Has anyone experienced not being able to swallow - is it anxiety?

[CakesRus3]

I have always been a little bit uncle eating in front of people. Especially now single and dating. It rakes me a while to feel comfortable with eating out. However, I eventually overcome it. However, recently (past 6 months), I struggle to swallow my food. I have hardly eaten in the last few days as it's really bad. I feel I have lost the national sensation to swallow. It happens even when I'm not particularly nervous/anxious.

@CakesRus3

I had my appointment today! This woman is a psychologist and psychotherapist at the hospital and I was referred to her by my GP.

So I went on and I was actually quite relieved because I thought I was going to have to go through the whole process of explaining non swallowing related emotional stuff in my life, but while we did touch on some difficult things I've had to deal with, she was very much all about approaching this problem as a phobia to be dealt with.

She said it's a phobia and she plans on treating it as she would many phobias: by exposure therapy.

First she said what my GP said, which was that she wants me to go and get blood tests done to rule out anything physical, but we agreed that that needed to be done more just as protocol than because we really think it could have a physical cause, because I find it quite easy to eat naturally the moment I wake up (as in when I'm still dazed, half an hour later and I'm back to being blocked).

She asked me if there were any foods I had less of an issue with, and I said chocolate despite not having a sweet tooth at all. Thought that was interesting OP because you mentioned chocolate twice 🤔

I told her about the very first time it happened to me, when I was in a car driving down the motorway. Then the second time, also in quite "anxious" circumstances.

She said it showed her that the swallowing is very probably linked to anxiety and that in fact the throat tightening is an actual reaction to anxiety, aka being "scared" to swallow does have a basis in what you're physically feeling.

She said once I had my blood tests done we would start exposure therapy where basically I will learn to swallow again, my working up in increments and eating with her during our sessions 😂

Sounds interesting, I feel very hopeful. I need to be away for work for 2 weeks, so my next (and first real) sessions wont be for 2 or 3 weeks yet, but I will update you on that once it happens.

55GoldfishParade thankyou for letting me know. Ah ok, I see. It does seem strange that you are able to manage early in the morning and not at other times in the day. I have to really focus on each mouthful to be able to eventually swallow it and it's not attractive (I will never date again). It's actually mentally exhausting as I dread having to eat. I have also tried taking my mind off it by counting, reading, listening to music.
How do you feel about the therapy? I'm glad you are getting support with this. It's a great start for you. I do hope it helps.
It is strange re chocolate. I think, with me, it's sucking it and it just naturally goes down. Anything I chew, is more difficult.
I understand this could be related to anxiety, like yourself. However, it is a good idea to rule out physical causes. I can't help but think it is as it just feels like there is a physical block when it comes to swallowing chewed food (even when there is no anxiety present). However, I have never had a phobia. This therapy is definitely worth continuing with to see if this is psychological. I would really like to know how you get on with this if you don't mind?
Also, what do you manage to eat? I'm struggling. Losing weight now too. I had soup yesterday for lunch and tea. I also had 3 chocolate bars as I was hungry. I don't think the sugar is going to be good for me.

I'm sorry to hear that there are other people going through this too. I have been living with the same swallowing issue for the last 4 years and it is having a huge impact on my life. My GP said it sounded like a sensorimotor OCD so I googled it and it does tick all the boxes. CakesRus3 and GoldfishParade - do you find yourselves constantly thinking about swallowing and worrying that you'll never eat or drink normally again? I definitely do!

I haven't eaten out for over a year as the stress and anxiety it caused wasn't worth it! I avoid certain foods altogether and when I do eat I take tiny amounts of food into my mouth and I chew it a ridiculous amount of times whilst repeatedly telling myself I can swallow. It doesn't make it any easier though - it's as though my automatic swallowing reflex has gone and it's a conscious effort now! Sometimes food gets stuck in my throat and that creates immediate panic and anxiety which perpetuates the issue. I have tried to tell myself that I'm fine, that I won't choke and that I'm not scared of swallowing, but I know that I'm lying to myself. I just want to be normal but I've lived like this for so long now that I don't think anything will get rid of it. I feel like I have forgotten how to chew and swallow food and drinks properly and I don't think talking therapies can change that.

