What i've discovered is that the only real way for me to swallow pills is to put a small portion of food with the pill. I think the mind tricks your swallowing because pills aren't food. Even when i put just a small piece of bread or a potato chip I am able to swallow like there is no pill. So basically try just chewing a little food up then popping the pill in and swallow. works for me 100% of the time.
i've recently discovered this weird sensation in my throat when i swallow where it feels like stuff is still there.... LET ME TELL YOU... it's just a sensation and nothing is actually there. It happens when I think about it then a few minutes after eating it passes. I don't know if its a fear of choking or vomiting or what but it's deff real. Just know your mind can play tricks on you
Exactly like me I can’t eat but when I have a drink with friends or even myself when I get home and I’m still drunk I can eat like a fucking bull I wake up the next day I shit myself trying to swallow any food
@@Jetonhidri i think i should drink Gin now. This happened to me for the first time when i was eating, out of nowhere i cant breath and food is stuck in my throat. I thought i was gonna die
Thank you doctor! This has been helpful. The anxiety of food getting stuck has been unbearable. I have a doctors appointment and hopefully referred to an ENT.
same as me, anxiety of food getting stuck has been nightmare for me for years now, every time i go to a doctor they tell me you are just fine and they couldn't know my issue nether i don't know but now watching this, i am almost 99% sure this is my issue ( Catcher opener )
I had thyroid cancer 2 yrs ago. I have choked 5 times in 6 months. It is so scary. I almost passed out. I was alone twice. I chew tiny bites for several minutes then drink lot with each bite. I do not know why I choke. I am going back to my surgeon to find out if it's scar tissue or what. Good luck to everyone.
Wow, this is one of the best and informative videos I have ever seen on TH-cam. Excellent presentation by Dr. Bastian! Great explanation of a complex subject in a patient and calm manner. Thank you!
I need serious help. I'm way to young to have swallowing problems, but I have anxiety when swallowing cause I might choke and I get a funny feeling near the end of my mouth. I haven't had a decent meal in weeks and I can't eat anything. At school I take one bite of my lunch and right now I have the choking feeling please help!
Akparri The Gaming Cat i am haveing these same problem and i suffer from anxiety i can suggest you a methord to eat food ..chew the food (dont swallow) take a deep breath the hold the breath ,the push the chewed food ,after swallowing release the breath...do the process step by step and slowly , take enough time ...it will help ...this is ma personal experience..dont be afraid ..you will be oke soon .(sorry for ma bad english) may god bless you ❤️❤️❤️
Akparri The Gaming Cat very sorry to hear this god bless you I'm 21 and the problems for me started around 20 then went away and came back much worse I will pray for God bless you
I have a problem swallowing and it's happening a lot more lately. It's embarrassing in a restaurant when it happens. I know when it's going to happen, too. My throat seems to not be able to break up some food anymore. I try and swallow and the back of my throat fills up with phlegm (this happens after I have already swallowed the food). I panic and phlegm builds up in my throat and I have to spit it out in several napkins until the food that's lodged goes down the rest of my throat. I wish I could do something to correct it.
@lorivattes5475 - 4 years later, what’s happening? I’ve had this for 24 years and doctors are useless. But I may have found a possible cure by chance. Either that or it’s just luck.
Thanks so much for this information. I've been looking for answers for a while and now understand that I have a "pitcher" problem. Every bit of information leads further to an understanding of what is going on. I have been tested by a few doctors who have not helped and I don't want to get another barium swallow and more radiation. I put an illustration of a swallow in my kitchen and try to focus on my epiglottis closing (which seems to be where the problem is). This seems to help. I also have found that holding my head slightly forward , chin down seems to help. I have not choked on water for five days now!
I also just realized that I have a pitcher problem. The head chin tuck technique seems to help me alot, but I also think anxiety started this swallowing problem for me. I also make sure to take sips instead of huge gulps.
Thank you so much Doctor. I have been searching for months and thank God you came along. Now i can talk to my Doctor Intelligently about my symptoms. They tell me it's all in my mind but the chocking and breathing problems are real. Again, thank you.
Hi Surfer 10, have you had nose surgery done? If so, look into nasal nerve damage or empty nose syndrome . I have been having swallowing/clearing of throat and asphyxiation issues since having septoplasty and turbinectomy.
Best explanation I have heard. I am from Va. and consulted with 3 doctors who failed to explain what I am experiencing as the result of neck surgery by an orthopedic surgeon. I have both pitcher and catcher issues; although the pitcher's saliva did away with my dry mouth problems. it is the catcher issues that have me worried as I age. Steak, lettuce, tomatoes, grapes are verboten. i first start choking, the coughing, then runny nose-disgusting to watch! Thanks to Dr. Bastian's video and you tube I can go back to Johns Hopkins to discuss a plan of treatment or better yet go to Illinois and see Dr. Bastian. Sounds like a worthwhile road trip.
The best explanation of swallowing problems I have come across. After Radio Therapy to the neck for cancer, I have been left with choking on foods for 5 years. The only thing is, I'm not in a hurry for the surgery you have recommended, but thank you for an excellent presentation using your model and knowledge. Priceless!
1. A subset of ear, nose, and throat doctors (laryngologists) focus on swallowing. 2) a subset of speech pathologists evaluate and do behavioral counseling. 3) A small subset of GI doctors. Best bet is to call large ENT groups whether private or university-based and ask the triage nurse: "Does any of your physicians specialize in swallowing problems?"
Hi doc I have swallowed problem and acid reflux . all the time when ate I have the water ready because food difficult to go down today ate lunch feel like worst because food stuck Tried to drink water but worst so I slowly drink the water just but then finally the food down I was also cyst behind the tongue I don’t know if this problem or not please kindly help me if possible thank u
What if it's not just a feeling of the catcher problem but it seems as though food is going past the opening into the esophagus and getting stuck inside of the esophagus almost as if the muscles inside of the esophagus are not pulling food down into the stomach and is causing a sensation of tightness on the left or right side of the throat and the pressure in the throat when breathing in?
I anxiety of food getting stuck has been nightmare for me for years now, every time i go to a doctor they tell me you are just fine and they couldn't know my issue nether i don't know but now watching this, i am almost 99% sure this is my issue ( Catcher opener ). sometimes i can eat everything go fine and another time i feel food get stuck in the middle down of my trout that will make my breath difficult ... thanks you Dr. Robert i Love you
Thank you. I have serious swallowing problems, and have endured two operations to 'stretch' my esophagus. It continues to worsen. I have M.S. Now it is not just trouble swallowing, but intense pain during the swallowing process - about where the heart is - both back and front. It feels something like a 'charleyhorse'. I am a missionary in Ecuador - anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? .
+Rebecca Sterling Very sorry to hear of your difficulty. Direct examination of the areas giving rise to symptoms as well as a videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) might be suggested by your physician. Pain is not a common symptom caused by neurological or mechanical limitations of swallowing, by the way. (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without your personal physician’s input.)
Hh Hh I’m a year late but it you still need help it’s either heart burn, or acid reflux, ask your doctor about it and they can prescribe you meds for it.
I’m 14 and I really need help here! I haven’t been able to swallow for about 10 months, when I got a stroke my whole left side of my body is like paralysed but I can move my leg and arm but they are super stiff when I move them or they spaz but my left side of my face can’t move but my eye can look around and I can close it but not close it like normal I can’t wink with my eye skin. I just want to swallow again ): the doctors find nothing. Help
I found the info on the catcher very informative: solid foods like meat, pills and gummy breads, tend to get stuck at the cryco pharyngeal junction where a spincter is for opening up the esophagus and this can be fixed by myotomy overnight at a hospital.
I can only swallow my food with a gulp of water. Even then, I still have the sensation that something is stuck and I will cough, clear my throat, and my nose will run.
