Since august, I've been dealing with oropharyngeal dysphagia or phagophobia from anxiety/OCD. I have had so many panic attacks from June to August that were really bad. They mainly stem from health anxiety. At the beginning of August, I noticed that it was hard to initiate a swallow after chewing, and it got to a point that I felt I had to go to the hospital.
They gave me a full head MRI that came back clean. So I figured it was the constant anxiety and panic attacks that lead to this. So from August to now, I've been dealing with this functional dysphagia and tried many supplements and herbs to help. One week though, I felt like my anxiety and even the swallowing hesitation/fear completely disappeard. It was when I took an adrenal cocktail with extra Vitamin C I added (1000mg), an l-theanine supplement that had inositol with it (600mg l-theanine and 300mg inositol twice a day), and Milk Thislte.
I was still eating slower and smaller bites, but I had no hesitation at all that whole week. I stopped talking the cocktail after 4 days, and kept the theanine until I ran out the week after. When I stopped them, the anxiety symptoms were slowly coming back along with some hesitation. Then I tried the theanine by itself, but it did not help at all. I had already stopped taking the Milk Thistle powder at this point. Today, it has gotten to a point where I sometimes hesitate to swallow water now. I leave it in my mouth for a minute and swallow small sips of it before all of the water in my mouth is gone. I did try the adrenal cocktail again a week ago, and it did get rid of the general anxiety some, but not the hesitation.
I know I have been on edge for a long time now, and even worse than my first time getting panic attacks years ago, but I had no idea it could just suddenly lead to this. I am seeing my doctor tomorrow, but I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions for this type of anxiety/ocd. Do you know of any other herbs/supplements/techniques/hypnosis/ or anything at all? I know this is mainly a CDS/MMS forum, but I don't know where else to ask this that can possibly lend alternative suggestions that stray from the norm like medication I'd rather not take.
Difficulty initiating swallow from anxiety