Good luck with the psychotherapy GoldfishPalace. Please do keep us updated on how it's going.

Tootiredtocare24 aww bless you. I know it's just awful to live with. Eating is something very social too. So I feel like that's been taken away. You have struggled for such a long time. Could you maybe see a GP to refer you on? It could help. Anything is worth a try? I really hope this will pass. However, reading your experience, I feel maybe I'm going to struggle for a long time.
I actually dread meal times. I'm trying to mentally get my head around that this may be for a while. I just noticed, I couldn't swallow my tea when I met my friend today. It's so so odd!

I have found my tribe.

It is anxiety and it is bloody awful. Many of your stories resonate with me and I don't feel so abnormal now. Whenever I see anyone enjoying a dinner I feel so envious and wonder why they have no issues like we have.

I live on Baby food. Easy to eat but even then I don't want to eat it most of the time. Full fat yogurts, cream, mashed potato kind of work but not always.

Sorry for going on, but when my mother died last year I had three Valium from the GP I was in a right state. I found that I could eat at the wake absolutely no issues when I had taken the tablet. So I know it is anxiety. But no GP will offer unlimited Valium!

I so empathise with all of you. I would love to be able to go out for dinner and enjoy the experience. It is bloody awful.

Best wishes to you all. Glad I am not alone.

@Tootiredtocare24 and @Zeebeezee 💐 I'm so sorry to hear you are also sufferers and in a strange way I feel reassured to hear from you. It feels like such an abnormal thing, that's it's nice to hear that we arent alone. Im glad you started this thread @CakesRus3.

Its tragic not to be able to enjoy such a basic thing. The sad part is I was a foodie before. I still am. I still cook and make meals I just cant enjoy them like I used to.

Maybe we should all meet up one day and go for a swallowphobic dinner out somewhere 😂

In regards to the practicalities of surviving, I found meal replacements that saved my life. These arent low calorie diet products. They are actual complete well balanced meals in a powder form that you mix with water.

The big one is the UK one, called Huel.

But I actually found a brand that is WAY better than Huel (IMO). Its called Jake. Each pouch contains an 800 calorie meal, which is huge. It also (again IMO) tastes way better than Huel. I actively enjoy drinking the Jake (the oat flavour). It tastes pretty delicious. The biggest advantage of Jake over Huel is that you need less of it because each pouch contains more calories (Huel comes in big bags rather than pouches).

You could order a little from both brands and see which works best for you.

Is this ideal? No. We want to be able to swallow and eat normally. However at my lowest point, being under fed further fuelled my anxiety (maybe low blood sugar) and it just turned into even worse of a cycle, so it's a good thing to use to stay nourished while trying to somehow work this out.

Jake: jakefood.com
Huel: uk.huel.com

@Tootiredtocare24 You explained it all perfectly. I completely hear you. I don't find myself thinking about it all the time outside of mealtimes, however if I let my anxiety bubble up out of control, i find myself having the thought that I wont be able to swallow my saliva, and I actively have to "swallow hard" in those moments. Because of that particular tic I now have to have a bottle of water with me on the train.

@CakesRus3 its interesting what you said earlier in the thread about breathing. I cant quite describe what I mean but I think there could be a link. When my throat "stalls" particularly badly I notice that I've almost been holding my breath at the same time.

GoldfishParade

Thank you so much for that information. Kind of you.

No worries xx

I'm sorry for the delay in replying - I have been feeling so lethargic lately which is partly down to how mentally draining this swallowing issue is, but also because I am grieving for my mum who I sadly lost in June.

