Problems swallowing, GP believes it is anxiety but...

I'm no doctor, but I would encourage you to to have someone check your thyroid and I'd look for someone who actually understands how to test for it.  From what I understand a lot of doctors just do 1 simple blood test, but the good doctors know to do a full thyroid panel and perhaps look with an ultrasound or xray, along with other things.  Could be simple swelling of the thyroid, because of a variety of conditions or perhaps nodules, which are, from what I've heard, usually not cancerous, but can cause those feelings you're having.  

What you described, could just as easily be a thyroid issue, which can make you feel like you're choking, can cause anxiety or panic attacks, IBS or bowel problems, lightheadedness, lack of focus, weight loss or weight gain and it can cause muscle aches or carpal tunnel as well.  So while it may be a GI issue, it is also possible it's a thyroid issue, which is located in your throat above your collar bone and it's a very common problem, usually with an easy fix.  

I think sometimes we're all looking for rare conditions, thinking our problem is much much more complicated, because doctors haven't found the solution, but reality is thyroid issues are very common and could explain a lot of your issues.  If you don't believe me search thyroid questionaire's and read some of the questions.  

Hope you find a solution....best of luck.  

Did you find out what thus is it sounds so much like me but everything is anxiety to my doctor I feel like im detonating like a young person trapped in a old body already ! I'm finding it hard to swollow spit now too please let me know if you got sorted xxx

Hey!

It's crazy I have se same problem since like a year now.

I did some research and it happened to so many people. 

Lucky me since half a year, I work for a NLP and Hypnosis company, and it helped me a lot to go through this. You should try to get some hypnosis on yourself it could help you with your phobia. 

But, this year has been hell for me, as I always have to find an excuse to not eat front of people... Always eating soups and smoothies... I told some people that don't seem to understand what is happening to me, and the more they force me to eat, the more I panick.

But you know I believe everything happens for a reason, so I am trying to put this on the side and maybe one day I'll get better. 

How you doing since a year now?

Melissa

Hi, 

You sound almost exactly like me.  I have been suffering for 10 years and last year I finally found a doctor who diagnosed me with a real medical problem and I feel SO much better!  

I had trouble swallowing my food for years.  I used to think that my heart was skipping beats because there was a spasm in my chest.  No, this is not heartburn or simply gas.  My heart would also race after eating certain meals, but it was impossible to trace it to a particular food.  I'd be awake all night many times because my heart rate wouldn't slow down.  I need to drink a lot of water (about 3 tall glasses) with each meal in order to get my food down because it always felt like it was "stuck" half way down.  I blamed myself, I said I was eating too fast, not chewing enough, etc.  

Anyway, I had an upper endoscopy (scope) last year and the doctor said my esophagus had small rings around it which was not normal.  He said it meant that something was damaging it.  He suggested that it might be Eosinophilic Esophagitis which is an auto immune disease where white blood cells attack the esophagus.  It is basically a major allergy to many foods.

It turned out that he did not find "enough" white blood cells in the biopsy to definitely diagnose me but I had gone home and googled  Eosinophilic Esophagitis myself and it was the first thing that truly made sense in 10 years of agony.  I immediately made an appointment with a food allergist who tested me.  It turned out I was allergic to MANY foods including nuts, seafood, and potatoes.  Once I cut out the foods with the highest reaction and started eating the foods with low or no reaction I felt so much better!  It truly gave me my life back.  

I hope this helps someone.  Try food allergy testing and then cut out the foods that are a high positive, and see if it helps.  It certainly can't hurt.  I still have a little trouble swallowing because the damage is done, but there is no more pain and my heart doesn't race anymore, and the spasms are much less.  I have my energy back and feel normal again.  They can also give you steriods to swallow but I didn't want to go that route yet - I'd rather treat it with eliminating the foods I'm allergic to and thus the white blood cells won't fight my own throat / stomach.  

What happened at your 31st March appointment?

I went through the same thing in and out of the doctors office and several test and everything was clear. Felt like I was shoking anytime I tried to eat solid food. After 2 years I I kept getting a metalic taste in my mouth and I talk to my sister about it she told me that maybe it was tonsil stones ( WHITE PIECES OF FOOD STUCK ON THE TONSILS. I then looked it up and discover a great product to get rid of them. Its called THERABREATH. From the first used I felt the relieve and was able to eat the following day.this problem use to cause me alot of anxiety. Hope this helps.

Good luck to you

Hallo everyone I am from Australia and saw your discussion during a google search.  i have signed up just so I an give you something which will help some of you.

I noticed several mentioned a reflux problem.  I suffered from this since a child and I am now 80 and it got worse as I aged.  I had all kinds of pills from doctors but none helped much.

