cannot swallow

[joapepe]

hello everyone, i just found this site.. i am suffering so badly.. i feel as if i cant swallow prperly and its ruining my life. i am physically well but have this strange thing now and then where i feel i cant swallow. I am turning into a raving lunatic, drinking wine just to be able to swallow. Does anyone else have this and how do you control it? i just got back off holiday, thought maybe it was holiday blues? i am scared. please help. x

[Lore721]

I know your post on this is years old but I'm suffering from the globus sensation also and its been an on off thing for years. Its only recently (since Christmas) has really gotten bad.  I wanted to ask you if you are still suffering from it and tell you what I have discovered.  I find that I am fine days when I don't drink wine, or any alcohol for that matter.  The evening I drink wine, the next two days are terrible! The third day I'm 90% better and the days that follow I'm 100%.  I've tried this a few times and sadly, come out with the same result.  Alcohol really flares it.  Have you experienced the same or tried something different?  

Thanks and I hope this message finds you better if not cured.

[nikkisnedd71]

I am going through the same thing its driving me into suicide state as it so scrarey ,i am on citalopram 10 mg was on 20 mg but was feeling better with 10mg .But having some bad days now and its scarey its ruining my life i cant eat out in public cant drink ,i always have water with me ,im scared to leave my town .i have got propanamol but scared to take incase meakes me feel more bad help x

[Tovar5baby]

Im in the same boat..i have anxiety my throat is causing me to feel as I cant swallow ..then I get panicky

[kwondo]

What you are saying is exactly what i have been experiencing, it only happens when i think about it and it is driving me nuts.
Eating is the worse especially if out for tea at a restaurant or a friends place

[metacomet]

Ok, is nice to know your doing better... stay calm and try to be occupied that will do the job...

Blessings.

Meta

[joapepe]

Hiya metacomet,
The sertraline is an antidepressant that is also  licenced for anxiety..she said take the beta blocker propanol when im having an attack.. felt better all day but feeling abit panicky this evening writng this... feeling that same old sensation of not being able to swallow. goibg to take a pill and sleep. Trying to swallow when i dont need to is doing it im sure...

jo x

[metacomet]

Everything seems to be fine... but... What are the doctor giving you propanolol for? That's a Beta Blocker... you should be taking at least some (SSRI) like Paxil or Prozac, cause I'm so sure that you have low levels of serotonin production, and that medication will help you to feel better and don't panic... consider to go to see a psychiatrist if your panic attacks keep happening... this might happen even when you're sure that everything is OK, so it has to be attended and treated.

Good Luck and blessings!.

Metacomet

[cheshchesh819]

good glad everything went well it makes a big difference when you have an understanding doctor.

[joapepe]

well, i went to the doctors and she was really great. She told me it wasn't pyhsical at all and that its impossible to stop swallowing. She checked me all over and pressed my throat.. its an natural process as is breathing.. She prescribed me propranol 10mg and sertraline 50mg
i told her im afraid i will have an allergic reaction to them and she and the pharmacist were really nice and explained that i will be fine and reassured me alot. she will also be reffering me for cognitive therapy. I do feel a bit better. Nearly had a massive attack in her office but she kept me calm.. she explained all about the physical symptoms not being real and understood that they do feel real. She explained about the mechanisms of the throat which helped too. Still feeeling a bit shaky and panicky but not as bad,. Thanks for all the support you are giving me xx jo

[Julie359]

Good-luck Jo, let us know what the doc says wont ya.  Deep breathing and affirmations will help keep you calm...... you can do it!!

[joapepe]

well i'm off to the doctors in a minute.. hope they will say it is anxiety and not a physical condition. So scared. I feel sick. please let them help me...

[joapepe]

Thanks meta,

have an appointment at 9.20 tommorow morning and cant wait.. feeling a bit better today although my throat is sore so thats not helping.. trying to stay calm as i can but is hard work. Eating is hard work too as i keep feeling like i wont swallow the food.
Will let you all know how i get on at the doctors x

Thanks once again,

jo

[metacomet]

Dear Joa, as an answer to your question: "if you cannot swallow you will die right?" That's not completely truth, there are two ways as I told you before, the one which we swallow trough and the one we breath trough. Get this clear, you can't just die suddenly having this... even when you really can swallow and the fear is in your mind... We can't tell you that "everything is right go on" cause we were laying to you. What you have to do is what Julie says: Go to a doctor and ask him, her about what you feel, make yourself checked and tested, you should go see an otolaryngologist but do stay on panic, this is not good, do something about it now. Anyway, just for you to feel better, any chocking symptoms start with a "not able to cof" "food comes back" "horsing" and "a really difficulty to talk" so while you can do all of this everything is OK. Stay calm and go to see a doctor ASAP.

Blessings!

Metacomet

[Julie359]

Can i ask you have you actually been to the doctors regaring this and had tests done?  I know you say your fit and healthy otherwise but has a doctor given you the all clear?

[joapepe]

Hiya metacomet,

I guess it is the fact i fear i will die.. i mean if you cannot swallow you will die right? im searching very hard for the trigger.. i have suffered for so many years... all my things are to do with not breathing, not swallowing, choking, being allergic to meds, foods and insects.. i feel so frightened. i remember a friend of mine when i was about 12 told me she had a severe peanut allergy and told me what happens and maybe that was the start but i dont know what triggers it now. i wish i did.

jo

[metacomet]

Dear Joa,

What is what you fear the most with this is happening to you? Can you let us know? Be honest with yourself and let us know please... are you afraid to die with this feeling? I'd like to know what "triggers" your panic attacks.

Blessings!

Metacomet

[cheshchesh819]

i know it is awful,but try to stick with it and in time hopefully you will be able to control it,just try to occupy your mind with happy thoughts and focus on an aim,but dont try to do to much in one hit,just take one step at a time.

