violent coughing...is it laryngeal spasms?

[Deba22]

Hello. Yesterday my doctor suggested I might have Laryngeal Spasms, and while I wait 2 months for the Throat specialist to get my appointment, she suggested I look online.  But my symptoms don't seem to match all of yours...no voice problems or 'breathing' problems.  I just get these violent coughing attacks that literally feel and behave as if I inhaled a bread crumb, and my body suddenly and violently is trying to cough it up.  And just like when we are choking, I have a hard time catching my breath during these violent choking fits.   By the time I'm done 4-8 minutes later, I'm shaking, tears streaming down my face, and I've probably wet myself.  Its horrible!  Does this sound familiar to anyone?  Oh, and this happens at all hours of the day and night, and usually, its not when I'm eating.   Its frightening to wake up from a deep sleep choking like this. She suggested curbing any reflux I might be having, but I rarely ever have heartburn (but I'll try anything now!)  I do note that it happens more often when my respiratory system is weakened by a cold, or allergy season, or even a little cough.  I'm thinking she might be in the right ballpark, but not the right diagnosis.  Thanks for your help.  

[apcgirl]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THIS IS ME TOO, IT JUST STARTED AFTER I WAS TOLD I HAD BRONCITIS. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE ADVAIR ENHALER HE GAVE ME SO I STOPPED IT BUT THIS HAD HAPPENED 5 TIMES IN THE PAST 2 WEEKS RECENT WAS LAST NIGHT.  MY THROAT FEELS DRY AND IT ALWAYS HAPPENS AT NIGHT DURING SLEEP, THAT TICKLE AND THE COUGH STARTS ALL BY ITSELF AND I FEEL LIKE I MAY BE FOUND DEAD ON THE FLOOR.  IT TAKES ALL I HAVE TO START TRYING TO BREATHE THROUGH MY NOSE, I GET RED FACED, FACE WET WITH TEARS, IT IS THE MOST AWFUL FEELING. GOING TO DOCTOR ON MONDAY, SEE IF THAT HELPS.  I COUGH ALL THE TIME BUT THESE EVENTS AT NIGHT ARE SO VERY SCARY. I JUST CAN'T GET AIR, LAST NIGHT I HAD A HARD TIME EVEN GETTING AIR INTO MY NOSE.   I AM SO GLAD TO HAVE SOME ONE TO SHARE WITH, I  JUST WANT IT TO STOP

[Happi900]

hi everone! i'm a newbie diagnosed after 31/2 yrs, 4 respitory failures with paradoxical vocal fold movement. i was diagnosed by a ent critical care specialist from mayo. a wonderful dr. who preformed a videostrobolaryngoscopy. (so i got to see it for myself!) i was referred after a pulmologist i was going to could not figure out what was going on. i had been to two other ent's, another pulmologist and an asthma dr. whom none of them diagnosed the problem short of acid reflux. taking in or blowing out air fast causes them to spasm shut. i now can only breath thru my nose. they never did say what to do if i catch a cold.....nose spray i guess. inhalers, breathing tests, hurrying, walking up a long flight of stairs, wind and many things set it off. i too have awakened at nite with a choking sensation. or not being able to swallow. panic city!! hope some of this helps.

[delilah157]

Hi, I have finaly been diagnosed with Laryngeal spasms, i too had had these choaking fits which always happened when i was fast asleep, very frightening. I was tested for sleep Apneoa anthis is how they found out what I had.Apparently fluid can seep from the back of the nose  and go down the throat the brain reacts to stop the fluid going into the lungs which closes the voice box, this then stops you breathing, the brain then realises that the lungs arent working so wakes you up and that is why you wake up coughing and trying to get your breath, this is how it was explained to me. I have been told that it is not dangerous and that I will always wake up, it is just very stressfull. I notice one of the ladies that has commented on here say that she retains a lot of fluid,  I also do and have noticed that these choaking fits occur around my menstrual cycle, the consultant said that a build up of fluid or heartburn will and can set off these choaking fits. Hope this has helped.

