When I touch fuzzy things I get a swallow reflex and can't talk or breathe correctly

I ran a Anxiety Message board for years , So I have studied up on it , and talked online with 1000's of people with anxiety and depression . As to professionals not many regular doctors are professionals as to panic attacks or anxiety. Its not something they learn about at medical school and if they do it's really limited. A panic attack is a flight or fight response in a persons body , you get an increase in adrenaline , your heart races , your body basically gets ready to deal with problem but in the case of anxiety there is no problem, its a false alarm. I been dealing with anxiety for like 50 years , I think I learned a little over that time. But whatever believe me or not.

I have this exact problem, I get a swallow reflex that i cant stop when touching soft things or think about touching soft things. I can also get it if i relate a certain smell to a soft material if that makes sense? For instance freshly washed linen or laundry, some carpets. I completely agree that it isn't anxiety driven, my partner who is a medical student seems to think its some sort of sensory processing disorder or something called tactile defensiveness, I don't know if that's any help ?

I should have probably added to my original post that this also happens with certain fragrances, mainly if they are strong. However I was driving with my wife the other day and she had the lightest scent on that I did not even realize there was an odor. I was choking up periodically and unconsciously while talking to her as we drove. It was only then after she noticed I was doing it that we made the connection. We opened the window to get fresh air flowing and it stopped until we raised the window again and it started back up.

This is interesting and it sounds neurological to me; have you ever spoken with a neurologist? If it really bothers you that's what I would do. I don't know that they'd actually be able to do much more than propose an explanation for what might be occurring but then at least you might have an idea and maybe there would be some way they could help. There are parts of your brain that process touch sensation and parts that control swallowing reflex. Neurotransmitters send messages from one part of your brain to other parts of your brain. My guess would be that somehow touching something fuzzy is causing a little neurotransmitter misfire sending a communication to the part of your brain that is causing the involuntary swallowing. I know that anxiety can manifest in all sorts of ways but you and the others who've indicated they have this problem all sound pretty certain you have no sense of anxiety around fuzzy textured fabric and as an anxiety sufferer I cant imagine having anxiety and not realizing it. Id be very curious to know if it was neurological, especially since there are others describing the same exact manifestation. I'm no neuroscientist and i don't know enough about the neural pathways to speak intelligently on the subject but there may be an obvious reason fuzzy would equal swallowing to a neurologist.

I don't know if you have found the answer to your question, but it seems that it may be tactile sensitivity. I have the same things as explained, you can do more research into it but I think what you are feeling is that

Im diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, get the exact same reflex with mostly the same stimuli. cant stand 'fuzzy' materials, sand, pool or sea water, chalk, certain smells and dirt, they all trigger the same reaction. I grew up not knowing i had ADHD or Autism and was taught very young to just tough it out. Im now 28, diagnosed and only now realising that i cant control these reactions even if i wanted to because they are related to neurological disorders. It also helps im 1 month off being a registered Psychologist and slightly more knowledgable about these types of things now. It may very well be the same for you. I'd honestly recommend getting a referal to see a Psychologist, go with an open mind and see what happens. Worst thing they can say is its nothing.

i have had this exact thing since i was a small child.

this is not anxiety, this is a physical response to my skin being dry, or my lips being dry, or the air around me being dry. velvet, micro fibre,suede, all trigger it for me as well.

sometimes ive had to wet socks and wear them to bed to even fall asleep. i have found that touching cold or hot smooth things (coffee in a mug/metal chair frame) can help or even clasping my hands together (sometimes the skin to skin contact helps) if wetting my hands isnt available, and can stop me from succumbing to the reflex for a short time. it has helped immensely when im trying to hold a staff meeting or speak publicly.

there is just no way that we all have these same symptoms and responses to certain stimuli, with out it being something! there has to be an answer! this doesnt stem from some childhood trauma, it is not a phobia, it is not anxiety, this is an almost uncontrollable reaction to outside circumstances. this is a physical reflex. but wtf is it!? why?

i made an account on this website just for this!! i feel the same way and have no idea why. the sensation of touching dry, soft or smooth things or having dry-feeling hands makes my throat feel all tight and i always swallow in an attempt to get rid of the feeling. as you said, it doesn't feel like anxiety, but like a really annoying reflex. i'm glad i found someone who feels the same way about this, and hopefully we'll find out what it is someday.

I know this is 2 years old but I've had this exact thing my whole life and as a kid I always assumed it was a known quirk of some people. Turns out the only time I might of heard someone talk about it is in reference to having that intense cringe when touching cotton balls, hearing felt markers draw on wood, or some descriptions of sensory processing disorder It always feels kinda like a jolt of lightning to me even just thinking of the texture of velvet. I really wish I had an explanation for this.

I'm genuinely so glad I'm not the only one that experiences this, it's annoying trying to explain it and people just looking at you as if you're lying 😅

I get an automatic closing of my sinuses and throat, like how your throat closes when gargling water, when I touch certain fabrics. Turtle necks, fleece, "warm" side of a pillow, and especially the feel of socks after wearing them while sleeping. Musty smelling sheets can also do it just from the smell. The reflex only lasts about a second. No clue what it is.

I've recently started getting the gag reflex when I touch certain soft materials like velvet, which has led me to this discussion.

Previous to that I used to the get the gag reflex when touching any kind of fine powder, however I'm 99% sure I know why that happens. 20 odd years ago one of my first jobs was working in a factory that made Pita Bread, it was an awful job made worse by the fact I was an agency worker, the agency would ring and tell you to work, often with just an hour or 2 notice. One day I had been out on the drink with some friends, got fairly drunk and arrived home around 1am to a voicemail asking me to be in for 4am on a 12 hour shift. They had me working in the ovens, which is very hot and there is a lot of flour in the air from the bakery. It was probably the worst 12 hours of my life, dehydrated from the alcohol, in a hot environment with flour lining my mouth and airways, I pretty much spent the entire 12 hours gagging.

Ever since then fine powder like flour, icing sugar, or talc immediately make me gag when I come into contact with it.