Hi guys. I’ve recently felt like I’m choking and have a lump or food stuck at the back of my throat. Makes me gag somedays but if I panic I find I’m struggling to just swallow. Went to the drs today and she said she couldn’t see anything and it is probably ms related. Thing is, when I looked I thought I could see like yellow white marks where the side I feel I have something there. My question is…has anyone else had this problem? Because I feel I can’t eat properly incase I do choke, due to this odd sensation. Or does anyone think I should go back and see a different dr for a second opinion? Thanks in advance. -Kare x
Hi Kare
I have been experiencing this lump like feeling in my throat for over 18 months now so I know how you are feeling.Somedays I feel really conscious of it and other days I don’t seem to notice it as much.I did some research on the internet and everything pointed to something called globus hysterictus which is anxiety related. As my father was very ill at the time I first noticed it, I thought it must be that. However it persisted so I went to see my GP about it and she suggested I see an ENT specialist. I saw a lady in September who examined my throat, put an endoscope down into my throat and discounted any obvious lumps/growths which put my mind at rest but suggested it could be GERD as the throat looked inflammed!! She prescribed omeprazole. I am still taking them and I think they have helped abit. I have not had heartburn though which are another symptom of GERD and personally I think that this lump feeling is MS related.
It doesn’t affect me swallowing food so I can eat/drink normally but if I try and dry swallow I am more conscious of it. If I am busy I don’t notice it as much. I hope that you get some relief from this condition, let me know how you get on, you can PM anytime.
Cathy
This is a possible MS-related problem, and (I know it sounds odd and probably inappropriate) you may be able to get help from a speech therapist for it. They don’t deal with just speech, but with other problems to do with controlling the mouth and tongue.
But as for the white marks, try Googling “tonsiloliths”, otherwise known as “tonsil stones”. These are yucky but essentially harmless things composed of things like food debris, dead skin cells, and bacteria, that can collect in the “crypts” (cavities) of the tonsils (assuming you still have your tonsils).
Although they are not harmful, and have nothing to do with MS, they can cause bad breath, and get large enough to feel. They are not actually attached, like a tumour. If you are not squeamish, and can do it without gagging, you may sometimes be able to painlessly dislodge them - e.g. with the blunt end of a teaspoon.
People who have, or have had, a lot of throat infections may be more prone to them, because they tend to have more pitted and scarred tonsils, which accumulate more debris.
I’m sorry this is all a bit yucky - hope no-one is just having lunch. But it may cast light on your problem.
Tina
Hi Kare, I often find trouble in swallowing food. When it first happened I gagged and gagged then I quickly drank some water and it went down. It happens quite often to me but now I just sit quietly and swallow and swallow or eat some more or take a drink. It seems to work. The only thing I worry about is when I’m out, if out for a meal I make sure I only eat small pieces of food at a time. I’m always the last to finish!!
Janet x
Thanks guys for all your comments. /hugs. I’ve had my tonsils out when I was 12 so just scar tissue right at the back. I think I saw someone on a tv programme with food stuck in the holes of her tonsils, was a bit icky hehe It’s very annoying when you think something is there though lol I take comfort I’m not alone xxx -Kare 
Just wanted to add it feels much better today. Weird thing this MS business.
Last year when I had my first relapse I was chewing away on a toffee, doing something on my computer, oblivious to the world. Suddenly for reasons I don’t know mid chew It slipped down my throat, blocked my airway and I began choking…got the fright of my life!
For about ten seconds I sat their trying to breath in, thinking oh god, oh god, oh god this is it…felt like I was done and I began thinking how my partner would find me lying on the floor. Suddenly I coughed and while for the next few minutes it was a struggle I managed to heave some air into my lungs and slowly felt the toffee sliding down.
For about two weeks after that I had a tightness in my breast whenever I breathed in, which at the time I assumed must be the toffee sitting in my left lung. That feeling has gone now but funnily enough, I haven’t tried eating a toffee since!
I often have some pause for effort when swallowing although thankfully never any actual choking since then. Strangely my biggest problem is occasionaly, once every 1-2months I accidently swallow/breath saliva or liquid, this causes me to panic, my wind pipe contracting and my attempt to draw breath sounds very laboured and hard. This lasts a few minutes of me trying to tell myself I’m not actually dying and eventually I get over it and am fine again.
My biggest fear, is now choking to death, it scares me because of the toffee incident, because it can happen any time I put food in my mouth and because I know if it does happen, it won’t be quick, i’ll know it’s happening and for maybe a few minutes I’ll be alive and there’s nothing much I can do to save myself.
I’m dealing with it, mostly by trying to ignore it lol, If I feel I’m having to think about swallowing I need to stop drinking or eating for a bit and just relax, it seems if I think about it, it causes me problems.
This is such an awful feeling. Last year…mainly when I was in bed trying to sleep…I found that I couln’t breathe properly or swallow. I found myself concsious of every swallow I took. Not a good feeling. I actually felt maybe I was having a heart attack. I must stay I’ve also had the swalling incident on a bus too. Luckily I haven’t had it for a while now…but it is VERY scary.
Frostpaw I had something like that but with streaky bacon when I was 9. Bacon then was very long and I thought it cool to roll it up but the swallowed it. As it went down though it unravelled and I couldn’t neither swallow nor bring it back. I remember my mum sticking her fingers in my mouth and pull the bacon out… It’s funny how you remember these things, but it’s very scary not bring able to breathe. Wendywu I think the more we think about swallowing the worse it gets. I have to try and calm myself. Luckily mine is starting to subside and it’s feeling more normal… I appreciate all your responses xoxo
Hello Kare pleased to meet you. I had one nasty instance of not being able to swallow and a few milder instances, it was frightening but as others have said the more calm you are the easier it gets to cope with, easier said than done isnt it but with practice it is possible. I have also found this has happened if i have had strong spices with food or lozengers etc. I think alcohol can also cause it…I only think that though because my neuro asked me if i had been consuming a lot of alcohol when it was bad (you cant get away with anything can you) haha…as it happens I hadnt…but it sometimes seems there is no hiding place from symptoms or habits!
Good luck with it though and take care xx Maria.
[quote=“Anitra”] I know what you meen about the horrible tasting blobby things stuck on you tonsills, the first time i had them i was 25 and i had caught tonsilitus form a childrens ward after my daughter had spent time in hospital. I have suffered them ever since but am no longer frightened of them as i was the first time they appeared. I thought i had something unimaganable wrong with me…thank goodness for infection i thought…xx Maria.
This is a possible MS-related problem, and (I know it sounds odd and probably inappropriate) you may be able to get help from a speech therapist for it. They don’t deal with just speech, but with other problems to do with controlling the mouth and tongue.
But as for the white marks, try Googling “tonsiloliths”, otherwise known as “tonsil stones”. These are yucky but essentially harmless things composed of things like food debris, dead skin cells, and bacteria, that can collect in the “crypts” (cavities) of the tonsils (assuming you still have your tonsils).
Although they are not harmful, and have nothing to do with MS, they can cause bad breath, and get large enough to feel. They are not actually attached, like a tumour. If you are not squeamish, and can do it without gagging, you may sometimes be able to painlessly dislodge them - e.g. with the blunt end of a teaspoon.
People who have, or have had, a lot of throat infections may be more prone to them, because they tend to have more pitted and scarred tonsils, which accumulate more debris.
I’m sorry this is all a bit yucky - hope no-one is just having lunch. But it may cast light on your problem.
Tina
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