One day, I was on a site where people were discussing this and a doctor joined the conversation.  He was very brief.  He said this, 'You people that have reflux, don't take medicine it is all harmful.  If you have an attack, simply eat an apple - that will fix it.

Just like that!   It is exactly what I did and it was instantly cleared - not only the attack, but after ai had used this a few times, i found the problem stopped!  Seems our stomach gets used to it and simply needs retraining.  I rarely have the problem now.  I kept a small bottle of apple juice in the fridge for a while (which I found easier) and don't even bother with that now.  I buy an apple now and again remembering it's benefits.  I hope this will help you as it helped me

It is physical get another Doctor and get a UPPER GI doctor. Have them do a manometry, upper barium swallow with tablet and the other test which is usually first is the measurement too the esophagus. There are only three alternatives if you have Achalasia which is HM, POEM and esophagectomy. That's the only solutions that we have . I have. Been able to change my diet to gluten free, do juicing and get on Isa Lean Shakes for protein! I am your friend from the States and we have the same issues. Please keep me posted because we care also

So sorry to hear this, I to suffer from something similar. I have suffered with heartburn for most of my adult life but have never had problems eating until and 2 years ago. I was eating a shrimp coctail and a peice of shrip got stuck in my throat. I could not get it to go down or up, so after a couple of hours my Wife called 911. They examined me and transported me to the hospital. The ER Doctor said I was ok, there was no danger of me choking as nothing was near my windpipe. I sat there for a couple hours and went home. I could still feel something there and was worried about trying to sleep as I may aspirate or choke. The next morning I was ok, no sensation of anything stuck. I made an apointment with a specialsit and had an endoscopy. She said I had bad scaring from years of GERD and they found no cancerous tissue...that was good news I suppose. The Doctor said she dialated my esopogus and that I could resume a normal diet in 24 hours. She prescribeb me Prilosec (I am a Pharmacist so I knew I did not want to be taking that) and said no caffine, citrus jucies, alcohol, spicy foods, or carbonated bevergas. I told her she might as well just kill me. so after waiting the 24 hours the wife and I made a lunch of roast beef sandwiches and potato salad. The first bite logged in my throat and would not move!. I got up from the table and I thought for sure that this was it...I tried 3 times to swallow hard and the third time the lump of sandwich went down. Mind you, I had totally ignored the changes in diet she suggested so then and there I strictly followed her suggestions. After one week I was almost back to normal, then I started drinking beer again and never seemed to get all the way back. I love beer so I lived with being "almost" 100% for a year, then, it statred againg so I went to a different doctor and had another scope. He said the scarring had almost totally healed and that if I did as I was told I would have been fine. He also said he could not dialate me again as the circumfrence of my esopogus was normal. So, I stopped beer for a week, everthing seemed normal then I stared drinking beer again. I have been ok for about 9 months and it has just started again. So, I realized I have to really cut down on the beer or give it up all togeter wich I do not want to do. The heartburn is no longer an issue due to me taking Zantac when needed and probiotics 3 times a day before meals. I wish you well, hang in there and do what ever it takes to get better.

Hi Melissa, I know it's been over a year since you posted this and I hope you got the help you need. I have been suffering from Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) for over ten years. I have had all the tests you've had, and always got the all clear. I was diagnosed in 2014 with Migraine Aura which enhances the problem. Have you ever had an MRI scan?. Only today I had another consultation with a neurologist who now says it's all down to anxiety. I am having help with it now and also speech and language therapy to help strengthen the muscles in my tongue for swallowing food/drinks. I was slowly losing my mind, had no quality of life - couldn't go for food/coffee with friends etc but I started to go for massages and I joined Pilates - which I am finding  is actually slowly starting to help me. I, like you lost lots of weight, couldn't breath when eating and the food would get stuck causing me to spit or choke. Please do keep the faith, and also there are good excersises on youtube for sufferers of dysphagia. I am doing them as much as I can. Can you eat in the mornings? I find it the most easiest - and with some wine too, as my mind is relaxed. Being in your eraly 50's you are still very young, there is help there but the nervous system can cause major anxiety even if we are not actually feeling it. Maybe do some deep breathing tecniques? Like I said, it takes time - I am not 100 percent but can feel tiny differences too. I am 38 and it all began in my late 20's. I also type a lot. Typing is a trigger as out heads are constantly looking down causing a weight on the oesophicus. I am not an expert on this but I sure am a long term sufferer. I hope this helps to know that you are not alone with this problem. The root to most problems are indeed, anxiety unfortunately. Keep well. If you want to pm me you can, it's good to talk to others who can genuinely relate to this nightmare of a problem, but there is hope. X

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