Need Help--Mouth issues

[Topher7]

Hey everyone. Hope things are good. As you know I come here off and on. Mostly I have been great lately. This past week I woke up with sinus issues. Drainage and all. I also would wake up with a almost "gag" feeling and some nausea. It is like there is a clear, sticky phlem or whatever on the back of my throat. Along with this it causes some excess saliva and sometimes a slip of the tongue. I swallow fine and all and have no problems except things are a little harder with this issue in the back of my throat. It seems when I freak about it my throat tightens and so does the back of my tongue. I have the most precious little daughter now and it freaks me out I may have thre rare bulbar ALS which starts in the mouth and all. Especially with all my twitching issues before that came and went. Anyone else get these crazy feelings. It makes me so scared

[PanickPam]

Hi Topher,

I have a similar situation. I have a great deal of allergies, and get conjested and phlem-y often. When I sit on the subway (which I'm on at least twice a day - NYC) I regularly sit next to someone who is wearing a perfume or lotion that triggers my phlem. I have the gag sensations and the feeling that my throat is too constricted to breathe through (though of course I'm breathing fine). This often makes me go into a panick attack. I sometimes fear that one day I'll "drown" in my own phlem and saliva. Of course this makes my throat tighten up even more and the fear to grow worse. I take sudafed nearly every day - which has the side-effect of increasing anxiety!

[Topher7]

Well I went and saw my neurologist....3rd time this year and she is more like a counselor to me now. She did a gag relex test and checked my tongue and assures me I don't have ALS or whatever I dream up and that talking it out with someone and maybe meds later might help. I don't think it is bad enough for meds yet but I do need to talk. This weekend, despite her confirmations I was getting hoarse with the nasal drip and my tongue kept hitting my sharp teeth...dry mouth...and I started wondering if she saw everything. That right there is hypochondria. I have to think that what she sai dwas right and move forward. Anybody else have mouth issues?

[Topher7]

It usually just goes. It isn't a constant. Its like one week a month. This time I talked to the doc some more about neurology and realized I was fine. I just need to stop it from entering. I need to stay off the internet!!!!

[suzi-q]

How did you overcome this heightened anxiety before?  Well, do it again!  The more you focus, the worse it will get.  Lately, I have been waking up with terrible anxiety (shakiness inside and nausea) worse than normal...It is all a cycle.  I try not to think about it and do my regular morning routine KNOWING it will get better. Self talk is the answer.  

[Topher7]

Sorry to bother people again but my anxiety went into high gear again. After I wrote you guys I became obsessed with my tongue and the drip. I did tongue strength exercises all day. Of course this made things sore and all. I really will catch my self trying to speak clearer thinking something is wrong. The gunk in my throat actually makes me gag when I wake up in the morning. My regular doc said it is probably post nasal drip and I've also read acid reflux could cause some of these things. However I am freaked about ALS or something else. This morning I woke up and went into complete panic mode. My legs, jaw and whole body was shaking. I need this to stop.

[Topher7]

Thanks guys. I think I know that it is simple but once the attack hits it makes it so much worse that the saliva seems to double, you seem to swallow harder and the neck becomes tight. Just to follow up, this past Saturday my heart went out of rhytm again and I had to go to the emergency room. They sent me home after checking me out and said to wait 24 hours. In the 4 times it has done this I usually need it shocked back...no danger really, just a pain...this time it went back on its own and my cardiologist said I'm really healthy. Si I think having that happen and then looking at my little girl made me freak even more about death and bad things.

[suzi-q]

I remember that you have been checked for ALS quite a while ago.  I wouldn't let it be a second thought. It is definitely related to your anxiety...you know how that works.  My sinuses bother me this time of the year also and I get that phlem stuff also in the back of my throat.  It is nothing.  Don't worry about it.

[sugarpea013]

Yep definately. There is a medical term for it. I think it's glubular hysterica or something like that. Sounds horrible but it really just FEELS horrible. There is a layer of muscle that lays across the throat and the tongue itself is a muscle. When you are stressed or in a constant state of worry we tend to tense up these muscles. And just like every muscle in our body if a muscle is strained it gets tight and can feel swollen. I actually freaked out really bad one night and thought my tongue was swelling up. Of course freaking out only made it worse. You'll be okay. :-)