I think I’m going bonkers. Can FND cause swallowing issues and a gravelly voice that comes and goes. It’s getting me down as tests are inconclusive but I don’t know what else to do. The salt team saw me once to see if I could swallow 1/4 sandwich which took about 20 mins to go down. Some days it’s fine so wondered if FND is the culprit
Big hugs to everyone 🥰
Hello Loobyloo1966,
I too have FND and sometimes I have dificulty eating and swallowing, somtimes it will start were I bite the inside of my lip when eating and somtimes when I swallow food goes down my wind pipe which is not nice at all, and then it can also take me sometime just to try and eat & swallow as normal as I can. When I mentioned this to my doctors they ask me to go and see my dentist first. Still no joy with this issue so I just try and cope with it myself as best that I can. ( Good days & Bad days.)
Hi. Yes - in my experience FND can cause problems with swallowing and voice issues. I often have trouble swallowing - mostly with liquids. And my voice can get very tired and sounds like I only have 1/2 a vocal cord. It has nothing to do with how much I talk or don’t talk. FND definitely has its own sense of humour.
hi, I to have FND and have problems swallowing usually happens only once a week now also keep losing my voice, it may or may not be FND but I would tell your gp as when I did the first time they put me on a 2ww (cancer clinic) was clear but then referred to gastroenterologist and had a lot more tests done (barium swallow test) etc. turned out they found I had COPD (emphysema) and GORD (reflux) but the swallowing problem was not answered they think either the FND is causing the brain signal that makes me swallow not work properly or the muscles (rings) that help me swallow are not working and getting old. Best to get referral good luck. Kevin
I too have difficulty swallowing, bite the inside of my mouth, losing voice. Need to focus on eating so I chew enough to swallow. Need a physical reason to lose voice, maybe something going down the wrong way or cold. Then it takes 6 weeks to come back, I've had this for years before being diagnosed with FND. Weird how people speak louder when you can't speak. Lol. Not deaf just can't get voice out. Throat specialist said it like when you cry no sound goes through vocal cords, they separate. Just need to not stress for it to come back. Take care. Moni
Have you tried myofascial release treatment for these issues? I have issues of tightness round the throat , face and mouth (lots of lip smacking) and the MFR helps ..it also releases air that has built up in the area .. no idea how.
I have trouble swallowing too.
Hi Loobyloo, I have had issues with swallowing and voiceless as well. My voice has come and gone in varying degrees for alost 16 years now. I was diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia. The muscles around the vocal chords are being pulled out too much allowing too much air to go through when talking and not allowing the vocal chords to vibrate properly to make the sound. My docs originally thought it was from reflux, had surgery to correct it, which started my swallowing issues and couldnt eat or drink for over a week (feeding tube). Had to take meds to relax the muscles. It has improved over the years, but still feel spasms in my throat that makes it feel like food is caught. Just have to wait it out till they stop and the pain goes away. Definitely get checked out by docs and speech therapists. Best of luck to you.
Hi have you tried being tested for Thyroid conditions, this can affect the throat as the Thyroid Gland sits at the base of the neck and can get inflamed at times or enlarged.
If you have been cleared of Thyroid problems (something that can take a year of blood tests & investigations to confirm). Then it could be just uncoordinated muscles in throat/vocal cords area - remember FND can affect any muscle group signals anywhere, anytime for any duration.
I have noticed certain foods make it worse, toasted bread products, chocolate, nut butters, garlic - these all dry out the throat and therefore encourage contraction. Whereas hot water diluted teaspoon honey and 1/2 lemon juice relax and sooth the throat improving things.
Plus, someone once told me they had a Hiatus Hernia (chest level windpipe) surgically treated and were banned from eating normal bread for a month afterwards, as too obstructive and difficult to swallow?
I personally was helped by a Choir Leader who suggested voice 'warm up' exercises to release the muscle tension and to remind the muscles of what they are doing. Less tension means less tightness and does relieve swallowing issues a bit. In include my own very gentle neck stretching to as needed if muscles feel tight. But mostly, the warm up is a safe method to try!
Seasonal allergies can also affect the sinuses including the throat, so try and assess if the worst episodes coincide with a particular time of year for hay fever; like tree pollen, grass pollen etc. Or pet dander contact - say if you visit someone with a dog, cat or horse?
Look for the calm in the Storm!
Hi,
FND's do cause swallowing and speech issues, so do problems with your vagal nerve, either connected with the FND or a separate disfunction. There are websites that can give ways to help you stimulate your vagal nerve which, if nothing else, help you cope with the tricky time of not knowing as it helps with mental health too - it's all connected the mind is not separate from the body. If you find doctors are ignorant of FND you can refer them to the FND Hope website that has a section for professionals. It has useful tools for patients too.
In the beginning when I was bad it affected my voice when I was tired. I choked on food and liquids. Soft foods can help - stay away from dry, crumbly stuff.
You are not alone. Big hug. x
absolutely have similar issues with swallowing and low, raspy voice. Sometimes my family says my voice is barely audible
FND can affect many muscle groups, of which is your vocal and swallowing muscles (all 42 of them) can cause loss/changes in speech along with issues eating and swallowing. SALT teams can assist in recommending food groups that are easier to deal with. These issues can be greatly relieved as treatment for fnd progresses.
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