Hi there, I had the same thing when I was 21 yrs old, I kept going from one doctor after another, they did all kind of tests, put a tube down my nose, mri, scans etc etc,,, I had a premmie baby who passed away shortly after birth and I was dealing with that, 6 months later after giving up because my doctors were already looking at me strange, I went to this ent because I had to get a hearing test this doctor he is chinese, he just looked at me and asked me if I was suffering from headaches and had tightness in my throat and kept on describing my symptoms, I was there with my mouth literally open, stunned, then he put his finger inside my mouth all the way to the end of my mouth and told me to bite slowly, boy did that hurt, so please don't try it, then he said you have a bad case of tmj related to severe anxiety, he prescribed valium 3x a day and motrin in high dose, I took it for one month and I swear I couldn't beleive the relief I felt.

This is the second year i've had this same problem, exactly as you all have described it. I thought maybe we could discuss in depth other habits that we have, in case this isn't a completely stress related thing. I just feel like stress can be a cause of just about anything, and yes it may cause similar symptoms for some people, but what about people who aren't stressed out (or don't consider themselves to be)? I know I probably am, because I work too many hours and I don't sleep well at night and we're closing on a home in 1 month, but I honestly don't feel stressed. I love my wife, my job, and the house is going just fine. Last year when this started, I was way more stressed than I am this year.

I had spasms in my chest, legs, arms, throat, feet, tongue, etc. Pretty much everywhere. Some lasted for days, only 1 to 2 seconds between each spasm if you can imagine. Then the constriction in my throat set in. Then an ear ache hit me. I had to put an ear plug in because my ear was so sensitive to noise. That turned out to be a sinus infection that lasted 5 months. Anyway, I went to 6 doctors last year, 2 specialists, had 2 ct scans, an esophogogram (sp?), an ekg, a sonar heart valve check, a ton of blood work, and an mri done. Everything indicated I was in great health except the blood-work. It showed my cholesterol to be extremely high. In fact, I had been eating out a lot more, and a lot worse food, for several weeks just before this all started. I was eating pizza and drinking a coke when the chest spasms started, and I literally thought I was having a heart attack from all of it.

I started exercising and the spasms stopped. The lump in my throat got a little better, but until I started taking prilosec, it was still pretty bad. The doctor said it could be acid reflux and the prilosec seemed to help, but I can't afford to take that all year, and i'm concerned with the effects of its long term usage not being well known.

Here I am a year later, and it's all starting again. It could be the cold weather I suppose. I also drink a ton of caffeine and know I shouldn't (i had stopped for a while last year and slowly started drinking more each day), but i'm also eating bad again, my cholesterol is bad again, and i'm not exercising (well, until recently when the annoyance came back). My muscle spasms have increased a little and the lump is back.

Does anyone share in these same types of bad habits and/or would anyone be willing to start exercising/dieting, taking prilosec for 5 weeks, etc, for the sole purpose of this site and see if it changes, then report back here? I will be. The good news is I don't think it's such a bad thing, or one of my tests would have come back bad (minus the cholesterol). On the other hand, your body has ways of telling you to stop doing something, and though it could be stress, I wonder if it could also be related to too much fatty foods, caffeine, etc. My blood pressure is always great when I go to the doctor, but usually when i'm sitting there in that room for a while, it goes away of course before the doc gets in. :)

Hi all!

My doctor prescribed clorazepate to treat the tension in my throat. Clorazepate is very safe and it works! Costco sells it the cheapest.

Cul8r,
marty

Strangly, I would consider myself to be one of the most relaxed people I know - but who knows how the body reacts or changes. I probably do drink too much caffeine and am probably about a stone overweight but other than that i'm pretty ok. Since my last post the symptoms went away for about three days - not completely but almost - however they are back in a lesser form. Appointment with the ent specialist this friday so i'll see how that goes.

