Hello, I wonder if I could pass on something I know of. I've read all of these about the throat closing up. It's not only anxiety and stress, but perhaps even your body remembering something that caused you severe anxiety in the past that you can't connect with. I'm a bio-energetics practitioner, and I know people who go through that with acute anxiety. Their bodies are remembering things that have happened a long time ago, but they are getting to the core of it one issue at a time. Pay attention to the time of day, week, month, year, event, people involved in your life, etc. when you have one of these attacks. We are creatures of association and when we are not conscious of something bothering us, our bodies still go into defense physiology because something familiar reminds us of a trauma or event. Please look into EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). B.E.S.T. practitioners can help with that too. It's a great way to figure out what's going on. It's painless and a very helpful tool even for young children. Good luck!

I mentioned before that I had the same feelings. I also have duodonal ulcers that come and go. I wondered if this could have been the problem. They are from stress. I just took my meds (carafate) and started getting that panic feeling shortly thereafter (about an hour) but it didn't erupt into the bubbly feeling. So, I am going to continue on my carafate and see if it controls or cures it. I am in a very stressful relationship which I intend to end.

hey great site!!...i to have been suffering from this also...i find my throat feels tight mainly if im driving or thinking too much...when im at work or doing something im fine...i to believe its anxiety...but to alll the others out there suffering with this disorder..i know whats its like...and yes reading this site makes you feel better knowing that you are not alone...i find rubbing vics or anything menthol helps as well as chewing gum

I feel as though my throat is closing. I can't sleep because of this, and it is really stressing me out. It appears to be a catch-22. It's really hard to swallow, and sometimes food even gets stuck in my throat, and I have to hack it back up.

I thought I was the only one suffering from throat tightness. After reading past posts, I'm starting to wonder if this particular symptom was onset after a week of taking the anti-depressant, Elavil (or generic Amitryptiline) which was initially prescribed not only for anxiety but migraines as well. I have had the throat tightness symptom since April 2009. I have had a cervical MRI and an ENT put that camera-thingy down my throat, and fortunately there is nothing sinister.

Unfortunately, there still has yet to be a pinpointed cause for my throat tightness. Upon reading past posts, I've noticed that a few people were on anti-depressants when their symptoms appeared. After looking back at my medical history, my throat tightness started about the same time my neurologist prescribed and I started taking Elavil. She says more than likely, the throat tightness has to do with my current neck issues, but she can't supply me with a DEFINITE cause. I don't have trouble eating or breathing--just a constant feeling like my neck muscles are tight and sometimes a pulling sensation if I concentrate too hard on it.

It seemed to be getting better, but my father recently passed, and this symptom has flared up. So I'm wondering if stress is also contributing to this symptom. Cold weather also aggravates this symptom. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated (but I have the sneaky suspicion that the neck tightness started with the anti-depressant).

I am glad I found this site. I have had this problem for a while and it terrified me. It's sometimes accompanied by severe dizziness and disorientation, chest pain, a tight feeling in the chest or laboured breathing...I have been told that all of these things can be caused by anxiety, I usually get them at separate times, but when I get them all at once it is really quite unbearable...I have tried taking valium(diazepam) but often with little to no immediate results once it gets to this stage...
but it does definitely help. But I would not recommend this if it is a common recurring thing as it's not a drug that should be taken too often.

It is very calming to know that I am not alone and that this seems to be a fairly common condition. I was really freaking out when it first happened.

It doesn't stop as soon as I manage to calm myself mentally, but if I am able to relax myself by focusing on relaxing my muscles and feeling the tension fade away, it makes it a lot easier. It also REALLY helps if I can distract my mind somehow, by getting involved in a book or videogame or movie and trying to calm and focus my mind on something else, it eventually fades until I stop and think about it again.

The key is to not be scared of it happening or think about it if you can avoid it. I know this is a LOT easier said than done when you feel like you are suffocating, but it really is the only way to get past it that I have found.
I hope this helps, I know how terrible it can feel to have this happen.

