I've had this too, lasted 8 weeks! I learned that it was triggered by a certain food (drink) which was White Tea for me. I was prescribed valium for this problem. It worked but nothing could be done with the White Tea. I loved it so much, I've tried a few times since then, however, it's not worth that horrible feeling. Try to see what's your trigger, if there is one. Call your doc too. ~hugs~

SwaLLOWING PROBLEMS OFTEN FOLLOW DAMAGE TO THE VAGUS NERVE. i HAVE FORTUNATELY NOT HAD THIS DIFFICULTY, BUT I HAVE FRIENDS WHO HAVE. WHAT HELPS THEM BEST IS TO USE ICE PACKS ON THE ROUTE OF THE VAGUS NERVE. YOU CAN GOOGLE "VAGUS NERVE MS", OR LOOK FOR "DIAGRAM VAGUS NERVE." sO SORRY YOU ARE HAVING THIS DIFFICULTY. lEANNA

I get the numbness in my throat also and have trouble swallowing .I read about the vagus nerve and as it`s neurological could this be responsible for speech problems & facial numbness.Is this common for MS suffers to have vagus nerve damage too,thanks kelly

I've have this problem. It come and goes. I don't know if there's anything to be done.

Sometimes Speech therapists can help you. They can show you how to thickin liquid so it is easier to swallow..etc

Sorry your having this problem.

This is todays BLOG called Life With MS

Mulitple sclerosis - its hard to swallow!
from Life with MS by erader

Youve all likely noted that we have the occasional banner advertisements on Life with MS. Weve made fun of some of them in these very pages. Ive noted the new Nestle ad for drink thickeners the past couple of weeks but didnt really pay too much attention. However, I experienced some swallowing issues over Memorial weekend that has me thinking about this particular ad.

For Memorial weekend I went sailing with some friends from Europe. We had great fun, enjoyed the soft breeze and saw tons of wildlife (including a young humpback whale resting quietly off the tip of an island as we passed). However, through the serenity of it all I began to experience some issues with dysphasia, which is difficulty swallowing properly. Ive had some problems with swallowing and choking in the past, so it wasnt a huge surprise but it was still scary!

A mouthful of cold, fresh, water is just what one desires with the wind in your hair while your hand is firmly on the helm. However, when that first bit of moisture passed the back of my mouth, I could feel my throat constrict and this lump of water seemed to lodge in front of my tracheaPANIC!

No matter how hard I tried to swallow, in fact maybe because of the effort, the more it seemed to lodge. Not until I relaxed and let the water flow down my esophagus was I able to get the water down and gasp for air all this as my stunned shipmates looked on in shock.

The condition persisted, off-and-on, for the rest of the weekend and into last week. It has since subsided.

Im going to have a closer look to that thickening advert and see what it says. Im not sure Im ready to drink my water like Jell-O, but Im going to learn about it before I need it, because as weve talked about before on this blog its all about knowing before needing.

Anyone else out there have swallowing issues?

Wishing you and your family the best of health.

Cheers,
Trevis

I'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN MANY TIMES BEFORE.IT WAS LIKE MY FOOD WAS TOO DRY OR SOMETHING.I HAD TO CHOKE IT DOWN.LIQUIDS WERE FINE THOUGH.IT ONLY LASTED FOR MAYBE A WEEK AND THEN EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.IT HAPPENED AROUND MY LAST ATTACK & DIAGNOSIS.I GUESS A M.S. DIAGNOSIS IS TOUGH TO SWALLOW.

I have problems with swallowing but it is different. It is esophagus in spasms that has a very sharp chest pain for few seconds. It has been happening to me since 1993. I noticed in the hospital but I didn't know what it was. And how to tell a doctor about it when they thought all that was wrong with me was I was depressed.

I do know for your problem that therapy can help. Ask your doctor about it. Best wishes.

Have you tried seeing a speech therapist (I believe that is a problem they can help with).

My problems have been tntermittant.

