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Anyone Get Asthma Or Throat Closing When Triggered?
- Post starter cupfish
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Seasounds
Diamond Member
It is scary, for sure! I hope you find relief!
Yes, I've had this for decades and have made much progress. My symptoms are rooted in childhood strangulation, being threatened and abused, if I spoke up, and low adrenal function-helps with stress.
Relaxation techniques, the Linklater Voice Technique for actors (you don't have to be an actor to take the class) really helped: I took biweekly weekly (2 hour) classes, for two years, until my symptoms significantly shifted.
Psychotherapy was immensely helpful, providing emotional support to be able to find and have my point of view/voice.
I still need to use my inhaler, at times; this is a long way from needing to use it everytime I use to share an opinion.
Recently, I have found that letting go of friends who have tempers ( they indirectly or directly communicate fear of disagreeing with them, or disapproval of my expressions) has also helped; surrounding myself with more well adjusted friends has decreased my problem.
Anxiety meds and SSRI have also been helpful, in certain periods of my life.
Yes, I've had this for decades and have made much progress. My symptoms are rooted in childhood strangulation, being threatened and abused, if I spoke up, and low adrenal function-helps with stress.
Relaxation techniques, the Linklater Voice Technique for actors (you don't have to be an actor to take the class) really helped: I took biweekly weekly (2 hour) classes, for two years, until my symptoms significantly shifted.
Psychotherapy was immensely helpful, providing emotional support to be able to find and have my point of view/voice.
I still need to use my inhaler, at times; this is a long way from needing to use it everytime I use to share an opinion.
Recently, I have found that letting go of friends who have tempers ( they indirectly or directly communicate fear of disagreeing with them, or disapproval of my expressions) has also helped; surrounding myself with more well adjusted friends has decreased my problem.
Anxiety meds and SSRI have also been helpful, in certain periods of my life.
- Post starter
- #3
D
Deleted member 24866
yes, and it hurts.. but not like an allergic reaction.
- Post starter
- #5
KwanYingirl
Diamond Member
@cupfish
Being strangled is a thing I have suffered many times. I also have asthma. I usually bring my hands to my throat and rock back and forth and wait it out. Many times I dissociate. I carry a rescue inhaler always.
Being strangled is a thing I have suffered many times. I also have asthma. I usually bring my hands to my throat and rock back and forth and wait it out. Many times I dissociate. I carry a rescue inhaler always.
I got an inhaler a few years ago from an urgent care doc. Later, when I went in for something else I asked if I could get refill on that inhaler because of this throat tightening thing (the inhaler did seem to help, even if it was really just lessening panic). The doctor, who took more time discussing symptoms with me, didn't think I had asthma...also I noticed muscle relaxants (for other pain) alleviated the "asthma"....so likely all muscular and stress related. I don't know the direct link or how it's triggered but I know I've been intubated several times since birth (oxygen, stomach pumping).
I don't notice it anymore, so therapy probably helped that part. Though now it's just a little constricted often and it feels hard to get words out, so something I hope can still get better. The scary throat tightening is gone though. In therapy I acted on some coughing and gagging reflexes...feeling like something was stuck in there. My therapist encouraged me to see what would help and was supportive of my gagging sounds and coughing (I didn't barf, but it felt like that sort of!).
Good if you have a sense of your own throat thing. Until you get back to therapy can you find more ways to express with your voice? Or type something here and read it out loud, loud and clear? I don't know, but know you're not alone (it is scary but less scary when I know I'm not dying...but the tightening is involuntary, so good to find any way I can help express, cough, relax, whatever I need).
P.S. my profile pic here is sort of a weird drawing I made of my throat!...what I imagine it's like in there on a good day.
I don't notice it anymore, so therapy probably helped that part. Though now it's just a little constricted often and it feels hard to get words out, so something I hope can still get better. The scary throat tightening is gone though. In therapy I acted on some coughing and gagging reflexes...feeling like something was stuck in there. My therapist encouraged me to see what would help and was supportive of my gagging sounds and coughing (I didn't barf, but it felt like that sort of!).
Good if you have a sense of your own throat thing. Until you get back to therapy can you find more ways to express with your voice? Or type something here and read it out loud, loud and clear? I don't know, but know you're not alone (it is scary but less scary when I know I'm not dying...but the tightening is involuntary, so good to find any way I can help express, cough, relax, whatever I need).
P.S. my profile pic here is sort of a weird drawing I made of my throat!...what I imagine it's like in there on a good day.
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Yes, I usually find my breathing is out of control when it happens, it's a pretty good sign that my anxiety is really high but I haven't been paying attention to it, it just builds up slowly. The worst thing is it triggers me into gagging, and then I vomit on occasion. Not so good, especially when I am driving.
It helps me to stop, breath a couple of slow deep breaths, and then slow normal breaths while focusing on breathing in my stomach. Thankfully asthma has never been an issue for me. I don't know what it is about it, but I never see it coming.
It helps me to stop, breath a couple of slow deep breaths, and then slow normal breaths while focusing on breathing in my stomach. Thankfully asthma has never been an issue for me. I don't know what it is about it, but I never see it coming.
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- #9
Thank you for the support. I am realizing that what I thought were asthmatic reactions to allergies is actually related to PTSD --> anxiety --> worried I won't be heard --> close throat. Now I have it on a low-grade basis, quite a lot. My work is stressful and I have a pretty big set of responsibilities. I don't want to use my inhaler forever and will seek help. This is my scariest symptom. The rest are my persistent old "friends" who won't go away. The airway closing could have a very bad outcome.
I'm not a doc but your body won't let that happen to you unless extreme allergic reaction. It's a scary feeling, but helpful for me to remember I won't die...yet if it feels really bad can you see a doctor for fuller asthma and allergy assessment...or doc/psych who might have other ideas for helping scary muscle tension/contraction? Could be throat muscles spasming (not deadly but not good...can feel trickier to even swallw a vitamin properly). And yes, support for the anxiety and experimenting with ways to feel safer. If you have the inhaler, use as prescribed, but good if you're looking into possible deeper causes.
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