@CakesRus3 I did mention my swallowing issue to my GP towards the end of last year. I didn't purposely go in to talk about it, but I got called in after I reluctantly asked for a blood test to 'prove to myself that all the debilitating symptoms I was experiencing were down to anxiety and nothing more sinister.' As it happens I was severely anaemic which not eating properly would have contributed to. The GP said it sounded like a form of OCD and gave me a number to call for talking therapy. I decided to hold off for a few months until my dd started nursery so I could go for the talking therapy on one of those days, but then my mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I spent those 2 child free days going to chemotherapy and other appointments with her instead. I don't really have a genuine excuse not to do it now as my mum is no longer with me and my dd is back at nursery 2 days per week, but I just don't have the energy - I feel defeated!
I'm sorry to hear that you can't even go out and enjoy a cup of tea with your friend. I was the same when I tried to drink a coffee at chemotherapy with my mum! We'd be at the hospital for a good 6 hours and my mum loved her cups of coffee, so I'd put pressure on myself to try and drink them with her. Sometimes we'd get a meal deal from boots (in the hospital) but the pressure I put on myself to try and eat it just made it feel even more impossible and I'd have visions of me choking in the room full of cancer patients and their relatives. It's so hard isn't it as eating and drinking are at the heart of most things social! I never arrange to meet people for coffee or lunch now and I couldn't even take my dd out for a family meal on her 16th birthday recently. I hate myself for that and all the other things that my children miss out on because of me! I haven't told my dc about my swallowing issues as I don't want to put ideas in their head, they're quite impressionable and I'm worried that they might start focusing on their swallowing and end up in the same boat as me. I still cook for everyone, and I still sit at the table with a plate of food, but I eat painfully slow and when everyone else has left the table, I normally give up eating. My dc have commented on how slowly I eat but I don't feel like I can tell them why. Are you open and honest with everyone about your troubles? I guess I feel a bit embarrassed and I know that other people can't possibly understand or sympathise when they haven't ever been in this position. How have you found swallowing since you last wrote on here? Please don't think that you are going to be stuck with this problem forever. As yours is a recent development, it means that it shouldn't be so hard to break. I know it's easier said than done, but please try to reassure yourself that this is temporary and that your swallowing reflex is still there working how it should. It's just our subconscious mind (which controls swallowing) getting confused by what our conscious mind is telling it. Try and think positively and don't give up trying to eat, even if it's chocolate, or soft foods. I still try to overcome my swallowing fear on a daily basis as I don't want to completely give in to it!

@GoldfishParade Thank you for the info on the meal replacement shakes. I do still try to eat 'proper' food to keep up appearances for my kids, but I know I'm not eating enough. I do always have some cafe latte slimfast in the fridge just in case, but if I couldn't eat at all then I would go onto something like you've mentioned. Do you manage to eat any food at all? What are you like with drinks? Have you told other people about your swallowing problem? If you don't mind me asking, when is your ERP appointment? Fingers crossed it goes well - I can't wait to hear how you get on. Sorry for all the questions btw!

@Zeebeezee I'm sorry to hear about your mum passing away last year. It's a horrible thing to have to go through and not something you can prepare yourself for. I'm also sorry to hear that you are in the same boat as the rest of us on here! Have you tried other medication for your anxiety to see if that helps? I know exactly what you mean when you say you feel envious of other people being able to enjoy their meal - eating is a huge part of life, not just because it's essential from a nutritional point of view, but because it's such a sociable thing to do. Have you spoken to your GP about it?

I've got so much more I could say but I've probably sent you all to sleep already!

