Swallowing is worse/esophagus/epiglottis

Day 72 off clonaz-e-poison, and my swallowing problem has worsened. It's like my throat is constricted and the muscles aren't moving together in the right direction, especially when swallowing liquids. I swear I can also feel my epiglottis all the time, and every time I swallow, even just saliva/mucus, there's a gurgling sound in my throat. Beyond disturbing. Sometimes my esophagus feels tight as food descends as well. Anyone experience this type of dysphagia???

All VERY normal. I think I said this to you before, but you have a lot of gaba receptors throughout your entire GI Tract.Lips to rear end. And all sorts of GI symptoms are possible. I went through something very similar. It is scary, as you wonder if you will choke.

I would suggest you eat only small bites at a time and make sure you chew really well. Slowing things down a bit might give you some ease. And dont drink rapidly, go slow and easy there too.

Your current symptoms are extremely normal for us. Try not to worry, as this will pass on by when your brain allows it to go away.

east

My throat has been giving me more trouble lately. My throat is all loose and has been kinda closings in the morning waking me up. I also have been choking on drinks more often.

Sorry you are suffering, but the KEY to getting through WD is to remember the nonlinear nature of healing and recovering.  Its VERY UP and DOWN for some time.  Symptoms may lessen only to get much WORSE for a period.  It can fluctuate back and forth like that until it eventually evens out.  IMO, I wouldn't focus on a date or time when you should feel better, or you'll just be disappointed when that doesn't happen.  You are sort of doing that by saying 72 days off and still this symptom or that symptom.  It seems you are expecting to be past that symptom by now?  Unfortunately, symptoms are what they are and they end when they end.  It sounds harsh, but it's true.  Hang in there.  It slowly gets better until you are healed.

Yet more difficulty with swallowing, especially liquids. The throat muscles seem to tighten and push up first instead of down, particularly when drinking anything, so the liquid "backs up" a bit before proceeding down. I also struggle to swallow the excessive mucous and saliva I've been producing during withdrawal. And every time I swallow anything, even air, my throat gurgles. It is all beyond uncomfortable and disturbing, and my throat muscles are worn out from the extra effort required. Anyone else have this much trouble in this area, for 3 months and counting???

I had similar problems towards the end of my taper. I had it along with acid reflux. Some food got stuck in my throat when I swallowed. I was fully checked over with a camera stuck in every place you can imagine and it all came back normal. Glad to say it's all gone. Just another lovely symptom. It will calm down. We all seem to experience different things at different time.

Did you have the gurgling in your throat too? I don't think it's acid reflux, as there is no burning sensation. But obviously there is fluid involved to make that sound. And sometimes it occurs without swallowing, just spontaneous throat gurgling. I also always feel mucous or some liquid lump (or my epiglottis???) in there. Oh, and occasionally a vaguely hiccup-like spasm during which my throat seems to close momentarily.

I have choking both from stuff getting stuck and from throat being too open and not worrying properly so good slips down and chokes me.

 

Tongue can’t manipulate it properly in mouth either and can’t work out how to chew and swallow but have constant insaitiable urge to eat.

Trouble swallowing (dysphagia) is often a symptom of a brain injury. Here is a guide on some potential therapies for it: https://erabi.ca/modules/module-5/

As in, the type of brain injury caused by benzos?

Yes Ez - This is from the brain injury that Benzos cause. 

Let's focus on the positives here. The "brain injury" benzos can cause is NOT permanent. There is utterly NO proof of that. There HAVE been relatively small studies of long term benzo patients, such as I am, that showed we MIGHT have more incidences of dementia later in life. If that is true, I am screwed for sure. But I choose not to let this keep me from recovering even more from my years of benzo use and abuse.

Instead of focusing on FEAR, lets focus on the positives. Benzo wd causes many GI Tract symptoms. Its called Benzo Belly but its a whole lot more than just your belly. From lips to rear end, benzo wd can cause so many weird and unpleasant symptoms. Apparently we have more gaba receptors in that Tract than other places.  Many people getting off benzos have various GI symptoms. I know I sure did.

Please know that in time, all of this stuff will just fade away. Like all WD symptoms do. Once you begin noticably healing, you ill understand this. Most people seem to find that healing means noticing certain symptoms have just up and gone away. Thats is sure how it was for me.  And the day when I realized that my utter and complete FEAR and ANXIETY had just faded away was a day I rejoiced! To be able to sleep again. To not always feel as if I lived inside some weird gray veil of ugliness (DP/DR). To feel LOVE again was especially wonderful. I hadnt realized that I could no longer do that, feel such love. Benzos robbed me of that too.

Whenever you feel down ans hopeless, you need to know that this WILL end. Try to remember me, eastcoast, because my story is truly awful. That I am still alive IS a miracle.

east 

Did you have the gurgling in your throat too? I don't think it's acid reflux, as there is no burning sensation. But obviously there is fluid involved to make that sound. And sometimes it occurs without swallowing, just spontaneous throat gurgling. I also always feel mucous or some liquid lump (or my epiglottis???) in there. Oh, and occasionally a vaguely hiccup-like spasm during which my throat seems to close momentarily.

 

I did have gurgling occasionally. I remember not being able to eat porridge as it would get stuck in my throat. I think benzos mess up our MMC this is the mechanism that moves our food down and through our stomach and gut. I do remember feeling liquid was coming back up my throat. I always felt like there was a blockage and food won’t move down properly. It does sound exactly like I had.

It will pass

The difficulty swallowing is beyond wearying: my throat is constantly painfully tight and my tongue feels swollen and spastic and like it wants to block my throat instead of helping move food or drink (or saliva) down. My tongue also feels too "full" in my mouth, like it's overfilling the space and never really relaxed. It's making my whole mouth hurt with the effort and constriction. And it's all the time, for about 3 months now. Can healing actually still take place, or is this persistent struggle sign of more serious damage???

Throat stuff is common with prior benzo use. I had tight throat, lump in throat, larynx spasms, clicking sound when swallowing. All gone now.

I also had this problem, but now it has disappeared. And a strange sound in my throat; a Slinky ( a toy metal spring, that tumbles end over end down stairs).

All of these symptoms are awful. You cannot help to wonder if you have some other disease. This cannot be all benzo wd!

But it sure can be.

On BB we refer to TIME a lot. There are good reasons for that. Time will heal you, and nothing else will. You just have to endure this misery for a while, in order to give your brain the time to heal itself. No drug will help it, it has to be a natural healing, which your brain is already "pre-wired" to do. If you mess with that natural process, yo might make things much worse.

 

All you can do is try to learn ways to cope with all of this weird, crazy stuff. If you need to post here on BB 20 times a day, DO IT. Ask for help, dont lie back and wait for help to come to you.

 

Nothing about this journey is easy. I learned that the really had way.

east