@@ead9195 not yet no. It gets worse by the day. Mine has been going on for 6 months. I have an appointment with an ENT but they cant see me until January! Hopefully yours will go away. If not, id make an appointment with an ENT asap. Good luck
@@shivakumarvjit Hi Shiva. Not sure what the reason is yet. Ive seen both an ENT and a Gastroenterologist and they do not know. One seems to think it could be allergy related, and the other thinks it could be some form of GERD or acid reflux. I am having a procedure and they will take a biopsy to see if it could cancer or something more serious. Best of luck to you.
i go for a esophagram and UGI next week i hope all is well for me i cant `get my food to gown down, when swollowing it feels like my throat is the size of a drinking straw
When I went to my last check on my swallowing it was to drink something and just swallow,an e ray. After the the e ray in swallowing, she told me there was nothing they could do, this was on 2022, before I left to move to Texas, I’m was in California. She said I’d they would open something in May throat, I didn’t know what she meant. But, if they would open the part for me to swallow , that would not be good, because I would always be just throwing up my food, and cause reaction to my etsofagous. So, I just left I didn’t want to do anything more. I still have problems swallowing soft and meat and bread and potatoes. But, thank you Doctor for your teaching. Appreciate you so much. God bless on blessing others. Diana
All of you with concerns should ask for a referral to a Speech Language pathologist that's specializes in swallowing disorders, or dysphagia. A true fear of swallowing is called phagophobia, and is related to anxiety. First, though you have to rule out a true swallowing problem.
When I was a child i couldn't swallow my sliva I would try than my throat would close up and I would panic. I grow out of that but a couple days ago I was eating chicken, corn I felt a piece of corn go down my throat but I was still chewing so I swallowed than I felt it get stuck I paniced and drunk some water it was hard and uncomfortable. It passed 1 hour later but yesterday I was eating chicken a piece got stuck in my throat I could feel it I drunk some water again but the water made it worse it was like someone tying a knot in my throat I could still breathe and talk but it drove me insane its so uncomfortable. I drunk some coke it kinda helped but than the piece passed. WHATS WRONG WITH ME? I can't even eat solid foods without thinking I'm gonna choke in my food pipe! I haven't gone to the doctor
what u just described is what i went thru / what im still going through. it like comes and goes. and idk if i should talk to my doctor :/ my mom says it’s all in my head
hi, my problem im having is the timing of swallowing I want to swallow before ive finished chewing. im having to think about when I swallow which is not normal. Ive also noticed when I do swallow I tilt my head to one side and also swallow with a gulp and not just swallow normally. please help im a 32yr old male.
I have the exact same thing and it keeps getting worse and worse now I can even deal w my own saliva. And I'm also worried that I'll make too much noise as I swallow and that makes my swallow even harder. It's getting really hard to eat around people..
@@ntinadov1477 i still have the same problem to this day but i have learnt to deal with it. Have you ever chock'ed on food? Before your problems i mean. Maybe in childhood?
I had a swallowing problem for a long time nearly every night and I now drink plenty of water during the day and that has solved the problem,but if occasionally I don’t drink enough then It will come back. Water is amazing.
Yes really.i used to swallow for hours at night until I finally dropped off to sleep.And I also used to have problems with my nose and I was forever blowing it day and night for years ,especially at night and now I hardly blow it at all.
I noticed that i coughed and difficulty chewing my food before i swallowed and I also it hurt when swallowing the solid food down and I was told before no straw when drinking with straw
A almost 4 years ago I was told I had stage 4 tongue cancer with 6 months to live... I had my tongue removed and got chemo/radiation haven't swallowed anything since April 2015 is it possible for me to relearn to swallow living on a feeding tube and cooking on spot it killing me where cancer failed
i am not sure if i actually do have the Catcher problem but i have had instances where food gets stuck and the only way to get it out is to vomit. I also have a hard time with pills as big ones tend to get stuck and the same thing happens. but normally i am fine if i take time and chew up my food as much as possible and then swallow and i wont have any problems. But swallowing big pills is always nearly impossible. should i get checked to see if i might have a serious problem? thanks.
+tyler cure If your sense of lodgment is mid-to low neck and happens more than rarely, then the initial step is to see an ENT doctor or laryngologist who is interested in swallowing disorders. After an examination, the first test is usually the videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), also known as the modified barium swallow. The finding to rule in or out is a cricopharyngeus bar with or without a zenker’s diverticulum. For more info go to: bastianmedicalmedia.com/videofluoroscopic-swallowing-study-vfss/ (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without your personal physician’s input.)
Do hiatal hernias and the relative distance of the stomach confuse the muscles of swallowing? I started having swallowing tightness since getting GERD, and I suspect a hernia.
I feel like i have both of these problems as sometimes when i swallow my food or even saliva it feels like i am unable to fully complete the swallow and i fear that i may have aspirated it. I have suffered from GERD for a few years now but this swallowing issue started last year. The confusing part though is that i feel this odd esophageal spasm almost like a vibration in my chest(sometimes) BUT i relate to this video perfectly -.0
i have seen your video of Cricopharyngeal Spasm and it 99% my symptoms. I feel like i have a lump in my throat. I have difficult swallowing my saliva itself, ,but i do NOT have any problems at all swallowing food. I have been on nexium since 8 days and i can already feel the "lump" like feeling less in my throat bottom. what do you think;
My sister has both of those problems right now. She is 66 and bedridden now with a lot of other health issues. She's had a hard time swallowing for years, but now she's in the hospital and her Dr says that her esophagus opening has the diameter size of a pencil eraser. 😢 For the past 3-4 years her doctor has been stretching (dilating) her esophagus every so often so she can eat, but now the Doctor is saying that there's nothing else they can do for her except put in a feeding tube. Her health is too poor for her to have surgery. Her weight has gone down to 140 lbs from 280 this past year. I'm afraid she's gonna die because she doesn't want to live with a feeding tube. Her doctor is saying that there is no other alternative. I'm holding on to hope and praying that something can be done for her. 🙏🙏😢 Thank you for this video!!
❤ I just want to say I'm sorry. That makes me so sad. Just tell her she can still taste food just to spit it out you will find some sort of pleasure I'm sure bless her heart I will pray for her.
Praying for your sister , she gets better and praying for the doctors , in Jesus name. May he give them wisdom and God give them knowledge to cute her problem. Amen🙏🙏🙌💕
Suddenly hpn..feel something inside my throat..I can feel it all time..nw difficult to breathe..it's stuck..I vomit many time..drink alot of water..drink warm water but it's still same..2 times I meet the doctor n the doctor check he said it's just normal..no one understood wat I feel..nw I'm scary..wat it's tat actually..km difficult to swallow..it's is extra sels or something weird?? God help me pls😢
I don’t believe that CPD (achalasia) is the result of acid-induced mucosal (lining) inflammation. I do think CPS (spasm) may have an interrelationship, but is not by any means the entire explanation. These are opinions, however, and I’m not sure the science is settled on this question.
Some reason I only have trouble with tuna. 🐟 ==== I got up late one night scarfed tuna which was not an oil. === Leaned up against the wall and I 🤔💭 thought ( I guess ) they're going to have to make the (chalk outline) on the side of the wall. ===== Plus people in our family have had Nissan wraps and they've unraveled. 👋😎💨🎶 Bryan
Hi, I have a motility issue my esophageal muscles are working at 50%. i did an upper endoscopy, barium swallow, and motility test (tube up nose) and this was the only feed back i got. It's tough getting food down, there's a lot of pressure I try and hydrate when eating. I get the acid reflux flare up at night. I'm nervous about taking reglan due to side effects even at 5mg a day but someone i know abroad was able to get me domperidome and will start that 4x a day at 10mg. I'm not even 30 I don't know how this happened. I try and stay away from dry foods along with acid reflux triggers but doesnt help much. I'm trying breathing exercises to strengthen the muscles but no change yet. Help anyone? Been suffering for months!
I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis. I ate something and had to go to the hospital (out of town). They got a Gastro doc to remove the food and do a dilation of my esophagus. There is a 6- food elimination diet. Remove thee ingredients and most often you are ok: milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanuts/treenuts, and seafood (fish/shellfish). I cut milk and tree nuts as non-essential things and got better. I decided to go vegan and added back tree nuts to my diet with no problems. Don't take Prilosec or any acid reducing drugs as they just make the doctor wealthy and reduce you calcium absorption.
fuck THIS I'm having the surgery lol. I'm hungry. I have Aids and invasive thrush. That I'm trying to deal with. on top of that Gerd. I'm having the surgery.
could using a round the clock pain killer make the problems worse? I have had this swallowing problem a long time but when I was put on a pain killers it seemed to get worse.
