Throat closing up & not breathing

[peaches1982]

Hi everyone I am having a problem with my throat feeling like it is closing up and then I panic because it feels like I am not breathing.  It used to just happen sometimes and now it happens everytime I lay down to go to sleep.  Today I was in walmart and it happend  it really scared me.  My mom and dad told me it is from stress, but right now I dont feel all that stressed.  I was wandering if someone could tell me why this is happening or does it happen to anyone else.  Thanks

[CornDiggity660]

Im relieved to see all of this feedback on this same "irrational" thought/symptom.  Ive been on paxil for going on around 10 years.  Had attacks before but not as severe as they are now.  Just recently i started with the fear of the throat closing and then comes the attack. Went to the ER Friday of last week for it and now im almost anticipating an attack all the time.  Anytime i have any scratchiness or the feeling of not being able to breathe, i almost immediately panic.  I know you have to tell yourself that its not actually closing and everything is fine, but in the midst of an attack or racing thoughts, feels damn near impossible.  Almost feels like my tongue is somewhat swelling and making it real hard to breathe, but when im not focusing on this, it has never happen.  Never in my life has my throat closed from anything and i know its not going to happen.  I have no allergies except for the very, very occasional seasonal attack.  Does anyone have any idea on ways to cope with this? Just the rational talk helps tremendously.

[Dcnative123]

Hi

Ive been having the feeling that my throat is closing up and I feel like im short of breath at the same time. I also feeling like my lung numbs up. Been having 24/7 migraines, dizziness, muscle spasms, and neck strain. What scares me the worse is that I feel like air circulation and blood flow is beefing cut of from my head. So depressing.

[pattieann888]

My son is suffering greatly when he lies down to go to sleep his throat closes, this has been going on for several years, we've been to more docters than we can count , sleep studies, throat scopes, etc my son is in a desperate situation, the Dr.s have different opinions, everything from vocal chord dysfunction, tone of the tissues flapping above the voice box, acid reflux, sleep apnea, tongue enlarged, anxiety, soft palate reduction, uvula trimming,no two Dr.s concur, my son is ready tro try anything including surgery to his soft palate, and by profession he is a singer, if anyone knows of a specialist that they can recommend, or has any success with this problem please, e-mail me at ***@****    Thank-You & God Bless You

[Quills2feathers]

                                                                        (HOME PAGE)
CAN'T BREATHE? SUSPECT VOCAL CORD DYSFUNCTION!

by Carol Sidofsky

Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD) is a hidden, yet common, usually unsuspected condition of throat closure &/or choking sensation that can strike any age, can cause sudden, severe episodes (attacks) ofbreathing difficulty, sometimes with wheezing (whistling or sighing sounds) &/or stridor (harsh, high pitched, ‘windy’ gasping sounds). In the Emergency Room (ER), VCD is usually misdiagnosed as being difficult (refractory, or brittle) asthma, anaphylaxis (severe, life threatening allergic reaction), or hysteria (all in one’s head).
VCD can feel like straining to breathe through a straw. Some cannot get any air in (or out) at all. Panic and fear of dying from feeling that one isn’t getting in enough air, often causes repeated ER visits or hospitalizations. 

The "throat" closure actually occurs inside the voice box (larynx), (behind the "Adam's apple") when the vocal cords go into a "closing-up" spasm.  (See drawing on web-page 1).

VCD attacks can happen at any time, including at night, while sleeping, or, at rest, when exercising, during or after meals, etc.

A VCD patient can have one, several, or even many causes of VCD.

Many doctors, nurses and ER personnel have not yet heard about VCD, even though VCD is common. Although there are many journal articles in the medical literature about VCD, few medical text books even mention VCD, even though VCD has probably existed since time immemorial --like from volcanoes, dust storms, forest fires, "silent" gastric reflux (without heartburn), other medical conditions, etc. 

VCD was seen to exist, back in the 1800's (mistakenly caused hysteria), was written about in medical literature in the 1970's, and later, VCD was studied extensively by Nat'l Jewish Medical & Research Center in Denver, CO in the 1980's to the present/2012. Much confusion existed and still does, from the many different names given to VCD, and from the multi-factorial (many possible causes) nature of VCD. 

Misdiagnosis of VCD as asthma--when the person doesn't have asthma at all--or, has only mild to moderate asthma-- has resulted in many VCD patients unnecessarily taking steroids &/or bronchodilators for years, and even decades, before finally getting correctly diagnosed with VCD.

Also, VCD attacks can happen alone, or along with, some life-threatening conditions. Some of these life-threatening conditions may have symptoms that "mimic" (seem similar to) VCD. Some examples are: severe asthma, severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), collapsed lung(s), pulmonary embolism, actual choking, something obstructing or narrowing parts of the airway, spasms of the diaphragm muscle, etc. 

