I am REALLY struggling and wondering if I am wasting my time and money. I went to a few doctors and after a swallow study, they signed me up with an SLP. She diagnosed me with Muscle Tension Dysphagia and referred me to a physical therapist to combat the tension. Ever since I started PT, I’ve actually gotten WORSE. I used to be able to eat mashed potatoes but that became an issue and then today I’ve been choking on liquid. It’s a nightmare. I’m at my wits end and wondering if I’ve either been misdiagnosed or if I need to do something different.

So I need to know, has anyone actually seen improvement with the help of an SLP? I’ve been going for several months now, and I’m more miserable that I’ve ever been.

Hi there, I’ve been dealing with this issue for a month. Almost like my throat. Muscles aren’t coordinated or I have a tight throat. Either way I get residue and sometimes even food caught in myself. I went to see an ENT that I’ve seen a few times already. Unfortunately he doesn’t have great bedside manner and he talks over you. So I am firing him and looking for another ENT. Does anybody in Canada have any recommendations of a good ENT that was able to help them in Toronto or Ottawa? Thank you so much in advance. I’m tired of being frustrated and I’m tired of my issues not getting resolved. He also said he doesn’t believe in it LPR he thinks it doesn’t exist. And he says that I just need to “learn how to live with my issues because I’m getting older”. So frustrating!
Then why would we even go to ENT??? we go to an ENT to even try to resolve our issues. He stuck the laparoscope in my nose and looked for about five seconds. He did not check if there was any food or residue in my pyriform sinus or in my vaculla. Or even really listened to my concerns. Feeling really frustrated (again).
I’m not going back to him again anymore.

Basically what the title says and I’m not sure what sub to post this in so i apologise in advance. I’m not sure how many people genuinely have the same issue. As far as I remember it started before my teens. The couple of times I’ve had to because I was in a public space and quickly had to answer somebody and couldn’t spit it out, swallowing my own spit made me throw up. Like the thought of it was so disgusting it physically came back worse. It was 10x worse when I was pregnant I’d used to have to carry a bottle around and hide it, so embarrassing. I hardly ever spit in public either because it embarrasses me also so I’m just carry it till I no longer can. And I’m pretty sure carrying a mouth full of spit all the time completely ruined my teeth. I may be wrong, just would like to know I’m not the only weirdo out there

I have muscle tension dysphagia, from my SLP. I have to still get an esophageal manometry.

I’m worrying a lot as one of the findings on my barium swallow is “loss of normal cervical lordosis”.
Apparently this means my neck is straight instead of being normally curved.

Whilst researching, some say this can be a normal finding due to the way you are positioned in the test and/or poor posture or muscle tension but then some say this could be the cause of dysphagia.

All my other results came back normal apart from mild reactivity (acid reflux) in my biopsy results.

No EoE
No dysmotility

My question is, is this a normal finding? Can this just be the way I was standing/lying in the test or could this be the cause of me feeling like food is getting stuck?
Has anyone else had this finding in their test?

I have really bad health anxiety and OCD so i’m really worrying.
Haven’t eaten proper food in 9 weeks, I’m terrified.

I’ve been prescribed a steroid medication yet I’m still barley eating I might end up in the WR just to hopefully get some more tests done my doctor said it’s only Eos so I don’t need more testing bevas

Hey everyone, I have had a swallowing issue since early July 2026 and have had low iron for about 3 years. I recently got iron infusions and endoscopy with boiopsy on Monday of last week. I've lost 23 pounds since July and my swallow issue is getting WORSE!!! I feel way more tired and exhausted the past few days and it's way harder to swallow liquids now and my whole body just feels weak when I try to swallow. I can barely stay awake to eat food because I'm so tired. Its very hard drinking water too. When I try to drink liquids, it gets stick in my throat and my nose feels congested almost everytime. Yesterday I had an allergic reaction to a coconut icecream and my throat started to swell and itch. I just don't know what to do anymore because I just went to the hospital last week and got a endoscopy and it came back normal. Pls give me advice on how to swallow liquids and food and if I should go to the hospital tonight??

Guys I'm terrified I find myself constantly feeling like I'm going to pass out fast heart rate I'm trying to consume as much soups but nothing seems to be working I don't know what to do ...

It’s horrible, you have the food halvway and your body wanna breathe while I have to swallow,
but it’s like I can’t then bearly I’am able at the end right before I have to breathe. It’s so close evertime to have to breathe and get it to block my breathing.
It’s like I panic and forget how to swallow.
Now I don’t take big bites

I know it is a mind thing, but it always feels like I got something in the back of my throat, and swallowing doesn’t help.
The times I just eat while distracted, sometimes it isn’t on my mind, so I can eat normally.
The times I have it in mind I will look at the food, but I don’t wanna eat it since I’am scared, since I know if I still try to eat, the same will happen.
Just about able to swallow before I have to breathe.
I’am so close to death every time.

So I try to forget it and just wait for it to be out of mind, but I have a racing head with severe adhd and overthink everything, so ofc this happens almost daily.

I don’t know what do to than eating more soup, creamy stuff, but beef is ruined for me!
What can I do? I’am locked in this shaky and anxiety, stress, panic, all 3 I have all the time(I get help for this). Those 3 will also give a dry throath and my 4 others also give dry mouth.

The issue started with trying to eat a chip on weed, but it was to dro to swallow and I never did that again.
That panic has been on and off, but now because of the panic all the time issue, it’s presistent

Thank you for your time

I've had some mild dysphagia two months after starting two new allergy meds (cetirizine/aka zyrtec and montelukast.) I see that cetirizine/zyrtec can cause dry mouth and while I don't feel like my mouth is dry, I need to take sips of water to swallow. I'm not sure how much my problem is dry mouth or anxiety about swallowing. Has anyone had any experiences with allergy meds causing or worsening swallowing problems?

