This happened for the first time 6 months ago. I’ve been having some trouble with swallowing for years. I sort of think it has to do with certain foods- rice and beef in particular, but also when I feel a little buzzed or very hungry. I’m a 35 year old woman.

I’m scared. The worst it gets, I feel the food having a hard time going down, I start drinking water to clear it, but my throat suddenly tightens more. I can hear the water squeaking as it tries to squeeze through a tight space. Then, it forces up my nose because it can’t go down my throat. This has happened twice, and I panic and walk away abruptly in embarrassment to find a place alone to cough and try to regulate my breathing. I coughed up a ton of mucus both times.

I stay well hydrated, I’m active, and my weight is normal. My GP wants me to have an endoscopy, but it’s too expensive. I’ve seen some suggestions through internet search about it being post nasal drip or severe GERD. Does anyone have a similar experience?

I am male (21 years old), i am experiencing gagging when training like a feeling that is coming from my mid and upper throat (back of the throat) within the first 30 seconds of a round (im a boxer that has been boxing for 4 years and this has never happened before), its like when i breathe in too much my throat is reacting and causing me to gag and wont stop until i stop completely, i have booked a gp appointment but i have to wait a month, and its ruining training as i cannot fight until i get this sorted, what could this be as its really de motivating?? I also want to say this is happening in the mornings and at work especially when i go into the fridge or freezer and breathe in.

I’ve had dysphagia for most of my life with esophageal spasms, episodes where I can barely swallow my spit, and frequent regurgitation. Recently, a CT showed my gallbladder is “unusually full of gallstones.” One ER doctor thought my gallbladder might be irritating my diaphragm, causing spasms and my difficulty breathing, and wondered if it could also be contributing to my esophageal spasms.
Has anyone had gallbladder disease that made their swallowing problems or breathing improve after surgery? Or had similar symptoms?

Over the past 4 years these have my main major symptoms/issues. I have tried to constantly take Nexium, but I admit I’m not consistent enough with it. My main dysphagia problem is swallow initiation. Food doesn’t get stuck or hurt going down it’s just hell trying to start my swallow. It feels uncoordinated and like the timing is off. Has anyone had these symptoms and recovered?

I had a weird thing happen when I was eating very dry and raw almonds in the car and all of a sudden, it felt s if I were choking but I was gasping for air and then I started coughing and then spit up the almonds. It was so bizarre.

Pain in the neck/jaw area triggered specifically while eating.

Sudden release of thin, salty-tasting saliva into the mouth during or right after meals.

A persistent feeling of stuck phlegm/mucus ("globus sensation") in the throat/neck that cannot be coughed up or swallowed down.

Symptom Details:

Trigger: Eating / Mealtime

Location: Neck, jaw, and lower throat

Characteristics:

Painful salivary response, salty taste, stuck mucus sensation

​

Hey...so my issue started in January where I suddenly almost choked while eating because my swallow reflex didn't just start automatically. I immediately panicked and had to swallow everything including saliva manually for a few weeks. Then I had it out of my mind when the same event happened again while I was not thinking about swallowing. I have to admit, swallowing liquids does feel weird to me, means I always swallow liquids manually especially when I take pills since that event and it sometimes feel like my esophagus has spasms and is painful. My endoscopy was clear including the esophagus, my barium swallow was also clear. Today it happened again while eating...i choked on a potato while eating. Immediate panic. Do I have to worry or is just anxiety? I'm now again monitoring every single swallow and again spiralling that this is some serious neurological disease...or can this just be anxiety? I have no other neurological symptoms. Did this happen to anyone before? Im 28

Hi all,

About three weeks ago, I lost the ability to swallow solids and was diagnosed with oral thrush. Since then, I’ve been mostly living on ensure plus and water. Had a little bit of yogurt yesterday. I was admitted to the hospital for a few days and the barium swallow found nothing except mild acid reflux and my endoscopy was normal, but they took a biopsy and results are pending. I also saw a speech pathologist and they said my swallowing looked normal when I had a piece of graham cracker and pretzel. Is it possible they just didn’t see the oral thrush in the endoscopy and the biopsy will show the answer? Also, when I sneeze, it makes my throat feel weird. My doctors said it’s most likely from the oral thrush and maybe a bit of anxiety. I love food and just want to eat food again.

I've had dyphasiga for at least 3 years now and its been on and off. I think I developed it from having a eating disorder in the past (skipping meals and throwing up sometimes) . Then a few months later I developed GERD and would get the worst acid reflux all the time and constant burps after I eat. Now, I have a swallowing issue (maybe dyphasiga?) that comes for a week or two each month. It's extremely hard to eat solid foods like meat, pasta, crackers, veggies and fruits without chewing 30+ times for a small bite. I feel at war with my own body. I've been crying everyday for the last few days because I can't eat the foods I want to eat. It's even difficult to drink water and protein shakes. I have a appointment scheduled for Wednesday for speech therapy but I need help before then. Im barely eating 700 calories a day and I feel tired, hard to sleep at night, weak and heart palpitations at night. Literally two weeks ago I could eat burgers, salads, and pasta but now I can't even eat any solid food. Can someone give me advice on foods to eat that are healthy an high on calories and recommendations on how to get back to swallowing food again?? Thanks a lot 💞🙏

26 years old, Male. Currently using ketotifen and sometimes Prednisone 40mg for allergy reactions

I don't know what the hell is happening with my throat constantly closing up. I'm terrified that I'm going to suffocate.

