Re: throat spasms (cramps)

[Guest guest]

Yes, Debbie I've choked many times. My speech path. told me to put my head down

when drinking and to drink slow. It does not happen as often as it used to but

it does happen. Don't panic, yep, that's good advice. You're not alone friend.

Most of us have been there and done that. Take care and...

God Bless

Yolanda

throat spasms (cramps)

About 3 years ago (6 years into symptoms) I started getting throat

cramps.

This happens if I swallow my saliva wrong or drink something that

goes down before I swallow.

My throat will just cramp up and I can't breath at all. Usually for

about 20 seconds, and then muscles will relax and I can slowly breath

again.

Since there hasn't been a dr yet (it's been 9 years since first

symptoms started) that can tell me why I'm getting these throat

spasms (cramps), I had to teach myself how not to panic when I feel

one coming on.

I have recently avoided a few throat cramps from not panicking and

placing my hands on countertop with my head down. Kinda stretching

the arms.

Does anyone else get this? Has anyone else learned that the worst

thing to do when you feel a spasm coming on is to panic??

I don't even know what to call this throat problem. No one is

telling me anything. I just call them throat cramps, or a charlie

horse of the throat.

This is one of my main concerns with whatever I have.

Thanks for all the info!!! This is a nice message board!!!

Take Care

Debbie/Ohio

[Guest guest]

I've gotten those throat spasms, too. It's hard to tell what causes them to

start because at times it seems that the only thing I'm swallowing is my own

saliva. I do remember that a few times, one has started when I was looking

upwards into the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet. The suggestion that

someone else made, seems to make good sense--i.e. to bend your head forward

and reduce the " neck stretch " . The first few spasms I experienced were very

scary. Now, I know that I'm not going to die, so it's easier to relax.

Honestly though, I don't have as many spasms as I did in the earlier PLS

years.

Dolores

throat spasms (cramps)

>

>

>

> About 3 years ago (6 years into symptoms) I started getting throat

> cramps.

>

> This happens if I swallow my saliva wrong or drink something that

> goes down before I swallow.

>

> My throat will just cramp up and I can't breath at all. Usually for

> about 20 seconds, and then muscles will relax and I can slowly breath

> again.

>

> Since there hasn't been a dr yet (it's been 9 years since first

> symptoms started) that can tell me why I'm getting these throat

> spasms (cramps), I had to teach myself how not to panic when I feel

> one coming on.

>

> I have recently avoided a few throat cramps from not panicking and

> placing my hands on countertop with my head down. Kinda stretching

> the arms.

>

> Does anyone else get this? Has anyone else learned that the worst

> thing to do when you feel a spasm coming on is to panic??

>

> I don't even know what to call this throat problem. No one is

> telling me anything. I just call them throat cramps, or a charlie

> horse of the throat.

>

> This is one of my main concerns with whatever I have.

>

> Thanks for all the info!!! This is a nice message board!!!

>

> Take Care

> Debbie/Ohio

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

G'day Debbie,

Yep, quite a few of us have this problem. I too eventually learned to

try not to panic when something triggers them (very hard to " force

yourself to relax " when you know that if you don't you are going to have

a period of time when you can't get a breath in because your throat has

closed over!!). I think what happens is that the epiglottis gets

triggered to close over and protect the airway same as it does when we

are eating, then because of our PLS, when we then tense up or panic it

doesn't release as it should - same as many of us find that we can't

walk or do anything very well when tense. I have seen others say that

for example if they know somebody is walking behind them and they feel

that they are possibly holding this person up they will tense up, which

unfortunately makes it even more difficult to walk - that certainly

happens with me too.

Getting back to the throat issue I learnt by experience that if I can

relax enough to force myself to breath in through my nose that will

break the panic/can't breathe cycle before it starts. I used to find

something would trigger these attacks once per month or more (food/drink

starting to go down the wrong way, chocolate (thick in throat), even a

strong mint), but through trying to be careful in those situations and

forcing myself to relax (strange contradiction in terms!) and breathe

through my nose I have only ended up having one full on " can't breathe "

episode in the past two or three years.

As to your other question about " is everyone different? " that's a

definite big YES. There are people like Rita who is lucky enough, as it

seems you are too, to have only " won " a very slowly progressing form, so

after 20 or more years with it she can still walk and talk ok

(comparatively). Within 5 years of my onset I could only walk with a

walking frame, needed a wheelchair for many situations and had

effectively lost my speech. Others such as Dale have unfortunately

found that they have progressed even faster. The only thing that's the

same about all of us is that we are all different! :-)

Good luck with getting a diagnosis.

debbiewlnd wrote:

>

>

> About 3 years ago (6 years into symptoms) I started getting throat

> cramps.

>

> This happens if I swallow my saliva wrong or drink something that

> goes down before I swallow.