And, (after the patient is saved by Emergency Room doctors), some of these life-threatening conditions, may even cause VCD attacks. One example of this, is pediatric gastric reflux. 

VCD attacks, themselves, can sometimes be life threatening (see webpage 2). And, please see NOTE!!! below:


NOTE!!!: To learn HOW TO STOP VCD ATTACKS, please click onwebPAGE 4. See "VCD attack SURVIVAL GUIDE" on webPAGE 4.To learn HOW TO PREVENT FUTURE VCD ATTACKS, please click onwebPAGE 5 (and web-page 3).
You are now on the HOME PAGE of this website. You can easily get toany of the other 11 web-pages, by "clicking" the mouse pointer/arrow on top of any web-page description you see in theOUTLINE. Or, you can click on top of a web-page number (& the'links' web-page) at the very end/bottom of this home-page.(On most web-pages, you can also click on the silver "back" and "next" buttons.) To see what web-page you are on, look at upper right corner, or bottom, of the web-page. When printed out, each webpage is several pages long. This website has a total of 12 web pages. 

I made this website in the spring of 2001, and I continue to update it (2012). 


OUTLINE of webpages:


1. What exactly is Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD)? How is VCD different from laryngospasm?

2. List of some SIGNS (physical, objective--seen, etc. by others) andSYMPTOMS (subjective--experienced by patient) that occur during VCD attacks (and between attacks):

3. How to recognize and accurately diagnose VCD:

4. How can VCD patients and medical people quickly control and treat VCD (stop each attack), during and between attacks? (includes"VCD attack SURVIVAL GUIDE"). Also listed are some life-threatening VCD "mimics" (that have symptoms similar to VCD).

5. What are some causes of VCD, triggers of VCD, aggravators of VCD (that make VCD worse), and associated conditions that may pre-dispose people to develop VCD? (All are mixed together on this webpage 5, since it's sometimes hard to tell them apart).

6. Can VCD be prevented or cured?

7. What medical centers, etc., know a lot about VCD? This includes National Jewish Medical & Research Center, in Denver, Colorado.

8. What VCD Conferences are available in 2012, for medical professionals and allied health professionals? I update this webpage 8, as I learn about upcoming medical conferences.

9. References: medical journal articles, books, internet web links, personal communication with physicians & speech pathologists & VCD patients, and others. Also please click on the "links webpage" below, for more references.

10. VCD support for patients, family, friends, medical people & others. ALSO, tips (ideas & suggestions) that may help cure VCD (ask doctor first):
APPENDIX A: Some SINUS TIPS;
APPENDIX B: Some GASTRIC REFLUX TIPS for adults & children;
APPENDIX C: Some PEDIATRIC REFLUX TIPS for infants with colic, reflux, etc.
APPENDIX D: Some ERGONOMICS TIPS (body position when using computer, driving, etc.)
APPENDIX E: (added in 2007): Some GLUTEN-FREE (g-f) EATING TIPS (plus how to temporarily avoid milk proteins, corn proteins, soyproteins, etc.) 
APPENDIX F: (added in 2007): Some TOTAL DIARY TIPS (keep daily journal for at least a week. Includes doing "scavenger hunt" using webpage 5, to help add to "total diary")


LINKS webpage:  References: internet web links. (Also see webpage 9.)
DISCLAIMER: The information in this website is not intended to diagnose you. Call (911 or 0, etc.) for an ambulance, or go to an Emergency Room, IMMEDIATELY, for any breathing problems! Then, please see web-page 4, for "VCD Attack SURVIVAL GUIDE". 

[AnxietyGirl2012]

I've also had the same feeling, the night i had one of my worst attack's. I was sitting out the front getting some fresh air, my whole body started to tingle (pins & needles) i looked at my boyfriend and said i cant breathe properly i feel like my throat is closing up, please help me! I was so stressed and scared i just cried begging for help. We went to the hospital, sat down to wait and that was it i was getting very distressed because no one was coming to help me, my throat and nose were even tingling i was petrified. Finally the nurse came and got me took my blood pressure and it was a bit high but nothing concerning she instructed me to take deep breaths which at the time i found quiet difficult, within 45 minutes i had started to calm down. I still get the feeling of my throat closing up but now i can remind myself it is just the anxiety and eventually forget about it.

[tinathomas4754]

I been having the same feeling with the closing throat feeling mines started when I was pregnant with my 5th baby when I first felt it. It comes and goes out of no where and Im not even pregnant anymore and I'm still having the same problem it's almost like I can't breath. I think it's like that because of my weight but I could be wrong so im going to the doctor to get some answers you should do the same if not yet.