If you don't mind me asking, how old is everyone? X

53Zeebeezee I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, sending hugs. It's been a difficult time for you. I'm also sorry you are struggling with this problem. We are less alone in feeling alone. However, it doesn't make it any easier. It's more debilitating than I could ever explain to anyone. I know it's anxiety related. I even tried to have a few glasses of wine to try to relax myself to see if this helped. It didn't. It was actually awful as I was sat with a friend and struggled with the whole glass. So the next day, I tried a couple of glasses on my own. I struggled again.
40GoldfishParade thankyou for the info. I'm glad you have found something that helps. I'm now eating soup, yoghurt and smoothies. I'm still having the odd bite to chew as I'm afraid it will get worse ( if it's possible to be any worse). I am trying my best not to let anxiety around it take over because I fear this will make it worse. I'm praying one day I wake up and it's gone. I'm considering hypnotherapy. Look forward to hearing how you're getting on with your therapist.
42Tootiredtocare24 I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, sending hugs. It's been a difficult time for you. One day at a time. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. We have a habit of doing this sometimes. I also suffer with low iron due to being diagnosed with ceoliac disease at the beginning of the year. It's how I found out, I asked for bloods as I was so so tired. The next thing I know I'm ceoalic. My iron counts were satisfactory last bloods taken. I'm worried this problem will impact on my iron again. It's awful feeling how you are feeling. So lethargic. With this debilitating problem of swallowing too. I'm trying to just manage one day at a time. Listen to my body. I sat and are a roast dinner Sunday and my dd's were laughing at the size of my dinner. They didn't question it. However, I'm always the last to be sat at the table so like yourself, I give up. It's actually mentally tiring. Some days im so hungry though. I could just eat something big and stodgy but obviously can't. I am very envious of people eating now. I was at work yesterday and have to go into a different room to drink my water as I'm worried it won't go down. If I'm alone I won't be embarrassed to couph and splutter if I struggle. How awful!!
I'm 43. My 15 year old dd has noticed me struggle so I have told her why. I try not to put too much emphasis on it. I too do not want them to think about it and have the same problem. I was actually led in bed lastnight thinking, maybe this is how it's always going to be. I just have to ensure I get enough cals to live and get on with life much differently. Meaning not much of a social life. Not sure what else to do. Especially when I hear people say they have lived with it for years.
I'm glad we can chat on here. Hope you are all well.

I’ve struggled with this for about 20 years. It started literally the evening my Dad was admitted unexpectedly to intensive care when I was a teenager. At the time I had no idea what was going on but as a teenager I was embarrassed to talk to anyone about it so just quietly got on with it. I later realised it must have been triggered by anxiety. It’s slowly improved. I still eat very slowly and sometimes feel like I’m going to choke on my food but I’ve learnt now to stay calm and get the food back from my throat to my mouth. I struggled to drink for ages but eventually learnt to almost suck small amounts of liquid into my mouth so I was only drinking a small bit at a time. I can now gulp down a pint of water again. I would suggest going to see someone about it and tackling it so that it’s hopefully only a short term thing for you. Funnily I’ve almost always been able to eat chocolate easily too! I’m also sure that for many people it’s only a short term issue too. Glad you’ve ruled out any under lying medical conditions.

Further to my above post, with drinking have you tried using a straw that really helped me to drink a small amount. I promise you’ll get a handle on it and things will get easier than they are now.

I have this, entirely anxiety based.

What I found helpful is eating whilst reading something, my mind is occupied with what I'm reading and before I know it I've swallowed food perfectly fine. It is hard to start but you need to move your focus away from the sensations in your mouth to something external

Too many horrible losses and I didn't or couldn't deal with them at the time.

Bottled up grief or trauma maybe.

Wishing you all well. Globus is a symptom of this sometimes.

Hi everyone, I hope you're all well. It feels somewhat reassuring to know that there are other people out there who have the same swallowing issues as me. Obviously it's not good that other people are suffering in the same way, but before this post I had never spoken to anyone else who knows, first-hand, how real and debilitating this 'condition' is. Is makes me feel a little less alone!

