I was just sitting, watching tv, and was eating, but stopped 'cause there was too much water in the stuffing so it was kinda slimy, and a few minutes later suddenly I started to swallow, and suddenly my throat started to spasm closed, and I began to choke like I have for the last year and a bit or so since that part started (sudden, brief spasm which shuts of my airway, instead of slower, more prolonged spasm where it feels like my throat's in a vice) and then as that happened the sides of my throat (farther out, not the vocal cords themselves) spasmed shut, which REALLY made me choke and cough, and almost aspirate mucus. THAT spasm REALLY HURT!! Once I could breathe again I was almost afraid to move any of the muscles in my throat for fear of strangling again. After several seconds it wasn't so bad, and the after a drink I felt like I could breathe almost normally again, and swallow without worrying about getting the coordination all tangled up and causing another choke/strangling occurence. Still I was pretty wary about doing anything that would unduly stretch any of the muscles for a while. Just wondering if anybody else experiences this? I haven't had it interfere with my breathing like this before, or make me choke as much, especially for no reason. It was pretty scary. I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN MY BREATHING GETS INTERFERED WITH!!!! -being asthmatic, I'm particularly sensitive to that anyways,...anyways, just wondering if anybody else has this happen? (and beginning to wonder if I should contact my speech path, who I havne't actually seen in like a year and a half to get her opinion on the whole thing (maybe she'd listen to me about the SD this time!! It didn't spasm like this when I knew her before. Of course, the fact that I'm considerably sleep depreived at this point, so probably pretty tired probably doesn't help much, and maybe it'll reduce itself to a non-frightening level after I catch up on sleep. .... Would talk to Dr. Streilein first about it though (again -we just talked about it re: my choking on food a lot these days -and that's WITHOUT BOTOX!!- tonight (err... last night, I suppose, seeing as it's morning.) to get her opinion re:contacting the SLP.) Anyways, I'm babbling randomly now, just thinking... don't know if it would be worth the effort to try and do something about it or not... 'officially' that is, ... if it calms down, I probably won't.
Re: Anyone else choke during spasms?
Hello, Kim -Yes, I experience what I believe to be the same thing as you. I do not think it is linked directly to SD, which I have had virtually all my life (I am now 57). It started when I developed CD (cervical dystonia) about 15 years ago. Although the first experience was after I commenced botox treatment, I do not believe the two are necessarily connected. My last botox shots were over ten years ago and my latest serious choking spasm was only a few weeks back.
I posted about that incident on the Dystonia BB, and repeat it below for your information: From time to time my throat spasms and closes over, making it almost impossible to breathe. I may be a little odd (being an Australian) but being unable to breath does tend to worry me a little. I'm funny that way.
It hasn't worried me much of late - until late last night. I was getting ready for bed and drank a mouthful of water, which for reasons unknown triggered a violent constriction in my throat, preventing 99% of my air intake - leaving me sucking as hard as possible for almost no result. I was like this for about 10 - 15 minutes, and almost blacked out a number of times. Eventually it passed and I was able to breathe normally after about 30 minutes.
Today I have an extremely sore throat, and my diaphragm area feels as though I was thumped there all night. (Plus all the usuals, of course - including the inevitable headache.)
I'm wondering if this happens to others and if so, do you have any suggestions on what to do? I'll appreciate any input on this one - it's quite scary! Kim, your description is the only one which I believe to be describing the same experience as mine. I have also been an asthmatic for my entire life, though not too bad now. I post here to let you and others know that you are not unique, and there are no doubt others who also live with this.
Best wishes from Jeff down under.
Re: Anyone else choke during spasms?
I didn't initially connect the two either, 'cause at the time my motor planning was deteriorating, but eventually I came to believe that they are both a result of SD. Somehow or other.
Re: Anyone else choke during spasms?
Hello Kim,
I just had to reply to your post. I have suffered from choking from day one of the onset of my SD. I have respiratory adductor dysphonia. Without Botox I have choking episodes that can last for up to 20 minutes at a time and constant for days. Before Botox I had stridor(harsh barking sound) so bad and labored breathing it was like a constant asthma attack in my throat. The feeling is like someone had their hands around my neck and trying to choke me to death. It is so scary because not only do I have SD, I have severe asthma. Not a good combination. I don't have to be eating or drinking to choke. It is so scary. I have even been awaken out of my sleep. I do breathing exercises everyday to help with the small short spasms but the long ones I need botox. I have a love/hate relationship with Botox. I love it because I can breathe normal and not choking but I hate it because it completely takes away my voice for 6 weeks every three months. My voice sometimes sounds like I just ate a bull frog when the botox is wearing off and the spasms have
returned but after the inaudible first 6 weeks my voice sounds great and no choking. I do get a slight english accent' I don't know why but I now accept it as part of the process.