[joapepe]

Thanks everyone.. am trying all the suggestions, however i had a massive panic attack last night. This feeling of being scared alll the time is so draining. I want to feel normal again. I would rather have anything but this.

[metacomet]

Hi Joa, well let me tell you that I'm here to help you. I'm a person who suffered a lot with that sensation, but a little more complicated cause I felt that there was something stuck in my throat  and COULDN'T BREATH! So I was on panic every single time and thinking about this every moment. I suffered a lot cause my regular doctor could understand what was happening to me. Well, let me tell you that with this are involved two issues of health really important to take care immediately, and since I'm telling you what really happens you will fell better cause the first thing is that you're ok, you're not going to die suddenly, it's ok and keep calm, as others said YOU CAN SWALLOW go to a mirror and drink a little of water watching yourself, you will see YOU CAN. For you to feel better and not to worry that much let me tell you that symptoms of a real bad disease like esophageal cancer or throat cancer that could be the worse scenario are not the ones you have. Symptoms of this are really radical like, real difficulty to swallow, whenever you can't really swallow the food, water or whatever you eat or drink comes back from your throat as if the way were closed so as far as I can see this is not your case. In the larynx there are two conducts, the esophagus and the trachea , the esophagus conducts the food and drink and the trachea conducts our air intake, there is a part in the larynx where this two get together to work and there is a function that closes the trachea to let pass the food or drink and then opens it again, well, in this part there are some little muscles that let this action happen and one possible thing is that you could have this function a little affected by ACID REFLUX. You say you drink wine to calm your nerves and relax this sensation, you may calm this for a little while cause wine has sedating properties but what you're really doing is worsening the situation, cause since you happen to have GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) you need to start protecting your stomach and esophagus with ANTIACIDS like Melox Plus, or Talcid, STOP DRINKING WINE immediately, even drinking water in big quantities could affect you. Even when you don't feel a hearth burn symptom doesn't mean that you don't have ACID REFLUX, maybe this happens when you're sleeping, so what really happen here is that all acids come out from your stomach, goes trough you esophagus and burn it (cause this has not the same protection as the stomach) the this goes upper to your "upper esophageal sphincter" burns it too and at last upper to your trachea and burn it too. When this organs are burned they get inflamed and the feeling of not being able to swallow or pass air comes out... Now... here's the part where the brain enters in action: As an automatic survival action, with this feelings or sensations that emulate a form of being chocking, the brain triggers a self defense mechanism in the body acting as it were in a real life or death situation and releases adrenaline and prepares the body to a real bad situation to escape or fight and this is called "PANIC ATTACK" and panic begins even when everything is ok, and you start to feel like going crazy and else... so the real solutions for this are:

-Stop drinking wine
-Do not fill your stomach, try to eat less than before
-Avoid any irritating meals
-Start taking immediately any antiacid like Melox Plus, 30 minutes after eating and before go to sleep and Omeprazol once a day in the mornings
-Upper your bed in the head side 7 inches
-Stay calm and think that this is not life threatening  
-Don't go to sleep after eating
-You may need an anti-inflammatory injection to reduce the larynx inflammation and feel better
-If you really can't control your bad feelings about panic you may need any anti anxiety medication, but this is ONLY if with all this I just let you know you don't get to feel better in your mind.

Well, what I just tell you is the solution for my very particular situation, and the result of visiting several doctors a area specialists like gastroenterologist, otolaryngologist, Doctor internist and even a psychiatrist and investigating by my own part.

You can follow my suggestions if you feel that your passing trough something similar but basically I'm almost sure you have GERD and this triggers your ANXIETY and PANIC ATTACKS.

Stay calm, get rid of bad feelings and thoughts and analyze your lifestyle you might need to make some changes.

Blessings!

Metacomet

[paint_me_green]

I'm currently going through the same thing as you. When I was 6 and 7 I would tell my mom I can't breathe, and just sit there and cry and try to breathe.
I have social anxiety but the feeling of "my throat closing" just returned last week, and I'm 22 now!
It only happens when I think about it or pay attention to my breathing. Sometimes it feels like I have a lump in my throat, other times it feels like the flap in the back of my throat is gonna close. It's usually at night but I have it right now also. I'm going to the Dr's on Monday to have it looked at and possibly get on an anti-anxiety for night so I can sleep.
I know it's a very scary feeling, VERY SCARY. But I truely do believe it's all in our heads.
Think of it this way, if our throats were really closing, the feeling wouldn't come and go. We would have just stopped breathing by now. True fact.
I feel for you sweetie, but you're not alone in this battle =) God Bless you

[joapepe]

thank you so so much.. you dont know what it means to me xxx am so scared but already feel so much better.. have thrown the rest of the wine away and grabbed a bottle of water next to me. just knowing you understand helps more than i can say x im sure its not physical just mental i hope x

[Julie359]

I  had this a lot when i was a kid and it caused a great deal of anxiety for me, just as the food reaches the back of my mouth i found that my swallowing reflex would cease up and the food wouldn't budge, i'd then be gripped by fear because i couldn't breath and i'd start to choke.  This would also happen when i'd least expect it and even now sometimes it happens... im not sure as to why??

I cope with this now by always keeping a glass of water by my meal side and taking water with me where ever i am, maybe instead of downing wine you should stick to water as you really don't wana end up with a drink problem adding to your troubles.  Also if it is out of control seek help through your docotor who can put you in touch with a therpist who could retrain you to you swallow and also refer you maybe to ENT to make sure there is nothing going on with the workings of your throat.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[cheshchesh819]

always here now you have found us you will never be alone again,you have not got to suffer in silence just talk to us.

[mammo]

Good for you!!!  Keep it up and stay with us!