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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
allergies, muscle twitches, and palpitations -- oh my!
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allergies, muscle twitches, and palpitations -- oh my!
by Heartsease, Dec 15, 2005 12:00AM
I have been getting this occasional problem on and off for years, just had another episode last night, and would like to know what it is. When my allergies flare up I get this terrible post-nasal drip that makes me feel like I'm choking. (Sometimes the sensation is accompanied by a dry/irritated feeling in the throat and sinuses, like I have inhaled a handful of dust and cannot dislodge it.) When the choking feeling comes on, it is sometimes accompanied by muscle twitches in the throat and chest area that can trigger what feels like a fluttering in the heart for about 2-3 seconds. If this happens while I'm under any kind of exertion, I will go into tachycardia for a few minutes, not irregular beats but very fast. Naturally this makes me panic, which makes things worse, and I have to go lie down for a few minutes till it passes. I only get this phenomenon about half a dozen times a year, but it scares the daylights out of me. I have panic disorder and asthma but no other serious problems. Could you please tell me what causes this, and what I can do about the symptoms? Thank You.
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Dec 23, 2005 12:00AM
, Dec 23, 2005 12:00AM
The drainage can be from lots of things from an allergy to a non-allergic postnasal drainage to an infection. This sounds like it may be heavy at times and creates the choking sensation. Then your panic disorder begins and you get an increased heart rate and the fears you’re describing. It sounds like it is not a major medical problem. However this is hard to realize when it occurs, so you get very frightened. The key is to catch the drainage before it becomes a significant problem with antihistamines and possibly nasal steroids. Both of these are safe. A decongestant probably will also increase your heart rate and make the panic attack worse.
What you are describing *may* be due to spasms of the larynx, also known as vocal cord dysfunction (VCD). Years ago, I began having episodes that started as a feeling of irritation in the throat; these episodes would quickly intensify and I would feel like my throat was closing up and I would be unable to speak or breathe. Extremely frightening, especially if you don't know what is happening and why. I spent a lot of time on the internet trying to discover the cause of this and came across a website that finally gave me an explanation. The website is www.cantbreathesuspectvcd.com. The site is run by someone suffering from VCD. It is somewhat disorganized and can be hard to navigate, but it is full of useful information and may help you determine if this is the cause of your episodes. There are breathing techniques you can use to help get you through these episodes and makes them less frightening. Hope you find a resolution to your problem.