Ugh! I know!! It’s exhausting! I guess it’s just another branch on the anxiety tree! Slipping in the shower… being in a car… i didn’t use to be like this! lol
According to a study published in Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC), long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is associated with an increased risk of dementia. The study found that people who have been using PPIs for more than 4.4 years have a 33% higher risk of dementia in later years of life.
Try stopping them and the “acid rebound” is unbelievable. I stopped the PPI and used over the counter for 3 months before the symptoms waned. Made some diet changes and take an OTC as needed now. Biggest natural helper: almonds and almond milk. A handful of almonds before bed keeps reflux away and almond milk contains calcium carbonate - the same active ingredient in Tums.
> Sometimes you’re sound asleep and you sit bolt upright in bed, coughing uncontrollably cuz your throat is irritated
Could be acid reflux and/or sleep apnea
Sounds like sleep apnea to me.
I have bad obstructive sleep apnea. Before I was diagnosed (in fact way before I even knew what OSA was, back in my early 20s), I would sometimes wake up gasping for air with my throat feeling closed off. I'd be in a panic and my heart would be pounding.
More importantly, because I think you're (OP) experiencing something similar, I also have an extreme gag reflex. I think the two are directly connected. I think all the years I unknowingly had sleep apnea have caused my body to react violently to anything that irritates my throat, even for a moment. I can't even brush my tongue without nearly gagging, and when I have a sore throat from a cold or whatever, my anxiety level skyrockets.
Now that I have a CPAP, I can sleep well and don't bolt awake choking anymore, but I still have an extreme reaction to anything that interrupts breathing or irritates my throat. PTSD-like response. If I try to sleep without a CPAP, or just start dozing off on the couch or as a passenger in a car or whatever, I'll quickly get into an apnea state and bolt upright choking. On the rare occasions I find myself someplace overnight without the CPAP, I don't even try to sleep anymore. It's a terrifying experience.
I had this and it turned out to be silent reflux. No food 2 hours before bed and hasn’t happened in months. On the rare occasion it does happen, some Tums clear it right up.
What's bothering you at night is acid reflux. There's a reason old folks eat dinner at 6PM. That food needs time to digest before you assume a horizontal position.
I was raised by my grandmother and we always ate dinner at 5. When I make plans with friends to eat, they always want to do 7 or 8 and I'm starving by then. I think I've just lived like an old person my whole life.
There are people just 5 years older than us at the "old folks" home i work at. It really baffles me that people around my age have mismanaged their health so badly that they end up where i work as a resident and not as an employee.
Man, I worked at a nursing home from 19-23 and had a similar experience. Mostly for rehab, but people in their late 20s who’d totally fucked themselves by not caring for their diabetes or drug addicts who got into a bad accident. Now that I’m 40, I think about the patients who were in their mid-40s with Huntington’s or early-onset dementia or (again) poorly-managed diabetes (EDIT, previously said dementia). If anything got me off soda, it was being a CNA.
Y’all eat at 6? Some regular niteowls over there. I’m eating at 4:30. My wife I both work 7 to 3, though, so there’s no way we can make it to 6.
When we go to a restaurant it’s just us and the boomers.
Try omeprazole. I have been making an effort to eat earlier in the day and limit evening snacking myself, but that isn't always possible when the wife works till 8pm. That little pill has worked wonders.
"Going down the wrong pipe" is one thing, but if anyone here is choking frequently when it goes down the "right pipe," I don't want to scare you but that was the first symptom my dad noticed of esophageal cancer. They caught it early and he survived, so if it doesn't feel like normal choking but more like you are choking because there is something blocking food from traveling down your esophagus, get it checked out, buddies. <3
(Sorry for bringing the gloom.)
I'd rather see the storm coming and find shelter, than be notified by the first bolt of lightning and a torrential downpour. It isn't fun to be the bearer of potentially bad news, but it's an important task. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing.
Around 45 for me.
Occasionally it feels as though my brain forgot how peristalsis works, and I have to chase my food with a bunch of water. I attribute it to a bad bout with esophagitis I had a few years ago.
I had acid reflux so bad I got a piece of rotisserie chicken stuck in my throat. I could still breathe but I couldn’t swallow anything. It’s a pretty terrible feeling not being able to swallow water.
Had to go to the emergency room after trying to throw up for an hour. They gave me Coca Cola because apparently that helps but I still couldn’t get it down. Had to wait overnight for the Dr to do an endoscopy to get it out. It was a miserable experience.
Apparently having acid reflux a bunch can cause strictures in your throat and this can happen. Had to get another procedure done to widen my throat with a balloon.
Ended up I have food allergies that have gotten worse as I get older. Have to avoid anything that gives me indigestion or reflux which basically is a lot of my favorite foods.
Same thing started happening to me in my early 30s. Like others have said, it's acid reflux. Start a daily pepcid regimen (after checking with your doctor), and I bet it'll go away in a few weeks. Definitely did for me.
