I feel like im going to choke when i eat.

The answer to your question Bethany is unfortunately another question, 'how long is a piece of string?'

This is very true when a person suddenly suffers from a new disorder that they have never suffered from before, particularly an anxiety disorder.

Every individual can have different healing rates and different response times and reactions to medication.

Your GP will have made an initial diagnosis, and will be treating you with the appropriate medication and advice.

In the meanwhile I think you are dealing with problem correctly by taking the medication and eating and digesting your food more slowly.

If you experience any more panic attacks before your meds run out it might be as well to refer yourself back to your doctor.

Good luck.

Hi Bethany,

My advice if you truly feel as though you've never had anxiety before is to nip it in the bud ASAP, because it can get out of hand fast,

I think you are suffering with anxiety and a the fellow above said you are doing the right thing by eating things slower until you trust you'll be fine again, although personally I stay away from meds.

Hope your feeling better soon xxx

I have had a similar problem the last few months. I had a day where I was fine, then suddenly one moment felt like I was choking on my last bite of pizza. I could drink water and everything but I felt like I couldn't breathe. My head started to feel fuzzy and my chest hurt, which just convinced my further that my body didn't have enough oxygen!

I panicked for about an hour while I waited convinced that I was about to pass out from lack of oxygen at any moment. Ever since then I had moments where I was convinced something was stuck in my throat, even if I hadn't eaten in hours!

Now it has progressed to I get this feeling after almost every lunch and dinner. To help me keep calm, I chew my food really well, drink lots of water to allow myself to see I'm not choking and when I get a little panicky because I feel like I'm choking, I try to give myself 10 minutes. I say I'm going to just remain calm for 10 minutes and see what happens, and usually in 10 minutes I feel a little better or at least if not, I can say to myself, well I'm obviously not choking. 

I can't tell you how long it will last, but you definitely aren't the only person who gets this and other people have gotten over it so we can too.

I had a similar thing a few weeks ago where I vomited after a migraine and I got a piece of partiallt digested food lodged far down my throat (not in my breathing tube obviously).

As I was vomiting quite violently I think I slightly tore my oesophagus. The doctor at A&E said that having a small tear in the oesophagus can give people the sensation of having something lodged in their throat and make them panic.  I was really panicking - hyperventilating, felt like I couldn't breathe and was going to suffocate to death. 

The best advice he gave me was to drink a bottle of coke. Apparently doctors out coke in feeding tubes to dissolve food that is lodged in there as the acid is good at dislodging things. I drank a bottle of coke as soon as I left A&E and felt the food move down - quite a big relief but now I know. I also had to take diazepam I'd been given for that night because I had been so worked up. 

I don't have a fear of choking or swallowing food in general but I knew someone who did. Quite often it's related to emetophobia (an irrational fear of vomiting), or just a fear of dying and not being in control. In general these kind of phobias are best addressed with behavioural therapies and physical symptoms of panic attacks best controlled with benzodiazepines or sedating psychiatric medications. 

Good luck.

I have the same feeling. Have you found your case? It could be some reflux disease, dygestive enzyme pepsin caught in your throat and reacting with acidic food that you eat.

I have the same problem! Choked when I was younger, couldnt eat. Went away for a few years and I could eat no problem. 6 months ago choked again so it set it off again and ever since I can barely eat unless its mushy food. Im still working on trying to get back up to solid foods. 

I just had something pretty terrible happen to me boy a couple days ago.. I was at a restaurant and was eating some food and after the last piece I got the sensation that I was choking and that the food was going down really slow, and it was super painful, as if my throats muscles were cramping. This has happened before with other foods but only lasted for a minute at most and I always just through it was me taking too big of bites, but the last time this happened to me, it went on for an hour at least and I panicked and had to go to the Emergency Room. Now, 3 and a half days later, I still am scared to death to eat anything and my throats still feels sore/swollen or whatever and the hunger of not eating in a half a week is not trumping the panic/uncomfortableness. I don't know what to do!