I'm not sure what to do, is this something serious?

Posted , 4 users are following.

I suffer from severe anxiety disorder, health anxiety and GERD. Today I ate some bowl of cereal and I felt like I made a really dumb mistake by eating more of the cereal while already having some of the food pieces inside my mouth, by putting a bit more instead of chewing and finishing what I had inside my mouth first. I'm really nervous that I might of pushed the food down to my esophagus since I feel like the sensation is caught in the middle of my throat, this happens with everything I eat where it feels stuck, but it's not. But I'm freaking out now since I feel like I might choke, but I'm able to drink liquids just fine. Should I be worried by this? My anxiety is making me feel stressed out right now if my life is in danger now.. I'm so worried. Usually when I feel like food is caught in my throat I start to panic and want to rush to the ER, when they do x-ray test on my throat, they tell me they don't find anything stuck there and label it as anxiety and tell me to relax. I really hate feeling like this

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Edited

    if you’re able to drink liquids and you’re able to breathe then you’re fine. Anxiety will make it feel like something is stuck in there when it’s actually not. Do some slow long deep breathing exercises when you feel like this. Relax completely your mind and body and everything will feel calmer. Maybe listen to a relaxing meditation for anxiety. Those always help me a lot. It’s good to be aware of how anxiety can make you feel like this. Your awareness is a great step to controlling this panicky feeling. ❤

    • Posted

      Thank you Jan for the reassurance, this comment made me feel better while reading it. I appreciate the helpful advices and suggestions you gave me. I'll definitely give the meditation a try and breathing exercises and see how it works out for me. Take care.

  • Edited

    This has been happening to me recently too. Anxiety can do the strangest (and scariest) things to our bodies, but completely agree with Jan and find that it doesn't happen nearly as often when I'm feeling relaxed. Take care of yourself, and know that you aren't alone, and it will get better in time.

    • Posted

      Sorry that you're experiencing this too, anxiety is definitely a nightmare to deal with and I also have acid reflux on top of that, which I just found out recently that anxiety or stress can provoke acid reflux and make your symptoms even worse. I'm still feeling that sensation on my throat feeling tight and feel as if the food is still there, even though I can eat, drink and talk just fine, but I don't feel as bad when it happened two days ago, thank you for the reassurance and positivity, I really appreciate it a lot.

  • Posted

    If you can drink liquids (and swallow them), then you're fine - nothing is caught in your throat. You might be having an esophageal spasm, though, and that is something anxiety can cause. If you lie down for 10-20 minutes and focus on something else, usually your esophagus will unclench and you should feel a wave of relief. At least that's how it works for me - mine are pretty bad though.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.