>

> My throat will just cramp up and I can't breath at all. Usually for

> about 20 seconds, and then muscles will relax and I can slowly breath

> again.

>

> Since there hasn't been a dr yet (it's been 9 years since first

> symptoms started) that can tell me why I'm getting these throat

> spasms (cramps), I had to teach myself how not to panic when I feel

> one coming on.

>

> I have recently avoided a few throat cramps from not panicking and

> placing my hands on countertop with my head down. Kinda stretching

> the arms.

>

> Does anyone else get this? Has anyone else learned that the worst

> thing to do when you feel a spasm coming on is to panic??

>

> I don't even know what to call this throat problem. No one is

> telling me anything. I just call them throat cramps, or a charlie

> horse of the throat.

>

> This is one of my main concerns with whatever I have.

>

> Thanks for all the info!!! This is a nice message board!!!

>

> Take Care

> Debbie/Ohio

--

.

,-._|\ Covington

/ Oz \

\_,--.x/

v

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Oh, your description of your throat spasms and what will cause it

sounds like me. It has happened from saliva, pop, chocolate, and

this year was the first time it happened with food ( a cookie crumb

somehow got to the back of my throat before I was ready to swallow-

thank goodness I did not panic , so it did not spasm all the way-

just tightness and teary eyes)

I will let ya know how the appt at CC goes on Nov 16 with the mds.

I'm hoping to have found my " home " by the begining of next year ,

or sooner!!!

( I feel like a lost child who is searching for her home )

Take Care and I hope your doing well tonight!!!

Debbie/Ohio

- In PLS-FRIENDS , C <covo@m...> wrote:

> G'day Debbie,

>

> Yep, quite a few of us have this problem. I too eventually learned

to

> try not to panic when something triggers them (very hard to " force

> yourself to relax " when you know that if you don't you are going to

have

> a period of time when you can't get a breath in because your throat

has

> closed over!!). I think what happens is that the epiglottis gets

> triggered to close over and protect the airway same as it does when

we

> are eating, then because of our PLS, when we then tense up or panic

it

> doesn't release as it should - same as many of us find that we

can't

> walk or do anything very well when tense. I have seen others say

that

> for example if they know somebody is walking behind them and they

feel

> that they are possibly holding this person up they will tense up,

which

> unfortunately makes it even more difficult to walk - that certainly

> happens with me too.

>

> Getting back to the throat issue I learnt by experience that if I

can

> relax enough to force myself to breath in through my nose that will

> break the panic/can't breathe cycle before it starts. I used to

find

> something would trigger these attacks once per month or more

(food/drink

> starting to go down the wrong way, chocolate (thick in throat),

even a

> strong mint), but through trying to be careful in those situations

and

> forcing myself to relax (strange contradiction in terms!) and

breathe

> through my nose I have only ended up having one full on " can't

breathe "

> episode in the past two or three years.

>

> As to your other question about " is everyone different? " that's a

> definite big YES. There are people like Rita who is lucky enough,

as it

> seems you are too, to have only " won " a very slowly progressing

form, so

> after 20 or more years with it she can still walk and talk ok

> (comparatively). Within 5 years of my onset I could only walk with

a

> walking frame, needed a wheelchair for many situations and had

> effectively lost my speech. Others such as Dale have unfortunately

> found that they have progressed even faster. The only thing that's

the

> same about all of us is that we are all different! :-)

>

> Good luck with getting a diagnosis.

>

>

>

> debbiewlnd wrote:

>

> >

> >

> > About 3 years ago (6 years into symptoms) I started getting

throat

> > cramps.

> >

> > This happens if I swallow my saliva wrong or drink something

that

> > goes down before I swallow.

> >

> > My throat will just cramp up and I can't breath at all. Usually

for

> > about 20 seconds, and then muscles will relax and I can slowly

breath

> > again.

> >

> > Since there hasn't been a dr yet (it's been 9 years since first

> > symptoms started) that can tell me why I'm getting these throat

> > spasms (cramps), I had to teach myself how not to panic when I

feel

> > one coming on.

> >

> > I have recently avoided a few throat cramps from not panicking

and

> > placing my hands on countertop with my head down. Kinda stretching

> > the arms.

> >

> > Does anyone else get this? Has anyone else learned that the

worst

> > thing to do when you feel a spasm coming on is to panic??

> >

> > I don't even know what to call this throat problem. No one is

> > telling me anything. I just call them throat cramps, or a charlie

> > horse of the throat.

> >

> > This is one of my main concerns with whatever I have.

> >

> > Thanks for all the info!!! This is a nice message board!!!

> >

> > Take Care

> > Debbie/Ohio

>

>

> --

> .

> ,-._|\ Covington

> / Oz \

> \_,--.x/

> v