Feeling like throat closing up

please help me i have the same problem

 

hi all, I have had the same thing as you all for nearly 2 years now. Let me tell you, it is called 'Cricopharyngael spasms'. It's caused by stress and means all the muscles in your neck are constricted and it feels like you're choking or your throat is closing. The key is to relax your throat, as hard as that is. Sometimes tensing those muscles more and then making those muscles relax helps. Pressing the area between your top lip and nose helps. Taking magnesium relieves it a little. Going to my chiropractor has helped a lot, she has focused on that part of the neck. Hormones seem to play a part in the intensity of it and that time of month, in my experience. Turning your neck and massaging the long muscles that protrude helps to relieve it. I was told by an ENT that this will go away if I just relax, that was a couple years ago, but it is getting easier, and I have learnt to control it and not allow myself to have a panic attack with it. Do some research! To be educated helps you to control it. It will eventually go away I am told. And try and relax and reduce stress in your life! Stay well and God bless.

Hi, I have been having similar symptoms to the rest of you and I have gotten it mostly under control so I will share some of what has helped me. First off, I am assuming most of you have a bad case of acid reflux or GERD with some excess mucus that may be making your throat even worse. For me it always acts up when I eat a large meal or after overexerting myself exercising (and I used to get this at night where I have trouble breathing but that is gone). What I think a lot of you are experiencing is also an anxiety or panic attack induced by your throat closing (trouble breathing even though you can breathe through your nose, sweaty, feeling hot, heart racing, tingling feeling in your extremeties, face, and/or stomach area).

First off, panic attacks can be staved off with slow deep breaths through your nose. Breathe with your stomach and not your chest (stomach should rise and fall, not your chest) and using a hand on your stomach can help. Do this until the feeling goes away. You may want to start drinking chamomile and/or green tea a couple times a day to help calm yourself.

As far as the GERD, when you have your throat starting to get restricted drinking a cup of very warm (not hot) water can loosen up the muscle in your throat. That always helps me. Also, take an antacid at night before you sleep to help stave off acid (if you can take it). I also prop my bed up (headboard side) about 6 inches with bricks (you can use a wedge).

As far as the excess mucus, if you have allergies you should take antihistamines daily (at least when they act up). You might also want to use a nasal rinse that clears out the mucus in your throat. If even that isn't enough you can try mucinex as well.

I know this is a lot but all of this really has helped me keep this problem mostly under control. And I stopped having problems at night that first night after I propped my bed up. Hope this helps.

What you described is similar to what I have while eating.  

When I eat certain things my throat closes up for about 30 seconds or so. If I do not swallow food for a minute or so my throat relaxes again and I can keep eating. Sometimes it even triggers me to throw up. 

For me, it is caused by an anaphylactic reaction to corn. This is especially pronounced when it is cornstarch or corn syrup because these forms are in their predigested states and they rapidly go to the bloodstream to trigger the reaction. So, my wife and I are very careful to read the labels on items such as cereal. 

I am also allergic to other items such as Soy and Brazil nuts. The common thread in all of my allergins is that they all are high in lecithin.

I just got that last night,felt like I was dying, my heart racing, and nausea, and shortness of breath, my throat had closed up off and on, as I was asleep, and it woke me up, and I could not swallow, felt like there was a lump there, and spitty. I notice this if i eat american cheese, or anything with milk, or fatty food like roast beef take out.   I sleep n 3 pillows, but that is not high enough. My Prilosec is doing nothing, and my Gerd is horrible especially at night. I think I have to take another one at night, but it makes me dizzy, and then you are supposed toeat something, or I get sick.  i dranks some water, helped very little, felt like I could not clear my throat, even today, still there, I may have a small cold, I have allergy asthma, and allergies to food, and meds, so I don't take anything, but tylenol, or my Prilosec.  Have had scans, GI, Colonoscopy, scope for the throat, ect, all showed, the Gerd, 5 Gall Stones, Hiatal Hernia, and Thalsemia anemia, which makes you have shortness of breath, I was taking B12 Cyanacbalamin, shots, allergic to the cobalt in the shot so after years since I was very young,I am 65 now, look 35, because I am small, and take care of myself and good genes, don't smoke or drink, or eat spicey, or any msg foods, or smoked anything, or sauces,but I could not get the shot anymore, so the pills are awful, make me sick, and I cannot take them. Don't know what to do, I am only 91 lbs, and small, and I cannot heat, because of this, and have bad IBS,C but this is scary, as I felt like it is post nasal, and causing the throat to close up, the reflex of it is terrible, and it does make you panic, yes, with attacks, because of this, or we would all be fine. Praying for us all, hope these things everyone said work for all. Potato chips can do it too, because of the oil, and I love my Lays,Plain, Chips, but no more, at night, if it is because of this, and the chocolate.  Chamomile tea sounds good, as long as it does not make me drowsy, or get acid, as I cannot have tea coffee, or hot cocoa, I have to have boring warm water and sugar...

