Patmg

Hi: I am new to the eating disorder site (I've been on the back pain site; I'm in chronic pain due to many severe degenerating spinal disks). I was wondering if anyone has ever had the inability to swallow food due to severe stress. They call it dysphagia (spelling could be a bit wrong here). My husband has it and he also had an ulcer; he almost died from this condition. He has severe PTSD from Vietnam, as he was a front line combat medic in the 101st Army Airborne Division in 67-69 (heavy fighting years). He saw horrible things in Nam and he was the one to "run out there and save the injured man" while bullets were flying over his head. In Nam, the enemy would intentionally wound solders ahead. Then another soldier would attempt to save that guy, then the enemy could shoot the next guy. Plus the medic would hear the wounded man calling to him, thus there was a psychologial aspect in wounding a man. My husband was the one to run out there and work on the wounded. He had 6 weeks training to do what a surgeon should be doing. This gives you a background as to his personal Vietnam. The VA says that PTSD (stress) does not cause physical problems. He also has a pace maker (I saw his heart deteriorate during a very stressful 3 years) after a 3 year misdiagnosis from 3 doctors, saying he was passing out due to his stomach and they wouldn't even check his heart. He almost died from that, too. Of course, the VA says stress does not affect the heart. However, he has this dysphagia which, if he ends up stressed in anyway, comes back. Because this man is so stressed (underlying stress all the time), any additional life stresses affect his body greatly. I've been married to him 30 years and have care given him and have watched this stress affect my husband. There is always the concern the dysphagia will rear it's ugly head again. His digestive system is very sensitive to foods, meds and stress. Anybody ever hear of stress causing this? Anybody with experience in this condition? Please reply and thank you in advance for any reponses anyone can give to me. Sincerely, Patmg