Has anyone had difficulties swallowing and it was NOT cancer?

[LtMarvel]

I am sorry to post in aibu but please desperately needing some hope.

I have been having swallowing problems 'food foes go down but some (mainly breads, pastas and similar stodgy stuff like chips) are more difficult to pass. I feel them moving down my food pipe and it's uncomfortable. I also keep feeling like there's something stuck there afterwards and there's pressure right behind my breastbone

I am 38 and with a small son, and everything I saw online.... well swallowing difficulties are a massive red flag for esophagus cancer...

So just hoping to hear maybe someone else had these symptoms and it wasnt cancer?

I have gastrostomy booked for end of May and I just need to keep it together.

I will give myself a shake but hearing hopeful stories will help massively.

Thank you!

I know someone who had that, she got a two week referral and was terrified. It turned out to be tonsil stones.

I cannot swallow anything by liquids when my anxiety flares up.

Yes I've had an endoscopy recently ( was rushed through on 2 week cancer pathway ) and it was hiatus hernia and gastritis and acid reflux. No cancer.

Yes I have the exact same thing and mainly with bread / pasta anything bulky! It bloody hurts and I have to drink water to make it go down some times.

i have a hiatus hernia like many other pp have said.

My mum had the exact same thing and it turned out to be a hiatus hernia. Literally the exact same symptoms. I know it’s hard, but the worst thing you can do is Google in these circumstances, as you’ll convince yourself it’s the worst case scenario. It’s far more likely to be something like a hernia!

Yes, my sister had this and food would actually get stuck.

Turned out to be a rare disease that I can’t remember the name of. Definitely not cancer in her case and whilst there isn’t a cure it’s manageable with daily medication.

Best of luck

Yeah, I have this. It's reflux.

My husband did - it was caused by hiatus hernia and reflux. They said it could develop into something called Barretts oesophagus without treatment.

My DH had achalasia diagnosed about 15 years ago.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/achalasia/

he had an operation which has made a huge difference but he does have to be careful eating very dry foods as his swallowing is not as good as it was.

Yes, I used to have this.

It was a hiatus hernia and I had chronic heartburn which had really irritated my oesophagus.

Took lansaprazole for years which resolved it, but have now lost loads of weight and I don't need the medication any more.

I had this and it was a web growing in my throat due to me being severely anaemic. I had to have an endoscopy and they broke it with the camera and it got better.

I had this same issue, with the same kinds of foods. It was anxiety, linked to my distress about my baby's tongue tie. It was almost as if I wished the problem onto myself, I used to say "I wish it was me who had problems eating instead of her!" I spent about a year with the problem off and on, and eventually it faded away. It was checked out by hospital tests, I did a barium swallow I think it was called. No physical signs of any problems. Literally all in my head!!

Yep, me. I have a haitus hernia (had a gastroscopy) plus a connective tissue disease so I assume that contributes too. Constant globus feeling and sometimes genuinely can’t get the swallow mechanism to co-ordinate and work (although doc who did gastroscopy said that’s not a thing - is basically in my head). Anyway. It’s fine. Manage any reflux symptoms. For me that’s no gluten, makes as massive difference. Haven’t had swallow probs for a while.

For me being anaemic caused anxiety which made swallowing difficult. I would then find my jaw feeling almost frozen before eating which made eating difficult and when swallowing I once had some food get stuck so that didn't help matters either.
I am much better now and taught myself to swallow again, though I still get days and certain foods that are tricky. I still can't eat boiled sweets as I worry about them just going down my throat before I am ready. I was the same about bananas but am okay with them now.
I hope you find out what is causing your issue and it's nothing serious💐

I had something similar about 5 years ago. It felt like something I’d swallowed and as literally stuck at the bottom of my oesophagus. It was extremely painful and I couldn’t swallow anything to “wash” it down.
at the time I was rapidly heading towards a breakdown so it was almost certainly, partially, anxiety based. I did speak to the doctor and was given medication for it but I forget what.

I do occasionally get less severe bouts when I’m very stressed.

I think there are lots of causes the least likely is cancer. Incidentally oesophageal cancer is very treatable these days.

Reflux and GERD are the most obvious causes of this. Get yourself checked and try not to worry in the meantime xx

Myasthenia Gravis

Swallowing is one of the first/main symptoms

https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-treatments/related-conditions/eosinophilic-esophagitis

Your post made me think of this - John Green has it. It may not fit the bill - many more posts about GERD here, which I hope is reassuring for you. Good luck!

Yes, I have a friend and it was anxiety related. Another family member, apparently an injury to the throat (unexplained, but I suspect domestic violence) mixed with anxiety. For the former, it's quite severe and debilitating, but not cancer.

Yes, my sister has Achalasia.
She had surgery which was successful but 10 years on it is returning and she is losing weight again and may require further surgery.

I had something like this and it was anxiety. It was horrible. It was like my swallow reflex just wouldn’t work and I felt like I was going to choke. That was over ten years ago and I am fine now.

Thanks, I am neither but.... I have had quite an unhealthy diet for decades. My main meals are fine but I eat a lot of chocolate, sweets and snacks and fizzy drinks.

I've also been suffering with unexplained fatigue for the past year so it just makes it really scary.

I will update once I had my gastroscopy

Stay away from Google op.

I have health anxiety but I'll deny it to most people. I reach for Google, hit the panic button, and ignore the likely benign reasons for these things.

Also remember most info sources will always give worst case, because there's nothing click-worthy about the headline "it's very likely NOT something worrying". And NHS etc sites have to point out what the possible serious causes are so people follow up if they are concerned.

Your issue - I had something similar about a year ago. It was silent reflux that then caused anxiety because i thought it was serious, that then caused me to develop something called globus sensation (this is safe to Google!). That then led to me clenching my jaw that made my tongue sore and go a strange shape (google said this was amyloidosis) It took months to settle down.

The brain is such a powerful thing. Anxiety can absolutely cause physical symptoms even if you don't think you're anxious.

Honestly the chance of this being cancer is so so low. Anything is possible of course but remember the stats are on your side.

Same. I was put on the two week pathway as GP was worried. All good. Glad I checked before posting the same.