My husband just had neck surgery 3 Disc replaced on a plate put in when he swallows coffee in the morning it pours out his nose he's having trouble with most liquids going down his nose what's happening?
My problem is it feels like my throat is too tight. Anything I swallow that isn’t in liquid form gets stuck 99% of the time in the lower part of my throat. I have to use liquids to make it go down. And sometimes I have to cough it back up. I’m only 36 years old, but it is really annoying when it happens. I can literally swallow and swallow and the food just stays stuck at the bottom of my throat.
So sorry to hear this. We can't know what is best for you, but many start with a videofluoroscopic swallow study aka "cookie swallow" and best to see a laryngologist who deals with swallowing problems too.
I’m facing the same thing since I had a ear surgery.. I don’t know the intubation or what it was… The surgery was 3hrs, so could be the head position or something… It’s more than a month now and all I’m given is anxiety medicines… They put that scope inside and said it’s all fine.. It’s in my head… I don’t know what to do, how to get the confidence back in eating.. Sometimes it works fine then suddenly it will become tight and I swallow and swallow and still feel something’s there and then after a while that feeling goes away like that particle vanished.. But the feeling is real and I have developed a phobia of eating…!!
Does being smoker makes things worse or not . Coz I am having those issue lately went to ent several times feels like some stuck in my throat but doctor never finds out anything don’t know what to do ! I have cut down smoking too to near to 2 cig a day but still giving me trouble . Please any advice.
I think I’m the only person this happens to, but when I swallow I’m not like a normal person swallowing. When I swallow my Adam apples goes down like every other guy, but everytime I swallow on the left side of my neck some muscle of something pops out. It’s so weird I’m the only person this happens to and I have anxiety because of it now. I don’t like people to watch me eat or drink, and now spit builds up because of anxiety. Can someone please tell me what is wrong with my throat. I have no clue why I’m the only person that has this weird issue.
I think I am expereincing the 'catcher' sphincter problem, however, mine has only occurred following a 'splinter' of some sort taken in with food at a cafe- that has been lodged in the back of my mouth tissues for over a year and a half now! I have been to several doctors, specialists, who are yet to even identify the foreign body. ( most likely a fine sliver of glass! not expected taken in with salad). I am at wits end with trying to get medical attention . to address. Why the ENT could not use a video endoscopy in the mouth to observe inflammation of tissues is beyond me, now I am experiencing more serious problems, that I would prefer they remove the foreign object first before operating to leaver the sphincter Open? Wouldn't that open you up to infection?
You did a good job explaining....My 77 year old wife has a swaloowoinh problem in a nursing home. Another nursing home did a swallow studuy and took her off puree and on machanical soft diet and it seem wo work good but this new nursing home speech therapist changed her t all puree diet and my wife will not eat it very good because of the taste. What can we do? She is loosing her strength and loosing weight and no energy because obviously she will not eat properly.......
I developed my swallowing problem due to a panic attack I had two months ago. I almost choked and that scared me to death to such a point I am scared to swallow or eat.
Same here, I was eating to much food at once and I choked and my mom saved me thank god but when I’m home alone I was always have a panic attack when it doesn’t go down smooth. I also have really bad anxiety, and it’s funny, I know I’m swallowing right bcz i poo it out it’s just I have to battle the fear in my head.
Yes a lot of people suffer this problem myself to for many years fear stops swallowing then fear takes over feels like throat problems but anxiety tenses the throat to feel shut then the brain takes over telling us some things wrong with our throat x
@@jesaisabelmaxilom499 Same here. People think I am just being dramatic when I eat. Im so happy I found this video and to know that there are so many other people with the same problem!
This deals only with the myotomy--or cutting of the cricopharyngeal . Now more people are getting it stretched (dilated)--no cutting, in-office procedure, with same benefits.
wow Thanks i been trying to describe this to my docs to no avail for years i also have reflux..my gate is stuffed as pills and food feels like it gets stuck...described perfectly here THANK YOU
I have a dislocated hyoid bone, where it is pulled down and sitting on the thyroid cartilage, from a botched plastic surgery that surgeons are reluctant to concede even though one orthopedic doctor is certain just from palpating the area. Can a swallow test illustrate the action and position of the hyoid bone?
i have a both problem in pitcher and catcher because i felt all the symptoms that indicated after i finished to watch the video and also i have a GERD disease. I change my lifestyle it comes to eating, I only eat fruits and vegetables.
I think I definitely have a catcher problem. I can't swallow solids very well, but liquids and soft foods go down easy (like eggs, pudding, soft breads), but when I try to eat meat, cheese, chicken, etc it feels like I can't swallow it unless I tilt my head almost facing down and it goes down with ease. If I try to swallow normally (not tilting my head, it feels like I'm gonna choke on it and the gag reflex kicks in. Then after eating I feel like my throat is sore like I've been sick or something. I've been having this issue for almost a month now, I will be seeing my doctor next week.
@@1SpicyMeataball ja mam podobny problem jak jem np chleb to albo połykam male kawałki albo musze popijać chociaż odrobiną plynu. Mięso ciężko mi polknac. Jakie są twoje objawy malej ilością śliny? Czy czujesz ze jest jej za mało?
thank you you described something I think it is with me the catcher is where the problems lies. so thank you for taking away the terror for me until I can get to the hospital or doctor on monday and thank you for telling me what I can eat I know I can eat ice cream ok with out nuts or berries or chips of chocolate . I was in a bad car accident two years ago and broke the seventh vertebrae in my neck since then I have had a problem swallowing but lately it is very much worse. than you so much for your great video.
I have a hard time swallowing juice, food, and water. It’s like it takes me a while to eat and drink. Every time I eat something, I feel like I want to throw up, but I cannot. This happens everyday. My mom wants to take me to the hospital, the doctors will just give me a blood test and I dont want it. I’m not really eating normal for 1 month and I’m scared. I always feel my throat can’t swallow normally like last time anymore and when I keep swallowing my saliva, it makes it worse. I stress a lot about school. Every time my mom gives me food, I can never finish it. I don’t feel hungry at all, my stomach doesnt hurt but my throat feels weird. I dont know want to do and I dont know what caused this.. :(( Can anyone help me?
How do you analyse the problem of pitcher or catcher? My question is very important because my 5 years young daughter has swallowing issues. They want me to go with her next month to do a manometry check for pressure. But how do we know in the first place if the pitcher or catcher is doing problems. She has been to a xray video but it didn't went that well.. A child is never gonna be that coöperative..
+jozef danyi Pediatric swallowing problems are not my expertise. Please keep that in mind as you consider this response. The pitcher / catcher analogy is only a way to conceptualize the problem and derives primarily from the visual assessment of the transit of the boluses either during videoendoscopic swallow study, or VESS, or during the videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS). The former uses a scope and blue-stained applesauce, blue-stained water, and an orange cracker. It is arguably the better way to understand the propulsive (pitcher) function. VFSS uses instead barium liquid, paste, and "solid" (paste smeared on a cookie), and is better for the receptive side. In an adult practice, manometry is rarely needed. While pressure data can be interesting, it rarely changes actual management of the patient as compared with the information you get from VESS and VFSS. (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without your personal physician’s input.)
BVI03 I did mention that my child was on a x ray video. i assume that that would be the VFSS/VESS. After she swallowed liquid it stayed at the catcher i think. and the dr said that it goes very slowly down and thats why she spitts spittle after receiving liquid or anything. It is normal that spittle is produced when eating/drinking something. But we swallow it down. She cannot do that because the liquid is going very slowly down. Also throughout the day she sometimes spits out spittle.
+jozef danyi Swallowing problems in little children are outside of my expertise. With that disclaimer, I have never heard of cricopharyngeus dysfunction (the catcher problem) in a child. There are, however sometimes strictures in little ones. I am sure your doctors have thought about this. It sounds like that, or perhaps that the motility (muscle-determined sweeping of food through the esophagus (tube down to the stomach). I am sure your doctors are considering all of this... Again, all the best in your search. (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without your personal physician’s input).