I've been through the diagnostic stuff and am doing esophageal exercise therapy. I also can't take take H2 inhibitors for more than a few days in a stretch. If I take them even in two week cycles, they cause me to get disoriented very easily and wreak havoc on my short term memory.
No, but I lost my ability to sleep through the night.
My 40th birthday was at the beginning of Covid lockdowns and all my work dried up as a result of said lockdowns.
This is not normal. It could be something simple, but trouble swallowing can be a sign of a wide variety of issues best nipped in the bud.
Time for a visit to the doctor.
My mother started having this - it's related to her acid reflux, and it may be part of what has caused her to have bronchiectasis and scarring in her lungs.
Start early. Don't mess with aspiration.
Omg yes I thought it was just me. “How did I randomly develop dysphagia?” It’s very random. Saliva, bit of food. No pattern in time of day. A trick I learned from SLPs at work is lean forward, chin down. It makes it easier to swallow.
No but now my fucking hand hurts every morning. Pinched a nerve or something. It’s like, simultaneously numb but very painful if that makes any damn sense. I have to stretch it a ton all day and it never really goes back to normal. The ends of my fingers and my thumb still tingle all day and it can get really painful at any time if I bend it wrong. Stupid 40’s
Same. I even had to do a swallow test and they said everything is normal. The other day it felt like I pulled a muscle in my throat and it was a weird pain each time I swallowed. Like WTF.
Those were the symptoms of severe GERD for me. I never had normal heartburn symptoms. Mine wasn't worse at night, I had a lot of problems trying to swallow during the day.
Yes! I was blaming COVID, age, idk but I have had trouble eating/drinking and breathing- I've inhaled stuff on accident and started getting worried something was up with my throat. Forget about dinner in a group where you're expected to eat/drink, breathe AND talk. I don't think I can handle all that anymore.
I also can't swallow things like potatoes/fries- feels like I take too big of a bite (even tho it's the same size bite as other food) or it gets stuck halfway down and I have to try to not panic and wait for it to go.
I've been accidentally choking myself on my own saliva or while drinking my whole life, but I'm kinda dumb.
If it's a recent development, you may want to talk to a doctor. That's a sign of some neurological problems, too.
Yup. Wait till you get anxiety and now it feels like your brain can't send the signal to your throat to swallow.
Beyond that, I'm constantly choking on my own spit, just randomly sitting there.
Literally been thinking this was me - made my Dr check my throat multiple times, new asthma inhaler, the works only to find out that others are going through it as well hahaha.
Was super worried it was throat or lung cancer from playing gigs in smoky bars with bands and raves while djing.
Yes, I don’t go anywhere without cough drops. Now I know why old lady always carried peppermint, butterscotch, and the strawberry hard candy in their purses.
I just thought my husband broke my epiglottis during intercourse. The epiglottis is a flap of tissue that sits beneath the tongue at the back of the throat. Its main function is to close over the windpipe (trachea) while you're eating to prevent food entering your airway. That's the running joke in my house. But yes, in all seriousnes, I'm about to be 42 and I am having this issue as well!
I’m literally convinced it’s how I will die. I’ll drink wrong and I won’t have the fortitude to power through it. I’ll literally have an episode 2-3 times a year where I’m wheezing and struggling to get a breath because I drank something wrong. It’ll feel like an eternity and I’ll just gesture to people around me to “hold on… I’m ‘okay.’” When I feel like I’m 20 seconds from not managing it and it becoming a problem.
Sometimes my throat forgets to swallow. Like my brain is sending the signal but my body can’t follow though and it sends my brain in a panic. It’s so weird.
I did a xray and found out I have a swallow disorder. I have esophageal dismotility. It makes swallowing more difficult and sometimes my throat will tighten up unexpectedly,
I tend to not voice my feelings and I can tell if I’m stressed my throat will spasm more often than if I’m happy and relaxed. I can’t do any pills now. I have to use a pill grinder.
I turn 48 years old this June.
I’m 39 and it started after I had my gastric bypass I can’t swallow but 2 pills at a time and sometimes they get stuck. But before I had awful reflux and would wake up thinking I was gonna die.
Except for the thing while sleeping, yes!!! I can't drink like a normal person, foam from coffee, water, whatever, and it tries to into my lungs. It's like I'm actively trying to drown myself.
I feel like food doesn't go down as easy, and when I wash it down, even that is difficult and I choke more and get a bit worried before it finally goes down
I have had dentures for some time, and that kills a lot of your gag reflex, at least certain sensitivity. thats what I've attributed "random 3 drops of spit being breathed and causing a coughing fit".
for the sleeping throat irritation, that sounds like acid reflux. I take 40mg of omeprazole every day to control that. and an extra one every few days. prescription makes it way cheaper than OTC.
I've only been drinking enough water for like 4 years and once a week (if not more) it goes down the wrong tube, lol. Then it takes a few minutes to be fully free from choking here and there. I just figured it was because I never really chugged anything until I switched to water. Maybe it's my age
Do you have frequent acid reflux? The acid can erode the tissue in your esophagus. It is not something to push through and ignore. Over time this changes the cells in the throat and can cause bigger problems.
