Tight neck & throat muscles inside/out/MS
 

I just accidently found this site and noticed that there was an MS forum. I have MS and was wondering if anyone here has a problem with their throat being very stiff, tight, inside and out and under the front of the neck. Neck muscles get so tired when I talk they really hurt. Also have some trouble swallowing. This, of course along with many other MS problems. Thanks. :confused:

Hi "BB" and WELCOME to the group!! I'm glad you stumbled upon us -- very appropriate! I'm not sure this is the same thing you have, but my throat, "voice", gets really tired when I talk. This is one of the reasons I don't like to talk on the phone very much. It's a hard thing for others without MS to understand. :(

Also have some difficulty swallowing and take forever to eat. Do you have trouble with liquids? Seems like they so easily go down the wrong way.

Hope you stick around to compare notes with all the great people here! :)

|Swallowing and eating:
-I find talking difficult so try not to talk or hurry during meals. Easier at my solitary lunch meal, more difficult at Dinner with family and/or friends.

-there are things available at pharmacy to add to liquids to thicken them. Once in awhile enjoy Apricot Nectar, a naturally thick juice.

- Leaning forward while swallowing helps close off tube to lungs so choking is lessened.


When I try to eat with "normal" people at their pace, I run into difficulties.When with others I tend to eat less, finishing earlie. Think I'd be thin by now! 8-D

- When I must call on phone (bills, etc.) chew Mist gum, a hydrating gum or else I dry up.

Hi BadBrain

I think I get what you are talking about. I had an instance a couple of months ago when it felt like my throat was just closing up. It was like pressure and tightness just below my voice box. Like someone was squeezing my vocal chords - and all around my neck. It reminded me of the sensation you have when you hung upside down too long on the monkey bars as a kid.

Pressure became pain over the next couple of hours. Then I started to get palpitations and upper chest pain. It was difficult to breathe as I couldn't seem to get a full breath without pain. I couldn't sit up straight, I couldn't lay down, it hurt too much.

I had a range of tests to make sure it wasn't my heart that was behaving badly. Everything came up fine in tests.

My neurologist said that since everything else had been excluded (heart, thyroid etc) he thought MS must have been the cause. He said it was likely that it started out as an MS hug and then anxiety took over and that probably caused the palpitations and pain.

I eat very slowly too, and often choke on liquids (gong down the wrong way)

Have you been checked out for thyroid problems? I believe that can also cause the symptoms you are talking about - of course, I am not a doctor so I don't really know. Would pay to get it checked out.

Cheers and I hope you are feeling better soon.

Lyn

Could be problems with the muscles of the throat and the epiglottis, which closes the trachea when you swallow food/liquids. I have instances when I choke, esp on liquids.
The tightness could be due to this, or to anxiety. It could also be due to reflux, acid regurgitation into the throat.
It is a good idea to check with your doc...just to make sure it isn't this. You can take Nexium or Prilosec for reflux and it might help, but you should see your doc just to make sure.

And welcome!!:)

Welcome BB, good to have you here.:)

Yes, Yes and Yes to the throat problems. With me they seem to come and go at will. Usually when I'm the most tired.

Come on back and join the Family and feel better soon..:hug::hug:

Welcome BB!

It sounds similar to what I've experienced. Sometimes I would feel it in the neck muscles, but worse was the throat and tongue. Chewing was a chore, swallowing was iffy, speaking was exhausting. My tongue would feel thick and tired. (How do you explain to someone your tongue is tired :wink:). It would come and go so it never qualified as a "flare." Lucky for me as it seemed to get worse it coincided with some more severe issues, and the IV push seemed to do the trick.

Of course, there are always 100 other things that can cause MS symptoms. I still don't know when to call the doctor (that's why I come here :D) But in this case, I agree with the others here...see yours.

Good luck, hope you feel better soon.

I have the same swallowing issues as some of the others. Even water makes me start to cough.

I have problems sometimes with eating and it going down the wrong pipe then I spend hours coughing and gagging. I also get the tight neck and throat muscles often after eating. Lately its been giving me headaches too. Ive not been diagnosed with MS but am seeing a neurologist because my MRI showed signs and I have many crazy symptoms. I just wish I could find the right doctor so they stop treating me like Im a hypochondriac who enjoys spending my time and money in doctor offices....sorry for the rant its so frustrating.

Hi Jeannie

Nice to meet you. Lots of us have been labelled as 'hypochondriacs' and totally understand the frustration of where you are coming from. I hope that find a great doctor - and get some answers about what is happening to you. Welcome to the group - there are so many wonderful and supportive people here to help you with your diagnostic journey.

Regards

Lyn

Welcome Jeannie and BadBrain66 :hug:

I have had tightening of the throat, muscles in my chin/neck and tongue. It doesn't happen often for me, but when it does... It can get scary.

