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

[Junebug21]

Few! I'm not alone! Mine starts in the pit of my stomach right above the naval & goes strait up my throat. If I do not make myself relax it gets tighter & tighter so i've learned to train my mind to breath slow& stay relaxed. Then it finally goes away after about half hour. It's been.happening to me off & on for 12 years now! I guess i'll make a visit to the dr! Does anyone know much about diazapam?

[bdzeclipse]

I have Anxiety Disorder. I have been on Zoloft and Xanax .25 which I avoid. But since last two weeks I have stopped taking Zoloft because I do not have insurance and I have no more refills. I feel the symptoms kicking in again. When I lay down a certain wait my heart starts to pound. No I do not panic as much as I did when it first happened to me. I try to control my breathing by taking a deep breath in from nose and slowly exhaling thru mouth. I do this 5 times. I am really scared now since I no longer have the meds.

[jayman9595]

Yes anxiety will wreck your body in so many ways. I also have tightness in the throat that it is the result of stress and anxiety. There are different techniques you can use to take your mind off anxiety. There is this website that sends you bunch of helpful emails but of course still wants you to buy their material, it is the clamclinic.com. A real good technique when having a panic attack is not to fight it but let it run its course becasue it will soon pass. Another is counting down from a hundred in 3's. Knowing the systems of anxiety and how to deal with is very curcial. Being aware of the effects anxiety will not just help with the tightness of the throat but as mentioned in the other comments you will not focus on the various sensations it will alleviate the tightness and other physical symptoms.

[MayenW]

Wise men turn to meditation and yoga to relax the body and mind. It is possible for everyone to learn some basic techniques that can make all the difference in coping with life's stressful moments. So much better than taking prescription drugs and adding worry about side effects!

[lsam84]

mikerod806: I understand your feeling, in some horrible moments of anxiety I almost wish the chest pains I get were a heart attack so I could get it over with or something. Sounds horrible but its the truth. Now that I'm somewhat better I'm really glad I never had one though. Its kinda like a madness... totally feel your pain!

[lsam84]

That happens to me too. I feel out of breath for no reason sometimes, like my throat is closing up. Its an awful feeling. My doctor said its psychological and is part of the anxiety. My dad taught me a couple of breathing exercises that help, the easiest one is to sit with your back straight and take a deep breath through your nose and make sure you breath through your stomach and then breath out through your mouth... keep doing that for 10 mins. Its actually helped me sometimes.