I also choke and cough on drinks

I know exactly how you feel. i feel the same way. i choke on everything all the time. i hate going out too eat cause i always think ppl think i'm drunk, between the tripping and the choking its hard but also i still do it because you know what who cares what ppl think and as for your family they love you very much and would never feel that way. its ok to feel like you do because at times i think we all do but it will be ok head up girl. we all love you and support you.

I've had several episodes of this and was put on Ativan to help, which it did. It turned out that I was drinking green tea and I'm allergic to it for some odd reason. See if you added something 'new' to your diet, something unusual. I didn't figure it out until a few months later, I thought I was going to end up dying from malnutrition. I hope you can find an easy solution to this.

I find I choke mostly on drinks. It scares the crap out of the people around me. I've learned I do better if I use a straw, and really concentrate on what I'm doing. I eat really slow also. If someone looks at me funny..I just tell them, "Oops, I think I ate a bug! Gross!."

It is called Dysphagia. I have been on a mechanical diet for 10 years.

Google mechanical diet & you should get lots of info. Basically it is food that is pureed to a mashed potato consistency.

1. Maintain an upright seating position while eating
2.Take small bites - 1/2 - 1 teaspoon at a time
3.Eat slowly
4.Do not mix solid foods & liquids in the same mouthful.

When you eat - EAT. Don't talk & try to eat at the same time.

I had the problem bad enough that I had to go to "swallow therapy" A few techniques to help: Always have a cup of warm drink(not hot you need to be able to take a good size gulp of it if neccesary) with your meal - cold drinks constrict the throat - making it harder to swallow. Do not tilt your head back to swallow (that is our natural tendency) - instead put your head down to the chest, it opens up the airway the most. Don't take more than 2 bites in between drinks of the warm beverage- that completly empties the throat and the food doesn't get "backed up". Most importantly. Small bites. Every bite you take should be smaller than a quarter (the approximate size of the wind pipe) so that if you do begin to choke, air can still get around the food. If you do choke, make sure to "clear the path" aftward by taking 2 large drinks of the warm beverage to completely clear the passage before again beginning to eat. I hope these things help you enjoy the holidays a little more, and try not to worry about what the family thinks, they love and care for you and if you can be with them, that should be the most important thing.

Good Luck and God Bless - Rana'

hello,i no what you me i have cough so bad till i wit my pants but to say this i had a endoscopy on my throat tuesday nov.7th.i was to the point of not beneing were i could not get my bresth.

Girl, I've been choking on things for what seem like forever. I can choke on air! You are what you are and they will just have to live with it. You can't help that you choke. I know it's embarassing. I dread going out to eat.

Eat and drink very slowly and cut your food into tiny bites. Chew, chew, chew before shallowing. This seems to help me.

Oh I hate when that happens. It's like you swallow too soon or too late and miss a beat. Or your saliva will start going down before you swallow. I think it's MS related. sure.

thank you all so much....I will those tips and work on it ...I have an appointment Nov 16 with my primary doc so I will also talk with
him about this also...
hugz
Morgaine

Oh thanks Larry, I forgot. I'm always choking on my own saliva....as opposed to someone elses which might be ok. Or maybe not, might be sorta embarassing. Anyway, saliva, yeah, I choke on that too.

im with Rana4 on this one... i tend to choke as well and this trick was taught to me by a fellow ms,er who is also having the problem...her's is much worse than mine... mine only pops up every now and then... but by tilting the head down toward the chest..it elimates alot of the problem for me...and the small bites...

hopefully Rana4's advice will work for you....as well as the advice worked for me..

hugs
heather

Chin to chest might work unless you have L'Herrmite's.

I've had dysphasia since I was 19. I find when I eat, and move my head at all that seems to make a throat spasm. Maybe what you could do is just pick on some food while the family is there, and save some of his good cooking for later when you can eat in privacy. If anyone asks why you're not eating just tell them your meds have changed your appetite.

I realize it would be best if the family could know and you could just relax and be yourself, but we all know how family can be. You don't want to be hovered over and made to feel uncomfortable. Look at supermodels, they "pretend" to eat all the time, and none are the wiser.. lol

Hugz ,

Lisa

thank you lisa and everyone else, I will try these tips and see what works for me and try to perfect it before thanksgiving ;)
hugz
Morgaine