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

Right now I am having the same problem. I have sever Anxiety but I had this feeling for the first time a couple days ago but tonight seems like its worse. Obviously my anxity and panic set in so I did research on different things and the only thing I'm coming up with that makes sense is my anxiety. But I'm reading all of your comments and it has me second guessing. My throat either feels like its clogged with mucus or that i have two fingers pushing down in the middle of my throat. I'm breathing fine my pulse is fine. Everything is fine but this clogged or pushing feeling in my throat is bothering me. I keep thinking I am going into anaphylactic shock. I keep drinking water and it seems to help a little for a few seconds and then its back... Now its starting to have a slight pain. Not bad pain but a very weird dull pain.....
SO ANNOYING!!!!

That's very similar to me. Every one describes the symptoms a little different. I'm going to tell you what's working for me and suggest you try it. I do neck exercises with no sugar/very low sugar contENT foods and low fat /no fat foods diet. I'm staying away from all citric fruits and acidic vegetables. I'm staying away from anything with caffeine. Once in a while is fine, but mostly stay away from it. It has been working. I'm feeling much better. I do not take prilosec or any other acid reducer on a regular basis. I may use tums if needed. My ENT said drugs are not good for you and if I can control my diet it would be better. When you eat dinner, allow 3 hours of digestion before going to bed at night. It's worth doing all these things to alleviate those symtoms. If I eat something that contains higher fat or higher sugar I get that sensation in my throat again so I do know it's related. Good luck and God bless.

You probably don't need a second opinion. Ive seen several docs. It's all in the food we consume. So much garbage is added. I eat USDA organic whenever possible It is reflux. I have the same symptoms. I've had a colonoscopy, an endoscopy and an ENT test. The last test showed reflux. I could see it on the screen. My doc said I could change my diet or try using Prilosec. Prilosec does not help me. I don't use anything. My ENT told me to change my diet. I eat low sugar/no sugar (stay away from aspartame sugar free) and no fat /low fat. Add coconut oil to cooking to lower fat content (don't us on fish) stay away from acidic fruits and vegetables as much as possible. I've changed my entire diet and am feeling so much better. That throat sensation is almost gone. When I eat something I shouldn't, I can feel that lump again so I know it's all related. Please give it a try. I also have a fitbit and try to make sure I get 10,000 steps a day. Good luck and God Bless.

I know it has been a long time, but did the prilosec work?

I have the same problem. It hit me hard one day - felt the pressure on my thyroid, severe headaches and neck pain, and i constantly felt like i had to gag if something as little as my shirt brushed up again my throat (a seatbelt was unbearable). I was diagnosed with Mono (this was 13 months ago at the age of 32). It took about 2 months for the severe tenderness in the base of my throat to go away. I have been back and forth to the doctor bc there is still discomfort and a feeling like someone is pressing on my adams apple all day. Takes about an hour after i wake up for it to begin and it lasts all day along with dull headaches. A couple lymph nodes are still swollen in my throat from the Mono. I have had bloodwork done and a sonogram. Everything is normal - thyroid is fine although i am still terrified this might be thyroid cancer. The Dr. pretty much told me it's probably stress and i might have to live with this forever.

I'm having the same problem and I have a mild autism and anxiety problems I have attacks almost everyday and I'm only 21 year old female and I'm getting my thyroid looked at next week Dec 6th and I'm scared to death about it. I even used over the counter medication to help with mine, but I still get the feeling someone Is choking me and my throat tightens up and I can't breathe or eat or nothing. I've been living with this all my life and nothing seems to help not even my doctor that I'm seeing now doesn't have a clue and it concerns me, i know how everyone feels with the choking in the throat it's a long and hard road and painful alot of people suffer with it and can or cannot over come it....Honestly being this young in my life I don't want it to be cut short because of my anxiety and my thyroid and I'm hoping some of you can relate to this....I'm open to suggestions on how to fight this anxiety.

Do you eat fruit in the mornings or during the day? I had the same problem and it was really panicking me. I went to an allergist and they said I had an allergy called Oral Allergy Syndrome which is a cross reaction between a protein in some fruits and veg (avocado, strawberries, apples, pears, carrots, apricots) called Profilin which is similar in structure to Birch and Grass Pollens (I suffer from hay fever, do you too?). On cooking these, the Profiling protein is denatured and is no longer recognised by the bodies immune system as "pollen" and does not cause symptoms such as a closing threat. By altering my diet over the last year (which has been a pain in the arse may I add) my symptoms have massively improved. This post I hope will help you too. All the best Stu.

I don't want to scare any of you, but my Dad passed away 4 years ago from esophageal cancer. He'd had a liver transplant 11 years prior, & had acid reflux as a result of the surgery. He took prescription meds every day of his life post transplant to try to control the reflux, but according to his oncologist esophageal cancer can be attributed long standing reflux.

