0357's tips are valid.
i've had some swallowing issues for some time. my dr had sent me for a swallowing eval and she gave me the same tips.

i don't swallow well at all if my head is back and especially if the food is dry, like chicken.

i've learned to always have a beverage handy when eating.

Yep same here, I had the same test and was given the same advise.

Dry foods are also really difficult for me. Especially breads, I love dinner rolls but can't eat them anymore.

Actually on my test they were able to see when it got stuck and had me try to swallow again, then drink water.

I hope you find something that helps.

Gosh, Kel, I'm having the same problem!! I do occasionally choke on things when my swallowing's not right, but lately, when I try to swallow saliva, it's as if I have no ability to swallow at all!! I told my neuro about it, but he didn't seem concerned about it
When it occured yesterday, DH ran and got me a glass of water and made me drink it...after he made me try to relax.
I'm going to try to remember tips given here, esp about having head forward a bit. I'm convinced it's a disconnect from the brain/spinal cord to the throat.

When I have one of those spasms (or whatever it is), water does me absolutely no good. It won't go anywhere either. The food can be dry, moist, or liquid. All I can do is wait for it to release, try to stay calm, andremind myself that "yes, you can breathe, it's a separate thing".

It may be different for you, but for me, water is thing I choke on most. The specialist told me to touch my chin to my chest when this happens. It closes off the airway so you can swallow without choking. It is scary when it happens. I try not to eat or drink around people who don't know my situation because they tend to panic when I do this, and it happens at least once a day anymore. Good luck finding something that helps.

I went through a period of time, for several weeks actually, BEFORE I even knew I had MS. Food would stop mid-swallow. I was working at the time and would have to hurry to the bathroom because the only way to handle it was to get it to come back up. Because it wasn't going on down.

I didn't know what was going on. So I would take tiny tiny bites, thinking I was just getting in a hurry trying to eat too fast.

But now I realize I was in a relapse. I haven't had that problem since then, thankfully.

I am sorry you are having this problem. I hope it gets better soon.

I have bad swallowing issues, but have had help from my PT specialist. If I tip my chin downward when swallowing, that helps alot. Also there is this stuff called "thick-it" that I put in water and juice to keep me from choking on thin liquids. As for pills, I crush them up and put them in applesauce (ask the dr first because you can't do this with some medications)

I hope I helped a little.

Hugs*

That's right, I completely forgot about thick-it. The doctor that did the test also told me that if you are having difficulty swallowing pills, just put them in jam or jelly, whole, and they should go down better. I tried it and it didn't work for me, but that doesn't mean it wont for anyone else.

Thick it has saved me from getting dehydrated, which had become a very serious problem. Not to sound scary, but I also have one other problem that I think I should at least warn everyone about.

It's called "asperation pneumonia" (sp), and I get it because my throat muscles don't respond right, and sometimes food and liquids go into my lungs.

When I get this, I get a heavy feeling in my chest, and it hurts to breathe. I get dizzy when I stand, and then get a horrible cough.

This is very dangerous, and if you ever suspect that you have this you need to see your family doctor who will most likely perform a chest x-ray if he suspects that this may be what you have.