I am glad to know I'm not the only one. I have been suffering from this for about 2 years now. Started when I was taking alot of supplements and working out. One night drank some soy milk rushed to the hospital because I thought my throat was closing up (wasn't really just in my mind). Go see an ent to test me for food allergies came back I was allergic to soy, wheat, corn, peanuts, bakers yeast, brewers yeast. So they give me an Epi-pen. Have an airbourne allergy test done and comes back I'm allergic to everything. Doctor even says to me he is suprised I don't have asthma. (never had any allergy problems before)

That started all the episodes of feeling like it was hard to breath, increased heart rate, dizziness, on and on. They test me three months later no allergies and they gave me no explanation. Since then I've had x-rays, ct scans, multiple thyroid tests, EKG, stress test and everything comes back normal. They put me on Zoloft but didn't like they way it made me feel. Whats sad is everywhere I go I have to carry that Epi-pen with me because I'm afraid my throat might actually swell closed. It definetly affects my social life. Biggest fear is that I'm a single father and do not want something to happen to me and leave him alone. That seems to be my trigger just thinking about that.

I'm not sure if you know any of this as you were working out.
Try taking fish oil capsules which has higher EPA content than DHA. Also start taking Gingko Biloba its herbal supplement. Both of this taken regularly will clear any anxiety you have. Fish Oil takes upto 2/3 months to build long chain hence it might take some time to see any result, but when it does its great.
Gingko is good for blood circulation which helps movement of oxygenated blood around the body as its also an antioxidant.

First time I felt it was after drinking one day. I guess you could say I'm kind of a heavy drinker- I don't drink daily but at the weekends I go at it all night and reguarly wake up with a hangover on Sundays. Anyway one day I felt this tight sensation in my throat and went to the emergency center. I didn't really feel I was in any danger of not being able to breath but still... the doctor took a quick look and said there was nothing there- likely all in my head. If it is mental then I don't know what to do. Even when I try to chill out I still get it, and even when I am at home laying on the bed I can't exactly rest in peace- I'm in a right state, with tinittus since I was 26 and that naturally causes me stress and difficulty relaxing where most people would be at ease. Thought I'd conquered that and now this happens. Honestly, I'm not suicidal and I'm an optimistic person but I'm a deep thinker and even when I'm not in the daily work grind I get stressed from my natural thoughts. Sad to say but sometimes I pray I get hit by a car. It's only my lovely wife that keeps me fighting. I definitely don't want to live until I'm old and grey.
I've knocked the booze on the head but it's not changed anything, 2 weeks later I still have it even though it comes and goes. Tomorrow I'll go to another doctor- I know what he'll say though "You're fine- it's all mental".
I hate getting older, diseases all over the place. Life used to be so simple.

I have had a lot of anxiety since my last child was born 8 months ago. I have had a lot of chest pain and the doctors ran some test and didn't find anything wrong with my heart. In the last 2 to 3 months I have had this feeling like something in my throat and it also feels like it is tighting. My neck and head feels like ther is a lot of tension.I sleep fine at night. My doctor first said I had shingles. Now he said it could be allergies, so he is sending me to a nose throat and ear specialist. After reading these statements I am beging to wonder if its not just anxiety.

reading these posts have given me some peace of mind. i have had anxiety for years but in the past few months is has gotten worse. it started with anxiety attacks which i got lorazepam for and it has helped with the attacks although everyday if i still feel as if i cant breathe. i feel like my throat is closing, my tongue is swelling, and i cant get barely any air in. when i am busy doing things or talking to someone i forget about it and it goes away but when i think about it again it comes right back just as bad every time. it get so worked up and i have been to the doctor and there is nothing wrong with me other than anxiety. i didn't believe this and thought it must be something else because of the extreme systems and feeling like i cant breathe but after reading everyone's posts i now have some relief in knowing that because we all have these same feelings it MUST me the anxiety and i am just going to try and stay busy and relax knowing nothing is seriously wrong with my throat.