His symptoms were a feeling that his throat was becoming swollen or smaller. He often slept in his recliner because when he lay down he felt like he was being choked. As time went on he started feeling the need to clear his throat very often, which eventually moved into a frequent cough. He said he felt like he had a frog in his throat. Toward the end he was having trouble swallowing food. The scary part & the thing that pisses me off the MOST, is that he went to regular check ups with his Dr & complained about this regularly. He was told that it was anxiety & was given antidepressants. The Dr didn't take him seriously & didn't investigate it further. It wasn't until he was in stage 4 & had lost almost 100 lbs due to not being able to swallow that the Dr decided it was time to run tests.

His oncologist said that it is extremely common not to get a diagnosis until you are in the later stages of esophageal cancer, but sadly your greatest hope of beating it & surviving it is if it is caught early. Do not take your symptoms lightly & do not allow your DR's to take it lightly either - especially if you smoke, drink heavily, or have acid reflux, or some combination of all of these. If anybody in your close family has had esophageal cancer, you need to take this even more serious because it increases your odds. Get a referral for an endoscopy (scope of the throat). If they find anything they will biopsy it, & there may be more tests involved later. The thing is, you want to catch this EARLY!!!!! 

On the other hand, my best friend was having the same issue, went to urgent care in the middle of the night a few times because she was frightened by not being able to breath while laying down. It took a year before she found out that she had a goiter. She didn't have insurance & couldn't afford to get it removed, so would go in periodically to have the fluid removed with a needle. Finally, after 5 years of living with it, & it enlarging, she was approved for free surgery at a teaching hospital.

I genuinely doubt that it's anxiety making you feel this way. FInd a competent Dr who will take you seriously. This could be very serious!

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Hi I've had this for a few months now been to the doc took blood checked thyroid said it was fine I still have it ,I can't sleep it feels like someone has their hands around my throat I'm changin my GP surgery I'm goin to try get this sorted it's so hard to explain I'm goin to ask for a scan I also have gas comin up my throat sometimes .

Dear Mum, I have 5 kids so I have already gone through that stage. When we are anxious it seems as if the child can feel it from us. I notice when I anticipate the bad behavior I live thtough it twice. When I imagine it will happen and if it foes happen. The best thing to do is live in our moments. Discipline and hug and lots of love. But do not anticipate what could happen just live in what does happen. Hope this helps. P. S. Lots of praying for strength went on. Now my kids are fantastic and tell me they feel safe and loved. They are now 18-22.

im 15 also and i have the same symptoms... if you ever find out what is triggering this please lmk bc i have been going to the hospital and doctors and they said it was asthma but ive been using my pump and i still feel like im suffocating. they are testing me to see if i have heart disease rn so if you find anything that has helped you plz lmk. thanks :)

I'm going through the same thing. My throat constantly feels like it's slightly swollen (some days worse than others) and it'svery sensitive to have anything touch it or be near it. I had this back in 2012 but it went away after 7 weeks on its own. I'm now on 7 months. Had every blood test you can think of done, went to the e.r., EKG and chest x-rays. I also just had an endoscopy done two days ago and everything comes back normal. No GERD or acid reflux detected. My next step is to see an ENT doctor but I've been doing a lot of research on my own and have found a few possible reasons (check them out)!
1. Esophageal spasms
2. Nutcracker or Jackhammer Esophagus
3. Achalasia

I hope this helps! Unfortunately, the earliest the ENT can get me in is April 10th so I'm curious to see what he has to say, as no one else has been able to provide me with an answer or any relief :(

You're not alone! I'm only 33 (this started when I was 28/29). It's frustrating when you feel so miserable and no one can find anything wrong with you. I've been through a lot of tests; blood tests, x-rays, EKG, endoscopy and everything comes back clear.
I've been doing my own research and found a few possibilities...check them out! I'm seeing an ENT doctor next month to check for these.
1. Esophageal spasms
2. Nutcracker or Jackhammer esophagus
3. Achalasia

Hope this helps!

CURE! Hi guys, i've been suffering from this thing for several weeks now. It is really one of the worst things that have happened to me in my entire life. I have the sensation of pressure, like a hand pressing my throat. I've already had attacks wich I couldn't swallow properly, just air. In my case it works like a clock, starts every day after de sunset, and keeps getting worse at night. When a lay down, it gets even a bigger problem. It is terrible to sleep. But, since day 1 decided to take car of myself, so started diet, i've gone to docs, took medication. But, with the aid of some posts here, i've found about the Canola oil, then, somehow, it led me to question it, and also about Celiac disease, but I wont prolongate it further. The fact is, after a cut the oils and butter, and gluten also,It went gone :) So, i think the secret is in the diet. Must be some kind of reaction to food. Adding, I also drank ginger tea every night, a lemon mixed with 200 ml water. This has done for me. Good luck guys, this thing is not from God, I hope you recover from this. I've asked God and he blessed me.

You most likely have acid reflux. I have the same thing and that is what I have been diagnosed with. You will need to watch what you eat. Start with a low fat and low sugar diet. You can also do some exercises with raising your shoulders up to your ears and holding that position for 5 seconds. Do this about for about 5 reps 3 x a day as turning your head to the right as far as you can and holding that position, same with the left side and holding that position. These exercises seem to help with that tightness in your throat sensation.