Difficulty swallowing

[duncfunk]

Hi everyone

I have been suffering with health related anxiety for about 6 months now and after treatment (plus numerous tests for a constant headache) my symptoms have finally started to calm down. However, I am now conscious of a problem when swallowing large pieces of food (bread/meat etc). It feels like the food gets stuck for a second at the bottom of the oesphagus before hitting the stomach. I do get a heartburn and the occasional acidic feel. A friend died of oesphagul cancer a few months ago and like me he was only in his mid 30's.

Could it be the anxiety playing tricks again?

Many thanks

[alankay]

Yep. No doubt. Anxiety sure can do it as it plays with the mind so effectively. Alankay.

[duncfunk]

Thanks guys. I'm just getting paranoid about esophageal cancer. It's usually some kind of cancer that gets me going, I'm working through them all :-(

[jessed03]

Those one's always really stay in the back of the mind, don't they? When we've had somebody close to us go through something, the seed's of worry are always there in the so called 'normal' people, which makes anxiety sufferer's especially prone to it.

My cousin developed Schizophrenia, sort of out of the blue really. Of course when I was having anxiety attacks, this was the first thing in my head. That fear was allowed to just come out and run free.

It's amazing, as Alan said, the way anxiety can simulate any symptom.

I had that issue for a while, not swallowing. I actually found it one of the worse symptoms I had. I was told that if you have slight issues with acid, that places in the throat can get slightly weakened, and food will scratch them just a tiny bit. It's in no way dangerous, and that feeling it hasn't swallowed properly, is the lining of the throat a little scratched, making it feel like something is there. It could be helpful to see your doctor to talk to him about it. The two things go rather hand in hand. It was the case for me anyway. Do you drink plenty of water? Occasionally being dehydrated can worsen it.

All the best!