does anybody ever experienced the Laryngospasm?

H.N.

Second opinion ENT? Is there another one in your area that you could make an appointment with?

S.C.

HAZEL,
I get this problem a lot and have trouble with it as it is more than 10 min for me and very awful feeling .
Panic is associated with it so allergies never crossed mind .

anxiety and panic play tricks with throat,breathing and heart .

I don't blame it on ALLERGIES but see ENT ,its good .

good luck!

Yes and felt like someone is trying to strangle me ,it has woken me up from sleep too many times.


its terrifying and extremely hard to explain .

NEVER ...now trying to see as anxiety /panic might trigger it ~even in sleep .will talk to my pcp as it bothers me and makes me anxious !

Hi. I am new to this site and do not suffer from panic/anxiety disorders but I do get Laryngospasm. I wake from a deep sleep to the feeling of intense suffocation, completely unable to take any air at all. I have heard it described as a lid snapping shut over the windpipe. It is truly terrifying and, in my case, caused by either reflux or simply saliva that has pooled rather than being swallowed. It happened last week and I drew breath so forcefully that I aspirated - the pain ripped across my chest to almost under my arm giving me fever and Pneumonitis. I take immunosuppression for Lupus so am worried about introducing infection.

I recently saw an interesting post on www.fauquierENT.net. There is a YouTube clip with diagnostic and treatment approaches. How does one know if it is laryngospasm rather than sleep apnoea?

Hi Hazel. My Consultant actually told me from my description that I had VCD but, since researching more and watching YouTube clips, it is definitely Laryngospasm. I think VCD tends to be more like an asthma attack but does not respond to inhalers etc.

I have had it once during the day. It was last summer and a tiny piece of food that I thought I had swallowed earlier suddenly dislodged and snapped off my breathing. I was out in the garden and I could see my husband indoors but wasn't sure I would survive long enough to get to him. Anyhow, the food dislodged and everything settled as quickly as it had started. Doctors are quick to reassure that it is a harmless condition but I have read of people experiencing more serious sequelae.

I think mine are more likely to occur during times of extreme fatigue (during a lupus flare) and also if I get a cold. I do have vague signs of intermittent muscle weakness ?cause but neurologically there is little to be seen clinically. I am going to look into overnight cpap although the thought of it is not appealing.

Have you seen your ENT Dr yet? I am in the UK where the NHS is under huge financial pressure which can be a huge barrier. Best wishes. C x

Basically what has happened is that something which used to be an automatic subconscious action has become the opposite i.e. a conscious action which is now being overthought. I had my first laryngospasm in 2008 and a really major one around 3 years ago. I was checked by a consultant with a laryngoscope (basically a scope with a camera that goes up your nose and examines your throat) and told that I have an overactive vocal chord. I was then referred to a speech therapist who very much took me down the route of it being GERD (Gastro Esophegal Reflux Disease) and to avoid caffeine, cheese, i.e. anything really nice. I think in my heart of hearts I knew if wasn't GERD, but I took that advice. It didn't help. about 2 years ago I had a choking episode with my dinner - eating previously hadn't been an issue, but as you'll know, this thing progressively gets a hold on you to the point where you are scared to even swallow. My last one was November 2014 in the kitchen at work. It was scary,, but no-one was around, and it was over in less than a minute.

Anyway, being a fighter, I refuse to let this this beat me, so I carry on carrying on, and like most of you, I have some compensation strategies, like clearing my throat before swallowing etc. Here are some tips that I've picked up along the way, which help me, and I hope that they help you.

- Ultimately, it's all about distraction. Easier said than done, but if you can somehow take the focus off the actual swallow and think about something else, that can help
- I find water hard work, but what I can cope with quite easily is smoothies; milk is also not too bad
- I believe that this is tied in with stress, and that it's a vicious cycle i.e. we're stressed because we're scared of having another laryngospasm and will do anything to avoid it, hence we overthink swallowing. I want you to know that this is natural - it's the body's defence mechanism kicking in
- Some days are better than others. On the tougher days, make sure you stick to foods that are more sloppy, like pasta in sauce etc. One food I really struggle with is potato, as it's 'furry' and feels like it's sticking in my throat
- Get some straws, cut them in two and carry them with you in case you have an episode. By using the straw you will need to purse your lips and breathe in a certain way. It's really important that you don't panic and gasp, but stay calm and take controlled breaths. Watch this video which should help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KV2D5w9hVw
- I have been very tempted to seek help via a hypnotherapist, as I really do believe that much of the problem lies in the fact that this is learned behaviour that has replaced previous behaviour in the sub-conscious. The only problem is that a hypnotherapist could well fix this, but if I have another laryngospasm, I'm back to square one, and several hundred pounds worse off. I would be interested in whether anyone has had any experience via this route.

I have bookmarked this page and will keep checking back and giving you any further experiences I have which I feel may help. I am being referred to an SLT (speech language therapist) again, but this time around, I am much more experienced and informed.

I have experienced Larygospasm around 8 times in my life, the first two occurred when I was 10/11 years old leading to an incorrect diagnosis of asthma.
It can't be overstated how frightening it is. I always instinctively head for fresh air, even though logically I know It makes no difference, this has led to me sprawling out of a car in a McDonald's car park, and racing to the door at home to attempt to breathe, as if the problem is lack of air in the space I'm in.
I always cough first, and then, when I've coughed all my air out, I can't get any back in again. Stridor only happens later as things are beginning to relax, as initially there's no air movement at all.

The worst time it happened I was in bed just dropping off to sleep, and I LEAPT out of bed and, in the absence of being able to speak, I just hammered the bedpost with my hand until my partner woke up.that night the doctor came out and gave me diazepam, as I still could barely speak about hour later. That's when I was referred to the hospital and after having a camera up my nose (was very nearly sick) it was confirmed I had a slightly hyperactive reflex.

As counter-intuitive as it seems, When it's happened more recently, stretching my throat up and forward and breathing REALLY gently has helped. It feels like you just want to take a big gulp of air, but if you try you will fail. It feels like you are breathing through a straw, you feel like the amount of air you are getting is not enough to sustain you, (and it isn't) but, if you try to breathe more it stops altogether. Gently is the only way.

It has been suggested that causing yourself sudden sharp pain (there's supposed to be something you can do, pressing behind your ear to cause a sharp pain, but I've never been able to achieve it) will distract you enough to take your mind off it, although the jury is out on whether this actually helps the spasm end sooner , or merely distracts you from it so it doesn't seem as long (it's only less than a minute but as I'm sure those of you who have experienced it will agree, it feels like a terminal amount of time!
The only real advice I can give is take tiny breaths, less than you need oxygen -wise, not easy when you're panicking.

Post Edited (Darkone) : 8/2/2016 10:25:56 PM (GMT-6)

I was in hospital around 12 months ago with what turned out to be a very serious condition. During my hospital stay, I noticed that my eating and drinking were much better: this was because I had the ultimate distraction - something that was more serious than laryngospasm. For me, I am 100% sure that most of the laryngospasm is psychological. I genuinely believe that it is learned behaviour i.e. I had a major episode and it was so terrifying that, on a subconscious basis I will do anything to avoid it. We have to be brave; use distraction techniques such as isometric exercises with your feet / legs, breathing, right thinking. Don't let it beat you and take over your life. Even in the darkest times with this thing, you can always rationalise. There is always someone worse off than you...