pressure in my throat feels like I'm suffocating or my throat is closing.

Hi,

I have the same kind of feeling with my throat...i got CT scan done, ultrasound of the neck but all seems fine. I have consulted 4 doctors and the last one said that its a psychological problem called Hypoventilation Syndrome and to consult a psychiatrist.

For all those people supposedly suffering from LPR, I wanted to throw out something for consideration.

 

A year ago, after a very difficult and painful surgery which taxed my immune system, I suddenly suffered from a chronically tight throat with a feeling of suffocation at nighttime. I kept clearing my throat, hacking, coughing; I could feel spasming in my throat, difficulty breathing, and there was a constant feeling of something being stuck in there. I went to a gastro doctor who scoped me, and he discovered a rash all over my esophagus and inner stomach, as well as a very enlarged larynx and swollen vocal cords. He promptly diagnosed it as LPR/ acid reflux/ GERD and gave me a PPI prescription.

 

I never had acid reflux in my life; in fact, I used to always joke that I had a "stomach of steel." It was a shock. Dutifully, I took my PPI meds, enduring terrible side effects with very little reduction of my tight throat/ suffocating feeling. Something didn't seem right, so I started questioning the diagnosis and doing my own investigation. I noticed that, curiously, my throat got worse after eating certain foods. So I was starting to wonder if it was a food allergy of some kind. Yet, the scoping doctor had taken samples of my stomach and esophagus and sent them to the lab for allergy testing and all the tests came back negative for allergies.

 

Still, the acid reflux/ LPR diagnosis seemed odd. And the symptoms wouldn't really get much better with the PPIs. I started doing elimination diets only to discover that I got severe stomach and abdominal pain, and an extremely tight throat, within a day after consuming CANOLA oil--a man-made, genetically modified, highly processed oil that is in virtually all processed food and restaurant fare in the USA.

 

So I eliminated all foods made with canola oil. Miraculously, my “LPR” cleared up within a week after this change in diet. I was literally symptom-free and could breathe normally and sleep again. I also learned that the reason this allergy doesn't show up in lab tests is because canola oil doesn't have any protein in it--which is what allergy tests are sensitive to.

 

I offer this information to all of you who have suffered from chronic LPR symptoms and throat tightness, without any recourse. Friends, this country’s food supply is killing us. (Even the vast majority of olive oil is adulterated with other oils--just Google “fake olive oil”). By being very careful about what we eat, I think we can heal ourselves better than any doctors or PPI meds can do.

hi im michael for some time now i have had the same, went to my doctor today for help i was treated like a m***n i couldnt breathe in the shower last week gasping for air same thing cant be happening.

I have this as well.  I do have allergies, but none to food.  I have had throat cultures, my tonsils removed and scans done.   I also had my thyroid checked.  They don't know what it is.  I had a doctor in the ER tell me she didn't know what it was and I got up and walked out.  To tell you the truth, I think it is caused by stress.  My job is stressful and I'm always on call.  I have noticed when I get more stressed out than usual, the side of my head will hurt and my ear seems clogged.  I have gone to 2 ENT's.  I believe now that a lot of it is stress.

I have had this off and on, as well. I started Yoga three days a week to see if that could alleviate it. This was after I had all the tests done. I had my thyroid checked, my lymph glands were looked at through ultrasound, blood tests, saw an ENT who looked down my throat twice, and even went to two oncologists to rule out any cancers. Finally came to the conclusion that is was a soft tissue and muscle problem. Apparently I am beginning to develop arthritis in my upper back, and if I didn't start exercising to strengthen my muscles in that area, they wouldn't be able to support my neck.

Your head is very heavy, compared to the rest of your body, and there are so many inner muscles lying under your heavier outer shoulder muscles, that you may not notice the strain they are under. Physical therapy, exercise, massage therapy, and plenty of water alleviates the feeling.

 

Make sure you check for everything you might suspect it to be, and if you receive no relief and there's nothing found, consider it a muscle problem. When I'm stressed it's worse. I hope you all get relief. There are also ways of massaging your own back with a semi-soft rubber ball, while lying on the floor. There are things you can do without much money, as most insurance doesn't cover some of these things. Good luck everyone! 

I have been dealing with the same issue. I went to my chiropractor and my symptoms have eased up dramatically. I suggest to see an excellent chiropractor! It helped me after years of dealing with this issue!

Hi folks...same here, for the last 2 weeks have had this gagging feeling near the Adam's Apple, underneath it to be specific... sometimes feel like Im gonna choke... but it's not a sore throat, I havn't had a cold or flu in years! I am the anxious type but this is driving me nuts and worrying me too. I sleep well enough and wake up fine, but about 2 hours or so later, it's there again, like I have this lump in my throat. Seeing the Dr later this week... I'm thinking possible thyroid but it's not "sore" as such, just uncomfortable and a bit worrying. And there is no physical signs of a lump or swelling that I can tell. I do get some relief when it's bad from pressing gently under the Adam's apple which makes me burp, seems to relieve some pressure... anyone else get this??? 