@CakesRus3 I was hoping that you might reply to my last comment and say that something had clicked and you had gone back to eating and drinking normally! Well done for sitting down with your dc's and attempting to eat a roast dinner - you should feel proud of yourself for trying because it is hard! I have reduced my portion sizes dramatically, but still put too much food on my plate so it doesn't get my kids asking questions. The annoying thing is that I want to eat all of what is on my plate, but I just can't! Have you told your friends about what is going on or do you just sit there trying to drink and hope they don't notice? You may get to the stage where you think it's not even worth attempting to go out and socialise anymore, but try not to fall into that trap like I did. Just the thought of trying to eat or drink outside of my house scares the life out of me now because I've not done it for a long time. I'm only 35 and I feel like I'm not really 'living' life anymore! Do you have a partner/husband? I have a long term partner who knows about my swallowing, but he doesn't understand it because he's never experienced it. He eats so fast......as do most of my children (I have 5, crazy I know!) and that makes me feel worse as they've finished before I've really started.

Have you researched hypnotherapy for this type of issue? My brother suggested I try it as he'd had success with it for general anxiety, but at the moment I just can't afford it. I'm also worried it won't work for me as visualisation is a fundamental part of hypnotherapy and I can't visualise images in my head. Apparently it's a real thing where some people just can't do it, and of course I would be one of those people! You should definitely give it a go if it is an option for you. Imagine if it worked, it would change your life! In the meantime, have you thought about trying some of those meal replacement drinks that GoldFishPalace recommended or are they not suitable because of your celiac disease? There will be gluten-free options out there if you wanted to give them a go?

I was just wondering, when you eat do you have all kinds of negative, fearful thoughts going through your head? Things like 'I'm not going to be able to swallow this, I'm going to choke/cough/splutter, I'm never going to eat normally again?'. I find that when I think like that, it makes it harder to swallow and when I do manage to swallow it's not a full swallow which means food sits in my throat temporarily and panics me. Now I always tell myself that I CAN swallow. I tell myself that I won't choke as I have only eaten a small amount of food and chewed it well and that if food gets stuck it will only be temporary. I was at a stage back along where I talked negatively to myself and I was just adding unnecessary 'conscious' fear to the process. Obviously our subconscious mind has already associated swallowing with fear because of our previous experiences, but you can 'feed it' new, more helpful information that swallowing isn't something to be scared of. Try really hard to change your way of thinking (even if you don't necessarily believe your new 'positive' thoughts) as it does have the power to improve the situation a little bit. Whilst chewing food, or holding a drink in your mouth, repeat over and over in your head 'I can swallow, I can swallow' until it happens. I was at a stage once when I couldn't even swallow my saliva, but I have come so far since then! Obviously I'm not even close to being recovered, & I don't think I can further improve the situation without outside help, but I am able to eat some proper food which makes a big difference. Keep me updated on how you get on x

@Dottyandbet Wow, 20 years! That is a long time to be living with this issue. I'm glad to hear that things have improved slightly for you now and I hope everyone here can get to that stage at some point. The thing that keeps the vicious circle going is the fear! Our brains are designed to protect us from things which it perceives to be dangerous, and somehow for us, swallowing has become 'dangerous'. Unlike other fears and phobias which you can just avoid, swallowing is something that we can't get away from. If we could just break the fear somehow then theoretically the problem should go away! It sounds like you have managed to do that somewhat which is amazing!

@Tish008 You are very right - this is anxiety based! For me, that anxiety has gone a step further and it is now a full-blown fear. I have become so hyperaware of the swallowing process that I cannot distract myself from the act no matter how hard I try. My GP said it is now an OCD and they are very difficult to overcome. For me, every part of eating and drinking just feels wrong! I feel like I have forgotten how to do it normally and naturally without obsessively thinking about every single step. When the food should make it's way to the back of my tongue ready for the swallowing reflex to 'take it down', it just doesn't. I'm overly sensitive to the feeling of food at the back of my tongue/sitting at the opening of my throat and I must do something I'm not aware of with my tongue to stop the food going there. Even when I force the food back, it still feels like the swallowing process doesn't happen automatically like it should! I know it's all down to me overthinking it, but I'm too far gone to be able to distract myself unfortunately.