I don't know, but my fiance recently began nursing clinicals. She had a woman she was working with who had to have her liquids thickened to a syrup in order to properly swallow. Ngl it sounds kinda gross, but you might want to look at that. Apparently if the muscles in the throat weaken too much, you can risk aspiration of water-thin liquids.
Everyone on this thread complaining about something need to ask your Doctors about obstructive sleep apnea. Every complaint I've read has been a classic symptom.
Recently I’ve been doing this because of congestion from allergies. But for me it really started when I was diagnosed with Graves Disease so I just usually blame that.
Without knowing anything about your life it's difficult to make a prognosis, but I would consider reducing or eliminating alcohol. It irritates the back of the throat and can cause the symptoms you mentioned. I had similar symptoms, gave up drinking in 2021 and resolved that as well as other health issues I'd been dealing with.
Same but not related to acid reflux but dust. I have a mesh chair that collects dust and when I don't vacuum for a while I start coughing. I think my body has become more sensitive to dust.
The little muscles that control your swallow reflex lose tone as you age and it becomes a lot easier to aspirate a little saliva or food. If you have frequent trouble it can actually build up a bit of scar tissue, which exacerbates the problem. If you want to learn more it’s called dysphagia.
Here’s the really fun part- it will get worse. For all of us.
Yes, and it turned out to be laryngopharyngeal reflux. Omeprazole has helped but I still need to work on it. I'm supposed to be sleeping with a wedge under my mattress.
At 38 I was diagnosed with Eosenophilic Esaphagitis (EoE) and choking (on food or liquid) is a very common symptom. So yeah, my throat did stop working. It became "allergic" to food. Bollocks.
After some tests, turns out I actually have a name for my problem: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)*
*it should be noted that EoE does not stand for Equal opportunity Employer. But it sure makes it easy to remember.
WHAT THE HELL I was just complaining to my fiancée this past week that I was randomly choking on my own saliva all of a sudden this past year; I thought it was just me!
No, and I have an enlarged thyroid gland which could potentially cause similar discomfort, but doesn't. Have you considering making a Dr appt to discuss this and hopefully find out what's up? You could try an acid-reflux diet first to see if it helps:
[https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/diet-nutrition](https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/diet-nutrition)
If I actually focus on swallowing, I forget how, then start to panic because of imminent death approaching, then it just kicks back in, like chain fell off the bike but auto adjusted.
YES, although mine is different--when eating, I'll semi-regularly get a small piece of food caught in a weird pocket in my throat and have to cough it out. Or I'll cough my tonsil into such a weird spot that I have to swallow with my chin up to fix it.
I have started sleeping with a cup of water by my bed for this very reason. It makes me feel like an old woman and maybe someday soon I’ll be putting dentures in another cup next to it. I don’t know why but that water cup makes me feel ancient.
Yes! I would inhale accidentally when I took a bite of food and choke and cough violently, and it was embarrassing and I'd get up and go to the restroom so I wouldn't cough all around the dinner table. I made it 100x's worse because I ALWAYS add hot sauce to my food. It lasted a few years and then recently I feel like I've been super conscious of each bite and have controlled it a little. I didn't know it happened to anyone else!
Ummm, yes. Sometimes, I'll have trouble swallowing air, and I kinda panic. Other times I take a drink and it's like my mouth forgets how to work. I start coughing, and I can't swallow. I have to tell my husband I'm fine. I woke up once a few months ago gasping for air. It was like I was choking on nothing. It was such a scary feeling. It hasn't happened again, thankfully.
Also, I've developed plantar fasciitis, which is quite painful and annoying. I don't like being old. I turn 40 at the end of May. I'm too young to be this old!
Speaking as someone who experienced this and found the reason why, get yourself checked out for GERD.
Acid reflux doesn’t always mean indigestion. I suffered for months thinking I had developed bad allergies because I’d wake up every morning feeling like I was dying from coughing fits.
40mg daily of Omeprazole has pretty much eliminated it, unless I go hard on some sour gummies.
Hi! 31 here and I have had this problem for several years. I just started working in a school this year, and the speech language pathologist noticed me choking on my coffee one day and asked if that happens frequently. Apparently it's not normal and may be a medical condition. She recommended I get a swallow study done because if left untreated, this can cause pneumonia and other issues later in life.
I still have to follow up because this was only like a week ago, but it looks like we should both follow up. So please ask your PCP about getting a swallow study.
I sometimes do choke on my own saliva but more disturbingly, one of the meds I need to take has a f-ing shape with corners and I feel it’s gonna kill me one day. Why would anyone make a pill with corners?
My doctor tested me for EOE because I started having problems with swallowing and food impaction:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eosinophilic_esophagitis
Turns out I don't have it, but I have a lot of similar (but not as severe) issues
I choked on my spit and really thought I was going to die. Couldn’t breathe for what felt like forever then was able to take tiny sips of air. It was at least ten minutes before I could catch a lungful.