Nothing that I can think of has changed to bring this all on. However I have found that by tilting my head back, constricting my stomach/chest and burping, the symptoms are relieved. This tends to be accompanied by a slight burning sensation in the lower throat (possibly acid related?). I was thinking of how I would describe this to the doctor and I think it feels like my throat was a tube -like a garden hose -that was stuck together by treacle on the inside. This would temporarily release if a strong enough bubble of air could be forced up and out.

Initially I though it might be an allergy as it all started just after I ate some raw peas from the garden ??? But I think this was just a co-incidence.

The initial painful constriction has not returned - thankfully, just that annoying continual pressure.

The going away as soon as the doctor walks in seems common as well. :)

Hello again,


it is my understanding that the tension in my throat has nothing to do with my personality, stress, diet, etc.. That is, it is not my fault. In fact, my mother, her brother, and my sister all experience the same problem to varying degrees so it seems to run in the family. The problem is one of anxiety in the neural rather than psychological sense. Neural circuitry involving the amygdala and hippocampus is thought to underlie anxiety. While this circuitry no doubt aids our survival, it is also responsible for a great deal of somatic distress. From headaches, to ulcers, to muscle spasms, to tremors, to the tension in my throat...

Generic clorazapate, one of several benzodiazepines, is safe, effective, and cheap. Tolerance to the sedative effects ( if any) may develop within days, but tolerance to the anxiolytic efficiacy usually does not develop. You do not have to take more over time to get the same relief. In fact, I currently take less than my original prescription. Some days are naturally worse than others. I've found that creating an opposing sensation in my mouth, by chewing gum or sucking on a cough suppressant, helps a great deal. Even a small piece of paper, peferably from a clean paper hand towel, put between the cheek and gum will help relax my throat. In any case, know that you are not cursed, you are not alone, and there is help.

Wowza I typed a 3 pg letter about this with good advise and for some reason it didn't post. Are our message read by a moderator? And if they feel it doesn't fit in they delete it? Can someone let me know if this is the case. I spent some lenght in adding to this topic and have myself been dealing with this problem for years. Just wanted everyone that was concerned that after seeing a doctor and they rule out anything like cancer or worst, that it's most likley anxiety & muscle spamisms. I'll write again after I find out what I may be doing wrong.

There are many tricks I have learned to make the feeling go away and wanted to share was all. I have helped many people with these types of problems due to stress/anxiety. :)

Hi wing!


Perhaps there's a limit on post size. Otherwise, i'm not sure how these forums are moderated..

Hi, i'm sorry that others suffer from this problem. And i'm really glad to hear that many of your doctors has told you that there is nothing medical wrong with you in the throat that is causing this problem for you as well.

Lets get started on this subject. One my symptoms are just like many of yours when it happens to me. The throat tighten up and it is feels like there is a lump in your airway as many of you expressed. It is also hard to swallow at times and when you do eat it feels like you can feel the food go all the way down when you swallow your food.

Some of you said you don't seem to be stressed at this time. Well the fact that you don't think your stressing doesn't mean your not. Many times your sub-conscience plays tricks with you and you feel ok but there might be just enough stress there to make your throat muscles tighten up.


But this also could be from allergies or sinus drainage going down your throat as well. Post nasal drip can really be bothersome, and make you feel like you have the same problems. If you have this problem try drinking tea. Warm/hot tea with either honey mixed into it or sugar. It will coat you throat and relax the muslces in the throat. Also colds cause this drainage as well. So use the same advise i'm about to give you. If you use honey stir it in well till disovled.

I drink a tea called sleeptime made by the celestial tea company. It does just as the name says. It will make you relaxed and some what tired. But for whatever reason the stuff in it calms your nerves. I take a large cup from mcdonalds and fill it up with hot water and let the tea bag steep in it for hours while i'm drinking it. The cup is a 40 some oz size and I add about 6 spoons full of sugar or you can add honey to your liking. Make sure you get the regular kind of sleepytime, with nothing else added and make sure it's the one without caffinee in it.

another reason for tight throats are from breathing in too much air down your throats and it can cause you to feel bloated and a tighteness in your throat, this begins to make me a bit wound up if I don't pay attention to the signs. When this happens your hyper-ventelating and thus causing you stress until you slow your breathing down. And if you have sinus drainage at the sametime it will add to the problem.

