Happens to me, I need to use water to get so I can swallow.
I can say that I do not [yet] have parkinsons, I got checked for that last year by one of the top specialists [who happens to know my neuro, and is working over at Yale so is close enough to make the trip to.] I do also have dry mouth issues from some meds I am on, which makes it worse sometimes.
It doesn’t really panic me, I am used to it, it has been happening for about 5 years now.
Hmmm, sounds alarming. Ya ever forget how to post? Because that would be scary!
j/k 
Sometimes I have trouble working out the swallow mechanism right after something hot hits the back of my tongue. Not fun.
My grandma used to use apple sauce or yogurt. It’s a little cheaper in calories, anyway.
It isn’t related to specific foods, because it happens frequently LONG after I’ve eaten anything… I’ll talk to my doctor about it.
It happens to me occasionally too. It’s not that I forget how, it’s like I can’t get it to work. It’s scary.
I have an anxiety disorder too.
I have that, too, but it’s something about initiating the swallowing procedure or whatever. It’s only been the last couple of years - and the doctors are telling me it’s from radiation damage from treatments about 40 years ago. My doctor said, “Radiation. The gift that keeps on giving.”
Well done, sir.
Also, OpalCat, are you saying you have Tourette’s AND Obsessive Compulsive Disorder AND Bipolar Disorder?
Well, just spit then.
Too early in the thread for a joke?
It’s cause you’re thinking about it. For instance, try to count how many times you breath, you will immediately start controlling your breath. Or when someone says, “Don’t think of the word elephant for the next 5 minutes.” Of course that’s all you think about at that point.
Peanuts had a cartoon, where Linus says he’s become aware of his tongue. And then he starts wondering what his tongue would be doing if he wasn’t thinking about it. And the more he tries to stop thinking about the more he thinks about it. Then he tells Lucy, who says he’s crazy. Then in the last panel Lucy starts thinking about her tongue and having the same symptoms
I don’t (as far as I know) have OCD or any other disorder, but I sometimes, very occasionally, forget how to walk. If I think too much about the process of walking, it dissolves into a jumble of meaningless actions and I stumble, trip or start swinging my arms in the wrong time.
You must have missed the ones up there ^^^^
Maybe she’s collecting them? I don’t know how OCD works.
I confess to falling apart, but I don’t have the OCD or Tourette’s to worry about. And I’ve had trouble with the swallowing occasionally.
I’m a HORRIBLE mouth breather, and I have chronic sinus problems. I think the back of my throat just gets overwhelmed with the duties it has to perform. So my brain temporarily shuts off the swallowing for a few seconds. It’s a VERY panicked feeling, but since I’m swallowing normally at this moment, I can testify it is a temporary situation.
Talking to your doctor is always a good idea when something doesn’t work right, especially if you have chronic problems
~VOW
When I was a teenager I went through a period where it was really hard for me to eat anything without something to distract me–TV, a book, lively conversation–anything that would take my mind off the fact that I was swallowing and OMG I might choke! My parents were remarkably tolerant of the fact that I would bring books to the dinner table, or eat dinner in the other room so I could watch TV. I just sort of grew out of it, and it doesn’t bother me anymore except on the rare occasions when I think about swallowing/choking just as I’m doing it. I’ve actually trained myself to just instantly relax, which helps a lot, and I never eat a meal without having something to drink.
I think for me it’s definitely an “aware of the tongue” thing (in the sense that it only ever happens when I think about it.)
There’s a pretty high comorbidity between Tourette’s and OCD, so that wouldn’t be surprising at all.
Yes, Bipolar disorder diagnosed when I was about 20, 21… but showed symptoms (cutting, violent mood swings, suicide attempts, etc) far earlier. Tourette’s since about age 3, but not officially diagnosed (since it takes a neurologist) since this week. The OCD stuff is apparently a very common “hand-in-hand” problem with Tourette’s patients. Some things are tics, some things are more like OCD (like my timing my breathing to passing things like light poles or driving through shadows of trees… stupid shit like that that I have a compulsion to do but don’t really fit under the umbrella of Tourette’s.) Another thing that tends to go hand-in-hand with Tourette’s is ADHD (about 60% is the number I’ve heard) and I’ve been diagnosed with that by multiple different psychiatrists.
I have a history of mental disorders in my family, and I frequently feel like I got the triple lemons in terms of genetics. (Triple lemons is bad, right? I don’t know much about gambling. If that isn’t bad, then whatever is bad–that’s what I feel like I got.)
This used to happen to me a lot, but hasn’t in a while. Solution was drinking water. I also used to have issues swallowing food, and would have to ‘wash down’ every single bite with water - that went on for YEARS. If I tried to swallow without water I’d choke and gag. And I’m not even all that crazy; my only diagnosis are ADD-PI, and some anxiety and depression.
(bolding mine) this is why I can still swallow pills. If I’m DRINKING something I can swallow just fine. It’s just the every minute or so (however often) you generally swallow saliva that I get hung up on. And generally my mouth is dry when I’m having trouble swallowing. I’ll definitely bring it up with my doctor. My next appointment is next week, so that’s all set.
… and now I’m doing it. Thanks for nothing, Linus.