Inability to swallow timeframe: Can one relearn to swallow?

I have not been able to swallow even water and drinks and food about 2 years now.my. I finally went to an ent who found my right cord was clearly shut off. But i still have half of the left cord. I have had so
Many X-rays and scopes because vocal cords you breath trough as well as use them for breathing and talking.
I’m down to whispering because my breathing and swallowing hurts by dinner time.
Options like needles through your neck but a lot of people say it’s painful. The other option is a thyroplasty I don’t know how to spell it with a smaller scar that heals within a year but can come back

Hi Andy the an
I haven’t been able to swallow in 9 months again. This time it’s from radiation in 2013. My ENT just referred me to a specialist in larynx to check out my vocal cords. Won’t be until the 24th of June. I’ll let you know.
In the meantime I’m doing swallow therapy and exercises at home. Very frustrating. Hang in there.
Sue

Hi Andy,

I am all too familiar with breathing and swallowing causing pain, and myriad other issues. Have you faced a cancer diagnosis? Not sure what you mean by , " Shut Down." One of my two vocal folds is paralyzed from a cancerous tumor in my larynx. The Tumor killed my recurrent laryngeal nerve on the left side, this is what paralyzed the vocal cord/ fold. No innervation, no activity. This greatly effects my breathing, eating, speaking, sleeping,...pretty much everything. I underwent serious cancer treatment in late 2022 and into 2023. I am about fifteen months out from Radiation and Chemotherapy.
I believe, though I do not know as I do several things to alleviate the pain and discomfort, but breathing exercises have been HUGE for me. Nothing fancy really. For a while I would inhale for a two count, hold for two, exhale for a four count. Always exhaling longer than inhaling as this slows my heart rate also. I get anxious when I have a lot of trouble down there, which is more or less everyday. Working on the anxiety.
I digress....vocal chords open when you speak, and close when you swallow so food doesn't go down the wrong pipe and into your lungs. This is call aspiration. If you are getting fevers, this may well be the cause, it was for me many times post cancer treatments. That has subsided. Now, I focus on keeping my neck loose via exercises, and the breathing exercises I do all the time. Many times a day, it is ingrained in me now. However, now I inhale for a two count, and exhale for a four count for a few minutes. Somehow, this plus other undertakings has really started to help me. The other solid idea is you likely have a lot of inflammation in your larynx if you have a paralyzed fold/ chord. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy helped me also. Actually, that helped me quite a bit and I did a lot of sessions. 60, two hour sessions. Hellped heal some of the soft tissue in my neck.
Hopefully one or a few of these ideasa could be helpful for you. Good luck! All the favor goes to those who push and push, and push. Just like all areas of our lives. All my Best!

My husband's big concern as we complete radiation is that he won't ever be able to swalliw again and will be in and out of hospital with pneumonia. Each time he is weaker than before. He'll struggle for an hour and not swallow once. He gets very frustrated.

Not being able to swallow near the end of radiation and for days after is common with many patients. This is why a feeding tube is often recommended.
Myself I could only get liquids down. I also spent several nights sleeping upright with a large spoon in my mouth to keep my airway open. I’m fine now but everyone is different.
Are his doctors aware of the swallowing issue?

They are aware. He had TORs surgery Jan 26 and had not been able to swallow since. Aldo has lost some hearing on that side and jaw is always hurting. Suspect nerve damage from surgery. Was making a little progress before they found the cancer returned. 4 radiation treatments left. The we hope his ENT hos options to help in addition to swallowing exercises.

I went nearly a year without being able to swallow food and barely swallowed water.
I finally made up my mind that if I didn’t get my feeding tube removed I would probably never eat again.
I got the tube removed and forced myself to eat….oatmeal was all I could eat and that was my meal 3 times per day for nearly a year!
Nearly 8 years have gone by and I still have a very difficult time eating.
I need massive amounts of liquid to get my food down and if it’s a meal that consists of gravy or sauce I need lots of it!
They say it’s like a baby learning to swallow and that’s true to a point. In my case and I doubt that I’m alone, scare tissue, nerve damage, paralysis of the tongue all contribute to the inability to swallow food.
I’m wishing you the best in your recovery.

MOJO

Thank you for your honest reply. I figured it was more than just determination.

Hi Sue
I nasopharyngeal cancer - stage 4 - in 2006. I was on feeding tube during 7 weeks of radiation and after the entire treatment and with time to heal, I was almost back to norm.
But during COVID pandemic and restricted to working from home (live alone) - I suddenly find that my speech was very much impaired and same goes for swallowing. I was absolutely in a panic mode. Connected with my oncologist and ENT team - was diagnosed with severe neck fibrosis and dysphagia / dysarthria - long term side effects of radiation!!
Like you - I have been doing dysphagia exercises and whatever to get my neck, jaw & mouth exercises.
With this late effects of radiation - it tends to change my lifestyle around - i.e. issues with speech and hearing, and not able to swallow food properly (most times I have to spit out whatever gets stuck in my throat).
Meanwhile, am doing my best in exercises to prevent deterioration of these side effects, and trying to be 'ok' on my own (it's a challenge to have friends and/or people understand and aware and accommodate 'invisible' disabilities!)
Keep well !

It’s helpful to hear I’m not alone with swallowing issues. Mine came 14yrs after breast radiation to exposed my esophagus. It started 5 wks ago. I’m doing protein powder, raw egg, yogurt, coconut milk and various fruit in blender. I also make a strong chicken and bone broth that I drink through straw