You might feel bloated in the stomach area or have a pocket full of air under you breast bone area and it worked it's way to you throat when you continue to breath in more air cause you are nervous and anxious about the uncomfortable feelings it is giving you. Try not to rub your throat at all, and slow your breathing down and slow your swallowing down with your spit as well. Mainly focus on relaxing and not worrying !!!


By this time your over thinking about this and may began to start worrying or get a panic going on. And until you relax it can continue for days or weeks depending on how long your stressing about this. Plus you can have lil or big social troubles add to it like work or friends/family fights maybe and wow you are really breathing in more air than you want to be, causing you to fill back up with air that forms into acid or gas build up. You can be breathing in more air and not even know it, unless you focus on what is going on. Test this therory and see what is happening around you and what is your body is feeling while your throat is tight.

I see many of you have been checked for acid reflux. If not you might want to visit your doctor about this. Try and explain that you just want to be sure that you can rule this out a well.

But I would say he/she is right about the muscle tightening up due to stress. Like I have said to others you don't really have to be totally stressing out for this to happen. But like I said first do any you have allergies and do you wake up with a stuffed up nose and ears from a nights rest? If so this is not a major worry. It is normally seasonal and the post nasal dripping down your throat can really make one that doesn't know this feel as if their throat it tighhening up, when it is really just nasal crud running down the back of ya throat.

If this is the case find a good over the counter allergy medication to start with. I suggest maybe benadrly that you can get at wal-mart in the generic brand and sudafed as well. And take it as needed or by the directions on the bottles. You may only have to take it for seasonal times of the year like now and spring. Also get yourself a bottle of saline nasal spray too and when your nose if dry spray the saline in each nose twice and do that as needed. This will help you breathe better. Cause if your nose is stuffed up this too tends to make you over breathe and build sinus drainage and too much air will get trapped in you stomach and chest area and work its way up to you throat. (read two paragraphs down to finish this paragraph where it starts think of it like a champagne bottle)

also people you might think about buying a humidifier with a filter on it to remove dust and pollens, or just fill a big pan up with water and boil it on the stove to get moisture in the house. Make sure you keep a eye on the water that it doesn't boil down and out. Just check it every so often. These two things help you breathe better and opens you nose and throat airways. With the humidifier buy the bottle of fluid that removes bactria from the water as well. You can buy a small one from wal-mart and it is made by reli-on and the replacement filters should be above the humidifiers as well as the small bottles of bactria removers from the water you fill the tank with. Just a cap full in this model is all you need.

Trust me all these things are stuff I use in the house for our family and it works.

Think of it like a champagne bottle that has been shaken and what does it do? It builds up pressure and moves to the top of the bottle. Well this is just what the air does in our stomachs, but it doesn't always ex-spell out like we'd like it too when were stressed.

Hence the more you think about all of this, your mind is working overtime and you become overwhelmed and pow the throat becomes tight again.

Try and find the tigger points that may have this start with you. Try and remember what was going on when you start getting the tight throat. And if you can write it down till you can remember what is going on when this happens. Write down did I get worked up over something with a friend, family person, stranger that might have upset you driving down the road. Co-workers getting on yor nerves. Or too much pressure by any of these factors. Than try and trace back and see well did my throat get tight at this time.

If so try and do a breathing excerise that has been taught by many tharapist over the years. Breath in through your nose with your mouth closed. Do this slowly filling you stomach area up first as you would fill a balloon. Let you stomach rise up until mildly full, with no major pressure in this area. Than slowly exhale out your mouth. Just let it roll out your stomach and up your throat and out your mouth. And repeat this for maybe 10 to 15 minutes. Do-not over breath. What i'm saying is do not make yourself hyperventalate. You might pass out. I doubt you will but you could. I haven't as of yet.

