anxiety and swallowing
 

okay got to ask, when you feel a bit nervous about swallowing does anyone else notice that you pause before swallowing that pill or that food? Sometimes I think it can be anxiety and MG of course with the swallowing but when your nervous...like for say when you go have one of those barium swallowing test, and they give you that warm thick gooey crap...Or when your thinking about it sometimes it makes it harder. I don't know, what do you all think? :Hum:

Lisa

Lisa, i have noticed this too. I sometimes catch myself holding a drink of something in my mouth for a few seconds before I swallow, almost like I have to think about it. Sarah

YEEES!!! i'm the exact same way.. when my symptoms are bad, it's like i have this delayed swallowing thing.. and I have to wonder - is this all in my head!?! becuase i'm thinking about it? pills definitely are the worst for me, sometimes I feel like I psych myself out.. but I know that part of it is whatever this is that I have too! I have been doing great with swallowing for months and months.. until the past few weeks, then I realized, its finally warming up here - heat = all sorts of problems!

I have to definitely agree. I have to pause and concentrate on swallowing, especially with the pills. And I have to take a lot of pills. In the morning, I have 8 pills to take. The first couple go down easy and then they start getting stuck so I start with the biggest pills first. I take mestinon with a snack an hour before meals so I can chew and swallow my meals easier.

kathie

Yeah, I have to time my swallowing so I don't choke. Also have trouble with drooling when laying down and mouth gets real tired when chewing. Also have bitten my tongue a few times lately so I eat slower.

Do you all have trouble with things going up instead of down when you swallow? I have had pills hung between my throat and nose sometimes for hours, burns like fire!

I have only had the food going in the wrong direction towards the nose a couple of times. So I stopped eating and rested.

kathie

Wow, you know you do wonder some times if it is in our heads. Lol.. then again this dumb disease is mean and likes to play games all the time. I especially hate that baruim swallowing test, the drinks they give you taste really bad and are warm...so ewe... omg yes I have had that happen the drink coming out my nose it when I know I need to quit. Warmer,muggy,hot weather really gets us...so not looking forward to the summer...

oh yes, the drooling!! I drooled for at least a month (before I completely crashed and ended up in the hospital).. my face/corner of my mouth got chapped from the drool, ugh! Not to mention how many times drinks spilled on my face since I couldnt make a suction with my lips..... and probably the worst part was I was so upset about all of this, I went to cry and my face wouldn't even make the "cry face" haha.. oh good times! :)

I also have bitten my tongue and inside of the cheeks, I guess from the muscle not moving the way they are suppose to. I also sometime slightly miss my mouth when lifting the food to my mouth, I guess it is from weak arm muscles. I am very self conscious about eating in front of other people now with all the issue and tend to eat by myself so I can relax.

kathie

I have had the pills go up instead of down and yes they do burn when this happens. I don't think the swallowing thing is in my head or caused by anxiety, because it will take me by surprise when I am sitting there eating like I think I am a normal person. It doesnt happen every time i eat, so i think i forget that i have this problem and am thinking more about the food than the swallowing.

Usually the first couple of bites go down fine and on about the third bite, trouble with things getting stuck. A lot of times the tongue and jaws get fatigued at the same time so I just sit there with this wad of food in my mouth waiting for strength to come back so I can swallow.

Limpy, I totally relate about the "wad of food in the mouth". Happens to me all the time. When the neuro tested my strength, he also tested the strength of my tongue pressing against the side of my cheek and he said to me "I bet you have a lot of problems clearing the food from your mouth, your tongue is very weak." And he is absolutely right. That why I hardly eat carbs - crackers, bread, etc. That is the type of thing to get most stuck.

kathie

I have a very weak spot at the back of my throat , in the area of my uvula, that hangy down thing. If a chunk of anything or a pill gets there, it doesn't move. It just sits there. I have to try to hawk it back out.
Last night for a snack, I had a banana with a little peanut butter smeared on it. After swallowing, drinking and brushing my teeth, I could still taste peanut butter in my throat. I looked for it in the mirror but couldn't see it. I think it was up my throat like the pills go sometimes.

Three bites into a delicious Anniversary dinner, it hit.....Sometimes it's hard to keep MG from getting you down.

Along with the eating, drooling & swallowing, I can't whistle anymore. Also was able to make a weird high pitched animal sound by vibrating my tongue real fast that I can't do now too.

Hello Kim.. :Sigh: Yep....I and certainly others have been there, or will be. You're right: it sure can be hard sometimes and thank you for posting that so others know they aren't alone in their experiences. :)

Really funny when I try to sing with the car radio....after a few bars of singing, I sound like a 3 year old----crazy modulations in volume and pitch---until suddenly it's too much effort to even bother trying. Stili, I can't resist trying when one of my olddie favorites comes on!! (PS there is never anyone else the car when I do this lol!)

Sue, I can tell it is going to be a good day when "MY" singing actual sounds like singing
kathie