Has Anyone Had Trouble Swallowing (Dysphagia)?

[Lovebug]

Lately I've been having episodes of choking on thin liquids. In my lifetime this has happened occassionally but lately I've choked on thin liquids numerous times in the past month. The first one (& worst one) was mouth wash. I wasn't even swallowing (just rinsing mouth) and my body decided to swallow I suppose (like it forgot what to do). Anyway, I think I had full laryngospasms. Then I choked on juice from eating a pickle, water on a few occassions, and even saliva! Immediately after my throat gets sore and feels slightly swollen.

What is up with this!?! Does anyone else have this? It makes me think MS or something similar but who knows.

[Lemons2lemonade]

Yes it happens to me from time to time.

[kluesyk]

Yes, I just had a barium swallow test for this problem and they found I have something called....cricopharngeal atachacia(sorry may be spelled wrong)...means the esophageal muscle goes into a spasm when I swallow...told me to chew my food well and drink hot drinks after I choke... and taking a small amt of muscle relaxer helps.....my dr thinks it is aggravated because of my low magnesium as well as stress can cause it to flare up.

Other options was a botox shot into the area, but I think I will pass on that for now.

I choke on liquids and certain vitamins....have had a few times when ALL my air is cut off....really scary.

[sue1234]

I don't choke, but I cannot swallow capsules or mid-to-large pills. They always get stuck somewhere in my lower throat.

[Troy]

Omg, i have been meaning to ask this question for sometime but i keep forgetting. It happens to me ocassionally in the mornings when I wake up and the first bite of food I take really hurts to swallow because it feels like I am trying to pass a gold ball through a straw, my esophagus feels constricted, tight and like as if its shrinked over night and the food just gets lodged in there and sends very painful ripples throughout my chest and esophegus.

For a moment I feel like I cant breathe because of the bloackage of food and I have to rush to get some liquids to help move the food down, i take small sips and eventually the food starts to go down but it really hurts ike I have to grab onto something and hold tightly bracing myself whilst the food scrapes all the way down the tube. I have no idea what the heck is causing this but it has been happening on and off for about a year now. After the first bite it usualy starts to get better, anyone else familiar with this?

[hilbiligrl]

omg yes!!! it's happened more in the last year or two for me. Sometimes I can't swallow for days. Sometimes i can't swallow but halfway.... it will get stuck in my throat..... hate this.... so upsetting. I knew a few here does it too, but it's more common with 'us' than what i thought.

oh the myriad of symptoms......

[rubytuesday]

I have this problem and feeling kind of tight around my throat, like I can't get in good air. I'd mentioned it to my PCP in 2007. She ran pulmonary function tests at local hospital and pulmonologist interpretted it as my asthma being out of control. (Strange I'd thought as my asthma never behaved that way before). So when I was at a new referral to immunologist/allergist/pulmon., she ran another PFT with loop and showed me the results--Vocal Cord Dysfunction (I also have EDS). Had to go for scope--everything very very dry (which was why otolaryngologist thought explained the pills sticking and trouble swallowing). He started me on Evoxac (used for sjorgrens--strange as this fall I had to start restasis for dry eye and have the vaginal dryness). He explained some meds can make you very dry. The vocal cords were very red/inflamed/swollen. It is also referred to as upper airway obstruction. When I went back to this immunologist, I took a copy of the 2007 test/interpretation (as it sure looked similar to the one she ran to me). She said that that was VCD not asthma out of control (which was why the Rx's that pulmonologist kept adding made things worse--til I discharged him). Things that trigger asthma can trigger the vocal cords to go into spasms as well. When one breathes, the vocal cords should be open but in VCD they close (and mine close tight). I am doing speech therapy right now to teach me breathing exercises and rescue breathing. Immunologist and otolaryngologist tell me a lot of doctors (including ER) miss it and treat it as asthma. Speech therapist explained to me that with the swelling and spasms, things could sit atop the closed vocal cords when I try to swallow (I'd just aspirated a Midodrine and Fish Oil--thank God after many efforts and thinking this was it, leaning over/trying any air to cough the fish oil dislodged). I sure hadn't anticipated going to immunologist for immunodeficiencies to come out with that added diagnosis. The therapist seemed surprised at how quickly I picked up on the exercises but I think its from how I learned to help breathe from living with this all this time. GERD and/or post nasal drip are other things that cause irritation/spasms as well as things like cold air, exercise, cold/hot drinks, acidic fruits.