While doing this lay on your bed flat on your back and to this excerise. If this doesn't help try and using a brown paper lunch bag and cup it around your nose and mouth and repeat the same instructions I gave you with out it. Sit up on the side of your bed or in a comfortable chair and sit upright when doing this.

This should stop the anxiety and panic you might be feeling and also should loosen up your throat.

Have any of you ever been to a psychologist or psychiatrist about this problem? I have for years been to both. And it is best to see one of these people more so than seeing a regular doctor, because they deal with this area better than a regular doctors. Ent doctors will rule out any illnesses, which your pvt doctor can too and seems from lots of all your letters you all done this. If you haven't see a doctor first before taken any advise from me or others on here.

Now if you have a regular doctor that is willing to help you and not make you feel like your nuts, which your not, than by all means ask for his/hers help. And if he/she feels you need to talk to a mental health person do-not feel ashamed. There is nothing wrong with getting help from them.

If you decide to see one ask around with family and friends who might be a good one to see. And when and if you decide to go this route explain to them what you are dealing with.

Please do-not let any doctor tell you are nuts. . Trust me I have dealt with them all. But I found one through the veterans hospital here where I live. I trust this man with my life, though I do pay attention to everything he tells me. And if I feel he is off track about my problem I say so politely.

I see many of you have been put on a anti-anxiety medication. Which I read the other post some of you have talked about. They work great for this problem. All they do is work on you nervous system and help you relax. I've been on ativan since 1985. That's because I suffer from panic disorder. It's not a big deal any more to seek this kinda help.

If this route is taken follow their guidelines ok. If they put you on something like ativan ask them what they are giving you and what are the side effects. Don't be worried about asking questions this is your body that will be taken this stuff. And make sure you know who to call if you have any side effects from the medication. And have a family member or friend take you to the doctors or hospital if you feel you can't drive.

When on this type of medication you might be tired for a few days or get a dry mouth, but nothing major should happen other wise. But be mindful of anything that doesn't seem normal when taken them and get to help if something seems wrong that shouldn't feel this way. That is major kind of side effects

ok some more advise. When eating take small bites and chew it well before swallowing. Don't talk while your eating you will swallow more air. How do I know this. It's a proven fact that when kids are babbling at the dinner table they tend not to finish their food, cause they have taken in not only food, but air in behind it and become full faster. Hence not finishing what is on their plates.

I'm a big stickler about my kids talking at dinner time just for this reason. In our case swallowing our food in large bites and swallowing it fast causes us to bring in way to much air and it will bloat you up and if you don't burp, your setting yourself up for the air to come back up and tighten your throat once again. Plus when the food goes down ruff, it can leave a sensation there as well from moments or days.

When you have a tight throat try and drink water instead of pop or milk, they both produce a gas build up. Thus making it harder to get your food down. And if you have ever dealt with this, you can choke on your food. I have had this happen many of times. It's not funny at all is it. But like I said you can avoid this by chewing your food up good before swallowing

you might want to take a ant-acid a hour before you eat or maybe 20 minutes after you eat. This will keep your stomach from filling up with too much air/gas build up. Do this only if your prone to having a tight throat all the time. If not do it only when your having a tight throat. And before all that do the breathing excerise I told you about in the start of this note.

Doing the non medication things is best at all times I feel. But if you need them use them. And use them only as directed. Mainly if the doctor gives you something like the ativan I talk to you about. These are called benzodiapenes drugs hence nerve medications/mild tranquilizers. Major piece of advise do-not let him/her put you on valium. You can build a dependence on this fast and thus needing more. It doesn't last long in your system and like I said than you feel you need more sooner. Ativan has been the safe drug for most people. And it last longer in your system.