BVI03 Yes my daughter had a check (a tube down to her stomach) and it seems like everything is ok. That's what the doctor said. If you are a specialist, would it be possible to have a consultation?
I have been suffering in swallowing problem since couple of months, specially while eating bread and other solid foid, I felt something catching food underneath of throat, does anybody know what exactly it is. Thank you.
Wouldn't crycopharyngeal myotomy then contribute to gastric reflux if the upper esophageal sphincter is always open? I have both "pitcher" and "catcher" issues, full-on dysphagia following throat cancer treatment in 2004, and now strictly tube-fed. I'd love to eat by mouth again, and I'm keenly interested in new information and procedures that might allow that.
I am from Ethiopia decades whth this swallowing problem. I liked and appreciate the way u teach, how u introduce and summerize so that non-medical men like me could understand the lesson. You are intellgent and in deed made me things cleared.
doctor can u help me? im only 14 so i don’t really understand any of this so i was hoping if u can just tell me what’s wrong as i tell you what im dealing with. :( i was sick 2 days ago and i had a very snotty nose and had some coughing but as soon i was getting better, out of nowhere i had a difficult time trying to swallow my saliva. like when i have saliva, i can’t swallow when i want to. there’s no pain it’s just that it feels weird and when i try swallowing, it just stops in the middle and i have to swallow again. i get scared cause i feel like i might choke, can you please tell me what i could have going on? i haven’t been eating or sleeping and im starting to become depressed. if u know the problem, pls tell me how long it could last 😢
One time I was almost dying of this problem. I said that's it I'm going. Not a pleasant way to die. Because panic will kill you before the thing stuck in your throat. And if water is the thing, it's worse.
I choked on a metformin pill yr ago had to call paramedics almost choked to death. Very scary! Take pill 1 at time with applesauce or your. Helps! Went to speech therapist today we exrayed yr ago found nothing.Speech Therapist said I have cricopharyungeai hypertrophy. Need to see Doc to have a moving exray and swallow test. Feel. Much better knowing there's a fix for this. See a speech therapist ❤
Dr please help me cause I think foods and drink is getting into my air ways and it's bad I have had a endoscopy procedure and my Gi doctor in Jersey say nothing is wrong but I next I'm ask for a swallowing test
I have learned over the years to ALWAYS have water or other liquid to wash the food down with when it gets stuck. Meat, especially lean hamburger, gives me real trouble, but I have to be very careful about how I swallow anything that is rather dry. I choke easily and have sucked things down my windpipe causing pneumonia. I also suffer gerd which frequently causes pneumonia. I fear that I am heading for Barret's Esophagus and esophagial cancer.
a friend of mine has a pitcher and catcher problem which increased in only one year so fast that we have serious problems in food choices.she cannot drink and eat at the same time.She always coughes after drinking and her voice gets heavy after eating. Even soft things like pumpkin soup are a problem and it worsens . she has been to a doctor who documented her chewing and swallowing with a tiny camera and x-rays ,but they said everything is fine .only her logopedian believes her. HELP !!!!!!
Buledi Karin sorry to hear this my docs act like I'm faking this as well I'm 21 tell her to try eating mashed potatoes it sorta works for me I'll pray God bless you both I'll pray for her
after intubation,i was only intubated for a 4 hour time so i shouldn't be having this issue like some on who was intubated a long time in icu.( i have been patient and still after almost 6 mos) the ent that did my nose surgery didn't look into it any more than with his bare eyes, discovered my tmd and blamed everything on that, my primary doesn't have the tools to look just past my tonsils and the ent refused to use the tools he has to really look, i was brushed off and now im angry and don't trust., i have a painful pitcher, no body will listen to me and just blame it on tmd.(i have had tmd for 3 years and intubation made that even more miserable plus a swallow problem, what are my options cuz im miserable and starving, only my right side swallows food correct, the left is painful and slow, and always sore at the root of tongue on the left side,and left side of throat inflamed and red for at least 2 mos straight if not longer. liquid is not a problem even though im having trouble on the pitcher area. just to take the edge off the pain i have to take 600mg ibuprofen every 4 hours which is not healthy --my liver is probably falling apart now. if i force my self to go with out the ibuprofen, the stinging and pain is enough to make me question living.
I’m convinced that my throat is just too small for pills 😞
Tia Mason me too. I thought I was the only one who had trouble swallowing pills.
FOR REAL THE SHIT WONT GO DOWN
Yeah it’s so not fair
What i've discovered is that the only real way for me to swallow pills is to put a small portion of food with the pill. I think the mind tricks your swallowing because pills aren't food. Even when i put just a small piece of bread or a potato chip I am able to swallow like there is no pill. So basically try just chewing a little food up then popping the pill in and swallow. works for me 100% of the time.
Agreed
i've recently discovered this weird sensation in my throat when i swallow where it feels like stuff is still there.... LET ME TELL YOU... it's just a sensation and nothing is actually there. It happens when I think about it then a few minutes after eating it passes. I don't know if its a fear of choking or vomiting or what but it's deff real. Just know your mind can play tricks on you
@@jcfjav how are u now
How are u now
@@kelvinbethrand8914 Much better now.
You probably have scar tissue.
@@Noitisnt-ns7mo from what is that?
I think part of my problem swallowing, is anxiety related, because I tend to find it alot easier
to eat food after a stiff drop of Gin.
lol
Exactly like me I can’t eat but when I have a drink with friends or even myself when I get home and I’m still drunk I can eat like a fucking bull I wake up the next day I shit myself trying to swallow any food
@@Jetonhidri i think i should drink Gin now. This happened to me for the first time when i was eating, out of nowhere i cant breath and food is stuck in my throat. I thought i was gonna die
Thank you doctor! This has been helpful. The anxiety of food getting stuck has been unbearable. I have a doctors appointment and hopefully referred to an ENT.
Me too 😭
I have this problem right now 😢😢😢😢
same as me, anxiety of food getting stuck has been nightmare for me for years now, every time i go to a doctor they tell me you are just fine and they couldn't know my issue nether i don't know but now watching this, i am almost 99% sure this is my issue ( Catcher opener )
I had thyroid cancer 2 yrs ago. I have choked 5 times in 6 months. It is so scary. I almost passed out. I was alone twice. I chew tiny bites for several minutes then drink lot with each bite. I do not know why I choke. I am going back to my surgeon to find out if it's scar tissue or what. Good luck to everyone.
Wow, this is one of the best and informative videos I have ever seen on TH-cam. Excellent presentation by Dr. Bastian! Great explanation of a complex subject in a patient and calm manner. Thank you!
I need serious help. I'm way to young to have swallowing problems, but I have anxiety when swallowing cause I might choke and I get a funny feeling near the end of my mouth. I haven't had a decent meal in weeks and I can't eat anything. At school I take one bite of my lunch and right now I have the choking feeling please help!
Akparri The Gaming Cat i am haveing these same problem and i suffer from anxiety i can suggest you a methord to eat food ..chew the food (dont swallow) take a deep breath the hold the breath ,the push the chewed food ,after swallowing release the breath...do the process step by step and slowly , take enough time ...it will help ...this is ma personal experience..dont be afraid ..you will be oke soon .(sorry for ma bad english) may god bless you ❤️❤️❤️
Akparri The Gaming Cat tell your parent
gamer lying stallax
Find a way to throw up to take out all things that are in throat.. I used boiled water with salt it really helps
Akparri The Gaming Cat very sorry to hear this god bless you I'm 21 and the problems for me started around 20 then went away and came back much worse I will pray for God bless you
I can't swollow my spit very well
Same I feel like that when I think about it to much
Same I scared to eat
Me to im scared to eat
Same is theee a way to fix
That means we have strept
I have a problem swallowing and it's happening a lot more lately. It's embarrassing in a restaurant when it happens. I know when it's going to happen, too. My throat seems to not be able to break up some food anymore. I try and swallow and the back of my throat fills up with phlegm (this happens after I have already swallowed the food). I panic and phlegm builds up in my throat and I have to spit it out in several napkins until the food that's lodged goes down the rest of my throat. I wish I could do something to correct it.