Just thought I would mention this for consideration.

[Katybug]

I get this choking too and it only started when all these other symptoms started. I always felt like it had a neurologic base like some nerve misfired and didn't tell my throat to function properly just long enough to let a drop of liquid go down the wrong way. I only get it once in a while and it seems to run in spurts...I'll have a couple of weeks when it happens 3-5 times and then it won't happen for a few months. I have also noticed that when I have it, it seems to coincide with having a hard time making my hands work properly (holding paper without dropping, writing neatly, etc.) It always weirds me out because I always feel like there may be something neurologic that they have missed.

[Lovebug]

Hi all! Thanks for all the responses. I feel exactly like you Katie! I haven't noticed dropping things but I'll need to pay attention to that. I get so sick of all these diffuse miserable symptoms!!!

[surfgirl14]

yes! In fact mine got so bad I was admitted into the hospital for 5 days. Everytime I swallowed liquid or tried to eat food i felt like i was choking and sometimes i did. It was so bad that i refused to eat or drink. Oviously with us potsies we get easily dehydrated and of course i got so dehydrated and it put me in a bad flare. My HR ended up being 120 just resting at the hospital and my blood work came back with very low hyrdration levels. So i got admitted. They never figured out what was wrong. It *****! Eventually it went away and from time to time the feeling comes back (but not as nearly as bad as it was the first time i experienced it) hopefully that will never happen as bad as it did ! Wish you luck!

[bellgirl]

Swallowing is part of the Autonomic Nervous System, and ours tends not to function properly. Since we drink more than the average person, too, it is bound to happen more frequently for two reasons. This is actually a normal part of dysautonomia. This happens on occasion with me, too. This is another reason why we would prefer not to eat, too, not even to mention the nausea...I choked on some pills once pretty badly, that I thought I would have to call the paramedics; I would always take several together, and if they are large, like flax seed oil capsules, they can turn sideways . I also had angioedema once, but I think I was allergic to a blood pressure medication I was on...my throat swells on occasion with itching, and I have several allergies with asthma, as well, so yes, it can be scary, too! But the best thing to do is to remain calm, breath through your nose, slowly and know it will pass. Panic attacks, which we are prone to getting also, because of the physiological anxiety caused by the tachycardia, can also cause tightening in your throat, too!

[Katybug]

Oh yeah, I forgot that I get one other weird thing during these spurts of choking...sometimes when I try to swallow, I'll get about half way through the mothion of swallowing and then I'll get "stuck" like my muscles stop receiving the message to keep swallowing. It lasts for a second or two, then, my muscles will resume the rest of the motion. It is also worrisome.

[surfgirl14]

OMG that happened to me the first time last night i started freaking out ... was very scary!

[hilbiligrl]

Oh yeah, I forgot that I get one other weird thing during these spurts of choking...sometimes when I try to swallow, I'll get about half way through the mothion of swallowing and then I'll get "stuck" like my muscles stop receiving the message to keep swallowing. It lasts for a second or two, then, my muscles will resume the rest of the motion. It is also worrisome.

katy..... i do the EXACT SAME as you are describing!!!!!

[Maiysa]

I'm so glad someone asked this question. I have autonomic neuropathy and I always thought it was just part of the gastroparesis. I really freaks me out when it happens. So silly, but true. I notice that if I'm having acid reflux it can make it worse. There is also information on the internet that this is also associated with this phenomenon of not being able to swallow correctly. Happy Sunday to All!

[kmichaelson]

Oh yeah, I forgot that I get one other weird thing during these spurts of choking...sometimes when I try to swallow, I'll get about half way through the mothion of swallowing and then I'll get "stuck" like my muscles stop receiving the message to keep swallowing. It lasts for a second or two, then, my muscles will resume the rest of the motion. It is also worrisome.

katy..... i do the EXACT SAME as you are describing!!!!!