Re: Anyone else choke during spasms?
Thanks for your response. Nice to know that some other people do have this happen too. My asthma isn't so bd anymore - in fact, it hardly ever bothers me, but sometimes it does. it's usually worst in spring when the weather's fluctuating. You're very right, SD and asthma combined aren't good!! We've got enough problems breathing as it is!! I was just reading something online tonight from the Wake Forest University site on Paroxysmal Vocal Cord Movement, and they were talking about "a subset of patients (with respiratory laryngeal dystonia)with asthma who also have PVCM" and that medical intervention can be necessary fairly often. It was pretty bizarre to run across mention of SD, asthma and the choking/difficulty swallowing stuff all in the same article, never mind the mention of other neurological involvement (which also fits me)It also mentioned "Patients with this frightening condition describe intermittent, sudden-onset, noisy, obstructed breathing, which some describe as "choking episodes." Attacks of stridor may follow a pattern, e.g., occurring after a meal, after the start of exercise, or after bending over. Sometimes, the attacks may awake the patient from sound sleep. Often, the attacks are truly paroxysmal, occurring without any pattern or identifiable precipitating events. Some patients have one or more attacks per day, and others have their attacks as infrequently as a few each year. The duration of attacks is variable, but "a few minutes"
is typical. Two-thirds of the patients deny ever having heartburn; however, all
complain of some other symptom(s) of laryngopharyngeal reflux, such as
chronic or intermittent hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, a sensation of a lump in the throat, chronic throat clearing and cough, or simply too much throat mucus and/or "post-nasal drip." Have you ever tried to use alternate methods of communication when you have no voice? Just curious. I find I go through periods where I don't trust my voice enough to work, so I prefer to use writing instead. I'm still working on getting a palmtop that speaks for me. I MUCH prefer using that at any time, but sometimes it can be awkward. When my voice cooperates and my brain cooperates in other ways,and the situation is one I can deal with, I don't have a problem using speech, but otherwise I MUCH prefer not to. I can understand the frustration (VERY MUCH) of not being able to communicate, but I don't necessarily equate that to not being able to use my voice. I'd be interested in your views on the matter. I think the biggest time I get frustrated at not being able to use my voice is when I don't have any assistive tech. nearby, (or working)or when people won't wait long enough for me to communicate with the, but are demanding that I do. (AARGH! Or ask me several questions before I can respond 'cause it's not as fast using other methods) but that's more of a "things are getting backed up, and I can't remember them all" thing, not really a method problem. The other things that drives me batty is when people try to INSIST that I speak, or give me a hard time about not speaking just 'cause they think I should. (usually becaues it's 'more normal' ARGH!) Especially if they try to prevent me from communicating through writing, in teh process!!!! To me, now that I've learned what communication is and what it's good for, I consider the ability to express myself is more important than the method in which it's done.
Re: Anyone else choke during spasms?
Kim,
I have also read the Wake Forest information regarding PVCM. I talked to my Doctor and he said I have PVCM subset (respiratory laryngeal dystonia)and with asthma it just broadens the name of my conditions. I think the bottom line is what ever they call it as long as I get treatment.
Regarding using another form of communication, I carry a small white board everywhere I go. I have several markers, eraser and all neatly in a over the shoulder book bag. I tried a hand held spanish/english tranlator I would just use the english/english part but it did not work fast enough and people ignored me or got annoyed so I no longer use the translator. I have found that people will pay attention if I write brief and with few discriptive words. I am going to take a sign language class just to have another way of communication. I would like to hear when you get the palmtop that speaks that sounds great.
Re: Anyone else choke during spasms?
Well, I left a phone message for my speech path. asking her to call me back, finally. :) Decided it couldnt' hurt, thought it was nerve wracking. (though at least this way, I could deal with the predictability of a machine, and not a live person. I hate answering machines, but in this case.... it was easier. I just told her about the choking stuff, and about the spasming. (sudden ones that is) Then I think the machine cut me off, so I called back and left my number in case she didn't have it handy otherwise. Well, at least I've done something about it! :) I plan on bringing up the dystonia bit too while I'm at it, so hopefully she'll catch that the wo are related. i don't remember if I said I thought they were or not. I'm assuming she'll treat the two as distinct things rather than one at first.
choking again and SCARED!