So sorry for the essay again, I've never been one for keeping it short and sweet but I do hope that some of what I say helps others, or at least makes them feel like they're not alone because they can resonate with what I'm saying x

Hello everyone. Thanks for messages. Hope you are all ok. I didn't want to read and run. I will post properly when I have a little more time.
My situation has become quite bad. I'm now struggling with liquid. Even my saliva. I could actually cry just typing. It's just horrible. The whole experience around managing something to put inside my body is just mentally exhausting. I have an appt with GP tomorrow at 10am as today has been the worst. Seems to be getting worse by the day. I'm actually going to bed now as I feel safer asleep. I feel like I'm going crazy!! Sorry, will catch up with you all soon. Take care, thinking of you all.

Aww @CakesRus3, I really do feel for you. I have been where you are now and it left me questioning whether I actually wanted to live anymore. I thought things would never get better, but they have improved enough to stop me feeling that way. That improvement was purely down to me changing how I think about the swallowing and trying to fight back against it. I still go through brief periods where I struggle to swallow my saliva (almost on a daily basis actually) but I try to distract myself and then I forget about it and it happens naturally again. You sound like you are very anxious and fearful at the moment which will be making it harder for you to cope with the swallowing situation. The GP will probably give you medication to help with that anxiety and I'd imagine it will relax you a bit and hopefully break the vicious circle you are caught up in. They'll probably recommend other therapies as well but they tend to have a waiting list. Good luck tomorrow. Please let me know how you get on. Sending a big virtual hug your way xx

Hi guys! First of all, I have been a bad patient and havent done my bloods yet, which I have to do before I can continue the therapy. I know I know - I suck! Will get on it tomorrow.

Just FYI, Huel (complete meal replacement) does a gluten free version.

It's incredible seeing so many people on here with this issue. It feels so comforting to know we arent completely alone.

@CakesRus3 I am so sorry to hear you are going through such a rough time but wanted to reassure you: as @Tootiredtocare24 says I have been there and the good news is that you can only go up from here. You will not get any worse. You can and will only improve. Right now it sounds like you are in the early terrified stage, where you are so scared of this new phenomenon and what it means. I guess the middle stage is learning mechanisms for dealing with it, and then the final stage (which I am hoping I will move into now) is curing it.

Today I managed to eat a half baguette cheese sandwich (well two thirds of it- so sad to think I wanted to eat the whole thing but was being so slow, I was exhausted by the end). Considering bread is my nemesis (my whole thing kickstarted with a baguette sandwich) I was quite happy about this. At the office today I also managed to eat quite a lot of haribo sweets: also quite triumphant as those are insanely chewy and have triggered me previously. Dont get me wrong, I was hyper aware both times today, eating very slowly and with water. But it's something.

I think when you are in the fearful early stage you get to the point where you cant do liquids or even saliva because you're just so terrified of the strangeness and newness of it. But over time it's good to find your own unique ways of coping with it. So here are some coping mechanisms I've developed for myself, they work for me, maybe for you too, and maybe others can add what they do:

• Liquid meal replacement once a day: as watered down as you need it. Just to remove the extra additional fear of "I'm not eating enough...I'm wasting away"
• Telling people. All my friends and family know. Its important to get their support. If you dont tell them and that means you dont socialise with them anymore, then what have you really got to lose?
• Eating with others in the room: restaurants put me under pressure, but eating with friends and family is reassuring to me, and also eating in the office is okay. It's so much better than eating on my own, because in my deluded mind I'm thinking if I choke someone can help me
• Small bites, chew down as much as you can, and wash down with water. Of course this is painstaking but it helps
• Thin soups to have alongside your meal. This is good when eating with your kids for example as it looks less obvious than the water, but same concept. Small mouthful, wash down with spoonful of soup.
• Intense spices: I dont know why but I find it much easier to swallow intensely flavoured food, for example a really hot curry. Maybe the spices relax the throat?
• Small platefuls: it is much easier psychologically to tackle a small plate of food than try and face a mountain of it
• Hand picking: I find it easier to eat small pieces of food, and using my fingers. Tapas for example is great. Not sure why it feels easier.

