I have started to choke spontaneously on my own saliva. Anyone else?

Posted by chinasvegas @chinasvegas, Apr 19, 2022

I’m a 75 year old female take no medication and have had no diagnosis. Lately I’m chocking on my own saliva occasionally. The kind of chocking that used to happen only when liquid goes down the wrong way. Now it seems that I spontaneously choke on my own saliva. Anyone have this experience?

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@colleenyoung

Hi Retha, have you ever considered a speech language pathologist to help with the swallowing issues?

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No-I didn’t consider that.
I will look into that.
Thanks Colleen
-Retha

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I suffer from excessive saliva for 3 years and have had many doctors to see me, ent, gastro,pcp,neurologist and many others not to mention and no medicine to dry me up has helped. Had my submandibular glands removed and still i have the excessive saliva. i dont know what else to do. please let me know if anyone else has had any success. I'm desperate.
Thank You

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@joe6451128

I suffer from excessive saliva for 3 years and have had many doctors to see me, ent, gastro,pcp,neurologist and many others not to mention and no medicine to dry me up has helped. Had my submandibular glands removed and still i have the excessive saliva. i dont know what else to do. please let me know if anyone else has had any success. I'm desperate.
Thank You

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@joe6451128
Wish I could tell you success from me but I suffer from same problem.

I can get so much saliva and phelm in my throat and bronchial tubes that I cough so much it starts to bother my throat and bronchial tubes and thus cough more.

A long time ago I stopped eating dairy. This seemed to help.

Recently I went on Nutrisystem to lose weight and noticed the saliva and phelm was greatly improved. Not sure why but makes me think I was eating something to cause the irritation thus the excess salvia and phelm.

Maybe check the foods you eat. Do you eat spicy foods? Spicy foods are a known cause for extra salvia and phelm. I know dairy was mentioned to me by ENT as a known cause of congestion and I was having a lot of sinus congestion that was draining down my throat.

Wish I could give you the answer you want but I did want to pass on the marked improvement in the saliva and phelm being produced when I eat as soon as I went on Nutrisystem. Not recommending Nutrisystem just that food maybe a cause.

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@jc76

@joe6451128
Wish I could tell you success from me but I suffer from same problem.

I can get so much saliva and phelm in my throat and bronchial tubes that I cough so much it starts to bother my throat and bronchial tubes and thus cough more.

A long time ago I stopped eating dairy. This seemed to help.

Recently I went on Nutrisystem to lose weight and noticed the saliva and phelm was greatly improved. Not sure why but makes me think I was eating something to cause the irritation thus the excess salvia and phelm.

Maybe check the foods you eat. Do you eat spicy foods? Spicy foods are a known cause for extra salvia and phelm. I know dairy was mentioned to me by ENT as a known cause of congestion and I was having a lot of sinus congestion that was draining down my throat.

Wish I could give you the answer you want but I did want to pass on the marked improvement in the saliva and phelm being produced when I eat as soon as I went on Nutrisystem. Not recommending Nutrisystem just that food maybe a cause.

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@jc76Thank you so much for the information.. I will look into this.

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yes i have experienced the same . . sometimes i have a problem swallowing a small amount of saliva but i also am continually trying to clear my throat and my voice sound will change . . annoying because i know that this is not my normal voice sound and also if i have a sip of anything it sometimes is difficult swallowing and it may result spitting it out . . saw a throat specialist but was told there isnt anything obstructing my throat . . i am 71 years old and cant find a dr. or solution to my problem

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@sueinmn

Choking is a scary experience, especially when it seems to happen for little or no reason. Sometimes things change in our body as we get older, and it happens so gradually we don't realize it. After my Mom had a small stroke, a specific swallowing study was done by a therapist and they found a slight paralysis in one vocal chord. After some therapy, things evened out for her.
Choking can be a sign of changes in the throat or the brain, and should be checked out. Have you talked to your doctor about it?
Sue

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I have been close to choking myself but when I feel it coming on I use a vaporizer for 15 minutes. I deep breathe in the vaporizer and it seems to help loosen the phlegm. It the only thing that helps me.
I hope you get to feeling better.

Frank

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Oh my, I have just turned 60, the same thing happens to me, choking on my own saliva, I am waiting to see a ent, I also loose my voice and get hoarse every once in a while. I can't sing as good as I used to either, lost my vocal range, I can't call out loud. I had it looked at 3 years ago all was fine, but I have been diagnosed with acid reflux but silent reflux, no heartburn or belching. I sometimes sniffle in my sleep and wake up with a very bad headache. No one seems to be able to help me. I have been put on proton pump inhibitors.

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I am 58 with the same diagnosis 5 yrs ago. My primary said to change my diet. I am now symptom free, after
switching to an alkaline diet, cutting out dairy, and limiting fried foods and coffee! In a month, when u feel better, you can reintroduce irritating foods.
I’m now trying to convince my mother to do this. She is
worse, including burning mouth syndrome, and is in pain most of the time! GOOD LUCK!

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@dawntomlin

I am 58 with the same diagnosis 5 yrs ago. My primary said to change my diet. I am now symptom free, after
switching to an alkaline diet, cutting out dairy, and limiting fried foods and coffee! In a month, when u feel better, you can reintroduce irritating foods.
I’m now trying to convince my mother to do this. She is
worse, including burning mouth syndrome, and is in pain most of the time! GOOD LUCK!

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My Dad went thru that. He had to use thickner to get liquids down. This was after a COPD & bowel resection for a perforated bowel made his recovery slow and well structured. My paternal grandfather died from complications of recurring remitting Multiple Sclerosis. Choking on liquids is a symptom that your PC can do bloodwork to screen for. I did that a few years ago. So glad to know I do not have it.
It may be worth your time to check to be sure.

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@chinasvegas

Hello and thanks so much. I would never have thought of a speech therapist. What a great idea. I will let you know how it goes. Thank you. 🙏🏼

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@chinasvegas Oh definitely yes, an SLP who works with older patients does a quite lot of work with swallowing therapy. My daughter is one of them!

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