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Swallowing Difficulty - Desperate

Posted , 31 users are following.

Pipsqueak
Pipsqueak

God this is really getting me down, to point I have been wondering if I am ever going to eat again and I am frightening myself with the thoughts I am having.

I just cannot swallow solid foods, it started 4 weeks ago. i was happily eating some chicken and all of a sudden my throat 'closed' and I choked. I managed to cough it back up and carried on eating after.

Next day, for love nor money could I swallow, each time I tried i choked.

4 weeks later and I still keep trying the odd bit of food here and there and it just won't go down.

I have had an endoscope - that was a highly unpleasant experience but it found nothing. I was told to go home and eat and to stop being so stressed.

I have been to seen a sports therapist and she has found that I have very very tight neck and jaw muscles. But it still feels like food won't go down, although I did feel better once I had seen her.

Trying to get another appointment with the doctor is like golddust.

I am normally a fit and healthy 37yr old woman, mum of three. I love my food and I want to eat. Thing is, this has gone on so long now I have gone past being hungy. I think this is probably a bit physcologial now as well but the tightening really does happen.

The back of my neck, round to the front and up under the jaw is so tight.

Please someone tell me I am not going nuts and that I will be able to eat again.

5 likes, 96 replies

96 Replies

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  • Pipsqueak
    Pipsqueak

    Posted

    Well its been just over 4 years since 'this' happened to me and its still ongoing.

    Thanks for the replies, they are very interesting.  My doctor just isn't interested and I have learned to live with it, it probably bothers other people more than it does me, its horrible not being able to eat with my children though.  Strange what you adjust to isn't it -its been just over 4 years.

    Janine I am intrigued by what you describe - oesophageal dysmotility disorder,

     

    • AlanJM
      AlanJM Pipsqueak

      Posted

      Motility is the process of the muscular contractions that make the food pass through your digestive system, and the oesopagus on particular.   Dismotility means that there is something wrong with this process.   In achalsia it is often the nerves that do not seem to send the right signals to those muscles.

      So, whilst it is true that tension and stress can make things worse, it does sound as if you need a proper diagnosis of what is going on in addition to the tension.   Usually this is an endoscopy, a barium swallow and a manometry test.   Perhaps whejn your normal doctor is away on holiday you might try again and ask anopther doctor for a referral to the nearest centre that deals with Upper GI surgery?   It is a specialist thing.   

    • sheila_96975
      sheila_96975 Pipsqueak

      Posted

      You need to see a GI specialist st a teaching hospital but you have to get referred
  • kate10130
    kate10130 Pipsqueak

    Posted

    All I can say is that I am so happy to have found people with the same condition as myself! Ii am only 36 and my doc said I have esophageal motility disorder after getting a mamometry. I had the same occur acne were food stuck in my throat and I could swallow. I have two small children and it breaks my heart that I can't eat with them! I have been managing cereal in morning, blended drink at lunch and some kind of soft food like fish,avocado or soup at dinner. What a thing to have to live with forever! Does anyone know th long term outlook? Will this get worse over time? My doc thinks it might be aggravated by reflux and has me on prilosec, and I think that helps with the gut aspect, but it sure gives me the feeling that is stick is in my throat all day! Painful. The condition gives me such difficulty swallowing, and the chest pains too.

    Thanks ladies, for making me feel like I am not alone in this condition, and thanks to all of your wonderful advice on food and supplements.

    • Merryl
      Merryl kate10130

      Posted

      Hi, sorry to hear you got this problem. I noticed I had a problem with food sticking about 18 months ago but I think it started before that. I had an endoscopy last year but did'nt show a problem with eating. I then had a barium swallow 5 weeks ago and it showed a dismotility disorder which my Dr said it was not too bad and it was left at that. I was not told I needed a manometry, but reading on this site it seems most people have it done.

      I asked my Dr if it will get worse and he said he did'nt think so because I have had it for a long time. I lost a lot of weight due to this but it is stable now and hope it stays that way.  