Will be thinking of you at your appointment tomorrow Cake. And will try and get my bloods done!!

Thankyou for the kind words of support. Thankyou for the advice too. As soon as I'm calm enough, I shall try those techniques. It has got quite difficult over the last few days. I can't even begin to thonk about the process as it's mentally challenging. I have just come out of the GP surgery. They have prescribed me diazepam 3x a day, an hour before food. I'm a bit scared it will knock me out. Willing to try anything though. They're 2mg tabs. Anyone tried this?

I was on diazepam very briefly a couple of years ago, my doctor prescribed it for back pain Its valium. It's also highly addictive and what they didnt tell me is that you can get pretty bad withdrawal symptoms!

@GoldfishParade You are so right when you say that you get passed the really scared phase and move onto finding management techniques which won't cure it, but do make things feel better than they did at rock bottom. Well done for managing some of your trigger foods yesterday - even the smallest step is progress and you should keep that momentum going. I admire that you have shared your difficulties with everyone you know. I wish I did that from the get-go but instead I hid it because I was worried about what people would think. Now it's become my deep, dark secret and I avoid any situation where someone might pick up on an issue.

@CakesRus3 I'm glad to hear the doctors appointment went well and you now have something which will hopefully break down that intense anxiety you have been suffering with. I have never had anything other than a few propranolol for panic attacks last year, but my mum used to take Diazepam before she had MRI scans (as she was claustrophobic) and they didn't knock her out. They just relaxed her and sometimes made her feel a bit sleepy. I wouldn't worry too much about the risk of getting addicted to them as the GP will weight up the pros and cons of you staying on them longer term, if it even comes to that. Hopefully they do enough to change your current mindset and make you realise that things will improve and that you can still swallow - it's just a powerful mental block making you believe you can't. Did the GP also suggest anything else to try? Good luck with the diazepam. Once again, keep us updated on how you get on.

I'm really intrigued by how chocolate seems to be manageable for all of us..

I haven't mentioned it, but for a few years chocolate was the only food I could swallow with next to no difficulty. I do find it slightly harder now, but I'd say it's still the easiest thing for me to eat. Probably because it melts down into nothing so there is no bolus (what food is called after it has been chewed up and is ready to be swallowed). It just thickens up your saliva a bit doesn't it. I find wotsits easy too. I think it's psychological - our brains have decided that chocolate is safe (maybe because there is no bolus which can choke us), and that alone lessens our internal anxiety when we eat it. Who knows!

Hello fellow travellers.

The one thing that works for me is FULL fat Greek yoghurt with honey and blended fruit. I could live on it, and often do! That and smoothies either veg or fruit, and home made blended soup topped with cream cheese stirred in is keeping me going.

I agree about the tapas, it means I can pick bits without anyone noticing I'm not eating much as it is shared at the table.

Regarding the Valium, I know it can be addictive but my GP realises that right now (and for a long time), we cannot get other therapies all that easily and gives me five x five mgs every two months. It means that if there is anything food related that I need to go to (rare enough these days lol), or if I am feeling particularly anxious I take one an hour before and god it is bliss.

I now have a stash of fifteen, what you offering, lol - just trying to keep it as lighthearted as possible, but it is bloody awful just the same.

Great thread and I hope it continues. But then again any of us can bump it too.

I dread the big Christmas thing, it's all about food, and there's a day for a valium for sure.

Does propranalol work for any of you with this issue?