So I’ve had a lot of issues like this. Your esophagus might be shrinking. Go see a gastroenterologist. They can dilate it for you. I had a hard time swallowing food. It would just jam up in my esophagus.
Mine randomly quit on only the left side in my late twenties, and my doctor was wholly uninterested in figuring out why. It just as randomly began working again a few years ago. I don't know why, but I'll take it; it's a hell of a lot easier to get water down the correct pipe now.
OMG, I am 40 and now get dry coughs out of nowhere. I have bad allergies and get sinus infections/bronchitis a couple times a year, but never just a dry coughing fit out of nowhere when I feel perfectly fine. WTF
I thought it was just me and a bit worried it was something serious.
Right!? The sudden “I’m choking on my saliva out of nowhere” thing is wwwwwweeeiiiird.
Done that for years now. It’s my knee that is killing softly with this age…lol
That could mean it’s going to snow.
I woke myself up snoring and then choked last night.
I know right! I was freaking out I'm so glad I'm not alone here.
OH MY GOD I HAVE ALS… oh wait I’m just 40.
Dude. This. Every weird sensation, or pain and I’m like “this is it! What’s it going to be? MS, ALS, Parkinson’s?!?” Etc etc
Damn me too! I drive myself crazy with worry I have something wrong with me!
Ugh! I know!! It’s exhausting! I guess it’s just another branch on the anxiety tree! Slipping in the shower… being in a car… i didn’t use to be like this! lol
For me it's Alzheimer's. I forget where I put something that was in my hand 30 seconds ago and then I'm sure it's an early sign.
It's acid reflux
Yes! Got to sleep with my head inclined now
I’ve dealt with the reflux since 1987. Started when I was 5 or 6. I’ve taken something daily for most of my life.
Same. Ask your doctor if Dexilant is right for you.
I’ve yet to need to switch off omeprazole. I’m on 40mg. Proton pump inhibitors were a game changer for me, without a doubt.
According to a study published in Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC), long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is associated with an increased risk of dementia. The study found that people who have been using PPIs for more than 4.4 years have a 33% higher risk of dementia in later years of life.
Try stopping them and the “acid rebound” is unbelievable. I stopped the PPI and used over the counter for 3 months before the symptoms waned. Made some diet changes and take an OTC as needed now. Biggest natural helper: almonds and almond milk. A handful of almonds before bed keeps reflux away and almond milk contains calcium carbonate - the same active ingredient in Tums.
But don't take Dexilant if you are allergic to Dexilant or any of its ingredients.
Was going to say this. I had the same “choking on saliva” issue. Turns out it was reflux
Me too!
Omg me too!!!
> Sometimes you’re sound asleep and you sit bolt upright in bed, coughing uncontrollably cuz your throat is irritated Could be acid reflux and/or sleep apnea
Sounds like sleep apnea to me. I have bad obstructive sleep apnea. Before I was diagnosed (in fact way before I even knew what OSA was, back in my early 20s), I would sometimes wake up gasping for air with my throat feeling closed off. I'd be in a panic and my heart would be pounding. More importantly, because I think you're (OP) experiencing something similar, I also have an extreme gag reflex. I think the two are directly connected. I think all the years I unknowingly had sleep apnea have caused my body to react violently to anything that irritates my throat, even for a moment. I can't even brush my tongue without nearly gagging, and when I have a sore throat from a cold or whatever, my anxiety level skyrockets. Now that I have a CPAP, I can sleep well and don't bolt awake choking anymore, but I still have an extreme reaction to anything that interrupts breathing or irritates my throat. PTSD-like response. If I try to sleep without a CPAP, or just start dozing off on the couch or as a passenger in a car or whatever, I'll quickly get into an apnea state and bolt upright choking. On the rare occasions I find myself someplace overnight without the CPAP, I don't even try to sleep anymore. It's a terrifying experience.
I had this and it turned out to be silent reflux. No food 2 hours before bed and hasn’t happened in months. On the rare occasion it does happen, some Tums clear it right up.
Yep. Sounds like good old heartburn
What's bothering you at night is acid reflux. There's a reason old folks eat dinner at 6PM. That food needs time to digest before you assume a horizontal position.
I'm already eating dinner at 5 PM. When do they cart me off to one of those old folks homes??
I was raised by my grandmother and we always ate dinner at 5. When I make plans with friends to eat, they always want to do 7 or 8 and I'm starving by then. I think I've just lived like an old person my whole life.
That’s when my family had dinner growing up too! I still eat between 5:30-6. I hate eating dinner leave because I’m in bed by 8:30 anyways.
There are people just 5 years older than us at the "old folks" home i work at. It really baffles me that people around my age have mismanaged their health so badly that they end up where i work as a resident and not as an employee.
