How to SLEEP with Cricopharyngeal spasm?? PLEASE help!

Hi and welcome!

I am sorry that I missed your post last night, and could not be of help at the time.

How are you feeling now? Better I hope.

Let me reassure you that while it can feel like it is going to happen...you are not going to choke or stop breathing from the globus sensation.

This was my first anxiety symptom that I ever experienced, and though scary and uncomfortable...it is not dangerous.

First of all, you will want to make sure that it is indeed anxiety that is causing this, and not another, physical reason. Making an appointment with your doctor is a great first step to rule out GERD and possibly allergies which could also cause this issue.

If it does turn out to be anxiety related, then you and your doctor can discuss treatment options to lower your anxiety levels, and help eliminate the symptom.

We have had several threads on this topic. Do a search if you'd like to read more on this topic, or I can do it for you and post the links..let me know and I will.:)

Until then, keep up the water...but drop the mints....they can be an irritant. Another mild hard candy or lozenge will be better for you.

I also found that muscle relaxation in the throat area, as well as gently massaging the front of the throat helped a lot.

Talk to you soon,

Scaredy Cat

Scaredy Cat said...
Hi and welcome!

I am sorry that I missed your post last night, and could not be of help at the time.

How are you feeling now? Better I hope.

Let me reassure you that while it can feel like it is going to happen...you are not going to choke or stop breathing from the globus sensation.

This was my first anxiety symptom that I ever experienced, and though scary and uncomfortable...it is not dangerous.

First of all, you will want to make sure that it is indeed anxiety that is causing this, and not another, physical reason. Making an appointment with your doctor is a great first step to rule out GERD and possibly allergies which could also cause this issue.

If it does turn out to be anxiety related, then you and your doctor can discuss treatment options to lower your anxiety levels, and help eliminate the symptom.

We have had several threads on this topic. Do a search if you'd like to read more on this topic, or I can do it for you and post the links..let me know and I will.:)

Until then, keep up the water...but drop the mints....they can be an irritant. Another mild hard candy or lozenge will be better for you.

I also found that muscle relaxation in the throat area, as well as gently massaging the front of the throat helped a lot.

Talk to you soon,

Scaredy Cat

It feels like I have to like burp, I feel the lump and it's bothering me, still massaging the lump

I'm feeling better now after I ate. I also did the exercise!
I've been drinking ALOT of water today.
Now I'm full from it.. My throat feels fine, it's just my tummy is full of water.
I hope I didn't drink TOO much water..or am I just being paranoid?
I think I take a long nap.. Or actually excercise
Thanks!

A nap is not going to just make it go away...it is not from lack of sleep.

Rather it is either anxiety related, or a GERD issue...so for a full understanding of what you are dealing with, you are going to need to see your doctor.

Then you will have some answers, and know where to go in terms of treating the problem.

If the self-help remedies are not eliminating it, then your next step really should be seeking medical evaluation.

I wish I could be of more help...

Let us know what you find out okay?

S.C.

Just my 0.2 cents, you are overprocessing your symptoms and this can increas you anxity.
Thats why SC wants you to see your DR. you need a professional to explain what is going on with your throat and its easy for a Dr. to see and explain it to you, some of my worst anxity attacks are from a choaking sensation in my throat, difficulty swalloing, air bubble feeling, "we sometimes swallow air and are not aware of it". So get to the Dr. explain whats going on, tell him about the phsical first, then the anxity.
Your going to be ok, people here especially moderators will never stear you wrong all they want to do is help, you can help by taking their good sound advice and put it to use.
Larry

Thank you for your responses. I also have this problem. My GP put me on Prilosec which didn't work, then onto a prescription strength GERD medication and Flonase which also didn't work. Next step is to go to an ENT, but since it isn't as bad as before, I will try some of your suggestions. For the person with sleeping issues, I do something very bad, but it works. I put a Halls throat lozenge on my tongue and my tongue keeps it in place and I have not swallowed it. It slowly lubricates my throat all night. The morning tongue tastes bad, but I could sleep. During the day, I was sucking on ice all the time which helped. Even take my baggy of ice with me everywhere in a cooler.

Hi everybody,

I started experiencing similar symptoms last night. I had (and have the ending stages of) a mild cold, but at some point between finishing my work at my desk and laying down in my bed, I began to feel a lump in the back of my throat. I did not sleep a wink last night; for some reason, my body just flies off the rail at this sensation. I also cannot nap today. I do have a history of anxiety.

In a stupor after my sleepless night, I sort of jumbled an explanation of all this to the doctor. He did a strep test, which I was positive for, and when I got around to asking him specifically about the lump feeling, he suggested a try ibuprofen for throat swelling (he wasn't exactly clearly affirmative as to the fact that my throat was swollen). I tried it and low and behold, I could not sleep this afternoon either. Again, I feel an inability to move towards sleep with this thing -- maybe it's mental.

And perhaps I'm going too fast here -- if I've just had a cold and am experiencing the symptoms described on this page, could it be related to the cold? I do burp every once in a while. And if I am not experiencing any chest burning sensations, does that indicate I'm probably not experiencing GERD?

Best,
Jonathan

Okay, that sounds good. Thank you for your reply!