There are answers
 

Hey guys. For four months I dealt with what my doctor called Globus. He basically told me it was psychological and caused my anxiety. I didn't like that answer so I went to to the ENT. He told me it was Acid Reflux symptoms. Put me on meds. Never went away. I also had headaches along with these symptoms. I saw different doctors I had ct scans, mri's. Scopes and whatnot. 4 months of no answers that helped me. The doctors pretty much thought I was crazy and my wife called me a Hypochondriac. I went to the dentist just the other day, he looked at some fillings I had done four months back and was appalled. (this is a diff dentist than the one that did my
Fillings) he told me they weren't done correctly that they were too high and even my own natural teeth were too high. Apparently when this happened my teeth weren't closing together correctly which made them
Bang together bruising the ligaments in my gums causing my nervous system in my jaw and throat to go haywire. He fixed the fillings and even my natural teeth, put me on pennacillin, and I immediately felt great! I'm not saying this is definitely everyone's problem, but DON'T rule out going to the Dentist. There are so many nerves in ur mouth that if you have any sort of dental problems they could truly cause this and normal doctors won't see this at all. Hopefully all goes well for you.

In the begining
 

...of my last troubles, before making the decision to have it checked out by a neurologist, I had these symptoms. Do you also have a "cracking" or clicking feeling or sound (that only you hear) in your neck? Does the position of your neck make a difference on the swallowing problem?

Not happy that you have this too.

stacy

i get that too!!!!!!!my throat tightens up and sometimes it going down to the top of my chest, i went to the er for it once cause it gets so tight it almost feels like you cant breath and i thought i was having a heart attack! turns out i wasnt. is this what you would call an MS HUG? people say they get that feeling lower in their abdomen but i get it in my throat. hmmmm...

Your problem could be esophygus(sp) and swallowing problems, which can also be a side effect of MS??

Sometimes mine will close up and it feels like I have something stuck and won't go down.

i dont have an issue with swallowing, just this massive tightness in my throat, i read something about how your esophageal (sp?) muscle can spasm or something, causing this to happen

Hello badbrain
 

Welcome to Neuro Talk. You found a good bunch of people here who will talk to you about the MS, and your symptoms. MS can have such a variety of symptoms. Thoat issues should be brought up to your doctor inparticular. Swallowing issues you don't want to get worse for sure. Someone on the MS forum here may be able to address this issue much better than me. I have another condition with swallowing, and it turned out to be something very different. I don't have MS, just a lot of other medical issues. I try to welcome everybody to this site, and offer support and compassion. Keep posting there will be people to listen. take care, ginnie

This is what I meant.... and your spelling looks better than mine..:D

RE: throat issues
 

Hi Sally. My thoat problems began,a tight feeling. Like I was being squeezed from the inside. Then there was a feeling that the thoat was "growing" or swelling. The hospital gave me a swallow test, as I also started after a year or so, having trouble swallowing food and had to do so with water. The hospital pointed to the screen and said "yep" you can swallow, see here, this shows that you can" He told me it was all in my head. Thiswent on for 5 years. I changed PCP, he investegated and I found I have a pre-cancer of the throat called Barretts esophagus. It was not in my head.
It came about due to acid reflux which I knew I had and was being treated for. This was not enough to stop the lining from my stomach and esophagus from eroding. I go in next week, for my second biopsy, endoscopy, and to have my thoat stretched. I cannot even swallow my pills well at this time. I am scared to death. I also discovered I have 8 thyroid nodes, and will have to find out from another test afterwards, if these nodes are impinging on my swallowing at this point too. I wish the same doctor could address both issues. No I need an endroconoligist for the thyroid nodes. so far my test for hyper, or hypo thyroid is negative. So far negative on biopsy for them too. the whole mess is quite unconfortable, and I sure do need you, and this site while I go through this issue next week. I hate anyone having to go through swallowing issues. Eating no longer is a pleasant thing to do, as food has a tendancy to just sit at the back of my throat. So Onward I go to get this done next week. I will be back here for sure, I need the comfort of my friends here. ginnie

Oh my, Ginnie. I hope all goes wee with your tests and that your Docs can and do correct this problem for you. :hug::hug::hug:

The joy of Eating is one of the simple pleasures of life and it's just awful when something interfers with that..:(

When i have trouble swallowing, its because my brain forgets how, then chucks the food down the wrong pipe. UGH! choke choke choke! I am very careful when I eat to be alert, awake, and aware of what I am doing now.

Hi Dejibo
 

No matter what condition it is that causes us to choke it is not fun at all. My friend who has TBI has the same trouble you do after his brain surgery. Mine is due to Barretts esophagus, I go in Wed. for endoscopy again, biopsy and throat stretching. Of course I am nervous. I am tired of different proceedures as so many of us are. Take care of yourself Dej. I care about you too. ginnie