Does anyone else’s throat feel like it’s closing in when stressed/anxious?

[OnceuponaRainbow18]

And if so, what do you do about it?

I’m under a lot of pressure at work and at home, and recently I feel like there’s something tight across my neck, like I’m being suffocated. I’m guessing it’s a sign of being stressed and anxious but in the moment it feels like I could be suffocating and dying! I know it sounds extreme.

Do others get this? And if so what do you do? I end up pulling away any tight clothing around my neck, including my work lanyards and loosening my hair but honestly it’s happened all day long at work today, and tips would be great!

Changing my work and home situations can’t happen at the moment!

Have you spoken to your GP about treatment for your anxiety?

Something like propranolol that you can take as and when needed (or regulary 3 x a day if necessary) can help calm you and relieve those symptoms.

Some deep breathing exercises can really help.
Simply habit has a brilliant medication series -just 5 mins each session- that is very calming and really helps with anxiety but they have lots of great (free) meditations on there.
simplehabit.app.link/E7g0zm7Ylnb

Thanks for the link, will try it.

I’ve not spoken to GP but I should, I’m
Just not sure what they can suggest so looking for ways to manage it

Google a condition known as ILO (inducible laryngeal obstruction - may be some spelling mistakes there!) and see if your symptoms match the ones listed. If so, a speech and language therapist can show you exercises to do when you're experiencing symptoms...

This happens to me during periods of high stress. I deal with it by acknowledging how I feel, so I literally talk to myself in my head like “ok so my throat is tightening, but I know it’s just a feeling, there’s nothing wrong, I need to breathe slowly, 1-2-3-4” etc. Sounds strange I know but it works for me

Just wondering if you have reflux at all? When I get very stressed my reflux flares and I can get the feeling of a ball or obstruction in my throat and difficulty swallowing. It can also lead to me waking up suddenly, feeling like I'm suffocating. Hope you get to the bottom of it OP - not nice! 💐

Swallowing problems are very much common when it comes to mental state/mental health, as someone who is a professional in this field.

Yep - tightness, swallowing problems and globus. Honestly, I didn’t fix any of it - and didn’t fix my anxiety - they each just went away in their own time. However, for an actual physical issue with spasms, 2 of the exercises my speech therapist assigned were 1) jut your bottom jaw forward then tilt your head back until you feel a stretch 2) head for a yawn but stop when you feel everything lower/open at the back of your throat.

The psychological stuff is shit. The physical stuff wasn’t much fun either but I didn’t panic about it. Hope it improves for you soon!

Also - yes, reflux made my physical problem happen/worse. I have it quite bad though.

I get this a lot but I have realised I also clench my jaw when it happens, so I figured out that opening my mouth and trying to let my mouth and tongue relax helps somewhat. It also helped when I figured out it was stress or anxiety, as before I'd linked them, I thought it was all manner of awful things, so the panic made it worse.

From a psychology pov, it can signify that you have a lot to say, but are afraid to say it in case it makes things worse.

Are you holding back @OnceuponaRainbow18?

I'm going through something similar at the moment. Muscle tension dysphonia. Mines caused by something in the environment (don't think know what, wind, temp change maybe pollen?) My throat tightens and my voice goes weird.

Had my 1st speech therapy yesterday. She said to do 5 stifled yawns in a row, run your tongue around the front on your teeth in a circular motion with your mouth closed, also gargling. All should help to relax the muscles.

Try singing op.
As loud as you can. Maybe in your car. It can really help relax the muscles.

Yes I get this. It seems hard to swallow too so I over swallow if that makes sense. It does go when things calm down a bit. Not a nice feeling but if you can accept it comes and goes, I find it easier to be at peace with it when it happens.

I've had this only once when DF was terribly ill in hospital and I was then having a lift home with people I wasn't particularly comfortable with. It was as though my throat was sealing up. It was an experience I'd never experienced before or since.

My take is that it was a physical reaction to stress/anxiety and it passed but 10 years later I still remember it.

Don't try to cope with this alone; see your GP.

You can also fo laryngeal massage, videos are on YouTube.

Thank you, lots of great ideas here, I’ll try them all!

I do think I have reflux, someone’s when I am lying down I feel something warm coming up my throat!

I honestly could have written this post.. I actually keep checking my neck for lumps, it feels like I've got a band around my throat (I've recently realised it's when I'm feeling really stressed and anxious).

I get this if stressed, I thought everyone did?

It literally feels like someone is trying to strangle me/something pushing on my throat

I needed to make big life changes , as for me it was the beginning of anxiety and panic attacks

It’s often your body saying some Thad to give

Hope you can get a break or a change

Take care

Anxiety can caus this, but I had this horribly, for months, until I figured out that I had silent reflux.

It's called globus - I had it badly, now if I even get a slight start of it I recognise it as a sign I'm overly stressed and try to take action
www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/ears-nose-and-throat/feeling-of-something-in-your-throat-globus

Yes. Youngest child was in immediate, extreme danger once. I really needed to shout/make noise but practically nothing would come out. My voice was quite literally paralysed by fear. Hope never to experience that again.

(All turned out safely).