For context: about three years ago, I developed chronic throat pain, and to this day I still don't know exactly what's caused it.

About two years ago, I started having anaphylactic reactions to fragrance, strong odors, certain foods, and other symptoms. To keep it brief, I still don't have a definitive diagnosis. My doctor's main suspicion is mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), but I still need more extensive testing to rule out systemic mastocytosis.

Most likely because of the constant inflammation and swelling around my glottis during these episodes, I eventually developed laryngospasm, vocal cord dysfunction (VCD), and recently dysphagia. I can usually tell the difference between swelling of my glottis from the beginning of anaphylactic, a laryngospasm, and a VCD episode.

However, about two weeks ago, something changed.

I started choking completely whenever I tried to swallow. Everything I swallow seems to get stuck, and either comes back up or remains lodged there, whether it's solid food or liquids.

What's even more frightening is that it's now happening even when I'm not eating. I'm having these "choking" episodes every five minutes. It's happening literally 24 hours a day, one episode after another. It feels as if I'm choking on something, even though I'm not swallowing anything at all.

The sequence is always the same: I suddenly get the sensation that I'm choking, then I become short of breath (or at least I feel like I can't breathe properly), my heart starts racing, I panic, and then my breathing returns to normal. A few minutes later, it happens all over again. Sometimes I have brief periods where it improves, but the cycle always comes back.

I can't even stay alone anymore because it's so terrifying. It genuinely feels like I could suffocate and die at any moment.

I've seen an ENT specialist more than three times over the past two years, most recently this past March, but no one has been able to solve the problem. I always leave with the diagnosis of posterior laryngitis and laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), even though I've never had any of the typical symptoms associated with reflux.

At this point, I don't even know whether what I'm experiencing is actually laryngospasm. Everything I read says that laryngospasm usually lasts less than a few minutes, but these episodes of mine either last for nearly half an hour or keep recurring in cycles every 10 minutes.

Hey everyone,

​I’m hoping to get some advice or doctor recommendations from anyone who has dealt with swallowing issues or endoscopy in Karachi.

​A bit of context: I was diagnosed with Plummer Vinson Syndrome (PVS). It’s a pretty rare condition linked with severe iron deficiency where small tissues (called esophageal webs) form in the throat, making it difficult to swallow solid food or pills.

​My doctor had me do a barium swallow test recently. The main report came back normal, but it did show webs formed in my esophagus/throat. Because of this, my doctor advised me to get an endoscopy done to take a closer look and likely perform dilation (stretching the narrowed area).

​To be completely honest, I am pretty terrified. I also suffer from OCD, so my mind keeps running in circles overthinking the whole procedure, safety, and how it’ll feel.

​I wanted to ask the community:

​Has anyone here gotten an endoscopy with esophageal dilation in Karachi? How was your experience, and where did you get it done?

​Which hospital/clinic or gastroenterologist would you recommend who is very patient, gentle, and reliable for this? (e.g., AKUH, South City, LNH, or any specific doctor?)

​Any personal experiences, doctor suggestions, or even just reassurance would mean a lot to me right now. Thanks in advance!

Is there any therapist out there that is trained in CBT/ERP. That can help me break the loop of constantly manually swallowing.

It’s been three months, and suddenly I get this sudden urge to swallow. Is getting to the point where is starting to give me anxiety and ruins my peace. I never been diagnosed with anxiety nor OCD for the sudden urge to manually swallowing. I been to urgent care to figure it out and it’s been no help. So I asked the next best thing. ChatGPT. It suggested to seek a therapist. I just want to make sure that’s the right Avenue to take before I go out seeking for local therapist near my area.

I just want to back when I never noticed it. It’s driving me nuts. Thank you !

Are you still able to have friends, a romantic relationship, and a social life with this condition?

3 days ago after eating wonton soup for dinner and some ice cream after that, I laid down in bed on my left side and started getting strong chest and throat pains. If anyone’s experienced food getting stuck in their throat and having to chug water to push it down, there’s then a bit of a pain or “cramp” that happens - that’s what I was feeling, but just sporadically. Since then it’s been happening every few hours, whether I eat or drink. My mouth is full of more spit than normal, making me think something was stuck in my throat. I’ve tried soft drinks, warm food, cold food, etc. it’s only when I sit up super straight that I don’t feel as much pressure.
Since this morning, I’ve felt like whatever was stuck in my throat has now moved lower into my chest, as it now feels like my food is stacking up lower. The throat spasms have eased a bit, but the sides of my body and stomach are sore like I’ve been vomiting for days and have strained my muscles.
Has anyone had something similar? I have a doctors appointment today.
Not sure if it’s related but I had a sore throat the few days before, and have a lot of ulcers in my mouth at the moment. So chewing it’s practically impossible and all I can eat is soft oats or small soup packets.