Please as I said follow your doctors intructions and rules !!!! This advise i'm giving here is from what I have learn from doctors, tharapist, and family. But first of all rememeber to use your doctors advise at all times. These things i'm talking about work, but i'm not a doctor ......


Last things here and some of you may know about this and may not know about this. By all means watch what you eat when you have a tight throat. Try and eat blan foods and stay away from spicey ones. Trust me they will only make things worst at this time. Watch eating breads too. If you eat bread at this time chew it up really good. Soft breads really like to get blocked in your throat if you eat big bites when your throat is tight.

Final thoughts here that I have found that set anxieties off or nervousness, panic attacks which ever wording you have heard. Perfumes in any shape and form will set a panic attack off for lots of people. Try and not wear perfume scented anything. Use non-scented soaps in your washing of clothes and hands. Also shampoo's. Air freshners that are really strong can set you off even when you think your not stressed. This stuff causes stress in many people.

I have so many family and friends that have this trouble. And we have found non-scented items will keep you from getting wound up/ hence anxious. And if your not aware of this, you might want to try this therory I have said here. Stay away from things with high levels of perfumes in it. I'm guessing some of you might just see a difference. That is why there are so many non-scented items on the maket. Cause people like me have complained about it and they removed the scents from their products and made unscented ones. Anything you can think of scented try and avoid them for a bit and see it this doesn't help.

Also stay away from caffine & brown chocolates, they are filled with high levels of caffinee and can set you off with anxieties and tight throats. Trust me here this is not a all in the head deal. Its a proven fact. You can read about this online on many doctor websites. Leave the booze alone too. Many people have panic/anxious moments drinking booze. And if your taken any nerve medications you should not be drinking at all. I don't care what some people tell you including doctors. Most good doctors will tell you no booze !!! And no drugs mixed with nerve medications.

I had to learn this from my mother and other family members over the years before computers came out. And from doctors as well.

So try and relax at all cost. Watch what you eat and how you chew it, talk to your doctor about the medications I talked about here and if she/he doesn't feel comfortable about giving you any of these ask for a ref to a psychologist or psychiatrist. And watch the perfumes and scented things we tend to use in our daily life.

I hope this will be a help for you all and that if you need any other advise don't be afraid to write a post or pvt im.

Sincerely wing :)

i was clicking on the wrong deal to post a message martin, ty for your help. Just need to figure out how this worked. It seem to make me log back in and than I can post to each subject.

That was funny about chewing on a clean piece of paper lol.... What you have had to say is pretty right on. Seems you have been dealing with this for sometime as myself.

Nerves can cause many troubles in our bodies ya'll and it can overwhelm ones mind when your not able to control how your feeling.

As I posted focus as soon as you can on the problem that is causing your throats to get tight. There are many emotions and stressers that cause us these problems. And sad to say not many people have been told the truth about this stuff and suffer for long periods of time before they finally get help.

I have some other tech terms I will write later on when I have the time. But my post about relaxing, drinking the tea I talked about , the breathing tips have help many with this problem. I also talked about the drainage troubles are what can cause these issues too. And gas build up as well. And drinking booze and caffinee can really set one up for some major stress troubles. But like martin has explain here you are not alone and not cursed by no means.

Stress can really stink that is for sure. My buddy taught me a good lession, by saying to me just let it go buddy !!! And all in all that's what it boils down to. Don't let the stress eat ya up if you just focus on the stress when it is happening. This is the key point to recovery

peace wing

Good morning wing!


I cannot think of not worrying anymore than I cannot think of a pink elephant. Instead, I put my mind to other tasks or let it drift as it naturally will.


I saw a shrink a long time ago. He helped me overcome the fears I had. For me, coffee and alchohol can exacerbate the problem but usually do not.

While most people use the words stress and anxiety interchangeably, I tend to think of stress as strain -- as in being under constraint or pressure from work or obligation. Anxiety is either existential or sexual as woody allen would say. In any case it's apprehension about something or it's simply neurological as in my case.

