Choking sensation

Posted , 14 users are following.

Ladies I'm in total panic attack mode. This Peri hell started 2 years ago. I've had stomach issues from day one! Lately it's gotten worse so 3 days ago my doctor put me on 40mg stomach tablet rather than the 20 I had been taking. The past 2 day have been hell, I feel like my windpipe is closing and I'm gasping for air! I had to jump out of my car tonight because I couldn't catch a breadth, my mind and anxiety have gone into overdrive now and I've convinced myself I've all sorts of horrible things wrong. So so fed up, any advice would be welcome.

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi. I had similar issues and my OBGYN thought it was low progesterone as it affects digestion. Have you had yours tested? It also causes extreme anxiety. I'm currently looking for the right progesterone as a natural version made me gain a ton of weight.

    Apparently, during peri, your progesterone actually drops before your estrogen does. It's the first hormone to go and what makes you feel calm and sleep well among other things. 😦

    • Posted

      Hi Sakura

      What you say makes so much sense, I never put heightened anxiety and the menopause together, but I have been health anxious for years, this became worse when I hit 60 nearly three years ago! before the menopause my health anxiety was I would say in a normal range, but now I worry about the least thing to do with my health, I know that it's really irrational but somehow can't help it, what you say about progesterone makes so much sense!! thank you!!

  • Posted

    Hey

    I totally relate to everything you're saying. I have really bad digestive issues. Bloating, constipation, heartburn, etc. I too have issues with my throat and gasping for breath. My throat closes up on me I've googled it and it's called laranxspasm it is so frightening. I have pains in my legs, stomach, headaches the list goes on. I suffer with Really bad anxiety and I'm worried I have something seriously wrong with me. This peri is kicking my arse. Don't even get me started on brain fog . Xx

    • Posted

      Hi Lisa, the Brain fig in itself is scary! Don't know how many times I've turned car around because I can't remember if I closed the door! I do some of the landscape and brain train games on my phone to try help me.

  • Posted

    im not sure what you took, but when i was going thru the worse of it all, I took a nexium and i had a full blown attack of shaking and not being able to breathe. Will never take those again.

    I did go thru the lump in throat thing. It eventually went away. Had it scoped and everything. Others have had that too.

    • Posted

      Oh god Suzanne, its because of those Nexium I ended up in hospital one night! I thought I was dying! Poor husband and kids were in terrible state with worry! Even their own website is saying horrible things about it ! Definitely not good.

    • Posted

      Try and stay away from antacids. Zantac made my liver enzymes sky rocket too. Bad stuff.

      I drank alot of lemon water which helped neutralize the acid, and was careful about what I ate and stayed away from advil for about a year. Really horrible time for me. When it all started it was in my throat, it was sore for about a month and then I started getting the lump in there and was having a hard time swallowing. I was convinced I was dying of throat or lung cancer. The ENT doc who scoped me said he thought it was silent reflux and that's what led me to change my diet which in turn caused a 30 pound weight loss. Made me even sicker. Bad times indeed.

  • Posted

    Hi .. I was just about to tell you.the same thing what Suzanne said.. just be careful taking the acid reflux stuff that doctors prescribed or over the counter ..it made me worse instead of better. Most time when get older we usually have a lack of acid instead of too much. Please educate yourself on the stomach acid reflux meds. Lots of info online.

  • Posted

    hi Mamamia - Wow! you poor thing...my guess is you are experiencing full blown anxiety attacks brought on by our lack of hormones no doubt - i have suffered from both, the anxiety attack & the gasping for air - A trick i have done in the past, is i let the shower get steamy, & grab a handful of ice & hold it in both hands - somehow, your brain cant manage an anxiety attack & holding ice at the same time & the steamy shower opens up your passages - a therapist told me, you have to relax into an anxiety attack (easier said than done) but if you realize its only a surge of adrenaline & nobody dies from a panic attack & you just repeat that, you somehow take over the power - good luck - scary as you know what -

  • Posted

    hi Mamamia - Wow! you poor thing...my guess is you are experiencing full blown anxiety attacks brought on by our lack of hormones no doubt - i have suffered from both, the anxiety attack & the gasping for air - A trick i have done in the past, is i let the shower get steamy, & grab a handful of ice & hold it in both hands - somehow, your brain cant manage an anxiety attack & holding ice at the same time & the steamy shower opens up your passages - a therapist told me, you have to relax into an anxiety attack (easier said than done) but if you realize its only a surge of adrenaline & nobody dies from a panic attack & you just repeat that, you somehow take over the power - good luck - scary as you know what -

  • Posted

    I have had this too. Very scary. Putting your hand on your stomach and breathing in for count to eleven and out to count of fourteen helps me to relax. Slippery Elm lozenges help settle my stomach and throat. I completely agree that trying to find your calm is the most help. Not easy -- I know. Blessings.

  • Posted

    Hi mamamia

    I went to the doctors three years ago with burning in my chest and back, I was told it was acid reflux and was put on PPI's, because they didn't work I was convinced that I either had a hernia or a cancer of some sort, I was at the doctors all the time, think she thought I was a neurotic hypochondriac and told me that I would give myself an ulcer if I didn't stop being so anxious. My anxiety was because I wasn't convinced it was acid or anything digestive, I still have the burning and have stopped worrying about any digestion problems, as we know anxiety is going to give us digestion problems, the menopause doesn't help either.

  • Posted

    Hi mamamia

    You've had some great advice, I just wanted to add that I take a heavy duty pro biotic now rather than depending on ant acids. If your doctor thinks your stomach acid is out if hand, really he should be looking for any reason for it rather than just sending you off to deal with it. I also use lots of herbal teas and peppermint is really good for it. Its hard to say what caused the feeling you had, but it's really really common with anxiety to get the tightness in your throat, I've had it a lot. After you get over the initial trauma start to try and think about it when you get it, because you can still breathe and so nothing is closing up, it's just a really horrible sensation. Try some meditation too just to calm things, but good luck xxx

  • Posted

    That sounds to me like a panic attack. Anxiety releases cortisol and it can bring on symptoms. Also if you are put on proton pump inhibitors this can bring on GERD symptoms as well from low acid. We need some acid in our stomach to break down our food and the nutrients. Progesterone does help relieve anxiety, but ironically for me, when I went on it for a few months that is when I started experiencing acid reflux symptoms, so I went off.

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