I have same problem what to do please suggest
It's EoE @@arindamchakravarty59
Did you find something, how are you now?@@arindamchakravarty59
@arindamchakravarty59 does your food eventually go down or have you had to adopt ways to force it?
@lorivattes5475 - 4 years later, what’s happening? I’ve had this for 24 years and doctors are useless. But I may have found a possible cure by chance. Either that or it’s just luck.
Very good, clear explanation given in an excellent manner. Thanks !
I only have problems. With medicine pills. Its very frustrating
i like to take a big drink of water and keep it in my mouth then put the pill in. and try to swallow all of it at once
Same
Throw away your peels. Let your food be your medicine. I said fresh and live food. Not factory prosses food.
You should put pills in the water and then drink .
Thanks so much for this information. I've been looking for answers for a while and now understand that I have a "pitcher" problem. Every bit of information leads further to an understanding of what is going on. I have been tested by a few doctors who have not helped and I don't want to get another barium swallow and more radiation. I put an illustration of a swallow in my kitchen and try to focus on my epiglottis closing (which seems to be where the problem is). This seems to help. I also have found that holding my head slightly forward , chin down seems to help. I have not choked on water for five days now!
I also just realized that I have a pitcher problem. The head chin tuck technique seems to help me alot, but I also think anxiety started this swallowing problem for me. I also make sure to take sips instead of huge gulps.
I was just diagnosed with Achalasia, a rare esophagus disease. WILL go to see surgeon on the 27th. Got bless all of you. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Hope y'all are fine now
Thank you so much Doctor. I have been searching for months and thank God you came along. Now i can talk to my Doctor Intelligently about my symptoms. They tell me it's all in my mind but the chocking and breathing problems are real. Again, thank you.
Surfer 10 yes the docs tried telling me it was anxiety but it's not please let me know if you find out what's wrong god bless
Hi Surfer 10, have you had nose surgery done? If so, look into nasal nerve damage or empty nose syndrome . I have been having swallowing/clearing of throat and asphyxiation issues since having septoplasty and turbinectomy.
Best explanation I have heard.
I am from Va. and consulted with 3 doctors who failed to explain what I am experiencing as the result of neck surgery by an orthopedic surgeon.
I have both pitcher and catcher issues; although the pitcher's saliva did away with my dry mouth problems. it is the catcher issues that have me worried as I age. Steak, lettuce, tomatoes, grapes are verboten.
i first start choking, the coughing, then runny nose-disgusting to watch!
Thanks to Dr. Bastian's video and you tube I can go back to Johns Hopkins to discuss a plan of treatment or better yet go to Illinois and see Dr. Bastian. Sounds like a worthwhile road trip.
Omg this is the same prob I’m having and am desperate for relief! Please update us!!
The best explanation of swallowing problems I have come across. After Radio Therapy to the neck for cancer, I have been left with choking on foods for 5 years. The only thing is, I'm not in a hurry for the surgery you have recommended, but thank you for an excellent presentation using your model and knowledge. Priceless!
Thanks for your kind words. Remember that precision of diagnosis is what is needed for every individual. All the best to you.
1. A subset of ear, nose, and throat doctors (laryngologists) focus on swallowing. 2) a subset of speech pathologists evaluate and do behavioral counseling. 3) A small subset of GI doctors. Best bet is to call large ENT groups whether private or university-based and ask the triage nurse: "Does any of your physicians specialize in swallowing problems?"
I feel like my swallowing issue is with the pitching. It's hard for my me make the swallow but I have no neurological disorders, is that possible?
You still have that problem?
Same here.. I can eat food and drink water.. But I can't pitch it in and have no neurological disorders
Hi doc I have swallowed
problem and acid reflux . all the time when ate I have the water ready because food difficult to go down today ate lunch feel like worst because food stuck Tried to drink water but worst so I slowly drink the water just but then finally the food down I was also cyst behind the tongue I don’t know if this problem or not please kindly help me if possible thank u
What if it's not just a feeling of the catcher problem but it seems as though food is going past the opening into the esophagus and getting stuck inside of the esophagus almost as if the muscles inside of the esophagus are not pulling food down into the stomach and is causing a sensation of tightness on the left or right side of the throat and the pressure in the throat when breathing in?
How about i feel something tingling in my throat probably worm after i deworm pls help me
I anxiety of food getting stuck has been nightmare for me for years now, every time i go to a doctor they tell me you are just fine and they couldn't know my issue nether i don't know but now watching this, i am almost 99% sure this is my issue ( Catcher opener ). sometimes i can eat everything go fine and another time i feel food get stuck in the middle down of my trout that will make my breath difficult ... thanks you Dr. Robert i Love you
Same with me. I was told nothing is wrong. I have been dealing with this for 30 years.
Thank you. I have serious swallowing problems, and have endured two operations to 'stretch' my esophagus. It continues to worsen. I have M.S. Now it is not just trouble swallowing, but intense pain during the swallowing process - about where the heart is - both back and front. It feels something like a 'charleyhorse'. I am a missionary in Ecuador - anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?
.
+Rebecca Sterling Very sorry to hear of your difficulty. Direct examination of the areas giving rise to symptoms as well as a videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) might be suggested by your physician. Pain is not a common symptom caused by neurological or mechanical limitations of swallowing, by the way. (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without your personal physician’s input.)
Yes I'm 21 and I have pain as well in back in heart area I also get a bubble in my upper chest/ abdomen did you find out what going on? God bless
Hh Hh I’m a year late but it you still need help it’s either heart burn, or acid reflux, ask your doctor about it and they can prescribe you meds for it.
Hh Hh also drink lots of water
Take pills with applesauce, yogurt,sauces, dip 1pill at time. Seeing a speech therapist can help and show you how to deal with this problem❤
I’m 14 and I really need help here! I haven’t been able to swallow for about 10 months, when I got a stroke my whole left side of my body is like paralysed but I can move my leg and arm but they are super stiff when I move them or they spaz but my left side of my face can’t move but my eye can look around and I can close it but not close it like normal I can’t wink with my eye skin. I just want to swallow again ): the doctors find nothing. Help
I found the info on the catcher very informative: solid foods like meat, pills and gummy breads, tend to get stuck at the cryco pharyngeal junction where a spincter is for opening up the esophagus and this can be fixed by myotomy overnight at a hospital.
I don't have the money to fix it
I can only swallow my food with a gulp of water. Even then, I still have the sensation that something is stuck and I will cough, clear my throat, and my nose will run.
Hey dustin, did yours go away? Ive had mine for 6 days now and getting scared.
@Nathan Smith did yours go away? q
@@ead9195 not yet no. It gets worse by the day. Mine has been going on for 6 months. I have an appointment with an ENT but they cant see me until January! Hopefully yours will go away. If not, id make an appointment with an ENT asap. Good luck
@@drcoffins Hi, What was the reason?? I am also suffering from the same problem. May i ask how old are you ?
@@shivakumarvjit Hi Shiva. Not sure what the reason is yet. Ive seen both an ENT and a Gastroenterologist and they do not know. One seems to think it could be allergy related, and the other thinks it could be some form of GERD or acid reflux. I am having a procedure and they will take a biopsy to see if it could cancer or something more serious. Best of luck to you.
I have problems swallowing saliva, I get a bubbling sensation and breathing is difficult. I have Ehlers Danlos syndrome.
So sorry. We hope you can get a good evaluation near you...
You are amazing doctor, we all appreciate you.
Please help idk if it's BEACUSE my throat is dry but I'm shaking because I have the feeling I can't swallow for a couple of second I'm drinking water
DoooDELS S this is the same for me too
i go for a esophagram and UGI next week i hope all is well for me i cant `get my food to gown down, when swollowing it feels like my throat is the size of a drinking straw
did you ever get your problem fixed?
When I went to my last check on my swallowing it was to drink something and just swallow,an e ray.
After the the e ray in swallowing, she told me there was nothing they could do, this was on 2022, before I left to move to Texas, I’m was in California.