Well, I got a response back from my speech path. the other day. She had been on holidays, so had just got my message. She isnt' the one who deals with swallowing difficulties, apparently, so I'd have to deal with someone else, who would do a modified barium swallow, which I am not looking forward to, and I'd have to first get a doctor's referral in order to get it done. that wouldnt' be a hard thing,a s I've got two people with MD's that I work with, one I'm more comfortable with currently than the other.... Anyways, the end of last week it seemed to reolve itslef, so I figure I wouldn't do anything about it, especially since I've got so many other things to deal with right now. (especially since I received a letter from Student Loans today which totally infuriated me 'cause they screwed up again and forgot I'm a disabled student AGAIN, so werent' going to give me a loan 'cause I wasn't taking enough classes.... I fixed the problem though. mailed them allthe documentation they could poddibly need, including stuff that shows they've screwed this up before and realized they made a mistake!) and I'm moving at the end of the month, once I find a place, and.... other stuff, so I figured I had enough to deal with for now, and since the choking stuff had resolved itself near the end of last week, (strangely enough, right in the MIDDLE of a lot of stress over classes for Sept. I'd say that was proof enough to anybody who might try to tell me it was psychological...not that I think they would, but I'm scared they might anyways, especially if they were unable to find any problems with the barium swallow) it really wasnt' concerning me at the moment... But now I've started to choke on food rather significantly again, and it's been maybe a day and a half, so I'm thinking maybe it's starting up again, and I'm getting REALLY SCARED 'cause I don't know what's going on, and it TOTALLY comes out of the blue, and I have no warning about it!!!! At least when it's a result of crappy motor planning, or a fried brain (which results in crappy motor planning) I have some warning about it!!! The whole process of dealing with food is difficult, but this is different. Everything is fine until I start to swallow, or in some cases, get halfway thorughswallowing, and then I suddenly choke!!! Previous to the first time I posted about this, this has never happened before, so I'm REALLY SCARED!!! I DON'T KNOW waht's happening, and of course, there's always the aspect that it's potentially life threatening too which is fear provoking!!!!! If anybody has any clue what' happening, PLEASE let me know!! Or even if it happens to you, but you don't know what it is!! (which seemed to be the main thread of the responses I got before.) I think i'm going to bring this up with Dr. Streilein tomorrow when I talk to her about Student Loans and stuff. Maybe she'll have some suggestions too...or maybe just calm me down about it somewhat. :) .... It would be really stressful I think to actually DO anything about this; having to deal with a new person, having to deal with the procedure, etc. even if the place was familiar (though I'm sure the room wouldnt' be) but I'm beginning to think it's gonna be scarier NOT to ... not knowing what is going on here, because this is different than anything I've ever dealt with before!! So maybe it would be better to go through the stress of doing it, just to know. Life just never settles down for me, does it??! I mean, my support person would be coming with me and dealing with a lot of the really scary stuff anyways, (like the strange people and the interaction stuff that my brain's not equipped to know how to deal with..... and of course, if necessary, we could even get my speech path. to talk to this person, or Dr. Streilein or ... somebody to explain a few of the basics to this person beforehand, so that we could avoid some of the more common problems we have with unsuspecting people.... Hell, it's even possible that my speech path could arrange for me to meet this person beforehand so I'd get to know her a little bit before having to actually deal with anything involving her.... My speech path. knows what it's like for me to deal with new people, especially in this sort of situation, and she's really nice aobut hose kinds of things too, so it's a likely possiblility... It's nice to deal with professionals who have some idea of what autism's about! :) -and not int he bad way either!!! (which is almost worse, in a way. 'cause then they try to tell me I can't be autistic 'cause I'm intelligent and higher functioning than they expect. Gee, like I really need somebody to invalidate my whole existence!!) Anyways, I'm babbling...mostly I'm jsut scared, and don't know what to do. Or think. I'm just scared. I DON'T KNOW what's going on!!!! (not like I do anyways with anything these days it seems, I swear my brain's just being contentious to drive me batty... but still... this sure as hell doesnt' help!! Choking on food can be life threatening!!
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