Trouble Swallowing - Need new doctors and advice and help please

Yeah, I do plan on having my PCM send the referral but because of everything I'm working on the insurance part so I can see her and try to get on her schedule. Thank you for the info about the Mayo Clinic. Was it a helpful experience for you?

I do want to try the mayofacial release therapy. I need to find someone who does that here.

@musikbliss Yes, everything about being a Mayo patient was great for me. I also did everything I could to be a good patient that doctors wanted to help. I had spent 2 years with spinal cord compression looking for a surgeon to help me, and none of the local non-Mayo surgeons would help because they misunderstood my case. A lot of surgeons don't want to take on complicated cases if they don't know if they could fix it because they don't want to fail. As a patient, you may run up against this too. I found medical literature with cases similar to mine, so I knew what the doctors had missed. With that literature, I requested an appointment at Mayo and told them about being denied by 5 non-Mayo surgeons. Previously, I had watched videos of spine surgeons presenting at conferences and instructing other surgeons on how to choose patients. One of the surgeons who had refused surgery to me was saying not to do surgery on patients with mental health issues because you can do the best surgery in the world and they won't appreciate it. The reason I am saying this is because you want doctors to help you, so it would be in your best interest to get the help that you need emotionally first. I have a good friend who has been suicidal at times because she has a painful condition that doctors have not been able to fix, and it brought back suicidal thoughts that had been in her past. By finding a new doctor and getting her psychiatric meds optimized, she does much better in functioning so much so that if I didn't know her past, I would not know that she had ever thought about suicide because she is happy and positive and fun to be around. She is also getting nerve block injections to control the pain and is really doing well. It's all about advocating for yourself and getting your life back in control.

I cannot speak for Mayo as I am not a medical professional or employee of Mayo, and I do not know how they review applications for appointments, but I want you to have the best chance you can to be accepted as a patient, so please work with your doctors to get your emotions into positive territory. You can do that now. You have a lot of power over your own healing when you believe that you can do it. I came to spine surgery knowing in my heart that it would resolve my all over crazy pain even though none of the doctors could promise that to me. I was right, and decompressing my spinal cord resolved all the pain I was having everywhere.

When doctors think that you may harm yourself, you will be directed toward mental health help instead of trying to solve the issues that are causing your pain. I do understand how frustrating this is, and I was frustrated also for 2 years while I was drawing diagrams of pain all over my body and trying to find a posture that would lessen my pain and going through a parade of doctors who didn't want me as a patient. My physical therapist sure did help a lot by realigning my spine and relieving muscle spasms and doing the myofascial work. I read a lot of medical literature about physical issues and I have learned a lot from my physical therapist, so I have learned to question how the body works and have an understanding about alignment issues that can cause problems. That is why I sent you the information about the hyoid bone and temperomandibular dysfunction in case that was relevant to you. These are things that a physical therapist would treat, so that may also be something to pursue now with your current doctors.

If you do feel like harming yourself again, please call the Suicide Prevention Hotline like Amanda suggested. You will get someone right away instead of waiting hours for us to find your post here. I hope that I have been able to help, and please do not feel like any of this is criticism. It was pretty shocking to me to hear a surgeon talking about choosing which patients he wanted to help and to know that I was not one of them. I always thought that doctors wanted to help everyone, by that is not how it is when there are big risks to consider. Sometimes doing surgery would cause more harm than good, so it is a balancing act. If you need the MFR provider search link again, here it is.
http://mfrtherapists.com/
And I need to say this too... I'm glad you came back.

My trouble swallowing seems to be from the mouth not throat. No obstruction or restrictions. No known cause. Losing weight fast. Cannot eat. Only consume smoothies. What is the cause?

I’m so sorry that has been an issue with me also which has gotten worse in last year. Eating mostly liguid or very soft foods. Also loosing weight. We have come to the conclusion mine is the dryness from sjogrens disease. Now as I’ve talked about before I have a terrible taste in my mouth. I’m seeing a GI Doctor in a few weeks. I’ve come to accept the fact of this and just trying to work with a nutrition specialist to get as much nutrition as I. Am to not have to put on an eating tube. Have you talked to an nutrition specialist? My Doctor connected me with one that is covered by my insurance. I totally understand and sorry you are going through this also.

Melissa, have you consulted with a speech pathologist? They specialize in swallowing issues.

My pcp sent me for a barium swallow study. I thought i would be having the modified swallow study with a speech therapist, but my pcp said that was only for stroke patients, etc.... I didn't agree with her on that, but she was adamant. I saw a speech therapist years ago when this started, and feel I need to see one again. I would need a referral, but again my dr sounded firm on this!

That is a shame. Speech therapist most definitely help with swallowing issues. Might you get a referral from a different physician?

See the ESOPHAGEAL MOTILITY SPECIALISTS at MAYO. JAX, FL
thru the Gastro Dept….Funny, doing this same thing, DYSPHASIA, the swallowing thing.🤪. It’s so upsetting to my GERD!! I did all tests..
Esophogram, Endoscopy with biopsies, Echogram, but CD NOT do the Esophogeal Motility test with swallowing small tubing thru the nose and into the stomach. NO GO., gagging, spitting, and choking.
I tried it. Just a bad gag reflex! Some people can do it fine.Try it if u can, VERY Diagnostic for the Doctor and diagnosis❤️Blessings🙏

Thank you for this information. May I ask....Did they give you a diagnosis for the motility issue?

Sorry, having issues with my brain and this website. Not tech savvy😢
Think it was “Minimal Esophageal Motility Disorder”? It’s not as bad the problems some people are having! Mine is from the muscles in the lower esophagus not allowing food to go down into the stomach, I think my IBS is not helping at all. During the Esophogram with Barium Swallow, the pill got stuck in the aortic arch?? Oh, that test I cdnt do was the ESOPHAGEAL MANOMETRY….trying to swallow that tube and practically barfing up my stomach! Praying for you to get the help you need. Blessings.🙏