For Those With Tmj Problems...

[Waitingindreams]

Does anyone have difficulty with chewing/swallowing sometimes - so much so that you feel like you are going to choke? Sometimes eating was a chore for me to the point where I would have to chew for a long time...just to feel like the food was small enough to be swallowed without choking.

 

I first noticed this a few years ago after I was diagnosed with an ear infection. I almost choked on the food I was eating..which had never happened to me before. It wasn't because I was eating fast, or laughing - or anything like that..it was as if there was no room in my throat for the food to go down correctly. I assumed it had something to do with a blockage in my ear/throat...but when I finally got to the ENT to correct it, he didn't find any blockage.

 

Now that I have celiac disease, I have been seeing my primary care physician more frequently and I asked his opinion on it. He said it's because I have a lot of stomach acid, and that taking prilosec/pepcid or etc would fix the issue.

 

It's not a CONSTANT thing, but it's pretty damn scary when it happens. There are so many times where i'm about to swallow and I have to pause and think about it, then push it down...and it's such a chore. Now i am thinking it is actually caused by my TMJ. Does anyone else have this issue? I hope it can be corrected...

[GF Lover]

I have the exact same thing.  It's like you have to make a concerted effort to swallow.  I also feel like there is something in the throat at times but have been assured nothing is there.  And, like you, it's not all the time but regular enough to be concerning.  I've been told I'm crazy, maybe it's true   Unfortunately I have no advice for you but know you are not alone.

 

Colleen

[Waitingindreams]

It is a relief knowing that I'm not the only one. I really thought it was a blockage between my ear/throat and I was so excited to go to the ENT to get it cleared up. When he told me he didn't find anything I was in shock. Oddly enough he was the one who originally told me I had TMJ. yet he never suggested that it could be the reason for it. There has to be something that can be done. I see my primary care doctor enough, I'm sure I'll see him before the year is over and I can ask him about it then. Man, getting healthy is a real process!

 

Do you find anything that helps? I find drinking water helps, so does clearing my throat..and chewing my food a LOT until it's itty bitty..tiny bites, etc. I really did think there was something off with me, though. It would take me FOREVER to eat, especially when I was out to eat with friends - and I felt crazy trying to explain why I was eating so slowly/carefully.

[GF Lover]

I really haven't noticed anything that helps.  Getting healthy seems to be a life-long journey.  If you find anything specific about what might be going on, let me know.

 

Colleen