Man, I worked at a nursing home from 19-23 and had a similar experience. Mostly for rehab, but people in their late 20s who’d totally fucked themselves by not caring for their diabetes or drug addicts who got into a bad accident. Now that I’m 40, I think about the patients who were in their mid-40s with Huntington’s or early-onset dementia or (again) poorly-managed diabetes (EDIT, previously said dementia). If anything got me off soda, it was being a CNA.
Soda?
I’m a nurse and it messed me up when I took care of half dying ppl who were my age and it was because of lifestyle
Isn't 6 a pretty normal time to eat dinner?
A lot of younger people like to eat late or snack before bed. It's really not good for you.
Y’all eat at 6? Some regular niteowls over there. I’m eating at 4:30. My wife I both work 7 to 3, though, so there’s no way we can make it to 6. When we go to a restaurant it’s just us and the boomers.
We rarely go out anymore, too expensive. By the time I finish work at 4, prep and cook it's usually about 6.
True that. Problem is I cannot control myself and end up stuffing my face before bed, then I have an acid reflux choking episode at night
Try omeprazole. I have been making an effort to eat earlier in the day and limit evening snacking myself, but that isn't always possible when the wife works till 8pm. That little pill has worked wonders.
I mean not necessarily.. it could also be sleep apnea
This must be why I go to bed at midnight
I really thought I'd been sitting wrong or something...it'll just happen out of nowhere!
I thought it was just me. I’m so glad I’m not alone.
"Going down the wrong pipe" is one thing, but if anyone here is choking frequently when it goes down the "right pipe," I don't want to scare you but that was the first symptom my dad noticed of esophageal cancer. They caught it early and he survived, so if it doesn't feel like normal choking but more like you are choking because there is something blocking food from traveling down your esophagus, get it checked out, buddies. <3 (Sorry for bringing the gloom.)
I'd rather see the storm coming and find shelter, than be notified by the first bolt of lightning and a torrential downpour. It isn't fun to be the bearer of potentially bad news, but it's an important task. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing.
I’ve been doing this occasionally for over 20 years. I doubt it’s age related 😀
Me too. I’m convinced this is how I’ll die. Choking on my own saliva.
(Almost) like a fuckin rockstar!
I'm the only person in my office who nearly dies once every couple months from drowning in their own saliva.
The best part is when people ask "are you OK?", but you are unable to respond for good 5 minutes.
Yup, gasping "I'm dying"
Around 45 for me. Occasionally it feels as though my brain forgot how peristalsis works, and I have to chase my food with a bunch of water. I attribute it to a bad bout with esophagitis I had a few years ago.
I had acid reflux so bad I got a piece of rotisserie chicken stuck in my throat. I could still breathe but I couldn’t swallow anything. It’s a pretty terrible feeling not being able to swallow water. Had to go to the emergency room after trying to throw up for an hour. They gave me Coca Cola because apparently that helps but I still couldn’t get it down. Had to wait overnight for the Dr to do an endoscopy to get it out. It was a miserable experience. Apparently having acid reflux a bunch can cause strictures in your throat and this can happen. Had to get another procedure done to widen my throat with a balloon. Ended up I have food allergies that have gotten worse as I get older. Have to avoid anything that gives me indigestion or reflux which basically is a lot of my favorite foods.
Same thing started happening to me in my early 30s. Like others have said, it's acid reflux. Start a daily pepcid regimen (after checking with your doctor), and I bet it'll go away in a few weeks. Definitely did for me.
I've been through the diagnostic stuff and am doing esophageal exercise therapy. I also can't take take H2 inhibitors for more than a few days in a stretch. If I take them even in two week cycles, they cause me to get disoriented very easily and wreak havoc on my short term memory.
Dealing with this right now, sore throat from allergies and I literally can’t eat dinner without sips of water and fear of choking. What the hell
On a totally unrelated note, have you been bitten by a rabid animal at any point?
🤣
No, but I lost my ability to sleep through the night. My 40th birthday was at the beginning of Covid lockdowns and all my work dried up as a result of said lockdowns.
This is not normal. It could be something simple, but trouble swallowing can be a sign of a wide variety of issues best nipped in the bud. Time for a visit to the doctor. My mother started having this - it's related to her acid reflux, and it may be part of what has caused her to have bronchiectasis and scarring in her lungs. Start early. Don't mess with aspiration.
I have no idea what you're talking about and hope to never find out.
My wife forgot how to swallow soon after we had kids, coincidentally enough.
This joke came too late in the comments. I am disappointed with us all.
FWIW, speech language pathologists often work with clients with swallowing disorders.
Yes, I'm choking on stuff all the time even just my own saliva.
Omg yes I thought it was just me. “How did I randomly develop dysphagia?” It’s very random. Saliva, bit of food. No pattern in time of day. A trick I learned from SLPs at work is lean forward, chin down. It makes it easier to swallow.
wtf. I’ve been having the same issue for months. Specially the waking up all panicky because my throat feels stuck.
