Trouble swallowing is called dysphagia and it is normal with GERD. I recall Robb Wolf addressing this issue in his podcast quite frequently, and he claims that people have a lot of success reversing this with a strict paleo diet. http://robbwolf.com/?s=dysphagia

Yes, the acid reflux from GERD burns your esophagus, which normally is smooth, so that makes it easy for food to get stuck in your throat. I suffered from this, it's gone now.

Had issues swallowing relatively dry meats such as turkey, so had to be very careful to chew it thoroughly, and make sure to eat each bite with some fat.

I also found that it's a bad idea to swallow certain vitamins with green tea - something in the tea makes them get stuck. The worst was when a pill of digestive enzymes (I need these since I don't have a gall bladder) got stuck in my throat. You can imagine the HCL and bile escaped the capsule and started to burn. Drinking water wouldn't make it go down and would just make me throw up the water and have trouble breathing. Wasn't fun at all. So be careful what you eat and how.

Eliminating all wheat and cow dairy did the trick. I've been paleo for about a year and a half now, and had no episodes for food getting stuck anymore. The one or two times I exposed myself to wheat, or cow dairy, got acid reflux the night after.

The GERD stopped about a month after eliminating both dairy and wheat. The esophagus took longer to heal, but I'm perfectly fine now, so in the long run, things do get better if you're careful to avoid problem foods.

Thanks, you two! That makes me feel better that it's not something irreversible. Raydawg, when you say "with fat" are you talking about like a bit of coconut oil with each bite? Or fatty cuts from the meat? Dairy is definitely a culprit for me (once I've had it, I immediately start throwing up/refluxing--so I'm going to stay off of that completely now). It's interesting that you mention a delayed reaction, because I feel like that's happened before.

How long did you have the trouble swallowing, Raydawg? I've only been diagnosed with GERD not even a year ago, and the last time they scooped me (within the last 8 months) there wasn't even inflammation/signs of damage. My fear is that I've screwed around and not been fastidious enough with Paleo (I've been paleo for several months now, but I keep messing up with the occasional bit of Greek yogurt, chocolate, nuts) and done permanent damage. Like I said though, they didn't see anything when they looked. I'm taking HCL + enzymes as well, and some digestive bitters (my doctor, thank El Gato, is a homeopathic MD). Here's my paleo breakfast for reference:

Grass-fed beef (cooked in duck fat), Sauerkraut, Bone Broth, Kale & carrots mixed together (cooked)

Also, I keep burping awhile after meals (the burps don't burn anymore, but they're still there).