Throat/swallowing problems

[nomorepanic]

Hi all

I have had this problem with my throat for a long long time.

This is a post I did back in 2005...

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4476

This last week things have got really really bad and resulted in 2 panic/anxiety attacks this week that were uncontrollable. For those that know me they will know I have been panic free for a long time.

Today I have been really bad and got very very panicky over my throat and it is very unlike me to panic nowadays.:weep: :weep:

I spent an hour earlier this evening on extreme panic alert cos of my throat cos I couldn't swallow properly and kept gagging and it has left me drained and completely panic strucken.

Alex sat with me for over an hour trying to help me control it and I couldn't - I was going mad with worry and fear.

It took me a long time to calm down and thanks to Bottleblond for her suggestion of mints to suck. Alex went and got me some and I calmed down a bit. Thanks Lisa for the chat - it really helped calm me.

Then later this evening I freaked again and have spent the last 2 hours talking to Jodie on MSN who has been a complete star and calmed me down again.:hugs:

I am so upset tonight - keep crying and trying so hard to control the panic.

What freaks me is the tight throat and the thought that I can't swallow and breathe and I need some help in how to control it.

Any thoughts please are welcome cos I am so drained tonight with panic and worry and what can I do to release the tension in my throat and jaw so I can stop panicking.

I am just about calming down now but can't carry on like this as it is making me panic again and I had got over all of that.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[alexis]

Hi Nic, so sorry to read about things not being good with you at mo,as you know I have had same problem, and like yourself suffer very little, :yesyes:
but I always have a bottle of water on hand, just have a sip and then i know I can swallow,:hugs:
This was one of my very first symptoms, hence barium swallow etc,
hoping you feel better soon,xxxxx:bighug1:

[kate]

Nic,

So sorry to hear you are suffering at the moment :hugs:

Did you try your breathing exercises to try to get the panic under control?

Have you got a lot of stresses going on at the moment?

Hope things improve for you very soon :hugs:

Love Kate xx

[juanna]

:) Hi Nicola
Are your throat problems caused by anxiety or something else; it's hard to be able to advise you without knowing this..
The reason i'm asking was i had a similar problem that was due to a goitre so need more info.
I do sympathise with you as i know how horrible it is...
Keep in touch. Juanna

[jodie]

hiya nic

as i sead last night we all have somthing we worry far to much about with anx for me it is ectopics as soon as i feel a panic coming on i get them ,it was good that you found your old thread it shows how long you have had it and that is it nothing but a symptom of your pa,s ect not that it is easy to get a grip on i know :wacko:

jodie xxx:hugs:

[bottleblond]

Nic,

This symptom you have been having recently is the absolute pitts, when i get it even though i know it's anxiety, it's still freaks me out. I feel like my throat is going to close over and i'm going to stop breathing (not the case as we know) but still very frightening.

Do you remember this thread...
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=23461

I fell upon this today for some odd reason but i think it helped you a wee bit the last time.

Here for you any time mate!!
Try not to worry about it too much, it's a blip and it WILL pass again. Promise you!!

Loads of love

Lisa
xxx :bighug1:

[marie1974]

hi nicola i cant really help you with the swallowing problem but i was wondering if something had triggered this? sometimes if we experience alittle stress, problems, worries etc it can trigger things like this off again. i had it with health anxiety and general anxiety but im ok at mo. i hope u feel better soon, stay positive hugs xxxxxxxxxxx

[kazzie]

Hi Nic:)

I used to get this a lot and its horrid so have a :hugs:

Cant be of much help really but I found sipping water helped or maybe chewing gum could help

Perhaps deliberatly tensing the area and then relaxing it might help:shrug:

Hope it soon passes:flowers:

Kaz x:hugs:

[SueBee]

Hi Nicola,

I can totally relate to how you feel. The throat problems that acompany panic/anxiety are dreadful. They either used to stop me sleeping or wake me in the night feeling like I was going to be sick and choke.

Have you checked where your tongue is in your mouth when you panic?

