Any Ear, Nose and Throat specialists out there?

[helpmydad12]

Urgent help please...

My Dad is in his 80's. Always been in good health but in the past few months he has been unable to swallow due to too much phlegm, everything sinister has been ruled out. He really cannot eat due to choking and is just existing on those ensure drinks, he has lost so much weight, My Dad's doctor is good but everything takes so long and time is really against us as he is just getting weaker and weaker. I really want to take him privately but not sure where to start and need a very quick solution or he is not going to last much longer. He has no other health issues.

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Where roughly are you? I recently saw an amazing ENT consultant privately for swallowing issues

London area - thank you!

Bugger, I'm North West, hopefully someone will have a recommendation nearer, it must be so worrying for you both 💐

I’m a swallowing specialist (SLT) - if all the sinister medical stuff has been ruled out, you need to be referred to Speech and language therapists for assessment and management of swallowing problems. What I will say is never in my 20 years have I seen what you describe and the reason is phlegm. That’s just what people think it feels like OR there is a more specific reason they can’t swallow or clear the phlegm to do with the anatomy, physiology, strength and efficiency of swallowing.

Has he had a barium swallow to rule out any reasons for why food is making him choke but liquids supplements are manageable?

When you say everything sinister has been riled out?

What investigations has he had?

Who has he seen?

Thanks for coming back to me - seeing a nutritionist and a speech and language specialist but no progress, it is getting worse. They are talking about some kind of botox injection, an injection to stop siliva but that is weeks away and the speech therapist does not recommend that.

Has placing an artificial feeding tube been discussed as an interim measure?

He said they had discussed it but it has not been done as yet - I am not sure what point they decide it is time to do that.

Which consultant specialities has he actually seen and what has been ruled out?

Is his GP not managing the case at all?

Unless his SLT has any consultant recommendations, I’d check via his insurance but otherwise would probably ask for the next available ENT consultant at somewhere like the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth. I’d bear in mind that he might need to go on to see a neurologist at some point.