Strange 2 yr, intermittent, specific action induced, ticklish throat and breathing associated cough

[SkaterDave]

Greetings.  I hope someone can shed some light on my problem.

About two years ago I was joking around with a friend who threw something heavy at my gut. I pretended to have the wind knocked out of me to fool her but the guttural inhalation I pretended to suffer actually caused my throat to instantly incur terrible and excruciating pain in my throat right in that soft part of the throat below the adam's apple and just about the sternum.  It hurt so back I couldn't speak except for a whisper and for fifteen or thirty minutes swallowing was extremely painful.  It was very scary.  Quickly however the acute pain ceased but I was left with a nice amount of time where any type of guttural inhalation (be it from a hiccup or an ill-timed cough) caused a narrowly missed repeat of the intial event.  I could feel the sudden inrush of air begin to hurt me in the exact same way but luckily the rush of air wasn't strong or prolonged enough to cause a full repeat of that first terrible time.  Another effect of this was that if I moved my neck in a certain way, or if I breathed to intensely, or sometimes for no reason at all, coughing would be induced.  Eventually it went away.  The problem is it keeps coming back but only under certain circumstances.  I have been doing yoga for several years starting before this incident.  Afterward, I've found that when doing back bends where the front of the body is stretched, my upper chest and throat stretched and elongated as well, the problem appears again,  While bent backwards I feel a ticklish sensation in my throat and the incredible need to cough.  As I come out of it the sensation lessons but then, for the next week or more, any stretching of the neck, most inhalations, and sometimes simply for no reason, coughing is induced and there is nothing I can do to alleviate the tickling and discomfort.  I don't know what it could be or how much significance to give this problem.  It's really getting me scared and depressed however, and being poohpoohed by a doctor isn't doing it for me anymore.  It's been off and on for two years and I'm really getting worried about what's going on.  Does anyone have any imput?  I'd greatly appreciate a direction to research more and/or help me undertand this.  Thanks.

[0trix]

Also this is weird because I found this by googling "backbends make me cough"

[0trix]

On a weird metaphsycial level in the moment of the backbend when i reach the point where i feel this (need? compulsion? immediate reflex?) to cough, i also feel like I am a very small child. I think it may be related to an injury/postural issue I incurred as a child because of that. Questionable insight however as it's totally personal and intuitive.

[0trix]

I have a very similar problem, recurring. I have had years of chronic pain in my left side and as a child I was diagnosed with athsma, though it has not been an issue for me for at least ten years. When I do deep back bends (wheel especially) I have this point I reach where I have to cough. It is concurrent with being very engaged in my core. I also have very mild scoleosis, according to x-rays, which my doctor said was more or less untreatable.

The cough thing is weird... I think it's got to do with spinal muscles and nerves. It's a very specific physiological issue which I think mostly comes from a postural misalignment.

[SkaterDave]

Thanks for the reply.  The two times I went to the doctor I was told it must be vocal cord strain.  What strikes me as odd is how it becomes reinflamed when I do back bends in yoga class.  Stretching my throat causes me to feel a ticklish strain and the need to cough and it can easily last a week or more.  If I have vocal cord strain, wouldn't it be something that goes away and is gone for good?  I guess my thinking is I must've messed it up pretty good and perhaps there is a bit of scar tissue that get's stretched or something.  Oddly, you mention asthma, I have been diagnosed with mild COPD, but why would I only have this problem when my neck gets stretched?  Any more thoughts?

[David S. Wilson, MD, FCCP]

Tickle in throat could be contributed by gastric reflux.  However, induced coughing could be a sign of asthma as well.  I would encourage you to see a pulmonologist for Pulmonary Function tests to rule out Asthma. Also, you could see your family physician in regards to possible gastric reflux.  Hope this helps.  Thanks for the question.