Is it just me

[Susiebee31]

Does anyone else have difficulty swallowing. I sometimes have a panicky moment when trying to swallow saliva. We swallow all the time automatically, but on occasions I cant. Sounds daft but it's pretty frightening when it happens.

[Hidden]

Hi Susiebee31,

I found this article that you may find interesting about RA and difficulty in swallowing. I have put the link to it below:

healthcentral.com/rheumatoi...

Hope you find it useful,

regards

Beverley (NRAS Helpline)

[Susiebee31 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the link, feel less of a hypochondriac

[nomoreheels]

Hiya Susiebee31. For about the last year I've had dysphagia on & off. My GP is aware of it & happy to refer me if it becomes an issue for me. Her concern apart from it being not particularly nice is because one of my meds that I take weekly may have to be changed from taking it orally to infusions. She explained that RD is the culprit & if it becomes more frequent to make her aware & she'll arrange for investigations to be done. I would mention it to your GP & see what he/she makes of it. It's not pleasant at times & I can understand why it makes you panicky.

[Susiebee31 in reply to nomoreheels]

Thank you.seeing my GP in February. came to a head when having MRI laid flat and started to panic because I couldn't swallow and needed to sit up. Never felt so stupid I've never had a panic attack in my life!

[nomoreheels in reply to Susiebee31]

That was probably a reaction whilst panicking I would have thought, a natural response? Many people do panic having an MRI especially if you're claustrophobic so don't beat yourself up about it, you won't have been the first they'd have had do that! Have you had it happen at any other time, not an anxiety situation I mean? If so it's certainly a good idea to mention it to your GP &/or Rheumy I would think, so they're aware at least.

[Susiebee31 in reply to nomoreheels]

I've had MRIs before and not had a problem but having a dry mouth and post nasal drip might not have helped. I've noticed it over the last couple of years. Thanks for the thoughts though and I'm NOT the only one. NRAS gave me a link which was really interesting. Apparently people with RD this is quite common and used to be missed a lot.

[nomoreheels in reply to Susiebee31]

Actually I should have said my GP also thinks my pain relief meds, amitriptyline & buprenorphine particularly, have added to my swallowing problems. Like you I also have a dry mouth & I often wake with my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. She's also obsessive about my bowel habits lol! Controlled at the moment but has insisted on prescribing 4 boxes of Macrogol "just in case"! I understand, the more you concentrate on swallowing the harder it is to actually do it so I distract myself if I hit that wall & I find I can swallow then. Crazy!

[Chappy1]

Yes I have had this problem several times,and its quite scary. I had no idea that it was the RD that was the cause.

[Susiebee31 in reply to Chappy1]

Apparently so according to the research NRAS gave me a link to.

[hatshepsut]

I have had this problem for the last 5 or 6 years. It got so bad that I couldn't swallow my food, and literally had to regurgitate it in order to breathe. Very frightening! There could be a lot of possible reasons for this, andso

My gp referred me to an ENT consultant. After an examination with a camera down my throat, I had a barium swallowing xray.....it produces a video of you swallowing.

The problem turned out to be caused by a combination of things.

1 Sjorgrens syndrome making mouth/gullet very dry

2 Drynesss exacerbated by MTX

3 RD

4 He discovered that I have a web in my throat, which restricts the actual space in the throat

There is an operation that can remove the web, but RD makes a general anaesthetic for a throat operation problematic and high risk. Unless it gets to the stage that I am losing weight, they don't want to do it.

So he gave me advice on what to eat, basically using sauces, gravies or butter to optimise my swallowing ability. Also offered speech therapy, which seemed a bit bizarre.

So my point is, that it may be worthwhile to ask your gp to refer you to investigate this problem, to rule out any causes other than RD. It can be a syptom of things that need treatment, my consultant gave me a long list of possibilities, some quite frightening, before I had the investigations. I know how difficult it can be to live with, so if there's a treatable cause, it's worth investigating! Better be safe than sorry.

Hope you can get some help with this. M x

[earthwitch]

It is definitely something to take seriously. Ask your GP if its worth being referred to a speech therapist (as they are the ones who assess and help you deal with swallowing problems). There are ways to avoid choking, but you do need someone to show you properly.

[Hidden]

Every now and then it will happen to me as well. I also have a tendency to take pills and have them get stuck in my throat. It's better if I don't think about swallowing.

[Carolsos]

I had this happen to me last week and it completely panicked me had a major panic attack,even though do not suffer normally with panic attacks. It happened twice. Felt like I had a major weight sat on my chest. No pain but could not swollow and my mouth was as dry as sandpaper. It took as couple of hours to calm down a lot of deep breaths. I forgot to mention this to my doc and consultant yesterday but will mention it to my rummey nurse in a few weeks. So pleased am not on my own with this. And will look at the link.

Hope everyone has a pain free day today.

Carol x

[Hidden]

Poor you! That sounds awful. I have a dry mouth and throat and get things stuck in my throat, I always have water by my bed at night and sugar free sweets and gum in my car and handbag because when my mouth and throat are very dry it feels as though I can't breath. My gp says it cause by Amitriptyline I take at night but now I've weaned off it and my mouth is still very dry. I think it's the RD. My recent tests for Sjorgens were negative. Like everyone says see your gp.

Kikideelili x

[Whiskers64]

Hi Susiebee & fellow RA sufferers.

After a bad night & suffering 2 hot sweat periods also a very painful right hand & wrist I have had RA now for just over 12 months & perscribed Methotrexate (15mg) & ZaPain. I was very pleased to read your question about throat problems, I have sometimes had a lump like feeling in my throat when swallowing. I have found that if I push on the area in my throat when swallowing then it becomes almost normal. In the past I've put it down to a mussel spasm, after reading the article from nras All becomes very clear what the problem is linked to & I will certainly mention this to my Rheumy on my next visit. It's this sort of conversation with fellow sufferers that makes joining NRAS worthwhile.

[benjijen]

I've always had a problem with swallowing. I never thought it was something to worry about until I read these posts. I just accepted it. I always have to break up my tablets as they won't go down otherwise and some food is difficult. My main problem is at the dentist, laying down with mouth open seems to block everything and I have to hold my breath and feel as if I'm choking. This has been since I was a child (I'm 61 now) and not just since my diagnosis.

[Hidden]

Suziebee, do you mean that it's as if the swallower is broken or like you forgot how to swallow? It can be as simple as gas (burp, if you will) that gets in the way to having the start of a disease so it's super important for you to bring this up to your rheumy.. it's not a dumb comment or question.. it's very serious and can be a diagnostic point.