-hugs-

I have a probable answer. I was having similar problems like you. I would just all of a sudden choke on food, choke on saliva and choke while drinking. My neuro sent me to a Speach pathologist and she did a berium liquid ultrasound while I swallowed food and drank liquids. She determined I had "Dysphasi ( not sure of spelling, maybe disfashia) pronounced how I spelled it. IT is a trigger thing in the esophogus where some little thing doesnt close and food goes down the wrong pipe. She said it is not uncommon with MS patients, but happens in normal people alot over 60 yrs of age. She determimed by the photo's that I need to turn my head to the left when I swallow and this will keep my trigger thingy closed and allow the food to go down the correc tube. YOu should definately talk to your neuro about this and have him/her recommend the speach therapist/pathologist check you out. IF/when this happens to me, I just slowly catch my breat and relax. GOOD LUCK to you!!!!

HI folks....well the bad news is that I've been confirmed with a DX of MS.....but the good news is that I"m a speech pathologist with 30 years experience as an expert in Dysphagia ( swallowing problems) . Everything you are describing is symptomatic of dysphagia. The good news is that momentary absence of being able to swallow is called, in laymen's terms, a 'hysterical swallow'...it's when the coordination gets off and the process is interrupted...basically. What you want to do is to just relax....and really think about swallowing. There are 4 steps involved...and the reason this happens in MS is because of the lack of coordination. Tiring has a great effect on the inability of the person to swallow...ie. you are going to be worse in the evening that in the morning....you will have more difficulty when the food requires a lot of chewing...or after a day in which you did a lot of talking. One has to hold their breath for 1-3 seconds in order to swallow...and this dys-coordination sometimes makes the food or liquid fall into the airway. Thickeners aren't really the answer in the initial stages. They slow things down...like a thick ketchup coming out of the bottle versus a thin ketchup....think of your food and liquid falling into the throat that way.
I suggest that you look individually at what is going on...ie what foods you are choking on. For me, I knew something was up when I'd choke on rice, or cereal...things that fall apart as opposed to apple sauce or yogurt that stays together in the mouth and as it falls to the pharynx.
Slowing down, chewing your food , mashing it with a fork before putting it in your mouth, using a straw with soda pop, putting sauce on dry fish or rice, and really trying to think 'thru the swallow' will help dramatically. There's too many ideas to list here...but rest assured that it is a part of this disease that I've been working with patients on for 30 years. It sucks that I have to work on myself now.....but ah well!

Oh...and by the way......don't be afraid of it....just learn to live with it..ok? I promise you will always find a way to eat and drink safely thru this disease. In more than 50,000 patients that we followed with all kinds of diseases in one retrospective study of patients with dysphagia....only 9% couldn't eat or drink anything...... so hang in there!

Oh..thank you so much for your informative post about dysphagia. Since I am not diagnosed, and have had this problem for over a year, it is good to hear the details of this problem and that it is not as bad as one might think. It was very encouraging to me! I have only intermitten problems and mostly with cottage cheese. Weird as it may seem.I am having major surgery (hip replacement) in august and am worrying about this problem during my hospital stay. I did have a barium swollow done and the results said that it was uncoordination in swollowing. Thanks for posting here. I am sorry to hear of your ms diagoses. The only thing that is worse is being in limboland with all the symtoms and abnormal spinal fluid but no doctor who is willing to give a clear diagoses due to the poser criteria!
I wish you well,
Flowerfloosey

Just a note....after your surgery..in which an oral trach will be inserted for breathing during the surgery...you may, and probably will have a temporary dysphagia....because of the trauma to the vocal cords and trachea with the insertion of the oral trach for the surgery. It is very common...so for a few days after the surgery, be very careful and just eat soft and thicker foods...milkshakes, things like that and you should be ok.
The cottage cheese itself is not a trigger...its a coordination thing. If you smash the cottage cheese or put a topping on it such as a salad dressing, it will alleviate it by keeping the cottage cheese together as it moves through the mouth and pharynx. Remember...if you have anxiety about it too much while trying to eat.....it'll make it more hysterical!

Thanks Gigg, I am having a spinal for my hip replacement. Do you still think I will have an oral trach? I worry about getting sick to my stomach afterwards from the pain med(as happened with the first surgery on the other side) and throwing up and aspirating. My mother in law almost died from that with pneumonia.Thank you for all your help.