She said I’d they would open something in May throat, I didn’t know what she meant. But, if they would open the part for me to swallow , that would not be good, because I would always be just throwing up my food, and cause reaction to my etsofagous.
So, I just left I didn’t want to do anything more.
I still have problems swallowing soft and meat and bread and potatoes.
But, thank you Doctor for your teaching. Appreciate you so much.
God bless on blessing others. Diana
All of you with concerns should ask for a referral to a Speech Language pathologist that's specializes in swallowing disorders, or dysphagia. A true fear of swallowing is called phagophobia, and is related to anxiety. First, though you have to rule out a true swallowing problem.
Thank you very much for the explanation, I choke on food often and find anything dry very difficult. I have learned not to panic 😂❤
You are most welcome, and I hope you will have someone tell you what your precise diagnosis is and don’t leave it at this video.
When I was a child i couldn't swallow my sliva I would try than my throat would close up and I would panic. I grow out of that but a couple days ago I was eating chicken, corn I felt a piece of corn go down my throat but I was still chewing so I swallowed than I felt it get stuck I paniced and drunk some water it was hard and uncomfortable. It passed 1 hour later but yesterday I was eating chicken a piece got stuck in my throat I could feel it I drunk some water again but the water made it worse it was like someone tying a knot in my throat I could still breathe and talk but it drove me insane its so uncomfortable. I drunk some coke it kinda helped but than the piece passed. WHATS WRONG WITH ME? I can't even eat solid foods without thinking I'm gonna choke in my food pipe! I haven't gone to the doctor
Not sure if your still having the problem but Maybe go with liquids for now and get checked by a doctor
what u just described is what i went thru / what im still going through. it like comes and goes. and idk if i should talk to my doctor :/ my mom says it’s all in my head
hi, my problem im having is the timing of swallowing I want to swallow before ive finished chewing. im having to think about when I swallow which is not normal. Ive also noticed when I do swallow I tilt my head to one side and also swallow with a gulp and not just swallow normally. please help im a 32yr old male.
fordmondeo123 do you get over this? I have the same thing
Tj Baker yes part of .y symptoms too any luck finding out what it is god bless you
I have the exact same thing and it keeps getting worse and worse now I can even deal w my own saliva. And I'm also worried that I'll make too much noise as I swallow and that makes my swallow even harder. It's getting really hard to eat around people..
@@ntinadov1477 i still have the same problem to this day but i have learnt to deal with it. Have you ever chock'ed on food? Before your problems i mean. Maybe in childhood?
@@fordmondeo123 no this whole thing started a couple of years ago..
I had a swallowing problem for a long time nearly every night and I now drink plenty of water during the day and that has solved the problem,but if occasionally I don’t drink enough then It will come back.
Water is amazing.
Wow really?
Yes really.i used to swallow for hours at night until I finally dropped off to sleep.And I also used to have problems with my nose and I was forever blowing it day and night for years ,especially at night and now I hardly blow it at all.
Excellent information delivered in a clear and concise manner, thank you!
I noticed that i coughed and difficulty chewing my food before i swallowed and I also it hurt when swallowing the solid food down and I was told before no straw when drinking with straw
A almost 4 years ago I was told I had stage 4 tongue cancer with 6 months to live... I had my tongue removed and got chemo/radiation haven't swallowed anything since April 2015 is it possible for me to relearn to swallow living on a feeding tube and cooking on spot it killing me where cancer failed
Thanks Doc!!!! you are awesome at explaining this stuff!!!!
I am 22 y.o
have dysphagia at night more than at day
And improve by antidepressant (cipralex)..
Help me in diagnoses plz.
i am not sure if i actually do have the Catcher problem but i have had instances where food gets stuck and the only way to get it out is to vomit. I also have a hard time with pills as big ones tend to get stuck and the same thing happens. but normally i am fine if i take time and chew up my food as much as possible and then swallow and i wont have any problems. But swallowing big pills is always nearly impossible. should i get checked to see if i might have a serious problem? thanks.
+tyler cure If your sense of lodgment is mid-to low neck and happens more than rarely, then the initial step is to see an ENT doctor or laryngologist who is interested in swallowing disorders. After an examination, the first test is usually the videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), also known as the modified barium swallow. The finding to rule in or out is a cricopharyngeus bar with or without a zenker’s diverticulum. For more info go to: bastianmedicalmedia.com/videofluoroscopic-swallowing-study-vfss/ (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without your personal physician’s input.)
Dr., thank you for sharing. This is a very informative video for patients and professionals.
Do hiatal hernias and the relative distance of the stomach confuse the muscles of swallowing? I started having swallowing tightness since getting GERD, and I suspect a hernia.
This is all fine ,what happen and how to fix it stuff,BUT , What causes it,the origin of the problem is what I was looking for
I feel like i have both of these problems as sometimes when i swallow my food or even saliva it feels like i am unable to fully complete the swallow and i fear that i may have aspirated it. I have suffered from GERD for a few years now but this swallowing issue started last year. The confusing part though is that i feel this odd esophageal spasm almost like a vibration in my chest(sometimes) BUT i relate to this video perfectly -.0
i have seen your video of Cricopharyngeal Spasm and it 99% my symptoms. I feel like i have a lump in my throat. I have difficult swallowing my saliva itself, ,but i do NOT have any problems at all swallowing food. I have been on nexium since 8 days and i can already feel the "lump" like feeling less in my throat bottom. what do you think;
I have the same problem right now i have no idea what it is I'm scared as hell
My sister has both of those problems right now. She is 66 and bedridden now with a lot of other health issues. She's had a hard time swallowing for years, but now she's in the hospital and her Dr says that her esophagus opening has the diameter size of a pencil eraser. 😢
For the past 3-4 years her doctor has been stretching (dilating) her esophagus every so often so she can eat, but now the Doctor is saying that there's nothing else they can do for her except put in a feeding tube. Her health is too poor for her to have surgery. Her weight has gone down to 140 lbs from 280 this past year. I'm afraid she's gonna die because she doesn't want to live with a feeding tube. Her doctor is saying that there is no other alternative. I'm holding on to hope and praying that something can be done for her. 🙏🙏😢
Thank you for this video!!
❤ I just want to say I'm sorry. That makes me so sad. Just tell her she can still taste food just to spit it out you will find some sort of pleasure I'm sure bless her heart I will pray for her.
Praying for your sister , she gets better and praying for the doctors , in Jesus name. May he give them wisdom and God give them knowledge to cute her problem. Amen🙏🙏🙌💕
How's she now?
Suddenly hpn..feel something inside my throat..I can feel it all time..nw difficult to breathe..it's stuck..I vomit many time..drink alot of water..drink warm water but it's still same..2 times I meet the doctor n the doctor check he said it's just normal..no one understood wat I feel..nw I'm scary..wat it's tat actually..km difficult to swallow..it's is extra sels or something weird?? God help me pls😢
did you ever find a solution? how long did it take
Go to ENT DR
Yes I agree managing reflux is making simple steps. I wonder if reflux also causes CP Achalasia and or fish ingestion incident.
I don’t believe that CPD (achalasia) is the result of acid-induced mucosal (lining) inflammation. I do think CPS (spasm) may have an interrelationship, but is not by any means the entire explanation. These are opinions, however, and I’m not sure the science is settled on this question.
Some reason I only have trouble with tuna. 🐟
====
I got up late one night scarfed tuna which was not an oil.
===
Leaned up against the wall and I 🤔💭 thought ( I guess ) they're going to have to make the (chalk outline) on the side of the wall.
=====
Plus people in our family have had Nissan wraps and they've unraveled. 👋😎💨🎶 Bryan
Hi, I have a motility issue my esophageal muscles are working at 50%. i did an upper endoscopy, barium swallow, and motility test (tube up nose) and this was the only feed back i got. It's tough getting food down, there's a lot of pressure I try and hydrate when eating. I get the acid reflux flare up at night. I'm nervous about taking reglan due to side effects even at 5mg a day but someone i know abroad was able to get me domperidome and will start that 4x a day at 10mg. I'm not even 30 I don't know how this happened. I try and stay away from dry foods along with acid reflux triggers but doesnt help much. I'm trying breathing exercises to strengthen the muscles but no change yet. Help anyone? Been suffering for months!