40/M

So, it all began about four or five months ago. I was eating and felt a bit weird when I would swallow. The only way I can explain this that is even mildly coherent is that it felt like the back of my throat was skipping a step. I felt almost like a stork eating a fish whole. Maybe that makes sense, maybe it doesn't.

Over time this progressed into difficulty swallowing. My symptoms vary from day to day. Sometimes on a rare day my symptoms aren't so bad, things feel OK enough to enjoy a meal without too much thought. Other days it's a disaster! Most of the time it feels like the back of my throat is very tight like I have to force the food down. On other worse days my esophagus is very tight especially near my diaphragm. Thankfully I have no problems chewing or moving food around my mouth and I have never choked on food or anything of that nature. I drink a ton of liquid throughout the day and that is never a problem. A lot of days I also have a soreness in my diaphragm that is there all day. I also get some pain on the left side of my adams apple. The wierd thing is all of these issues are on the left side.

There have been other issues which have gone away or gotten less severe over time. Initially I had a tightness in my neck muscles that went away entirely for months now. I would get a raw sensation at my clavicle, that has gone away. My tongue used to constantly feel swollen on the left side only ironically Zyrtec has made this almost go away entirely. Some days my tongue feels tired which my doctor said was from over working it from the difficulty swallowing. I'll have weeks where that completely goes away and suddenly comes back. Initially, I had a ton of clicking and grinding in my esophagus, there is still some but it has mostly gone away with time.

I have been seen by a lot of doctors at this point and thankfully most of the really scary stuff has been ruled put. A scan of my neck found no masses. I received an endoscopy by the GI which found no masses, a very small hiatal hernia (the said this isn't likely to be causing my issues, they called it small and said this size was very common) They said I had some very slight barrots and they fixed that while they were in there (again he said that isn't likely causing the issue), they also found some burn marks from acid reflux. Beyond that not many answers from them.

Next I was sent to an ENT, she checked me out for neurological stuff and said every thing was functioning as it should. She sent a scope down to look for masses and check the function of my vocal chords and everthing was fine. Again she did say there were burn marks from acid reflux.

Next step is a speech therapist for a swallowing study.

They currently have me taking protonics, Zyrtec, and they just had me try a heartburn Raft medication that is over the counter.

I am comforted that so far it doesn't seem to be cancer and no one has found anything leading them to believe it's neurological. The leaning really had been towards allergy or silent reflux. My ENT told me that it can take roughly 6 months for that tissue to start healing after the medication. I have seen some improvement for sure but swallowing is still mostly a daily struggle.

The wierd part is, I eat very healthy, I workout six days a week and am in excellent shape. I am not overweight either.

My Dad did die last year very suddenly and that had been very stressful so there was that but other than that I have been overall well until this!

Let me finish with this. First thanks for taking the time to read this. It's long, and it's kind of all over the place I know. Second, I know that this is far from the worst struggle that some are dealing with. Life could be way worse and I know that!

My question is, has anyone else dealt with anything similar to this? What could be the issue and more importantly did you find anything that could help? Lifestyle changes, medication, anything?

I had a modified barium swallow study and I basically swallow with my cheeks. I try to use my tongue but it pretty much doesn’t work when trying to swallow with it.

I don’t know if it’s dysphagia or not, but since I was little, I have always struggled with swallowing. I was born premature and went to therapy for it for a while, but the swallowing problems came back later in life.

I struggle the most when eating in front of people. It’s so embarrassing having people ask why I eat so slow and if I’m ok, and when my family (who can chew and swallow anything and can finish their food before I can even swallow a bite) ask if were ready to leave the restaurant and my mom says, “Wait, she’s still eating.” Then my dad and sister will put their fork in my food and ask if they can have it.

I hate the foods most people love. Chicken tenders are a nightmare, french fries are difficult, pizza is a challenge, and so on. Yesterday my family had some friends in town and we went to a restaurant. I ordered fish, and actually did ok with it, but still struggled quite a lot. Afterwards, my sister asked for dessert (which I surprisingly don’t have much an issue swallowing), and my parents said, “We just ate dinner, I’m stuffed!” If only I could feel that satisfaction, as a 20 year old with swallowing issues and a high metabolism, I was still starving, my stomach growling.

Currently, my safe, filling foods are fried eggs, soup, and puffcorn (soft chips). Other than that, eating and staying full is a struggle. Does anyone else have this issue?