What causes gagging or dry heaving?

[Rs2win18]

I seem to suffer from gagging attacks, and sometimes start to dry heave and/or choke and cough. It's not usually accompinied by nausea but maybe once in awhile it can be, it's mostly just on it's on it's own. I usually worry about my breathing when I start to feel it coming and can feel myself very tense. It happens most when I feel pressured or nervous or when I have to go somewhere I'm worried about going. I have had Panic attacks with some OCD symptoms before but did very well with treatment. Now these seem to be more limited symptoms but very intense and I don't seem to be able to stop it. It doesn't feel like a panic attack, but more just something causes me to gag or dry heave. I was wondering are those symptoms of anxiety or should I seek another diagnosis, it doesn't seem to be listed in almost any book or information I've seen on Panic/Anxiety. Also is there something could cause this and if so, is there some type of treatment that could help or stop that gagging? It's very distressing and interfers with me doing things. Thanks in advance for the response.

[Jeff_Kramer]

You fine folks are not alone!  And I am now happy to know that I am not alone!!  I am 40 years old.  I have suffered from the gagging attacks for over 30 years now.  As far back as 2nd grade I can remember having the gagging attacks.  I knew something was terribly wrong, and hard candy always soothed the attacks.  I would literally go to school with pockets full of lemon drops to help me through the day.  As I got older, the gagging attacks became so common and severe at school that I worked myself into an ulcer by the 7th grade.  In high school, the attacks were more severe.  As many of you have already explained, they would happen when I got nervous or excited about something (getting ready to go out, hurrying to get somewhere...)  But the more attacks I had, the more fearful I was, and I would worry about having more attacks.  Soon, I could just worry about having an attack before a certain event, and sure enough, I would have one.  The cycle was vicious.  It became so severe that I was afraid to even leave the house!  By the time I was 16, I was a total wreck.  I knew that the gagging attacks were an acute form of a panic attack and I was worrying so much about them that it was ruining my life.  My family doctor had me go to several psychologists to get over my fears and my new phobia of going out in public.  They were perplexed as to why I would have these attacks way back as a child at 7 yrs. old.  What does a 7 yr. old have to be nervous about or have "panic attacks"?  I realized then that it must be some kind of chemical imbalance which causes them to start, but it was my never ending fear of having them again that brought on the vicious cycle of having them 50 times a day by just worrying about having them!  My family doctor decided to put me on Xanax.  I will tell each and every one of you...XANAX SAVED MY LIFE!!  Almost immediately I began to calm down and not have the constant fear and worrying about my attacks.  I was able to manage them better and gradually lessen the frequency of my attacks.  I still have the gagging attacks to this day, but only on occasions of extreme nervousness or excitedness, or social settings.  I replaced the lemon drops with Life Savers candy.  For 20 years now, I have been on Xanax and Life Savers.  I ALWAYS have Life savers in my pocket at all times.  If I have an attack, it calms me down immediately although temporarily.  But mostly they are a back-up.  Just knowing they are there...just in case, is a tremendous relief.  For my entire life I have never seen or heard of anyone else in the world who has what I have until I found this web page today!  The Xanax works overall.  I still have the gagging attacks but they are few and far between.  I know that they are caused by anxiety because of the situations which bring them on.  Also, if I forget to take a dose or am late in taking a dose, I get fidgety and I have mild attacks...mainly clearing my throat and coughing frequently, until I pop a Life saver in my mouth and all is well again.  I'm sorry to be so long-winded, but this is the first forum I've ever seen on this subject which has affected me for nearly my entire life.  I have accepted the fact that I will always carry Life Savers in my pocket for the rest of my life, and may very well be on Xanax for the rest of my life.  But it is 1000 times better than my life without them.  Your gagging is not an eating disorder, or a physical disorder.  It is your body's reaction to anxiety.  Ask your doctor to try Xanax to help get you over the hump.  It will not make them go away completely, but it will help you better manage the attacks and let you lead a freer life.  I feel like an expert on this condition since I have had it all my life.  If anyone has more questions about this, feel free to email me at ***@****.  I know the feeling of how helpless you may feel and wonder if anyone else has this.  The answer is yes!

[Jeff_Kramer]