My very first symptom of anxiety was the feeling my throat was closing, and it scared me so much, thought I was going to die, whenever I felt it happening again, I would cough and it would stop it, and I always make sure I have water with me at all times!

Hello popprincess.

I've never had trouble breathing. Have you? The tension in my throat involves my vocal cords. At times it makes it difficult to talk. Singing is always difficult.

I have to admit that I was getting pretty worried. I'm relieved to see that there are others who have the same symptoms and that it doesn't appear to be too serious (re: not cancer). I've been experiencing these symptoms on and off for the past few (2 or so) weeks. I believe the problem is i'm currently on a drug called zyban to help me quit smoking. I noticed the symptoms occurring after I started on the drug.

I know zyban is supposed to be an anti-depressant. The last timei was on it (i tried quitting two years before with it) I noticed I had anxiety attacks while on it, but I never had this throat-constriction i'm feeling now.

Basically, my symptoms are exactly what many others have posted - feeling of tightness in the throat at the adam's apple area. It feels like my throat is "hardening". It does not affect my breathing, or eating/drinking... It's just a perpetual feeling. I totally notice that when i'm distracted by something, I don't notice it... But then i'll stop and think, "hey, my throat hasn't felt tight in a while" and bam, i'll start feeling it again.

I've stopped smoking for a good 3 weeks now, so i'm thinking of stopping my treatment tos ee if this throat tightness goes away. Anyway, i'm just relieved to see that others believe, as I now believe, that this is mostly an anxiety issue. In my case, a drug that causes anxiety in me, and thus probably causing this throat tightness.

no, I was never having trouble breathing either really, but I do remember when I went back to college, we had to do a thing in class where we had to read out loud and I felt like I couldn't talk!!

Hello khw,

my throat used to be tight all the time. Obviously, being aware of any discomfort only compounds the discomfort and anxiety. Another vicious circle. I was slightly more comfortable so long as my attention was diverted. Eventually I got help. My doctor prescribed clorazepate for relief. The stuff works even if I happen to stop and think about it. :)

~well I have been to the specialist and thankfully he seems to think it is one of the lesser ills. I think the term he used is gastroesophageal reflux - which is what everyone has been telling me but is quite hard to believe when faced with the amount of discomfort. Since being re-assured and taking some anti-acid medication (i can't remember the actual name but they are proton pump inhibitors) the symptoms have largely decreased . While I don't think they have been 100% effective yet (one week) - there are still some periods of discomfort - I do feel that the road to recovery has been started..

Thanks to all for words of wisdom

Thats brilliant, hopefully it will get better completely! :d

Just wanted to give a quick update - I stopped taking zyban for a week and a bit now and my "tight throat" symptoms have completely vanished. Even if I were to think about my throat being tight, it doesn't come back, so very obviously it was all in my head and very likely induced by zyban.

If you're on any type of mood-altering or mood-changing medication like zyban (which is an anti-depressant) then I suggest you find out if perhaps that mediciation might be the very cause of your throat-tightness and anxiety!

Getting off zyban has definitely worked for me... And in addition, i've stopped smoking as well :)

khw

Hello there,

i have been having throat constrictions since I started taking wellbutrin xl (related to zyban).

It mostly happens at night after eating dinner or if I am chewing gum. It feels like the muscles are tightening and the back of my tongue feels funny. It does not affect my breathing though.

I have stopped taking this drug as of yesterday and hope that it will go away soon.

As a matter of fact, my throught started to feel funny when I took my first dosage. :x

Hi khw!

You said:

"just wanted to give a quick update - I stopped taking zyban for a week and a bit now and my "tight throat" symptoms have completely vanished. Even if I were to think about my throat being tight, it doesn't come back, so very obviously it was all in my head and very likely induced by zyban."

obviously, it was not all in your head as your problems were very likely induced by zyban. ;-)