swallowing trouble (Page 1)

I think you migh be more worried about choking. Like me give you a little secret how not to chocke after I had to learn how to eat again after being on the ventalator for 10 days. I had to have speech theropy too cause I could not talk.
When you are eating, chew you food well till it is unsolid. Then before you swollow, tuck you neck downward and look at your plate, then swollow and take a sip of liquid after every forkfull of food. You can not aspirate or choke if you do this. Just remember "Chin Down" method. I naturally closes you airway and no food can get into you lungs either. I had to learn the hard way. Take it from one who has been there. This works!
I had aspiration double pneumonia.

Thank you, i am going to try that.

Thank you. I have noticed that I can sometimes swallow better with my chin down. I have had this problem for so long that I was sure that NOTHING would ever get better about it. I don't even know how it got this bad. i am 35 and i can remember starting to be afraid to swallow certain foods as far back as grade school. Slowley, i cut out foods that i was afraid to choke on until I now usually eat tuna, eggs (smashed up) and a few other very smashed or easy to swallow foods. I think that my mind has become use to the anxiety i feel when i know i have to eat. I was so happy when i found this website and realized that there are actually other people with problems like this. I really thought i was pretty much alone with a problem that i would never have answers to. I have alot of people in my life who care about me, but none of them can ever seem to understand my anxiety over swallowing food.
Thank you so much for listening, and i will continue to work on the "chin down" method.
thank you,
michelle

Michelle, you are so welcome. Yes, keep it up and it will become first nature with you and you should see you fear get better and better. It really works. I think I mentioned you should also swollow liquids that way to when swollowing pills or even just a drink of water. I know It will ease you mind and soon you won't give it a sencond though. Glad you are working at it. Keep it up girl.

I also forgot to tell you that I find drinking my fluids through a straw makes me less anxious too. You can then tilt you head down a bit and parcially close that airway.

You suffer from 'Panic Attacks' these are some of the causes. You feel to scared to swallow incase you choke, when in front of people, when in public, high stress levels, scared of dying or chocking.. None of this will happen with a panic attack. You need to read up on it, as these are related. I once suffered from this too, trust me, it can go away, even though it seems hard, or never wil. IT WILL, and you ill be okay. ''Panic Attacks'

did you have to take meds for panic attacks? i am having the swallowing problem with much anxiety. is it ever going to go away? its been 7 months now. also been diagnosed with tmj disorder

I have exactly the same as what you guys talking about. I'm 24 and i can't eat or drink at all. Even though i try to eat 1 mm piece of chips i will chocke and feel very scared to put that or anything else in my mouth even the water. I really hate it. I feel embarresed to eat or drink in front of them cause i always chocke it out again. and the worse is i feel like i will die coz i always feel like my breath is gon stop. but i'm healthy my doctor always says. i don't enjoy sleep at all i hate it. and i lost lots of wight coz i can't eat properly. I hate mental illnesses. I wish its physical rather than mental. I'm not enjoying my life at all.

i have the same thing guys are talking about ive been suffering with it on and off my whole life im now 19 and it ruins my life i never eat out or even eat at home unless my parents are home i feel like im throwing away my childhood im always afriad that wen im eating i feel that it stays in my throat and theres even times where i havent ate in hours but i still get the feeling and i just want it to go away so i can go on with my life... im worried that if i dont figure sumptin out soon that it will never go away and that ill never grow up and live my own life

a therapist told perscribed me lexapro does anyone know anything about it?

Hi everyone,

I've been going through hell for the last couple of weeks because of this problem. My throat feels tight so its become very hard to eat. Most of the time I just don't eat anything. The part that's making this so scary is that I've also had bad asthma symptoms so I'm afraid that eating will trigger an asthma attack or my throat is going to close off. Its stupid, I know. But I'm caught in this vicious cycle of anxiety and asthma and not eating which makes everything worse. I've been to the doctor and the ER over and over. They always give me some new prescription that doesn't help. I have taken xanax a few times and that made my throat let go but I'm still worried about the asthma. My appt with a pulmonologist can't get here soon enough! I'm seeing a therapist again and she thinks this all started because I was in a bad car accident recently.