Sounds daft but when you get an adrenalin rush it makes you clamp your tongue to the roof of your mouth (to stop you choking during fight or flight scenario) It causes all the muscles in the area to become tense, hence the tight throat and diffucult swallowing.

Once you become aware of where your tongue is and try to relax it maybe the symptoms will become easier.

Hope you feel better soon.

Best of luck

[nomorepanic]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I am a bit better tonight though still on that slightly edgy side and feel on red alert.

I know I have had this for a long time but sometimes it just freaks me and I can't control it.

I had a lot of stresses on NMP a few weeks back and then just had 2 weeks off work with a fractured elbow so I had time to relax and chill so maybe it has all caught up with me :wacko:

I still can't swallow very well but am trying very very hard to ignore it.

The last time I had any tests was over 2.5 years ago (camera down nose) and they didn't find anything but I guess things can change.

I may go and have a chat with the doc anyway - see what he suggests.

Thanks all :hugs:

[kellie]

Hiya nic. i doubt there is anything wrong with ur throat hun but if going to the docs gives you reasurance and relives ur mind then plz do so. deep down you know this is all anx and stress related. you have had to deal with a lot over the last few wks with the chat room and the nasty emails you were getting also any other things you have had to deal with. you have now gone into over drive and worried urself and it is makeing the situation with ur throat worse. I get this a lot and i know how scary it can be, the lump in the throat feeling seems to say with me for wks then will give me a little break then come back again.
Have you tried sucking ice cubes when it is realy bad ? i found this very soothing and the coldness helped my throat muscles to relax some. keep ur tounge away from the roof of ur mouth and dont clench your jaw as im sure you know this will make it worse.
i realy hope this stops for you soon.
love and happiness.
take care.

kellie.xxxxxxxxxx

[hunny_as]

hi Nicola,

I used to get this all the time as well and still do from time to time, is so horried, at the same time i had larrangitus (sorry about the spelling) and i found yourning helpfull, and gargling, i dont know if this is down to the larrangitus thing, but it still helps me when i get this.

Also have you tried fizzy drinks to sip? i used to drink lots of soda water but i used to tack big gupls of it and feel the bubbles going down and feeling that every thing is open and feel fine. just thinking about it i can feel my throut getting tight and my toung sweeling. Hope this can be some help to you.

Glad your feeling a bit better.

Amanda xx ((((((Nicola))))))))

[sheba2]

Hi Nic

Really sorry to hear that you have this horrible problem back again. It was while googling for lump in the throat etc way back at the beginning of the year that I actually found this site so I will in some strange way always be glad for that.

I have this problem a lot most of the time I can control it but it still plays on my mind. The biggest thing I have found to help it is taking an anti acid like rennies. I think when you start swallowing alot you take down alot of air and the saliva unbalances your stomach so you end up with a viscious circle (don't know if there is any medical evidence to back this up) Anyway the sucking of the rennie soaks up the excess saliva and seems to relieve the swallowing. Sipping water does help as does sucking a sweet but as soon as I stop it seems to come back worse. This doesn't happen with the rennies. I have also found that if I'm on the computer a lot my head is tilted back slightly this seems to aggravate the condition. I suppose this is logical really as the muscles in the throat and neck are under strain. I find if I limit my computer use then things relax a bit. (of course I should invest in a proper chair that is adjustable)

don't know if any of this helps but I really hope you are better soon.

[nomorepanic]

I am really struggling tonight :weep: :wacko:

I have been in a heightened anxiety state for 2.5 hours and there seems to be no let up.:scared15:

Alex had to come and get me from work at lunchtime today as I nearly passed out again at work and couldn't drive home in such a state.

I called the GP and said I had to see someone today as it was an emergency and they did get me in at 3.30 to see the only female doc they have that is quite nice.

I explained to her that I am feeling faint all the time and this has aggrevated my panic and anxiety and my throat is really bad.

She said that it sounds like a viral infection and is sending me for blood tests but they won't get the results for a week. Apparently the meds I am on for Chrons can lower the body's immune system so that may be why I have picked up an infection. I have a slightly raised temperature as well.

We talked a bit about the throat and she said that if I still had it bad in a week then she would send me for the camera down throat but I am not so keen on that idea.

