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.