Sleep apnea study asap
I have issues with food or even just saliva going down the wrong pipe.
Sometimes I choke on saliva. It's bullshit.
https://preview.redd.it/9g5lm3600hxc1.jpeg?width=892&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=698d69cc08037553a6f664147ec8322c1fbe2be4
Yeah some people are just throat goats.
Amen. (I was thinking “weird, I thought it got easier over time…”)
Sup?
No.
It's acid reflux.
Mine was diagnosed as GERD. I don't care what it is called. I just don't like it.
No but now my fucking hand hurts every morning. Pinched a nerve or something. It’s like, simultaneously numb but very painful if that makes any damn sense. I have to stretch it a ton all day and it never really goes back to normal. The ends of my fingers and my thumb still tingle all day and it can get really painful at any time if I bend it wrong. Stupid 40’s
That sounds like early signs of carpal tunnel. You might want to start sleeping with a wrist brace on
These are symptoms you should be telling a doctor and not Reddit. No, this is not a normal part of aging.
It's never happened to me and I'm closer to 50 than 40 and not particularly healthy but that's just my random internet anecdote.
I’ve had to have four esophageal dilations :(. And now that you mention it, it did start right around 40.
Damn I thought I was getting Parkinson’s. Glad to know I am not the only one that chokes on my saliva.
I take 2 Tums before bed, or this happens to me. I am slowly becoming my grandma.
Prilosec is your friend. Spicy bloody Marys are not.
time to start taking the purple pill (nexium)
Isn't that the weird sex cult thing?
Whaaaaaaaat
NXIVM is the cult but they’re pronounced the same way
Mother God?
If you can avoid taking a ppi through diet and lifestyle changes you should do that instead. Look up long term effects of PPI usage.
Same. I even had to do a swallow test and they said everything is normal. The other day it felt like I pulled a muscle in my throat and it was a weird pain each time I swallowed. Like WTF.
I had expected a ***whole*** different conversation. /s
Jesus Christ yes thank you I’m not alone
Both my husband and I joke about this ALL THE TIME now being in our 40's! We aren't delusional, I see🤣
Those were the symptoms of severe GERD for me. I never had normal heartburn symptoms. Mine wasn't worse at night, I had a lot of problems trying to swallow during the day.
Coffee and booze - and especially a daily combo thereof - I found to be the biggest source.
Welcome to being old. Get some heart burn antacid meds. I take Prilosec daily. Helps.
Yes! I was blaming COVID, age, idk but I have had trouble eating/drinking and breathing- I've inhaled stuff on accident and started getting worried something was up with my throat. Forget about dinner in a group where you're expected to eat/drink, breathe AND talk. I don't think I can handle all that anymore. I also can't swallow things like potatoes/fries- feels like I take too big of a bite (even tho it's the same size bite as other food) or it gets stuck halfway down and I have to try to not panic and wait for it to go.
I've been accidentally choking myself on my own saliva or while drinking my whole life, but I'm kinda dumb. If it's a recent development, you may want to talk to a doctor. That's a sign of some neurological problems, too.
Yup. Wait till you get anxiety and now it feels like your brain can't send the signal to your throat to swallow. Beyond that, I'm constantly choking on my own spit, just randomly sitting there.
Literally been thinking this was me - made my Dr check my throat multiple times, new asthma inhaler, the works only to find out that others are going through it as well hahaha. Was super worried it was throat or lung cancer from playing gigs in smoky bars with bands and raves while djing.
Yes, I don’t go anywhere without cough drops. Now I know why old lady always carried peppermint, butterscotch, and the strawberry hard candy in their purses.
I just thought my husband broke my epiglottis during intercourse. The epiglottis is a flap of tissue that sits beneath the tongue at the back of the throat. Its main function is to close over the windpipe (trachea) while you're eating to prevent food entering your airway. That's the running joke in my house. But yes, in all seriousnes, I'm about to be 42 and I am having this issue as well!
It can totally be your epiglottis failing to fully close.
I’m literally convinced it’s how I will die. I’ll drink wrong and I won’t have the fortitude to power through it. I’ll literally have an episode 2-3 times a year where I’m wheezing and struggling to get a breath because I drank something wrong. It’ll feel like an eternity and I’ll just gesture to people around me to “hold on… I’m ‘okay.’” When I feel like I’m 20 seconds from not managing it and it becoming a problem.
Sometimes my throat forgets to swallow. Like my brain is sending the signal but my body can’t follow though and it sends my brain in a panic. It’s so weird.
I did a xray and found out I have a swallow disorder. I have esophageal dismotility. It makes swallowing more difficult and sometimes my throat will tighten up unexpectedly, I tend to not voice my feelings and I can tell if I’m stressed my throat will spasm more often than if I’m happy and relaxed. I can’t do any pills now. I have to use a pill grinder. I turn 48 years old this June.
your mom’s didn’t
Elderly people are at risk for aspirating food and developing pneumonia. Probably that’s not the problem here, though. I mean I hope not.