[Dave1962]

Hi, I had an episode at work yesterday-went straight for a glass of water
which didn't help but calmed me down a bit.Previous episodes have been accompanied by a violent cough(last year my vasovagal nerve kicked in and I fainted). I had pulmonary tests and was diagnosed with reactive lungs.My GP prescribed a daily puff of Flixotide which has helped with both my lungs and larynx.
I am 46, healthy, surf and swim a lot, and have only experienced this the last few years in cold dry weather or when I have a touch of the flu- usually when talking on the phone or when sleeping,but never when eating.
My mum has had some scary episodes over the past 20 years and prompted me to google this forum.There must be an easier solution than steroids to alleviate the problem.
.

[austin63]

I have been having these coughing fits for over 10 years. Started when I went in to the ER with abdominal pain in which they did a CT scan and a IVP with contrast. My throat felt like it was closed off during the test which they said was normal. But I am still having problems.
Starts with a tickle like a pin *****, then like a crumb in my throat and the coughing starts to the point where I can only get a small breath in thru my nose.The tears, snot,red face and sometimes throw up. It feels like a spasm in my throat. Temp changes, quick breaths like if you get startled, deep breaths, smells, food and salt,  even if my hair tickles my face,you name it. DH thinks it's all in my head, nope it is all in my throat. Of you place you finger outside in the dip of your neck where it goes to the chest and go up 1-2 inches, this is where it all goes on. So is it vocal cords or laryngeal spasms? Or are they the same? The coughing fits happen over 10 times a day.Everyday!

[fragmaster]

hi there, i cannot believe i have just found some people with the same affliction as myself, i am now 41 soon to be 42 and i have suffered this since i was a 15 yr old boy at school. i used to have to walk part way to school in mornings and mostly for the five years of secondary school i arrived into school soaked due to the rain, i had to then wear wet clothes all day and dry them on me. I always thought this was the cause.when i left school at 16 i started work in a garage where the onset of heartburn set in, and i have suffered ever since.18 mnths ago after a series of tests i was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and some of the worst acid reflux the consultant had ever experienced.. He informed me that i was a prime candidate for surgery.i used to be an out going young man who had a strong stomach for hunting , cleaning and preparing animals for cooking etc strong smells never bothered me in the slightest. it was after a while as a married man i noticed in my early 20's i nolonger could stomach strong smells, dirty napies/ hairspray/de-oderant etc as they brought on a choking sensation and then violent coughing which always resulted in vomiting..this vomiting had its moments  and came without warning, driving the car? you can imagine how dangerous this was wit me then vomiting all over the dash board of the car, out for a nice meal and a certain smell of certain food would have me threwing up all over the resturaunt table..my coughing is as exactly as is described in other comments in this tpoic to the letter . one other thing is my voice goes hoarse and last year i had to have vocal cord nodules removed, i fear these are back again.. could all these things be linked, could i have a hyper allergic reaction to something which triggers of the coughing, hte violent coughing inturn has weakend the pshinter muscle in my chest and produced the hernia?
could the acid reflux or the gas given off by the extra acid be now triggering the violent coughing fits?
and inturn then damaging my vocal cords?. i do not know, i was in casualty 2 nights ago and had my bloods done, chest xray, and heart trace, all fine, but i have this very real condition, made even more real by yourselves ..ive been told its not life threatening , beleive me it doesnt feel that way when your gasping for air and about to pass out
especially when trying to slow down and stop safely in the car.  one other thing that has progressed is the fact that sometimes i will also take a little chill feeling when getting undressed for bed, this is followed by violent shaking threw cold feeling my teeth chatter and i cannot get heat into me no matter what, i will be sweating profusly and cannot get up because of the cold, in the norning i will have to change everything on the bed and also dry the matress, this is not the normal though this only happens sometimes.some of you people are real lucky that you have only had this condition for a few years, i feel as i get older i will not be able to cope with the panic adn stress it causes.
one more thing, dont you just hate the busting headaces you get after every coughing fit?
                                                                    regards neil