What is the use of Domperidome?and how is your health now?
Hi i had a momentry test and mine saud motility issue to. How is yours going its so annoying
Does movement in nodding or cervical extension will change the movement of the epiglottis? How's
I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis. I ate something and had to go to the hospital (out of town). They got a Gastro doc to remove the food and do a dilation of my esophagus. There is a 6- food elimination diet. Remove thee ingredients and most often you are ok: milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanuts/treenuts, and seafood (fish/shellfish). I cut milk and tree nuts as non-essential things and got better. I decided to go vegan and added back tree nuts to my diet with no problems. Don't take Prilosec or any acid reducing drugs as they just make the doctor wealthy and reduce you calcium absorption.
I'm also diagnosed with eoe recently, can you help me. How are you doing now?
fuck THIS I'm having the surgery lol. I'm hungry. I have Aids and invasive thrush. That I'm trying to deal with. on top of that Gerd. I'm having the surgery.
could using a round the clock pain killer make the problems worse? I have had this swallowing problem a long time but when I was put on a pain killers it seemed to get worse.
Did u do anything to cure it?
My husband just had neck surgery 3 Disc replaced on a plate put in when he swallows coffee in the morning it pours out his nose he's having trouble with most liquids going down his nose what's happening?
My problem is it feels like my throat is too tight. Anything I swallow that isn’t in liquid form gets stuck 99% of the time in the lower part of my throat. I have to use liquids to make it go down. And sometimes I have to cough it back up. I’m only 36 years old, but it is really annoying when it happens. I can literally swallow and swallow and the food just stays stuck at the bottom of my throat.
Sorry to hear...a swallowing expert could help. Look for Laryngopedia's "Swallowing Trouble 101" and "VESS" videos. They will help to orient you...
So sorry to hear this. We can't know what is best for you, but many start with a videofluoroscopic swallow study aka "cookie swallow" and best to see a laryngologist who deals with swallowing problems too.
I’m facing the same thing since I had a ear surgery.. I don’t know the intubation or what it was… The surgery was 3hrs, so could be the head position or something… It’s more than a month now and all I’m given is anxiety medicines… They put that scope inside and said it’s all fine.. It’s in my head… I don’t know what to do, how to get the confidence back in eating.. Sometimes it works fine then suddenly it will become tight and I swallow and swallow and still feel something’s there and then after a while that feeling goes away like that particle vanished.. But the feeling is real and I have developed a phobia of eating…!!
Thanks to you for a nice and easy way to explain the swallowing problem.I am a patient of myasthenia gravis and suffering a alot.Its helpful for me.
Every time I try to talk I have to swallow... why is that? It makes it hard for me to speak
Thank you so much for sharing . I have this swallowing for couple years , no Dr. knew what 's wrong with me , now i can tell my Dr.
Does being smoker makes things worse or not . Coz I am having those issue lately went to ent several times feels like some stuck in my throat but doctor never finds out anything don’t know what to do ! I have cut down smoking too to near to 2 cig a day but still giving me trouble . Please any advice.
I think I’m the only person this happens to, but when I swallow I’m not like a normal person swallowing. When I swallow my Adam apples goes down like every other guy, but everytime I swallow on the left side of my neck some muscle of something pops out. It’s so weird I’m the only person this happens to and I have anxiety because of it now. I don’t like people to watch me eat or drink, and now spit builds up because of anxiety. Can someone please tell me what is wrong with my throat. I have no clue why I’m the only person that has this weird issue.
Is the swallowing problem because of paralysis of the vocal cords, too?
I think I am expereincing the 'catcher' sphincter problem, however, mine has only occurred following a 'splinter' of some sort taken in with food at a cafe- that has been lodged in the back of my mouth tissues for over a year and a half now! I have been to several doctors, specialists, who are yet to even identify the foreign body. ( most likely a fine sliver of glass! not expected taken in with salad). I am at wits end with trying to get medical attention . to address. Why the ENT could not use a video endoscopy in the mouth to observe inflammation of tissues is beyond me, now I am experiencing more serious problems, that I would prefer they remove the foreign object first before operating to leaver the sphincter Open? Wouldn't that open you up to infection?
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Thank you so much for the video doctor. This was very helpful.
Like ehen I swollen it hurts and I keep coffing
Very hard so it can stop
You did a good job explaining....My 77 year old wife has a swaloowoinh problem in a nursing home. Another nursing home did a swallow studuy and took her off puree and on machanical soft diet and it seem wo work good but this new nursing home speech therapist changed her t all puree diet and my wife will not eat it very good because of the taste. What can we do? She is loosing her strength and loosing weight and no energy because obviously she will not eat properly.......
Its hard to breathe. And my vioce is hard to talk. I need to find out what is going on.
I developed my swallowing problem due to a panic attack I had two months ago. I almost choked and that scared me to death to such a point I am scared to swallow or eat.
Ranma Saotome the exactly same thing happens to me and I haven’t ate food in ages I drink food
You’re not a lone man
Same here, I was eating to much food at once and I choked and my mom saved me thank god but when I’m home alone I was always have a panic attack when it doesn’t go down smooth. I also have really bad anxiety, and it’s funny, I know I’m swallowing right bcz i poo it out it’s just I have to battle the fear in my head.
Yes a lot of people suffer this problem myself to for many years fear stops swallowing then fear takes over feels like throat problems but anxiety tenses the throat to feel shut then the brain takes over telling us some things wrong with our throat x
When I was eating it felt like I was gonna choke and like it got stuck then went down
Me to i only drink milk and other liquid drinks and when i was eating it felt like i was gonna choke and like it got stuck then went down
Same how do we fix it?
@@jesaisabelmaxilom499 Same here. People think I am just being dramatic when I eat. Im so happy I found this video and to know that there are so many other people with the same problem!
This deals only with the myotomy--or cutting of the cricopharyngeal . Now more people are getting it stretched (dilated)--no cutting, in-office procedure, with same benefits.
Thank you so much for this information. So informative & well explained :)
wow Thanks i been trying to describe this to my docs to no avail for years i also have reflux..my gate is stuffed as pills and food feels like it gets stuck...described perfectly here THANK YOU
I have a dislocated hyoid bone, where it is pulled down and sitting on the thyroid cartilage, from a botched plastic surgery that surgeons are reluctant to concede even though one orthopedic doctor is certain just from palpating the area. Can a swallow test illustrate the action and position of the hyoid bone?
i have a both problem in pitcher and catcher because i felt all the symptoms that indicated after i finished to watch the video and also i have a GERD disease. I change my lifestyle it comes to eating, I only eat fruits and vegetables.
I think I definitely have a catcher problem. I can't swallow solids very well, but liquids and soft foods go down easy (like eggs, pudding, soft breads), but when I try to eat meat, cheese, chicken, etc it feels like I can't swallow it unless I tilt my head almost facing down and it goes down with ease. If I try to swallow normally (not tilting my head, it feels like I'm gonna choke on it and the gag reflex kicks in. Then after eating I feel like my throat is sore like I've been sick or something. I've been having this issue for almost a month now, I will be seeing my doctor next week.
Charliegone please tell me if you do decide out what's going on I have the same symtoms
i mash my food down or put it in a blender it works well for me!
I had a similar problem, I got diagnosed with Sjrogens. I don't make enough saliva.
Charliegone how is ur symptoms now?
@@1SpicyMeataball ja mam podobny problem jak jem np chleb to albo połykam male kawałki albo musze popijać chociaż odrobiną plynu. Mięso ciężko mi polknac. Jakie są twoje objawy malej ilością śliny? Czy czujesz ze jest jej za mało?
I have the propulsive issue yet liquids are fine so the opposite.....
Thank you so much for explaining swallowing problems so brilliantly. Now finally I know how to try to handle my pushing problem.
Happy to help!
If esophagus displaced, then how can I restore it?
thank you you described something I think it is with me the catcher is where the problems lies. so thank you for taking away the terror for me until I can get to the hospital or doctor on monday and thank you for telling me what I can eat I know I can eat ice cream ok with out nuts or berries or chips of chocolate . I was in a bad car accident two years ago and broke the seventh vertebrae in my neck since then I have had a problem swallowing but lately it is very much worse. than you so much for your great video.