sounds like OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). For sometimes unknown reasons, the airway becomes blocked during sleep and causes the body to react and reposition to breathe. You should see a sleep specialist and have a sleep study done for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Lenag925 wrote:

pippamerlin wrote:

for a couple of years i have had like a tightening in my chest as i try to go to sleep - then i started waking up and i wasnt breathing, i could taste what i thought was sick at the back of my throat and i am gasping for breath, it feels like my throat has closed but after a few gasps i start breathing again - now twice i have woken up with pains across my chest and back and when i sit up i feel as if i am going to pass out i feel very hot and am sweating and my legs are wobbley, the second time it happened i felt sick as well - i am very scared to go to sleep - i had an ecg which showed my heart was ok so what can this be - i was given tablets to stop my stomach making acid but its happened again - my husband has said i now snore alot maybe this has something to do with it ? i am a young 42 yr old female - could it be 'the change'

sounds like OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). For sometimes unknown reasons, the airway becomes blocked during sleep and causes the body to react and reposition to breathe. You should see a sleep specialist and have a sleep study done for proper diagnosis and treatment.

I have this too for years. I take Prilosec, for the acid, which helps very little, and the waking up gasping is anxiety, could also be the change especially if your heart races. and that feeling is awful I know if you feel like you cannot breathe, really scary,yes the chest and back hurts when this happens as you cannot get get enough air in there, the muscle in the throat contracts and causes this to feel closing on you, you have to drink something right away, and it stops it, also, allergies do it too. My daughter and father get it too and hearts are ok. Hope you feel better, don't watch anything sad or scary before bedtime, and don't eat heavy as gas can get up high in the chest area and make it hard to breathe too. Hope you feel better. I have gall stones 5 of them so that does it too but the throat closing really freaks you out, I think if you snore, that does it too, my brother in law does this too, and gasps for air which he wakes up. If this was sleep apnea, doctors would have told you as my friends boyfriend has this and the machine to breathe and wake him up. Good Luck, god Bless hope it goes away for you. Ginger

last yaer when i was at a self defence class for girls at my summer camp we were working on getting out of choke holds and the person i was working with got a little silly with the fake choke hold and pressed my throat a little too hard. after the lesson my throat felt strange so i drank like to bottles full of water but it still felt the same. we went to our family doctor and he thought mabye it inflammed my tyhroid and caused it to press up aganist my throat which is what the feeling in my throat felt like. we went and got an ultrasound of my thyroid but it was completely normal in size. Now, everyonce and a while i get that feeling again and when i start to laugh, if i laugh too hard it feels like my throat closes up and i go into a state of wheezing and not breathing until i can get myself to stop laughing. Does anyone know what might caused this because i am 14 and my doctor doesn't know what it is. I have also had thyroid problems in the past with abnormal levels.

Check if there is any trace of mold in your accommodation. Have you had a plumbing problem in your home, or a leak which dampened a room. Mold can cause pretty serious upper respiratory irritation. If you have any mold in your home address it and have it cleaned. Certain Molds can be more serious. Other molds can cause some throat irritation

i Have This Same Problem ! and My Kness Often Hurt /

butterflygrl wrote:

I have been through all of that and after 5 years am finally finding out I have sleep apnea - go for a sleep test - you are having the same problem I am. Good luck.  ***this post is edited by moderator *** ***
private e-mails not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use

its not really as scary as it is just annoying this is the first night its EVER happened to me and my mom is a nurse so if i get the chance ill let you guys know what she says

Have you checked for allergies to pets?

This sounds like what I have. I do have post nasal drip. Hmmmm...

My throat used to do that before my doctor told me I was diabetic. High blood sugar will make your throat close up.