I’m sorry this is happening to you. I’m not a doctor, but I have SFN and my dad has dysphagia—he is in his 70’s. It’s extremely common as a result of a stroke (which is his situation), but he had problems shortly before the stroke which may have been related to the changes he was experiencing in his brain.

I say all this to say…I think it’s possible. It could be a miscommunication between the nerves going to your brain, or it could be muscle weakness caused by something else. For example, dysphagia is more common in people with connective tissue disorders where the tissues are more lax and require more strength to control.

With the statins, there’s just no way to know. I’m not familiar with research thing the two together but the population who’s on statins are also more likely to develop dysphagia, neuropathy, etc.

Have you asked your neurologist or the person who diagnosed you?

There is good treatment available to help strengthen the muscles. Were you able to discuss treatment options?

One thing I learned is swallowing and the interactions between the muscles, nerves, and brain is very complex and also related to speech and thinking. I’d highly, highly recommend finding a good speech therapist (they evaluate and treat dysphagia after it’s been diagnosed) and/or getting a swallowing study if you haven’t yet. Or well for my dad, he has a consult with speech first and she said we needed a swallowing study and his doctor ordered one. That told her exactly where the problem was and what he could do to make it better. It’s a long road because his root cause is stroke—neuroplasticity is miraculous, but it takes a lot of time and practice. Especially if it’s caught early and people get into good treatment soon, it can often get better.

He also uses a device called “The Breather,” where you inhale and exhale against resistance. It’s like weight lifting for your swallowing muscles. Studies show that breathing against resistance strengthens those muscles and can improve dysphagia. It’s available on Amazon.

Wishing you all the best.