Swallowing difficulty

Thank you sylvia it has made very interesting reading, I will see what my results come back like.I should get the results this week, I hope throgold that you are trialling works well for you.It is trial error to find what works for us and what doesnt. I will have a word with my gp about the t3 and also mention the ndt. thank you for the info and for sharing it with me. take care gentle hug x

Hi Bron...many thanks for your input and I appreciate it..    I will definitely lay it all out to the doctor. HOPING that I can get into see him.  I had NO call back today, so I'm not liking my chances!!!

I've had those sore Red areas on my legs for near 2 years, They don't get any smaller, they just start to appear very small and get wider and darker.  One smaller one this evening was niggling me like an itch and another was paining me.  I cannot scratch them as they are so so painful that way.  I push gentle on the small one that was itchy, and it set off a referred nerve pain tracking  down into the side of my foot.  Everytime I pushed it did the same thing to the same nerve in the foot... So I guess the little nodule thing underneath this one is on a nerve.

Putting up with so much pain every day for all these years, restricting my exercise now severely, to a debilitating crippling stage now it's no wonder the body is crapping out further..hahaha.  I wondered also if the Meds are playing a part.  Flareups make my mouth ulcerate, and I can even wake up with a cold sore when my Flares are causing my whole of body to burn and sweat for hours on end for days...  Of course the body is stressing, and I don't have folk to help me with meals/house work so I wonder, because I push and push to near complete exhaustion that all that system pressure is kicking back on me.

It doesn't take much repetitive movement at all to Flare me up. This does brass me off....

From being a very fit agile, busy person to this... yes like everyone else now battling our bodies...  hohummmm

Fingers X'd for tomorrow for an appointment. Even if he can see me in a fortnight I'd be estatic!  But I'm not holding my breath.  And if I cannot get into a doctor, I'm going to go through the Advocacy action group.  That is the first step, before 'Complaints'...  That is our process here, and don't have a choice. 

I have had swallowing difficulties since the 1st March and still no further knowing what the problem is.I have fibromyalgia,but have had this for 6 years and no problems until now.

It all started whilst I was eating a meal,I found my mouth went really dry and I lost the ability to swallow anything,it was very scary as I thought I was going to choke.

I went to my GP after a few days as it was getting worse and I was starting to panic.They put me on diazepam to calm me down and told me it should settle down in a couple of weeks.A week later I went back as I was unable to swallow anything but soup and liquid,they sent me away again and told me come back in another week,which I did.They finally sent me an urgent referal through to the hospital for an endoscopy.Had that on the 8th April (the worst experience of my life) and it showed a paraoesphageal hernia (rolling).They said I needed a barium swallow test to confirm.By this stage I had lost a stone in weight.

The appointment came through for the barium test-middle of May.

They then said the test was clear and it was not a hernia!

I have since been trying to get an appointment with the consultant who sent me for it and did the endoscopy,which has been a complete battle!My GP has been writing constantly to him and finally this week I received an appointment-15th September!

I am also going for a chest X-Ray today as I am now having times when I cannot catch my breath and it feels as though I am going to stop breathing!

I have times when I can swallow certain foods now,but I have to eat very slowly,the biggest thing of all is just trying not to panic,easier said then doone I know,but unfortunatley,you are made to live with it,as quite honestly,nobody seems very concerned that you are unable to eat!

Are you possibly getting to stressed and fatigued with it, that your having panic attacks/anxiety episodes??   Being so very tired and fatigued with the stress etc, can make it difficult to get a good breath and sometimes you feel like your not going to breathe again..  All you need to do is have a really good night sleep to help relieve that issue, if that's what it is for you.  I use a sleeping tablet.  Before that, my friend would give me a glass of Canterbury Cream, cheaper version of a Baileys alcoholic drink..hahaha..  One glass and I'm asleep.  But because I'm not a drinker I don't turn to alcohol.  A good good sleep will do wonders to help...   anxiety is a real bugger.  I once got an anxiety band round my neck..  I didn't know what the heck it was for ages...

Ok,so just an update.My x-ray came back clear!

Since posting though,I have been having major breathing issues,I ended up in A&E as it got so bad,I had a panic attack!

This was the 12th August,I could not take a deep intake of breath,still couldn't on the 13th,I went back to Doctors who just said it was anxiety-(I DO NOT THINK SO) I was only sat watching tv when it happened!