Hello,
For about the last month I have feared that I have throat cancer. I looked online and I found that I have almost all the pre warnings signs for throat cancer. However these are also the signs of a common cold, which is why people get confused. I do smoke on occasion but truely nothing serious. I've felt pain in my throat for awhile, but this morning I woke up and it feels like a balloon is stuck in my throat or something, making it slightly hard to breathe and swallow, I have been stressed lately but I dont think that's it. I tried relaxing and closing my eyes but that didn't help either. I don't have insurance to go to a doctor, does anyone one else have any suggestions?

Hi all:

I have this also and it is getting worse recently because of very stressful situation, but I do have an answer that docs don't seem to look at: It's called Hashimoto's thyroiditis. I know there are people on this site who have gotten their thyroid so call "Checked" but did they really get the right tests? The docs only do a test called the TSH for thyroid problems, but that doesn't ever tell the whole story; they just say "you're normal" and YOU know you just don't feel right for "Normal" You might have to demand it, but make sure you get your FREE T3, FREE T4, and especially the answer to your tight throat problem; BOTH ANTI-Bodies tests for Hashimoto's confirmation; I had thyroid tested for years, but until I got the anti-bodies tested and did some research on StopTheThyroidMadness.com, I couldn't get an answer to it.

Hope this helps,

I also have a tightness feeling in the throat on occasion. But in addition to that, I can feel light headed too and have to struggle just to talk. Almost like I have limited breath to talk. I can run 5 miles without getting overly winded, but do have this talking issue when the throat thing starts. Anyone been here? I do have a very stressful job. I feel great in the mornings after waking. But on hectic days, I sometime experience the aforementioned. Is this mostly stress related???

i have the same thing i have tried adivan it seems to work but tonight i tried benadryl and it has seems to calm it down some. I'm now wondering if maybe i have an allergic reaction to something. Who knows what though the only thing i know i have everyday is the really clorinated water that comes out of our tap. my doc was saying maybe some sort of a thyroid problem as someone said above. I really am getting sick of this and I hope i find out what it is. If anyone else figures anyting out please post what it is. This problem seems to effecting alot of people it's gotta be something more than anxiety. I can leave the house for an hour or so andd the feeling goes away only to come back ten minutes after i get home. I'm wondering maybe there is mold in our house as there used to be a grow op here. Or maybe i am allergic to our cats who knows???

Okay so, I'm only 15 years old so I'm not so sure if this could be anything REALLY serious. But like all of ya'll here I have been having a tightening feeling in my throat. It seems that when I think about it, it gets worse. Maybe it is like everyone said and it could just be stress, but it has been worrying me for a while now. It seems like every time I'm in school or out where there's a lot of people, that my throat starts to close. Also, when I'm around cigarette smoke I cough a lot and get dizzy...I'm not sure if its something that needs to be checked out by a doctor because surely everything I've said here can be caused by stress. I'm just not sure what it is...but I wish I could learn to get my mind off of it...because it seems to have made it hard to swallow..and I'm even afraid to eat...someone help please <3?

I've had this too - definitely stress without a shadow of a doubt. Once I was reassured that it wasn't serious, it started to go away, though still comes back now and again. As mentioned above, its a genuine medical condition: "globus hystericus". Sipping warm drinks sometimes helps, or I found that yoga relaxed me too.

I've been experiencing what you are describing for at least 10 years now. I used to panic because it feels like you can't breath, but I've learned that if you just breath slowly and hold tight the intensity fades within 30 seconds or so. Interestingly, a drink of any liquid instantly solves the problem for me. I believe these to be the symptoms of esaphagus spasms. Perhaps the temp of the liquids kills the spasm? Do you think these spasms could indicate cancer?