You fine folks are not alone!  And I am now happy to know that I am not alone!!  I am 40 years old.  I have suffered from the gagging attacks for over 30 years now.  As far back as 2nd grade I can remember having the gagging attacks.  I knew something was terribly wrong, and hard candy always soothed the attacks.  I would literally go to school with pockets full of lemon drops to help me through the day.  As I got older, the gagging attacks became so common and severe at school that I worked myself into an ulcer by the 7th grade.  In high school, the attacks were more severe.  As many of you have already explained, they would happen when I got nervous or excited about something (getting ready to go out, hurrying to get somewhere...)  But the more attacks I had, the more fearful I was, and I would worry about having more attacks.  Soon, I could just worry about having an attack before a certain event, and sure enough, I would have one.  The cycle was vicious.  It became so severe that I was afraid to even leave the house!  By the time I was 16, I was a total wreck.  I knew that the gagging attacks were an acute form of a panic attack and I was worrying so much about them that it was ruining my life.  My family doctor had me go to several psychologists to get over my fears and my new phobia of going out in public.  They were perplexed as to why I would have these attacks way back as a child at 7 yrs. old.  What does a 7 yr. old have to be nervous about or have "panic attacks"?  I realized then that it must be some kind of chemical imbalance which causes them to start, but it was my never ending fear of having them again that brought on the vicious cycle of having them 50 times a day by just worrying about having them!  My family doctor decided to put me on Xanax.  I will tell each and every one of you...XANAX SAVED MY LIFE!!  Almost immediately I began to calm down and not have the constant fear and worrying about my attacks.  I was able to manage them better and gradually lessen the frequency of my attacks.  I still have the gagging attacks to this day, but only on occasions of extreme nervousness or excitedness, or social settings.  I replaced the lemon drops with Life Savers candy.  For 20 years now, I have been on Xanax and Life Savers.  I ALWAYS have Life savers in my pocket at all times.  If I have an attack, it calms me down immediately although temporarily.  But mostly they are a back-up.  Just knowing they are there...just in case, is a tremendous relief.  For my entire life I have never seen or heard of anyone else in the world who has what I have until I found this web page today!  The Xanax works overall.  I still have the gagging attacks but they are few and far between.  I know that they are caused by anxiety because of the situations which bring them on.  Also, if I forget to take a dose or am late in taking a dose, I get fidgety and I have mild attacks...mainly clearing my throat and coughing frequently, until I pop a Life saver in my mouth and all is well again.  I'm sorry to be so long-winded, but this is the first forum I've ever seen on this subject which has affected me for nearly my entire life.  I have accepted the fact that I will always carry Life Savers in my pocket for the rest of my life, and may very well be on Xanax for the rest of my life.  But it is 1000 times better than my life without them.  Your gagging is not an eating disorder, or a physical disorder.  It is your body's reaction to anxiety.  Ask your doctor to try Xanax to help get you over the hump.  It will not make them go away completely, but it will help you better manage the attacks and let you lead a freer life.  I feel like an expert on this condition since I have had it all my life.  If anyone has more questions about this, feel free to email me at ***@****.  I know the feeling of how helpless you may feel and wonder if anyone else has this.  The answer is yes!

[click]

I was doing some research on gagging and read comments from July. There is a website on gagging that talks about stimulation of an acupuncture point in the ear. It was used on several dental patients who couldn't have dental work done because of severe gagging reflex. After the stimulation, 100% of them could have the procedures without gagging.
I am an EFT practitioner and it uses acupuncture points for tapping points. So, you could conceiveably just finger tap on these points.

[Mr ED]

Hi

I am ALWAYS stressed, due to my rubbish job, and I feel this is a big part of the reason that I gag every morning when I brush my tongue with my toothbrush. I do drink quite a lot too, so my mouth does feel quite furry some mornings.

But stress is also a part of it, I reckon.

[C4matted]

Yeah well I think I can relate to everyone typing on here. I first started having panic attacks when I was about 18 years old. It got really bad where I couldnt even be in a car with someone else driving! I couldnt really do anything social so I learned todo things that required only one person so I could do it by myself. My Anxiety was only getting worse. I saw a shrink for a little while but it didnt seem to help. Im almost sure this is a mental issue cause I used to think in my head when going to dinner or doing social things that If I was alone would I still feel the same? When Im sitting at a dinner table with 10 people and im feeling sick and nervous I picture in my head taking the same food and bringing it to a place where no one else is and I would be able to eat and feel alittle better. Anyways as I got alittle older I started dry heaving and gagging when I get nervous or Anxiety. Now it has become an everyday thing. Everytime I get up to go to work before I eat breakfast I may gagg 5-10 times! Im really trying to figure it whether it has something todo with food?? Im really weird about food and alot of times I cannot eat around people cause I have fear of getting sick! Strange to say the least but it anyone has any suggestions I would be ready to listen in a heart Beat! Thanks

[Sean Powers]

well it's great to hear other people have this too..though I don't wish this on anyone.

i just started doing this about a month ago. After an intense year of college where I had to wait for 3 months to know if I was accepted into a prestigeous program I started having these "gagging" attacks. Not so much the dry spot on the throat though I've had that on occassion, this is all out gagging. It is almost like clock work, when I brush my teeth I can't touch my tongue, after that when I'm just chilling around the hosue i'm fine. But the minute I have to go do something, as in go to work, walk the dog, etc. I start "gagging". by gagging i mean throwing up without actually puking. I have to lock my jaw and they usually go away after I just let a gag take place. No puking but as close to throwing up as you can get without throwing up.

I have no history of anxiety, or eating disorders. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to get the answer that I already know. It has to be an anxiety type attack. Nothing else makes sense. No matter what I eat, what I do it happens until I 'settle down". I've never been as stressed as I was this year (never been one to make a deal of it either) but it was a hard year, and the minute the waiting period started I started having these gag attacks. Gotta be anxiety, but if I find something out i'll let you know.