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.  

[doriszafra]

I have like one spot that isn't in my throat but further down like in the larynx
that almost itches. I know what causes it. I use inhalers and when I use them as I am supposed to, I am guaranteed to get the itchy spot. Needless to say, it is annoying and can be embarrassing because there is no control of the coughing it causes.

[Debbicake2014]

I have had this problem off and on for years.  There is never a cure and no physician has been able to pinpoint the problem. I do have Lupus, Sjogrens,a multi nodular mass in my thyroid gland, Sinus and allergy problems.  This coughing spasm usually starts after a bout of upper respiratory infections and has happened if I become overheated.  The choking cough begins with an aggravating tickle or burning sensation in my throat and results in vomiting  thick foamy white and/or clear phlegm.  It can occur at any time of the day and is worse at night which is really frightening.  My ears itch, my eyes and nose pour, and the mass in my thyroid has the appearance of a bull frog when I am choking. I have had CT scans from my head to my lungs, X-rays, and Ultrasounds that show nothing. I have been treated with Albuterol, Advair, cough syrup with codeine, steroids and antibiotics.  I have tried OTC Mucinex, Ricola and Cepacol drops.  I have never found any relief.  This has last as long as three continuous months, goes away and returns.  I am glad it's not just in my mind, as I see several individuals complaining with these same symptoms.  I pray that some physician will soon find something that will either cure or remedy this annoying, aggravating, humiliating, whatevertheheck this is. I am going to a Pulmonologist and a Gastroenterologist soon.  I have had my esophagus dilated twice and may be an issue with me again.  God Bless all of you who suffer with this.

[Micoleus]

Oh wow, I can't believe how many people suffer from what I suffer from.  I have been dealing with this for the last 20 years.  And I just now found this site so I can imagine there are way more of us out here without any kind of real diagnosis or help.  It's a rare day that I don't cough.  But I want to differentiate it because although both kinds are horrible, one is a chronic everyday event and the other is more occasional, and much more violent.  It started many years ago, I remember it happening once almost 30 years ago.  But in the last 20 years it has progressed with me.  It seems worse in the winter.  The tickle, and then the dried out feeling like sandpaper (usually on just one side of my throat) that puts me almost into an immediate violent coughing fit.  It's like I can't get moisture to that area no matter how much I cough.  And it goes on and one for 5 minutes. Tears rolling down my face, my nose running and the gagging and eventually vomiting.  I have vomited in a restaurant twice over the years.  Talk about embarrassing!  Fortunately most of the time I get it under control before I vomit by nothing but sheer will power.  My husband now just tells people it is a cough variant asthma attack so people aren't freaked out that they will get some horrible disease by being within 20 feet of me.  I have tried every inhaler, every type of medication. I have had every possible test and nothing comes out .  I do have GERDs so I take the proton pump inhibiters.  Nothing really helps me or prevents these violent attacks.  It's almost like having an epileptic seizure.  In the winter it can happen several times a week and always at inopportune times.  It comes out of the blue and with many triggers, smell, dry air, especially airplane air, dust, smoke, you name it.  If that was all I probably could deal with it, but I also have another chonic cough that doesn't come with the dry sand paper throat.  Just the tickling and then I cough very hard for a few minutes every day maybe 5 or ten times a day.  Rarely would it cause me to gag badly to the point of vomiting.  Again winters are far worse. For years I have taken Dayquil and Nyquil which do help a lot. But this winter it was much worse.
I'm now 61 and this cough is really taking a toll on me.  I no longer laugh because it will trigger my cough.  It's getting hard to talk without coughing.  I never go anywhere without the strongest cough drops, (Fisherman's Friend).  They help a little sometimes.  Sometimes herbal tea with honey helps a bit.  I'm just so tired of it and I don't even talk about it to my doctors because they just gave up on finding a solution.  I bet I've spent at least $10 to $20 thousand dollars on tests and doctors and meds.  
If someone offered to remove the cough reflex completely I'd jump at the chance.  My doctor has diagnosed me with "reactive airway".  That's me.  I sometimes marvel at people when they swallow the wrong way and they cough 3 or 4 times and its cleared up.  Me?  I cough for at least 5 minutes straight and would be lucky not to vomit!  I've been living this way for so long and everyone that knows me knows I cough.  It's become my identity.  
For years I didn't cough when I slept.  But now I wake up several times a night gasping.  It's amazing that there is no real name for this and no real treatment.    

[kimberly_thomas]

I am currently 26 years old and healthy. I have suffered from there fits for at lest 10 years now.... I don't remember what brought on the first one, but I usually get them in the spring and fall every year... they have gotten worse from when I was a teenager in school...  They seem to happen in clusters I will have a few week span where I have several a day and then not have another one for months, the first symptom is usually a tickling sensation in my throat, followed by an extreme sense of anxiety (cold water seems to help and usually I will try to get a drink right away) my throat become hot and I find it helps if I try to calmly breathe through my nose.  once I give in and cough my body violently shakes and I cough and heave to the point I will vomit.  my face is red and my eyes tear and cry... there is no real sign one is coming on and I usually have only seconds to a minute to get some cold water before vomiting.  it seems they happen at the most inconvenient times (waiting room, store, driving...)  I have never ben to a dr, for this, but after finding this site and realizing this is  real thing I will call in he a.m.  is there anything anyone has noticed that helps???    

[Yolygirl]

I too am suffering from this. About three days ago I got. Bad cold,  I woke up on the second day and got a spams Oh my God! It was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me!!! I could.not breathe at all for like 40 seconds, I had four episode two of them which I was home alone and hurt my elbow Jung a and down, what a scary feeling you really do become helpless ,  y doctor said it was acute bronchitis and have me antibiotics and coughing syrup, here i am on my four day today and it's 1:00 am and I don't want to fall to sleep I'm so scared because in the morning is the worst, and I normally spams whe imdnt have a cold. But I can control those because there is not flem, I literally choke on air oh help if anyone can give some pointers how to deal with this situation , tomorrow I will be gong to the doctors again and let her know about the spams ,my husband had know idea how bad it got until he expirienced it hi. Self. My email is ***@**** and one that can give me any kind of advise

[Syd17256]

Hi, Cynthia.
I'm 17 and I have had this problem throughout my life (so far) when I was about 5 my parents told me I had a spasm that lasted about 30 minutes until I eventually passed out, they took me to the ER and said there was nothing that could have actually started it. But it's been years since I've went back to get it checked on, every result I get is just not it,  my spasms last up to 20 minutes and usually happen during school hours, I don't know what to do, I'm terrified everyday that it'll happen again, my friends have told me to just get an inhaler but I don't think that would work, I can't find anyone who have had these cough spasms, I'm glad I found this forum. I really just need to know how to stop this from happening or at least help it, I had one about 40 minutes ago, it's 5:25 am and I woke up severely coughing, and gasping for breath, it was scary but I knew to get up and relax, that doesn't help much though, I eventually end up with tears rolling down my face and shaking, I'm fed up, I need to get an answer that sounds right.