Why can't I control this damn thing? I am so scared and constantly gasping for air and gagging cos saliva seems to get stuck when I swallow.

I have tried sipping water but was struggling with that and sucked mints.

I can't believe I cannot control this again after so long of having it and telling others what to do.

Just wanted to moan really as I know that I have to sort this out myself.

I am working from home again tomorrow so I can chill a bit but they don't even know about my history of panic and anxiety so they just think I have this viral infection.

Damn thing :scared10: :wall:

[Cathy V]

I dont know if it helps but quite a few years ago this one one of my anx problems too, and it does sneak back on me from time to time, not very often now, coz if i get it now i just remember what the cpn said to me years ago, that we actually don't swallow that often naturally, so when we focus on it (like everything) we end up kind of 'forcing' the swallows. We only swallow naturally when we have enough saliva in our mouths, then the automatic swallow reflex kicks in. Hence being able to swallow when we drink.

So when we are anxious our mouths are drier than normal yeah? so swallowing becomes a bit harder, and this is what we focus on and it panics us. Try this....don't swallow and see how long it takes for the relex to kick in. might be 5 mins or half an hour it doesnt matter. Not swallowing doesnt mean we cant breathe, theres no connection. the not breathing bit comes with the panic about not swallowing. If your mouth and throat are dry then you'll always get the 'lump in throat' sensation. just have a small sip of liquid, tea or cooffee is ok too, it dont have to be water always.

Hope it helps a bit anyway
Best wishes and hope you feel better soon
Cathy v xxx :flowers:

[pips]

So very sorry your suffering hun. :hugs:

Tis weird I have had this horrid sensation last night and today where I feel like my throats closing over tis so bloody scary.:ohmy: :scared15:

I'm so sorry you are struggling with this mate hopefully the results will come back soon so they can sort things for you.

I sometimes suck a small ice cube I find this eases it a little.

Thinking Of You and I hope youhttp://lc.fdots.com/cc/lc/b6/b6ee2474e91b536a2004189dc8724c91.jpg (http://www.myhotcomments.com/graphics/12734)

Take Good Care keep us posted how you are mate,:flowers:

Lots Love & Get Well Wishes,

Pip's X X X X:bighug1:

[lesleya]

Hi Nic
Sorry your feeling bad. I was given a great tip from my gp as i used to get the same thing years ago...and that was to suck on an ice cube...or crushed ice as pips also suggested
I always have my ice cube tray filled nowadays just in case.
It really helped soothe my throat and calm me at the same time. I even freeze lemonade just to make it taste a little nicer as water can be a bit bland.
I hope if you try it that it works as well for you as it did for me.
Take care
xx

[BRAMBLE]

Hiya nicola

I myself posted on the very same thing earlier..I didnt know what to think really or why i have been like this.
My doctor was not very reassuring.
i also have m.e so didnt know if it was related but perhaps it is anxiety

I can def sympathise with you as it is so scarey.
a am trying antacid at the moment.tried gaviscon to see if it helps but moving on to ZANTAC later.
you can tell i have been afraid as im still wide awake and not slept well a few nights.
it does feel like i will choke.
told my gp this and he said it was acid in my throat and me panicy was making it worse
have you tried antacids??
i have tried sucking on boiled sweets and it helps until the sweet has gone.then i feel the lumps and bumps again
With me i can feel pain in the throat neck area and clicking sound when i swallow..HORRIFIC until we find out whats wrong!!
been told i need a camera down too but that scares me more
i hope you are better soon take care

[nomorepanic]

Thanks everyone for the comments and well wishes and advice.

I took today off work and rested and I feel much better today and managing to control the panic this time even though I still can't swallow.

I just hope I can get over this as quick as it came on!

Thanks again people

[Anxious_gal]

I know this is an old post, but wanted to reply because I found it helpful,
Nicola's description of the fear and panic and being on red alert reminded me a lot of my self when I worry about my throat.
I'm not sure if you still get the throat symptoms but I hope you don't :)
It's an awful sensation to try and stay calm about.