Swallowing

[rudiskacel]

Basically, one night I had a twitch/cramp in my hand. I googled my symptoms and came across ALS/MND and read all the symptoms etc. and got so worried (Difficulty swallowing was one)

About 2 days later I developed difficulty swallowing and it hasn't gone away in the month that I've had it. I am fixating on this and can't get my mind off anything else. Has anybody else had this?

Can Health Anxiety come on like this. I'm so worried and it's all I ever think about. I'm only 19.

[Light_Bringer777]

What do you mean by difficulty swallowing? I've had what you could call "difficulty swallowing" for a few weeks now, in my case coming from very tight neck muscles which are most likely due to TMJ issues I'm trying to get fixed with my dentist.

Mine feels mostly like a slight, sharp pain and a tightness while swallowing.

[rudiskacel]

I dont really have any pain. There is a sort of clicking sound when I swallow.

[mnaha]

I have pain like you mentioned Light bringer.. I was turned to my side tonight and coughed and my throat started hurting really bad especially when swallowing. It stopped for a bit but now it hurts here and there a little. Im worried because im afraid I will choke if I lay down and im so very tired now.

[popejoan]

Your symptoms don't sound like ALS at all. Believe me, I was (still am) terrified of ALS so I read and watch everything about it. Difficulty swallowing is different in ALS, if you're not choking on liquids and feel like liquids are going the wrong way there's nothing to worry about. In ALS, the throat muscles close up when you try to eat/drink something, that's why ALS patients drool too much. That clicking sound sounds like anxiety to me.

Don't go in that path, don't read anything else about it. You are 19, the chances of you developing ALS is less than 1 in million. Stop thinking about it. Believe me, I know how depressed and anxious you can get if you continue googling.

About your hand, if you don't have any weakness or muscle wasting in your hand stop thinking about it. By weakness, I don't mean "feeling" weak, I mean clinical weakness, which means you can't button your shirts or use your keys to open your door. You are too young to worry about this disease.