Hello Everyone.
I’ve had esophageal issues since March. Foods seemed/seem to go down slowly or getting stuck in my esophagus. I think it was a panic attack tWo weeks later when my pill felt like it was stuck in my chest. I just could not swallow my saliva. I was terrified. I went to ememrgancy and two hrs later I was okay and sent back home. But after that incident I could not do multiple saliva swallow periodicallyI.I decided to chew down my foods more than usual to pass down my foods. It actually took me at least 30 -60 mins to finish my meal because I was chewing so much. 3 months later, I was eating my meal, and my jaw muscles came really lose. They felt so fatigue that I had to stop my meal. Also my throat muscle felt tired as I chewed my food down. Since then my swallowing became weaker weaker... one day I was driving and I could. It multiple swallow my saliva then I forced my self to swallow my last one. My swallow became softer and softer. Now it continued and I have weak swallow.
I met multiple GI, neuro , rehab doctors. Only things they found was
My
1)D dimer - 1400
2)Anemia
3)Barium swallow test-Weak swallow squeezing
4)Monomentry Test- upper & lower esophageal sphincters relaxation pressures were incomplete and high
5)EMG muscle test twice - Fine
Other numerous tests came out fine.
My rehab doc told me you can’t really measure throat muscle with EMG because it is dangeraous and they tested my tongue said it is same nerve system. She said it can be stress and my upper esophageal sphincter affecting my throat muscle when I swallow which makes my swallow throat tiring quicker.
My GI doc said let’s try Botoxing my upper and lower esophageal sphincters and letssee if my throat muscle will fix it.
I have tried a calcium channel blocker, it seemed like it was relaxing my throat but my swallow were weaker ..... so next day I tried the anxiety pills for three days at night and all my muscle were tiring and relaxing and it was harder to swallow my food from the throat.... now I don’t know what todo... i don’t know why I am suffering this problem and I am losing so much weight. Since March my life is just trashed because of this... I was really healthy guy but I don’t know why I am going through this. I live in the states and I really want to to someone who can really find my problem and help me out ... any suggestion?
Hi Eric, stress, anxiety and panic disorders can all cause these issues but I'm not saying that's what's causing yours but it's very possible that it is.
What action other than anxiety meds are your doctor's giving you?? Three days is not long enough to give any benefits from taking meds so you need to wait longer.
I think you need some psychiatric help as well, please don't be offended by my comments their sent in all good wishes
Thanks for spending your time for reading my post. I wish it is anxiety but I my symptom weakness in swallowing throat muscle has been permanent for past 3 months .. so do you think psychological issues can cause it permanently?
I’ve been taking digestion meds and acid reflux. Obviously I don’t have any inflammation in my GIsystem. I think psychiatry will be a definite help but just at the throat.. doctor did endoscopy while I was eating bread saw it was going down fine. I definitely understand other symtoms I had due to anxiety and stress but at the throat my muscle is so weak... more I chew my throat swallow muscle push weaker and tired and gets locked... if it is psychological... I will be so shocked .. those muscle relaxant meds have been got me harder to swallow although it was only three days ...
Hi Eric I'm so sorry your suffering this way, it's horrendous not being able to eat properly but yes it can most definitely be psychological but you need to get a definitive diagnosis to be sure, I think that as you have had many tests and nothing physical as such has shown up then you maybe need to start excepting that it's a mind thing.
The mind is extremely powerful and can create symptoms that you would never imagine could not be real.
Hello Alexandria,
I went to see docs GI and other docs today. They said they can’t really test my throat swallow muscles... also spoke with psychiatrist but she does not think my throat is psychological.. I am like hopeless .. don’t know what to do. Technology is so much developed now days and I just can’t believe they can test my throat muscles... I just don’t know what to do I have been only taking liquid diet and I don’t know how long I can last ...
Hi again Eric, if you go on NHS direct theirs lots of information regarding throat / osophegus probably wrong spelling, what country are you in
Hey there what is NHS? I live in the states and I’ve done most of my testing in Korea since over here it is a lot quicker.
NHS is the leading health provider in the UK
Why are you going all the way to Korea to seek medical attention when you live in the states???
In the states it’s expensive even though you are insured. Plus they will take days for your appointment and procedures. I was starving . But in korea you can get all the testing within weeks so.. Korea has really good system but I am not able to stay here for too long since my wife is pregnant... I took MRI of my neck last night. They told me I have a thyroid cartiledge that is not asymmetrical and told me to go visit ent with my result..I wish I can find something to cure my issue other than unsure Botox on my upper and lower esophageal sphincters.....