowing. Today I tried some mushed up poached egg and couldn't even finish because it felt like it was all stuck.
If you've got anymore recent tips Id really love to know because this is ruining me!!
nadine51512 Loolabee
Posted
Hello, it's such a relief to hear that other people have felt like me!! Even though I wouldn't wish this awful panic on anyone. I have been feeling exactly the same as you for the last 6 months and have lost so much weight I look awful. My whole seems to be consumed by these irrational thoughts. I didn't realise how much eating was such a huge part of my life until I started to feel this way. Can I ask do you feel better now? And did you do anything particular to change it?