I've had this problem on and off for almost 10 years. I've tried therapy and drugs and nothing has helped. It has gone away for long periods but then returns for no reason that I can figure out. I think it has a lot to do with anxiety and stress and panic. But it doesn't help to know that. It just makes it more frustrating that it's all in my head. I've had every physical test done with no results. I do have a hiatal hernia and GERD though.
BTW: what happens to me is that every time I go to swallow, it's like my throat is not ready, my tongue pushes the food to the back of my throat by I can't swallow at that time. Sometimes I have to cough it out and then try again.

The only advice I can give is to eat slow, chew a lot, continue chewing right up to the swallow, drink lots of water while eating (sometimes this is the only way I can eat - wash it down with water).

M

Hi

Ive been very scared lately about swallowing my food and drink.

Im 15 now and a couple of weeks ago when I was having my lunch my brother was telling me a joke and I was drinking water while I was listening then I started laughing and started choking on the water .Fortunately the water came back up my throat and down my nose and I started to breathe better and 5 mins later I was breathing properly.

Ever scince that day i feel so anxious when im eating and I can feel my chest and my mouth tighten and feel like my throat is closing up so I just run out of the room because i think I cany breathe properly and panic but deep down I know its just in my head and when I go into a room by myself i manage to calm myself down but then I feel so upset and scared because I just keep thinking about me breathing properly. I then distract myself and be fine but when it comes to eating or drinking this cycle repeats .I dont enjoy eating anymore and I would really like to stop worrying so much and be more confidant to eat normally rather than tiny portions of food

What should I Do?

N

Been there....first go to a GOOD ENT..get a referral of a caring, good one. Have him/her look to be sure your throat is fine, gag reflex is there, and then if so, no worries. Your body will NOT let you down. How many kids swim and cough (their body will close the airway when even a drop of water gets there)..your body will protect you. Get an ENT to look and check first..then know you are fine and it's a mental thing. Anxiety is terrible. It takes a while to kick. But you won't drown..you'll be okay. Get a good psychologist who deals with CBT cognitive behavioural therapy and phobias, anxiety. Get these books: Don't Panic by R.Reid Wilson, and Overcoming Anxiety by Reneau Peurifoy, and Freedom From Fear by Howard Liebgold. The ENT is first..and you'll be fine. Trust your body..it won't let you down if your doc says all is fine. God bless. God won't let you down either.

You might be having an anxiety attack, I get like that in public and I do have anxiety and stress in my life. It makes me feel as if I'm about to vomit, I hate it.

I have had this too in my life. It first started out when I was younger- at age 14. I had gotten my tonsils out and for two years my mother pureed my food in a blender to get nutrients in my body- like baby food. i could not even handle a grain of rice, i was so scared. I would only eat soft foods, like ice cream and chocolate bars. Safe foods! I went to see a therapist at age 14 and she sat with me to eat a soft food - we chose peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread. I took nibbles then - but it was a milestone for me. Then I ate a soft peach. I initially conquered my fear and ate normal again - but to this day still will not swallow pills. I will be 40 next month and I notice that when i am under alot of stress or get panic attacks - these feelings come back. Back when i was young i thought i was going to live that way forever and never be normal. But i put my Trust into my Lord Jesus Christ - and I owe it all to Him. I prayed often for him to heal me and help me with this fear.

I have this problem now. One day my daughter and I were at Applebees, everything was fine, and BOOM. It started. I took a drink of my Mountain Dew and it almost didn't go down right. I didn't even choke or anything. I could still eat fine in front of people then. Now, I can barely eat or drink in front of people, not even my best friend. At home I am fine with my daughter but that's it. This is really putting a damper on my life. Going out to eat was my favorite thing to do and now Thanksgiving is coming up and I know I won't be able to eat! This really sucks. I read something about some medication? Would that work?

Thankyou for your help. I did go to the doctor and I had some medication and now Im fine