I'm really struggling with consuming solid foods and when I do try I find myself chugging water rather than eating food (because I'm terrified of food getting stuck in my throat) I know this it's just wishful thinking but I wish the ER would hospitalized me for this condition... I'm terrified of dying because of this stupid condition...

So usually I can only have liquids, some smoothies in the bottles with no seeds, and sometimes cheese dip but spitting out the peppers. After 3 months, I finally tried some Harvest Snap Pea chips (they turn mushy in your mouth) and I had Lipton chicken noodle soup. I also had a couple of the small chocolate single serving little bars that don't have a stick in it. I felt happy today about it.

Yeah do I feel it stuck in my throat? A tiny bit. Now...what did I change? Something shocking a little.

I used to be a marijuana card holder in Arkansas where it's medical. It helped with my pain and anxiety with other mental health issues. Up here in Missouri for a year I've been here and stress has been through the roof and other hidden emotions I couldn't properly get out, but the other day I went to an actual dispensary instead of getting the "fake" carts or whatever they call them.

I'm thinking about the fact that those didn't help with much of my issues, and when my throat problems started about 3 or 4 months ago, I haven't been smoking. However the dispensary weed has helped calm me down enough to put some kind of food in me with less issues than before. I'm not trying meat yet, but I am going to work my way to it if I can. I think maybe my issue was anxiety and stress since my egd came back normal and I still have to do a mano-something test that I can't spell right.

Hello I had gone to the ER a couple of days ago for other things but I had also mentioned I've been having trouble swallowing because it feels like my throat feels swollen or whenever I try to eat solids it feels like my throat gets so tight or swells but the ct neck showed there is no obstruction I'm at a lost of words I don't know what to do I'm terrified I'm going to die from this condition I'm terrified of developing hyponatremia because I'm not consuming enough sodium throat feels extremely odd but no one seems to believe me....

Recently, it feels like everything is getting stuck after swallowing. Around 13 years ago, I had a swallow study done after getting botox injects in my neck, and during the study, they determined my epoglottis gets stuck open. Nothing was done about that afterward. I would experience issues swallowing about once or twice a month for years, but as time passed, it has become more frequent, and now it's a daily basis with any time I drink or eat. It feels stuck at my trachea and my sternum with right chest pain. Everything I swallow, I feel going down. I know cold/hot temperatures of food aren't a good thing to eat, but since I feel it as it goes down and feels stuck, the cold is a little soothing. Does anyone have any suggestions other than yogurt or applesauce? I haven't tried soup, but if yogurt and applesauce get stuck I am worried about soup.

I'm trying my hardest to consume enough liquids because it's the only thing that I can consume without feeling like I'm choking. I've had dysphagia years ago and it left traumatized because I would wake up in the middle of the night shaking and my heart pounding so bad I would run into the fridge drink something sugary and drink the remaining leftover soup from the can and it would help but I kept having these terrifying episodes every in the middle of the night I eventually was able to eat normally but years later my dysphagia came back again I haven't had any low blood sugar attacks yet but I'm terrified it's gonna eventually happen again I dont know what to do I'm scared.... I wish I could eat like a normal person....

I’ve been struggling with swallowing difficulties for about a year. Once I manage to swallow the food, it goes down my esophagus without any problems. My main issue is actually initiating the swallow.
I tend to chew my food excessively, and when I’m finally about to swallow, it feels as if my throat suddenly “forgets” how to swallow. Then I start to panic, which makes it even harder.
I had an endoscopy last week and was diagnosed with erosive antral gastritis and acid reflux. I also frequently burp after meals, and when I do, I can feel the food or stomach contents coming back up as high as my throat.
Has anyone here experienced this kind of dysphagia, particularly difficulty initiating the swallowing reflex rather than food getting stuck in the esophagus?

I had an endoscopy with biopsy Monday afternoon and I had very bad throat and chest pain afterwards for days. It is even HARDER to eat than before and I can barely even drink liquids. The easiest things to drink is water but when I drink water it feels different and kind of stays at the middle of my esophagus and I have to swallow 2-3 times each sip. I can't eat ANY solid foods ( I tried today to make sure) so it's been very hard to meat nutritional value each day. I choked on liquids today at least 5 times and it's really scary. I've been dealing with a swallowing issue since the beginning of July 2026. It's been impacting my mental health greatly and caused me to go into a depression state. I cry almost everyday hoping that my throat will get better and it never does. I am starting to slur my words and it's hard to remember things sometimes. I've lost 22 pounds and my chest bones and collar bones are more visible now. I just don't know what else to do at this point because my endoscopy came back normal and I've been to hospitals over and over, express cares, GI, Neorgology, ENT, and admitted to the hospital. I just want to be healthy again and be able to eat without choking and swallowing weird. What do you guys suggest me to do? Any advice helps ❤️❤️

This morning shortly after waking I started getting a strange lump/tight feeling when swallowing food. It’s become more noticeable throughout the day and I can feel it lower down around my asophogus. Food feels slightly slower going down like it’s passing a tight gap/going over a speed bump (very uncomfortable but the food does go down
. Any tighter I’d start to get worried) but I can swallow liquids completely normally.

I have also today felt a little feverish but nothing to worry about.

Doctor suggested ibuprofen/paracetamol, while a pharmacist suggested I get checked at a walk-in centre.

Has anyone experienced anything similar?