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I hate this constant gagging feeling!!!

My friend that is very interesting... and I'm hoping to hell you just provided me with the answer. It's winter here in Oz and my mum hates trying to spread rock hard butter (real butter is what we usually prefer to use) over toast or bread... and about two weeks ago, she switched us all over to CANOLA OIL/butter mix!!! I am so hoping you have enlightened me on this problem... the throat thing is really disturbing my peace. :) Thank you so much man, much good karma heading your way :)

I have been realizing since last one week that I get a tightness feelings from Adam apple to the lower neckline while sleeping on my back. As if the portion of the neck is swollen and something is sticking in it. I have a gold chain which I started to feel strangling my throat at night. But even after I removed it, the same feelings remains in my throat. It is very annoying and disturbing. But when I am not sleeping on my back the feelings a bit subsides. I am much worried. Hope God will cure all of us.............!!!

Hi everyone on this excellent site :). I wrote the two above comments about a week ago after reading another person suffering with "Globus Pharygeous" - anxiety disorder yeah yeah yeah, you've all heard or been diagnosed with this... haha when your Dr's expensive tests all find nothing! LOL). Anyway, I took the advice and self-descoveries of the gentleman who himself had exact same symptoms (which I replied to above) of closing throat/feeling of a lump etc etc... yep, CANOLA OIL!!!. Well guess what, like he said, 7 days later, ALL of my symptoms GONE too, feel normal again, throat is back to normal... it was definately the CANOLA OIL in the butter my mum changed us all to... and I love butter, back to the REAL stuff :) ...anyway, check with your Dr's folks just in case, but definately for me as with the other gentleman, the culprit was CANOLA OIL... gotta love GM ... NOT! :( Hey, thanks for this excellent site and the great forum pages... I hope my story helps a few folks... Jason E. God Bless everyone.

hi there, i am kunal from india, and i am feeling same as you while sleeping feel like pressure on my throat and when my backside and waist is pressed i feel same like suffocation, i had acid reflux issue before so it could be one of it.

what is wrong with acid reflux that it burn your muscle and make you weak so when you sleep your backside is pressed and as same as your internal organ is getting presure like lungs and cant get enough space to breath, same for throat. you need to improve your muscle mass if you look like skinny fat.

i was skinny fat and was only 53kg of weight.. just start doing exercise make your body strong, healthy diet, thats what i am doing now.

HAVE YOU TRIED AN ENT FOR ADVICE? I HAVE SLEEP APNEA AND SINUS ISSUES WHICH MAKE MY SYMPTOMS VERY CLOSE TO YOURS. I CAN'T BREATH OUT OF MY NOSE AT NIGHT AND BREATH OUT OF MY MOUTH WHICH MAKES IT FEEL DRY AND LIKE IT'S CLOSING. I ALSO FEEL LIKE SOMETHING IS STUCK IN MY THROAT AND IT'S SWOLLEN. I DID HAVE A ULTRASOUND WITH CONTRAST WHICH MEANS A DYE WAS INJECTED TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND ALL THEY FOUND WAS A SWOLLEN GLAND, THOUGH THEY SAID IT WASN'T LARGE ENOUGH TO BE CONCERNED. I HAVE BEEN PRESCRIBED STEROIDS AND ZYRTEC BUT SO FAR NOTHING HAS HELPED. ALLERGIES COULD BE THE REASON, SLEEP APNEA, DEVIATED CEPTUM, SINUS ISSUES, OR ANOTHER PROBLEM NEITHER OF US KNOW ABOUT. I WISH YOU LUCK, JUST KEEP INSISTING THEY HELP YOU AND DO NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER, YOU PAY THEM. DOCTORS FORGET THAT

This is crazy, but I have the exact same problem as you do. I went to an ENT doctor and he told me to gargle with warm salt water. I asked him to do an Ultrasound of my neck because I have a lump. He said, and I quote..."the ultrasound is only going to confirm that you do have a lump". I asked if there was some other test he could do and he said not really. Told me to gargle for a couple of months and let him know how I feel. I plan on getting a second opinion.

i have been experiencing this same thing and i have realised all this is related to hypertension issues.
i have been to many doctors who only know about drugs and not the body is a true holistic scientific sense.
jenn you have described these symptoms better than me and i curently attribute it to gum disease as their as been a causal connection. i suggest checking your gums or any absessed teeth and get your nutrition up as a temporary gauge to resolve this thing. i am also a christian, so i have to also believe prayer and doing your cross at night will assist to keep these demons at bay. nico

I too had this problem and was told it was due to acid reflux! Was told to take Prilosec for 8 weeks and after 3 weeks that feeling is pretty much gone now!