Problems with eating and Swallowing,

[PENNY]

HI There,

I do not post very often though I do read all your Posts.

I'm having lots of problems at the moment with eating.

I do not have a lump in the throat, I know what that is,

The thing is, every time that I eat something, it has to

be mashed to a pulp, let me explain.

If my mouth detects any lumps, however small, then,

I think that I will choke and the throat then goes into

muscle spasym and closes for a few seconeds.

It is very frighting, makes me heave and the eyes water.

I have to dunk biscuits and bread every time,

This means that there is lots of food that I do not eat now.

I have lost lots of weight through this.

I suppose I need to hear if any one else has had this.

As I said previously, it is not the lump in the throat feeling,

I have had that. This is, the throat feel normal untill it

detrcts lumps in the food, then thats it, the Muscle Spasyms.

I bought two jars of Baby food in the Supermaket, WOW, what

is happening now ????

Look forward to hearing from some of you soon.

Love,

Penny,

PENNY,

[seh1980]

hi Penny,

I have never had this before. It sounds to me like you have convinced yourself that you are going to choke and therefore your body reacts accordingly. Has something specific brought on this fear of choking?

Sarah :D

"Life is too important to take seriously" Corky Siegal

[psycho2000]

Don't worry Penny, this is another form of some kind of 'panic state' you put urself in. Your throat under normal condition is perfectly fine. This happens to quite often in fact, and what you must do is don't take large mouthfuls. It's easy to retrain I believe. Just start from baby food, as you did. Its alright, nothing to be ashamed of. Then as you feel comfortable again with presence of food in your mouth, then go back to SMALL mouhtfuls of normal food. I dunno, bread, meat, chicken, salad etc etc. Keep a glass of water handy. Then take as small as you feel comfortable with. And munch well, and then watch TV or read something and swallow! Don't think about it. You will see it's going to be very easy.

Then gradually increase the mouthful and each time, proceed like that. Be comfortable with what you can handle. No need to try and break any records :). Eventually you will see you will have retrained yourself to not being scared of swallowing. It's another phobia, like any other really.

HTH, Sam.

One day, one day I will beat u and that day, I will be free again, as I was before...

[Meg]

**I think that I will choke and the throat then goes into

muscle spasym and closes for a few seconeds.**

Penny, you're quite right that its your thinking that evokes this response. However it is physically impossible for your throat to close up as a result of this - although I know it does feel this way .

Take it slowly but steadily - expose yourself to what you can manage telling yourself that it will be just fine. Have someone nearby if thats feels safer initially. Once you know you can eat xx safely, proceed to yy and stay with that for a bit and so forth .

Always after a success tell yourself again and again how it is just the meaning you place with the thoughts that is kidding you and you have beautifully overcome this and can do it again . The thought is one thing but to consider it true and take evasive action is believing it .. and it is physiologically untrue .

MORE HORRID SYMPTOMS!!!! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1957)
Swallowing/ choking: Hi All (Swallowing / Choking Fear...) (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3239)
What has suddenly changed, feel awful! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3518)
Really frightend of Swallowing, (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3576)
A strange one, anyone else experienced similar?? (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3741)
throat !!! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3857)
Strange Lump in Throat (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3929)
Throat, improvements, questions (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4008)



Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[MagentaCharlotte]

Hi, I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, as I see the last post was 2003?
Anyway, just wanted to say that I have never been able to swallow tablets and have always chew them :ohmy: . I remember my mum having the same problem when trying to take her meds., they would keep coming up again!
For around 6 months now, I have problems swallowing even water, which has to swirl around and around before I can swallow it, and then sometimes it makes me splutter.
Food is hit and miss at the moment, sometimes I can swallow ok, then another mouthful later and it gets stuck half way down my throat which makes me panic until it's gone down.
I'm not scared of eating, it's just a nusience, so I'm not sure what to do really, except carry on and I don't care what folk think if I'm eating out :D .
If anyone can give me any tips, other than to carry on I'd be grateful. Thanks.
Love and Blessings Mag x

[munchkin555]

hi penny i know exactly how u feel, right now i am trying to force a burger down my throat without much success i have been at it now for about an hour, its cold and not as tasty as it was when i got it but i will eat it!!i am constantly coughing and making strange noises when i eat coz its like food is stuck. i have to chew things in to a pulp like u, its so annoying isnt it? especially when u r starving and u just cant get it down the hatch!
keep pushing ure self hun and praise ure self when u have eaten.
give ure self plenty of encouragement.
take care
vickixxxx