Been struggling since then and again on the 18th and another major attack on the 21st.

Does anyone have any ideas what it could be??

Hi emlou487 Fibro throws many symptoms at us as we know. 1 of the symptoms is breathlessness.I have had it fin the past it lasted for quiet a while.would it be possible for you to see another gp, I would either ask to speak to a gp or go back and see them again tell them how you are? take care 

Difficulty breathing has only just started a few weeks ago,I have had fibro for 6 years.I think it due to my hernia,just want it sorting out

Morning Emlou; I am just catching up on the forum, and your problem/s.....can you tell me exactly "explain in full", what is exactly happening......with your breathing, is it difficult getting Air in, or more trouble getting it out.....this in itself is Very important, as this shows 2 completely different conditions???........as for your trouble eating/swallowing......if not an hernia, it Maybe a symptom of Fibro, as many of us have trouble getting food/fluids past our throat...(I have found that by pushiing against my Cricoid...the area between the The Gap of cartilage below our Larynx (adam's apple), this aids the passage of foods/fluids without the choking......).......is your food going past this spot and getting blocked lower down/or at the spot that I mentioned???.....Bron

Hi Bron,

             I cannot seem to tkae a deep intake of breath,it is as if something stops it.Even when yawning,I cannot seem to fully yawn?

I can breath out fine,but last night I was sat down and my heart just suddenly started racing really fats and I had to slow my breathing right down to keep calm!

I just wish I knew waht was causing it!

Em x

Hi Emlou;   usually when having trouble getting air In, it can be a sign of Asthma (not able to breathe out is Emphysema....due to anything)......did your heart race because you couldn't get breathe in.....feeling scared, or both at same time?    I can see why the ED treated it as a Panic attack (and did it settle with breathing in and out into a paper bag?).....but if the heart racing comes on first, and then the difficulty breathing, you may need to speak to an Internal Physician......?   If you feel it is the difficulty of breathing in (and not being able to get enough air in), have you tried using a Ventolin Inhaler?   i am not sure where you live, but in Australia, we can buy them over the counter at a Pharmacist's discretion....this may help...it Widens the air-tubes, and allows for easier breathing (I, myself, have been having a bit of this same issue lately.....finding as if I can't  get enough air into my lungs.....a bit short of breathe....and use a ventolin puffer).......perhaps if this is your case, you maybe able to trial same????........Bron

Hi Jeanne I would be interested too in how you are doing now ? Any improvement with the swallowing ? 

Hi Sylvia, yes I guess it has improved. It was something that only happened occasionally, although had happened a few times in a short space of time when put up the original post. It must have improved because I hadn't even thought about it recently, till I got your post! Gentle hugs xx

Oh well that's good one less thing to worry about so how are you in general?pain ?? Foggy brain  fatigue etc 

Pain not too bad at the moment. I had my right shoulder injected a few weeks ago for impingement syndrome, and at the moment it's much better although I am aware that often the effects don't last. I've also had my ingrown toenails operated on this week which was painful for a day or two. I have to do daily dressings for a week, but mustn't get them wet (apart from at dressing change) until they are completely healed (4-8 weeks) so not able to have a bath or swim which I am sad about! I love my baths with magnesium flakes- so soothing, and try to swim with my daughter once a week. She has Hypermobility syndrome and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, so we both love being in the water. Brain fog... constantly! And fatigue. But in general not too bad. How are you? xx

Oh -pain not too bad that's a relief isn't it constant pain just wears you down hmm foggy brain thinking straight , your mind just goes to mush awful but no one understands when you try to explain .my daughter suffers with her big toe ingrown nail she leaves it far too long before going to chiropodist and is so painful hers is down the side they told her you can have some kind of acid treatment which stops it growing back in but quite expensive so has other priorities . Ehlers danos syndrome ,that's a new one to me .?? The fatigue I'm sure people think you're just over tired hah if only! I am doing really well feel the best since I became ill self medicating as NO help from GPS doctors or so called specialists ! Take care

Yes that's the treatment I had to stop the nails from in growing again, both sides of both big toes. Had it done on nhs, GP referred me to podiatry service. Ehlers Danlos (EDS) is a collagen condition causing loose ligaments as well as a whole range of other symptoms including fatigue, so we understand each other well. Gentle hugs xx