caligirl78
09-30-2012, 07:40 PM
Hi everyone,
I'm so grateful this community exists, if anyone has an advice/experience with this, I'd surely appreciate it. About 6 months ago I got a bad virus and it turned into bronchitis. Around this time I also accidently inhaled some on my saliva and began choking, I felt like I couldn't breathe, turned pale and got enough words out to ask my sister to call 911. She was about to when I grabbed her arms and said, "Calm me down!" She told me to calm down and I was able to breathe again, I had some kind of spasm. That incident, the trouble I had with breathing from coughing with bronchitis, brought on A LOT of anxiety. I had not experienced anxiety since childhood - and now 20 years later it had returned. Since that time (6 months ago) I've gotten a lot of symptoms that point to reflux disease, sore throat, burping, coughing after eating etc, also a feeling like there is always mucous in my throat and that I'm about to inhale it. I constantly clear my throat, because I'm scared to choke, like before. My Dr. is slow on treating the reflux. This has caused my mind to wander like crazy - do I have a swallowing problem? Is my throat not working correctly? Am I developing multiple sclerosis or something terrible that's affecting my swallowing?! All these things have crossed my mind. I'm sure it's just reflux. Does anyone else have irrational anxiety regarding swallowing/choking? How do you control it? I've had two tests - a barium swallow, to show that my food is NOT going into my windpipe, also a laryngoscopy - to verify that my larynx is ok, and my upper throat looks normal - both tests were just fine...so you would think my mind would be at ease? BUT instead, my anxious mind says, "Maybe they didn't read the tests correctly?"
So...if anyone has any words of wisdom - maybe if you've experienced anxiety about swallowing/choking, or have experience with anxiety & reflux, or have any advice in general regarding anxiety. I feel new to it all over again - has speaking with a therapist helped at all? Part of me just wants to take medication to feel better, but I know that doesn't work all the time either...I just feel kind of on my own - not sure how to deal with things.
I'm so grateful this community exists, if anyone has an advice/experience with this, I'd surely appreciate it. About 6 months ago I got a bad virus and it turned into bronchitis. Around this time I also accidently inhaled some on my saliva and began choking, I felt like I couldn't breathe, turned pale and got enough words out to ask my sister to call 911. She was about to when I grabbed her arms and said, "Calm me down!" She told me to calm down and I was able to breathe again, I had some kind of spasm. That incident, the trouble I had with breathing from coughing with bronchitis, brought on A LOT of anxiety. I had not experienced anxiety since childhood - and now 20 years later it had returned. Since that time (6 months ago) I've gotten a lot of symptoms that point to reflux disease, sore throat, burping, coughing after eating etc, also a feeling like there is always mucous in my throat and that I'm about to inhale it. I constantly clear my throat, because I'm scared to choke, like before. My Dr. is slow on treating the reflux. This has caused my mind to wander like crazy - do I have a swallowing problem? Is my throat not working correctly? Am I developing multiple sclerosis or something terrible that's affecting my swallowing?! All these things have crossed my mind. I'm sure it's just reflux. Does anyone else have irrational anxiety regarding swallowing/choking? How do you control it? I've had two tests - a barium swallow, to show that my food is NOT going into my windpipe, also a laryngoscopy - to verify that my larynx is ok, and my upper throat looks normal - both tests were just fine...so you would think my mind would be at ease? BUT instead, my anxious mind says, "Maybe they didn't read the tests correctly?"
So...if anyone has any words of wisdom - maybe if you've experienced anxiety about swallowing/choking, or have experience with anxiety & reflux, or have any advice in general regarding anxiety. I feel new to it all over again - has speaking with a therapist helped at all? Part of me just wants to take medication to feel better, but I know that doesn't work all the time either...I just feel kind of on my own - not sure how to deal with things.