       

        

    • kate10130
      kate10130 Merryl

      Posted

      I completely understand. I have lost a lot of weight too, and struggle to keep it on. It is also so disconcerting to have the constant feeling of something stuck in my throat, even when I am not eating. I hope I can get used to it, or have luck with some of the tips on this site to manage symptoms. 
    • janine_52180
      janine_52180 kate10130

      Posted

      Hi,sorry to hear you have the same condition as me but don't feel do alone now with this awful condition. It started for me 10 years ago but went away after a year and then returned 18 months ago when I just found food would not go down and it was really scary. So after many tests I was diagnosed. It would be nice if we could meet up and set up our own little support group sometime . 
    • kate10130
      kate10130 janine_52180

      Posted

      I am making a grocery list now with all of the suggestions. Have only had this condition for two months, so am pretty new to all of this. So glad to speak to ones who know what it is like! I wish we could all meet. However, I live in New York!
    • janine_52180
      janine_52180 kate10130

      Posted

      I am going to New York beginning September for 2 weeks , maybe we can meet for a coffee/ tea 
    • Merryl
      Merryl kate10130

      Posted

      I can relate to the feeling of food stuck all day. Mine seems to be in the upper chest, I am having this today after eating cereal for breakfast. I think I will have to try something different because I get this quite often after eating the cereal. It is a terrible thing to have to go through and there seems to be no cure. I also get severe chest pain. I hope the advice on food helps you. 
    • janine_52180
      janine_52180 Merryl

      Posted

      Do you eat the cereal with hot milk as this helps a lot
    • Merryl
      Merryl janine_52180

      Posted

      I have'nt tried hot milk, I mostly eat weetabix but it seems to get worse now. I also feel short of breath when it is playing up. I have had it all morning and chest pain so can't eat lunch yet. Problem with me is, I also got a mild hiatus hernia so don't know what is playing up really. It's a pity we can't have an operation. 
    • kate10130
      kate10130 Merryl

      Posted

      Yes, have been reading the operation can be very successful on some of the other discussions. I get the short of breath feeling too! Part of me hopes this will go away one day, but I know that isn't wise to hold out too much hope on that. Trying to reduce stress to see if that helps over time. Just had my cereal, let's see how this day goes. One at a time. 
    • Cowgirluc
      Cowgirluc Merryl

      Posted

      Ask your doctor if he really knows anything about achalasia . I had to go through tests like 1st barium my primary doc order after having bad pains lost of weight can't eat it hurt. So the guy who does the test tells me I have neuapathy of my esphogus, and that I need to get ahold of my eating problem or I'll end up with a feeding tube. Well after telling doc I hurt he was more concern about the low dose of pain meds I take for my back I broke and have herring rods in me. Thats my problems he says .So I get a colonscopy I request . I get one and that Castro doc says I have narrowing in my esphogus and that he stretch it out. Well I can tell you that did not help spasms! So I ask them what about possibility of the neoapathy I have . Well I'm told by MD that its chronic bowel syndrome from pain pills and to look it up . Yep I investigated found a place that studies gastro problems ,I call I need referelal and my gadtro doc didnt give me one Eben though he didnt find an answer . I called and cried to the new docs and talked to referal clerk and waa LA I got an alot with them . I get that test with scope up my nose and realize I dont want to have feeding tube in me . Well they found I have Achcalsia ! I went to see my reg MD doc and told him he was amazed he never heard of it and didnt know what to say ! But would look into it. This was last week . Well Friday I got a call to see consult to surgeons for surgery and very very nervous ! i live in Oregon and going to the Oregon Health Science University in Portland and seeing the professor of surgery who speaility is esophgus so wish me luck !😊 If I was you I'd look for doctor get that test dont put off it will just get worst you'll get malnutrition and van lead to cancer please crack the whip on them its hard but try!

    • DJ-RN
      DJ-RN Merryl

      Posted

      I would highly recommend that you have a manometry. It is THE most useful test in diagnosing and understanding whatever you have going on.
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