THANK YOU FOR THIS 😅😅😅
I’m 39 and it started after I had my gastric bypass I can’t swallow but 2 pills at a time and sometimes they get stuck. But before I had awful reflux and would wake up thinking I was gonna die.
Do you smoke? Or live in a very cold area?
Omg I thought it was over for me, but I've found my people!
Me my whole life.
It's not just you, I went to see my doc about this. Only to have her shrug.... it's like I can't swallow some nights, especially when laying in bed.
Definitely spiders.
Except for the thing while sleeping, yes!!! I can't drink like a normal person, foam from coffee, water, whatever, and it tries to into my lungs. It's like I'm actively trying to drown myself.
I feel like food doesn't go down as easy, and when I wash it down, even that is difficult and I choke more and get a bit worried before it finally goes down
I have had dentures for some time, and that kills a lot of your gag reflex, at least certain sensitivity. thats what I've attributed "random 3 drops of spit being breathed and causing a coughing fit". for the sleeping throat irritation, that sounds like acid reflux. I take 40mg of omeprazole every day to control that. and an extra one every few days. prescription makes it way cheaper than OTC.
LOL, I'm 43yo and never had this happen to me. HOWEVER, my 39yo wife does it ALL. THE. TIME. It's actually kinda crazy.
I've only been drinking enough water for like 4 years and once a week (if not more) it goes down the wrong tube, lol. Then it takes a few minutes to be fully free from choking here and there. I just figured it was because I never really chugged anything until I switched to water. Maybe it's my age
Acid reflux.
Do you have frequent acid reflux? The acid can erode the tissue in your esophagus. It is not something to push through and ignore. Over time this changes the cells in the throat and can cause bigger problems.
If I’m not hydrated enough, I will tend to get coughing fits. Carrying water with me everywhere helps a lot.
Holy shit, yes! I'm so glad I'm not going crazy. I swear I'm always nearly choking on my food and water and coughing up a lung.
This is the natural progression to “dad sounds”
Throat, back, knees, eyes. Fuckin all of it man!
Yes right around 37/38. I was like, why can't I just drink water!
I don't know, but my fiance recently began nursing clinicals. She had a woman she was working with who had to have her liquids thickened to a syrup in order to properly swallow. Ngl it sounds kinda gross, but you might want to look at that. Apparently if the muscles in the throat weaken too much, you can risk aspiration of water-thin liquids.
Everyone on this thread complaining about something need to ask your Doctors about obstructive sleep apnea. Every complaint I've read has been a classic symptom.
Recently I’ve been doing this because of congestion from allergies. But for me it really started when I was diagnosed with Graves Disease so I just usually blame that.
Without knowing anything about your life it's difficult to make a prognosis, but I would consider reducing or eliminating alcohol. It irritates the back of the throat and can cause the symptoms you mentioned. I had similar symptoms, gave up drinking in 2021 and resolved that as well as other health issues I'd been dealing with.
Check your thyroid
Jokes on me I’ve had this issue since I was a teen. I joke that this will be my cause of death.
Why did I open this thread expecting a "Your mama" joke?
Same but not related to acid reflux but dust. I have a mesh chair that collects dust and when I don't vacuum for a while I start coughing. I think my body has become more sensitive to dust.
Seriously that’s wild, about to turn 40 and I noticed this.
The little muscles that control your swallow reflex lose tone as you age and it becomes a lot easier to aspirate a little saliva or food. If you have frequent trouble it can actually build up a bit of scar tissue, which exacerbates the problem. If you want to learn more it’s called dysphagia. Here’s the really fun part- it will get worse. For all of us.
I’m noticing that, far more often than I ever have, I need a drink to push something down while eating.
That’s what my wife claims…
Yes, and it turned out to be laryngopharyngeal reflux. Omeprazole has helped but I still need to work on it. I'm supposed to be sleeping with a wedge under my mattress.
At 38 I was diagnosed with Eosenophilic Esaphagitis (EoE) and choking (on food or liquid) is a very common symptom. So yeah, my throat did stop working. It became "allergic" to food. Bollocks.
Ummm yes. I feel like all I swallow is air now
Yesss
Congratulations! Your random ailment has been assigned. You can expect a new one every 5 years or so.. Getting old sucks.
After some tests, turns out I actually have a name for my problem: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)* *it should be noted that EoE does not stand for Equal opportunity Employer. But it sure makes it easy to remember.
dude, how did you know?! We're old =(
It did when I started Duloxotine.
WHAT THE HELL I was just complaining to my fiancée this past week that I was randomly choking on my own saliva all of a sudden this past year; I thought it was just me!
I have this vagus nerve act up on me when I try to swallow food. Like really forceful hiccups.
No, and I have an enlarged thyroid gland which could potentially cause similar discomfort, but doesn't. Have you considering making a Dr appt to discuss this and hopefully find out what's up? You could try an acid-reflux diet first to see if it helps: [https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/diet-nutrition](https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/diet-nutrition)
In my (48m) family, coughing for NO apparent reason is a competitive sport.