Thank you. But if you leave it open then how do you breathe
Is that surgery for the catcher dangerous or have any risk ?
I have a hard time swallowing juice, food, and water. It’s like it takes me a while to eat and drink. Every time I eat something, I feel like I want to throw up, but I cannot. This happens everyday. My mom wants to take me to the hospital, the doctors will just give me a blood test and I dont want it. I’m not really eating normal for 1 month and I’m scared. I always feel my throat can’t swallow normally like last time anymore and when I keep swallowing my saliva, it makes it worse. I stress a lot about school. Every time my mom gives me food, I can never finish it. I don’t feel hungry at all, my stomach doesnt hurt but my throat feels weird. I dont know want to do and I dont know what caused this.. :(( Can anyone help me?
I think the main reason behind this choke phonia is anxiety...so plx..consult a psycatrist....i think he can help u...
Could a narrow upper jaw be a big cause for Dysphasia?
i cant swall food i get stuck i did a swallowing itt start to chock me
How do you analyse the problem of pitcher or catcher? My question is very important because my 5 years young daughter has swallowing issues. They want me to go with her next month to do a manometry check for pressure.
But how do we know in the first place if the pitcher or catcher is doing problems. She has been to a xray video but it didn't went that well.. A child is never gonna be that coöperative..
+jozef danyi Pediatric swallowing problems are not my expertise. Please keep that in mind as you consider this response. The pitcher / catcher analogy is only a way to conceptualize the problem and derives primarily from the visual assessment of the transit of the boluses either during videoendoscopic swallow study, or VESS, or during the videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS). The former uses a scope and blue-stained applesauce, blue-stained water, and an orange cracker. It is arguably the better way to understand the propulsive (pitcher) function. VFSS uses instead barium liquid, paste, and "solid" (paste smeared on a cookie), and is better for the receptive side. In an adult practice, manometry is rarely needed. While pressure data can be interesting, it rarely changes actual management of the patient as compared with the information you get from VESS and VFSS. (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without your personal physician’s input.)
Thank you for the response and the info
BVI03
BVI03 I did mention that my child was on a x ray video. i assume that that would be the VFSS/VESS. After she swallowed liquid it stayed at the catcher i think. and the dr said that it goes very slowly down and thats why she spitts spittle after receiving liquid or anything. It is normal that spittle is produced when eating/drinking something. But we swallow it down. She cannot do that because the liquid is going very slowly down. Also throughout the day she sometimes spits out spittle.
+jozef danyi Swallowing problems in little children are outside of my expertise. With that disclaimer, I have never heard of cricopharyngeus dysfunction (the catcher problem) in a child. There are, however sometimes strictures in little ones. I am sure your doctors have thought about this. It sounds like that, or perhaps that the motility (muscle-determined sweeping of food through the esophagus (tube down to the stomach). I am sure your doctors are considering all of this... Again, all the best in your search. (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without your personal physician’s input).
BVI03 Yes my daughter had a check (a tube down to her stomach) and it seems like everything is ok. That's what the doctor said. If you are a specialist, would it be possible to have a consultation?
I have been suffering in swallowing problem since couple of months, specially while eating bread and other solid foid, I felt something catching food underneath of throat, does anybody know what exactly it is. Thank you.
Drink more water, soon as you wake up and into the night.
Right know my food feel stuck between the 2
its good information thanks
account Dr atul mathur, state bank of India
Could a problem like this have a psychiatric cause. My symptoms seem to improve when I take anti anxiety pills.
Renzo Rodriguez do you still with this problem?
Vanessa Montes yes :(
Renzo Rodriguez don’t take those pills it’ll work with any kind of pills because pills help you gain an appetite
What pills helped wit this?
Wouldn't crycopharyngeal myotomy then contribute to gastric reflux if the upper esophageal sphincter is always open? I have both "pitcher" and "catcher" issues, full-on dysphagia following throat cancer treatment in 2004, and now strictly tube-fed. I'd love to eat by mouth again, and I'm keenly interested in new information and procedures that might allow that.
I think i have this
I am from Ethiopia decades whth this swallowing problem.
I liked and appreciate the way u teach, how u introduce and summerize so that non-medical men like me could understand the lesson.
You are intellgent and in deed made me things cleared.
Hi How are you? I am too from Ethiopia.How about now? Did you find any solution? I am with similar problem.
what happens to the food that went to breathing pipe n to chest
I had pills cut my throat
And now it keeps hurting
And swallowing is difficult
Why is it taking so long to heal in my throat
Been 3 weeks
Is it healed yet?
doctor can u help me? im only 14 so i don’t really understand any of this so i was hoping if u can just tell me what’s wrong as i tell you what im dealing with. :( i was sick 2 days ago and i had a very snotty nose and had some coughing but as soon i was getting better, out of nowhere i had a difficult time trying to swallow my saliva. like when i have saliva, i can’t swallow when i want to. there’s no pain it’s just that it feels weird and when i try swallowing, it just stops in the middle and i have to swallow again. i get scared cause i feel like i might choke, can you please tell me what i could have going on? i haven’t been eating or sleeping and im starting to become depressed. if u know the problem, pls tell me how long it could last 😢
Did you get checked
One time I was almost dying of this problem. I said that's it I'm going. Not a pleasant way to die. Because panic will kill you before the thing stuck in your throat. And if water is the thing, it's worse.
I choked on a metformin pill yr ago had to call paramedics almost choked to death. Very scary! Take pill 1 at time with applesauce or your. Helps! Went to speech therapist today we exrayed yr ago found nothing.Speech Therapist said I have cricopharyungeai hypertrophy. Need to see Doc to have a moving exray and swallow test. Feel. Much better knowing there's a fix for this. See a speech therapist ❤
Dr please help me cause I think foods and drink is getting into my air ways and it's bad I have had a endoscopy procedure and my Gi doctor in Jersey say nothing is wrong but I next I'm ask for a swallowing test
So sorry, but without details, and a personal conversation, Dr. Bastian would not be able to untangle your problem.
I have learned over the years to ALWAYS have water or other liquid to wash the food down with when it gets stuck. Meat, especially lean hamburger, gives me real trouble, but I have to be very careful about how I swallow anything that is rather dry. I choke easily and have sucked things down my windpipe causing pneumonia. I also suffer gerd which frequently causes pneumonia. I fear that I am heading for Barret's Esophagus and esophagial cancer.
How are you doing now?
a friend of mine has a pitcher and catcher problem which increased in only one year so fast that we have serious problems in food choices.she cannot drink and eat at the same time.She always coughes after drinking and her voice gets heavy after eating. Even soft things like pumpkin soup are a problem and it worsens .
she has been to a doctor who documented her chewing and swallowing with a tiny camera and x-rays ,but they said everything is fine .only her logopedian believes her. HELP !!!!!!
Buledi Karin sorry to hear this my docs act like I'm faking this as well I'm 21 tell her to try eating mashed potatoes it sorta works for me I'll pray God bless you both I'll pray for her
after intubation,i was only intubated for a 4 hour time so i shouldn't be having this issue like some on who was intubated a long time in icu.( i have been patient and still after almost 6 mos) the ent that did my nose surgery didn't look into it any more than with his bare eyes, discovered my tmd and blamed everything on that, my primary doesn't have the tools to look just past my tonsils and the ent refused to use the tools he has to really look, i was brushed off and now im angry and don't trust., i have a painful pitcher, no body will listen to me and just blame it on tmd.(i have had tmd for 3 years and intubation made that even more miserable plus a swallow problem, what are my options cuz im miserable and starving, only my right side swallows food correct, the left is painful and slow, and always sore at the root of tongue on the left side,and left side of throat inflamed and red for at least 2 mos straight if not longer. liquid is not a problem even though im having trouble on the pitcher area. just to take the edge off the pain i have to take 600mg ibuprofen every 4 hours which is not healthy --my liver is probably falling apart now. if i force my self to go with out the ibuprofen, the stinging and pain is enough to make me question living.
Sorry to hear that, how are you doing nowadays?