food stuck

theoldnose

4 months after radiation and seems lie with every meal food is hanging in throat and wont wash down. I am not chocking but it is so uncomfortable that i am afraid to eat

 

CivilMatt

try slick food and drink

theoldnose,

It is a learning time, the first year post.  Eating is not like it once was, but the new normal can be ok too.

For me it is small bites, mega chewing and lots to drink.  More than once, I’ve drank 3 glasses of water and 2 glasses of ice tea while in a restaurant.  Eating and swallowing are getting better all the time, but it is different now.

I did not eat seriously for 7 months post, but I am back to eating everything now.

I am about to eat a mile high pile of pancakes  and a bunch of bacon.

Matt

theoldnose

CivilMatt said:

try slick food and drink

theoldnose,

It is a learning time, the first year post.  Eating is not like it once was, but the new normal can be ok too.

For me it is small bites, mega chewing and lots to drink.  More than once, I’ve drank 3 glasses of water and 2 glasses of ice tea while in a restaurant.  Eating and swallowing are getting better all the time, but it is different now.

I did not eat seriously for 7 months post, but I am back to eating everything now.

I am about to eat a mile high pile of pancakes  and a bunch of bacon.

Matt

Did you have the feeling of

Did you have the feeling of the food sticking  it. Usually goes away after one or two hours

KTeacher

I agree

I agree with Matt.  Small bites, chew, chew, chew and then drink (sip!) to wash it down.  Sometimes after the chew, chew, chew I have to spit it into the napkin.  Things are different now but I am glad to be eating.  Taking pills is another thing altogether!  Those have been known to come right back up.

KB56

Definitely lots of water

same for me...very small bites and chew it up a bunch before swallowing and the chase with liquid!   my throat was still really sore until about 5 months after treatment.   I ate a lot of baked potatoes, fish and softer foods.  Biscuit, gravy and scrambled eggs were my favorite.  

 

 I'm 7 months out of treatment now and can eat about anything, but no spicy foods at all, and still drink a lot of water with smaller bites.   

 

Sounds des like you're doing well at 4 months and it will continue to get better slowly but surely.   

 

Good luck,

Keith

CivilMatt

still stuck

theoldnose,

Yea, matter-of-fact it feels like there is a ledge down there where food sometimes resides.  Sometimes after eating I can cough up a piece of food that has been loitering in my throat.  It is not a big deal if I just remember to wash everything down.  My throat for the most part feels fine, I like to describe it as not as flexible as it once was.

The pancakes and bacon were wonderful.

Matt

Laralyn

Yes!

Just wanted to assure you that it is normal for some of us. I think it depends on where the radiation focused. I'm a year and a half out of treatments, and I still feel food sticking and need 2-3 glasses of water to finish a meal. Some days are worse than other. I definitely 100% notice when I haven't had enough water the day before. If I stay hydrated, I see to do a little better at meals.

It's better now than it was at 4 months, though, so you can look forward to it improving over time. And it does become a new normal for you. I honestly hardly think about it anymore. :-)

wmc

It sticks to often...Too

Yes food does stick sometimes. Well most of the time it did for the first three months and still is more with some foods then others. I never had radation but eating is differant then before. Lots of liquid and water is the best for you. I still eat alot of cream of chicken soup because it goes down so well and I can keep my weight up that way. The first time I ate or tryed to eat a hotdog it seemed to just hang in my throat and it took a lot of water to get it down. It takes much longer to eat then before. No more gulping down your food. I just hope it does not get cold before I'm done eating. Like everyone said: chew, chew, chew, and sip, sip, sip. It does get better. Now I can gulp down a lot of liquid at a time [ 4-5 swallows], but the last swallow seems to want to go up, almost to my nose. Something to do with presure is now differant. 

Have a great tomorrow;

Bill

Hondo

Food

You can try using a blender or chopping up your food some making it easier so you don’t need to chew as much, this was one of my big problems.  Then use lots of water or liquids to wash it down, don’t take another bite until what is in your mouth has been swallowed and well washed down.

Hope you get better

Hondo

theoldnose

food sticking

wow cant believe the number of replies and very encouraging. I am going tommorow for first pet scan and seeing the ent . They might do a swallow evail but I will be happy to just get stuff down. Will do the chew alot and wash method. Thanks to all for the help!!!

hwt

theoldnose said:

food sticking

wow cant believe the number of replies and very encouraging. I am going tommorow for first pet scan and seeing the ent . They might do a swallow evail but I will be happy to just get stuff down. Will do the chew alot and wash method. Thanks to all for the help!!!

Old Nose

When I first started eating, I found that milk (chocolate milk) helped move food down my throat much better than water. Worth a try. Also small bites are my new norm. 

debbiejeanne

my last rad tx was 10/22/09

my last rad tx was 10/22/09 and i still have trouble swallowong.  i have my throat stretched every couple months.  i have to cut all pills in half.  i am always the last one to finish eating and my food is always cold by the time i finish but i'm happy to finally be able to eat so all is good.

Laralyn

hwt said:

Old Nose

When I first started eating, I found that milk (chocolate milk) helped move food down my throat much better than water. Worth a try. Also small bites are my new norm. 

Has to be water for me

My taste is still kind of off so I find it helps me to drink plain water. Otherwise I can't taste what I'm eating.

I do want to say again though that I never lose sight of the fact that I can eat pretty normally other than drinking some water... and for that, I am profoundly grateful. Keep the faith--things keep getting better! :-)

HAWVET

debbiejeanne said:

my last rad tx was 10/22/09

my last rad tx was 10/22/09 and i still have trouble swallowong.  i have my throat stretched every couple months.  i have to cut all pills in half.  i am always the last one to finish eating and my food is always cold by the time i finish but i'm happy to finally be able to eat so all is good.

Like most of you, I have

Like most of you, I have developed new eating habits and different types of soft foods. Like CivilMatt, sometimes there seems to be a ledge in my throat. I also have aspiration problems so that too complicates my eating problems.

You may return back to almost normal but if not, then you will adjust and learn to live with this irritant.  I just saw my ENT doctor today and we talked of my cancer.  I told him that after umpteen years, I am just happy to still be around.

michdjp

same ledge

my dad is 2 and a half yrs out of treatment and 1 hour after breakfast 

he could spit up coffee! he says the same thing about it feeling like a ledge

and cld even cough back up food sometimes. but he is eating and

we are greatful..good luck..as they have said alot her...welcome to your new normal!

michelle