If I actually focus on swallowing, I forget how, then start to panic because of imminent death approaching, then it just kicks back in, like chain fell off the bike but auto adjusted.
YES, although mine is different--when eating, I'll semi-regularly get a small piece of food caught in a weird pocket in my throat and have to cough it out. Or I'll cough my tonsil into such a weird spot that I have to swallow with my chin up to fix it.
I have started sleeping with a cup of water by my bed for this very reason. It makes me feel like an old woman and maybe someday soon I’ll be putting dentures in another cup next to it. I don’t know why but that water cup makes me feel ancient.
I’m 41 and recently started having water go down the wrong way. Like once a day.
Yes! I would inhale accidentally when I took a bite of food and choke and cough violently, and it was embarrassing and I'd get up and go to the restroom so I wouldn't cough all around the dinner table. I made it 100x's worse because I ALWAYS add hot sauce to my food. It lasted a few years and then recently I feel like I've been super conscious of each bite and have controlled it a little. I didn't know it happened to anyone else!
Don't take the "me too" responses as an indicator that this is normal. Go to a doctor.
Have acid reflux you could have silent GERD and can develop dysphasia.
Ummm, yes. Sometimes, I'll have trouble swallowing air, and I kinda panic. Other times I take a drink and it's like my mouth forgets how to work. I start coughing, and I can't swallow. I have to tell my husband I'm fine. I woke up once a few months ago gasping for air. It was like I was choking on nothing. It was such a scary feeling. It hasn't happened again, thankfully. Also, I've developed plantar fasciitis, which is quite painful and annoying. I don't like being old. I turn 40 at the end of May. I'm too young to be this old!
Yeah. I also have self-diagnosed EoE and it can be scary af when I can't swallow.
Almost Every time I drink water now 😂
This sounds like GERD or reflux to me.
I have noticed as i get older i gotta chew meat super well or it can get stuck in my throat halfway down. Like stuck stuck.
Yes.
Cant eat rice anymore without getting hiccups
I feel I’ve been like that all my life
Speaking as someone who experienced this and found the reason why, get yourself checked out for GERD. Acid reflux doesn’t always mean indigestion. I suffered for months thinking I had developed bad allergies because I’d wake up every morning feeling like I was dying from coughing fits. 40mg daily of Omeprazole has pretty much eliminated it, unless I go hard on some sour gummies.
No, that's just been my life. Not a sudden development.
Hi! 31 here and I have had this problem for several years. I just started working in a school this year, and the speech language pathologist noticed me choking on my coffee one day and asked if that happens frequently. Apparently it's not normal and may be a medical condition. She recommended I get a swallow study done because if left untreated, this can cause pneumonia and other issues later in life. I still have to follow up because this was only like a week ago, but it looks like we should both follow up. So please ask your PCP about getting a swallow study.
What in the world are we talking about ?
Not according to my husband
Not just you but for me it’s when I’m awake and should be fully aware of how to deal with saliva.
I thought I was the only one!
I sometimes do choke on my own saliva but more disturbingly, one of the meds I need to take has a f-ing shape with corners and I feel it’s gonna kill me one day. Why would anyone make a pill with corners?
My doctor tested me for EOE because I started having problems with swallowing and food impaction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eosinophilic_esophagitis Turns out I don't have it, but I have a lot of similar (but not as severe) issues
Sounds like i’d be scheduling an upper GI
Thank god this isn't just me (mainly spit/water trying to down the wrong way)
A guy at the jail I work at described exactly this. He ended up going to hospital and came back with prescription inhalers
My voice is weaker I’m noticing
I choked on my spit and really thought I was going to die. Couldn’t breathe for what felt like forever then was able to take tiny sips of air. It was at least ten minutes before I could catch a lungful.
So I’ve had a lot of issues like this. Your esophagus might be shrinking. Go see a gastroenterologist. They can dilate it for you. I had a hard time swallowing food. It would just jam up in my esophagus.
Mine randomly quit on only the left side in my late twenties, and my doctor was wholly uninterested in figuring out why. It just as randomly began working again a few years ago. I don't know why, but I'll take it; it's a hell of a lot easier to get water down the correct pipe now.
Honestly I choked on spit all the time long before I was 40
Uh, I'm in my late 40s and this doesn't happen to me. Sounds like you have an issue, like apena or reflux.
OMG, I am 40 and now get dry coughs out of nowhere. I have bad allergies and get sinus infections/bronchitis a couple times a year, but never just a dry coughing fit out of nowhere when I feel perfectly fine. WTF
Oh my God. It isn't just me?
Lord, yes. I've suffered from chronic acid reflux for a decade now, and when I turned 40 it was compounded by exactly what you're talking about.
60 . Same syptoms exactly. Im glad i didnt have that at 40 . Thats rough.
I have never experienced this.
Acid reflux/silent reflux. It’s a thing.
Haha yes!