This is what happens with me too--it happens very very often for me! It's not that I choke on something once I swallow, but that I take a drink and then can't actually swallow. I have to wait anywhere from a few seconds to like 30 seconds for my throat to do what it's supposed to!

[seaboardbc]

Happens to me too (like dizzy blonde). Sometimes it's worse than others. It really freaks me out. I am careful about what I eat and I make sure I chew well and drink something when I swallow, but even that doesn't always help. I can handle it the way it is now, but my (secret) fear is that it could get worse.

[TCP]

I get this fairly regularly no matter what I eat/drink. I can feel my throat and esophagus narrow. I can feel the whole lot squeezing tight and if I drink to free the food if stuck I can feel the contractions all the way down to my stomach. I also get a restriction that has affected my voice making me rasp...it's worse when I am stressed.

[AllAboutPeace]

Oh yeah, I forgot that I get one other weird thing during these spurts of choking...sometimes when I try to swallow, I'll get about half way through the mothion of swallowing and then I'll get "stuck" like my muscles stop receiving the message to keep swallowing. It lasts for a second or two, then, my muscles will resume the rest of the motion. It is also worrisome.

I just experienced this yesterday for the first time. {isn't it exciting when we discover nasty new symptoms ???} I've been feeling a tightening in my throat which is expecially noticeable when I'm flat on my back. I'm rarely ever in that position, but a few months ago for a nuclear medicine scan, I had to lay flat for 20 minutes and that was when I first really noticed it. I have woken at night a few times with what feels like sleep apnea, coincidentally, I have been on my back at those times as well. Anyway, I have started to feel this tightening at times when sitting.

Yesterday, I tried to swallow (just saliva) and I couldn't. Everything in my throat seemed to 'lock up' (or block up) and it momentarily felt like I couldn't breathe either. I ended up forcing myself to cough, felt the release and was able to swallow again. I assumed it was a POTS related thing and was happy to have found this thread about it.

[Monstrosity]

I get this as well. I've had it for a long time. It comes and goes. When I'm more symptomatic its worse.

[StephL]

I cannot believe how much my body has compensated for dysautonomia and I never realized it until recently. New things dawn on me quite often. It was the doctor who started pointing out little body languages that I had and are typical of people with this. Things like the way I stand and sit.

Anywho, I say this because for a few years now I've been holding fluids in my mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. Once I held it so long that my dad even hollered over at me to swallow my coffee and he wasn't observant of such things. I think my body has done this to keep me from choking. Its like I have to prepare my throat.

Last week I literally spit coffee all over my computer. I was happily drinking and all the sudden I choked and there was no controlling it. I've never had it happen so violently before.

[Darlene]

i have difficulty swallowing and difficulty holding my head up. not sure what causes this.

[Lovebug]

Well I woke up choking this morning...first time this has happened. And it wasn't a little choke. I had to sit up and violently try to clear my throat. Either it was saliva, stomach acid (I have GERD), or a piece of fuzz/bug that I swallowed while sleeping. I can't help but wonder if it was just saliva. I think anything our autonomic nervous controls is affected and yep....swallowing can be one of them!

[Monstrosity]

Last night when I was going to bed I was thinking of this thread. I remember specifically asking my Neuro about this two months ago. The jack wagon said its not a normal Dysautonomia thing and he's not sure what its from... I feel like logging in and showing him this thread my next apt.

[Alaska]

I have this. Food seems to get stuck when I first start eating. It has happened for the last 10 years, well before my other symptoms started. Back then they stated that I had a slight hiatal hernia that was causing it. So, when the food gets stuck, I usually get the hiccups for about 15-30 seconds and then I feel the food or water clear to my stomach and all is good. After that I usually have no more issues eating. I've just kind of gotten used to it. Interesting because the same thing happens with my Mother and I remember it happening to her as a kid. I always wondered the connection with my current symptoms and food getting stuck.