Help with an anxiety symptom (unable to swallow)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:21 am

Hi ! I have had the same symptom and I have found several things seem to work. Gum, candies or lozenges, and/or a drink (water etc. not an alcoholic drink!) seem to work for me. Then again I don't ride a motorbike and would probably have a full blown panic attack with chest pain if I was riding one! I am often nervous in my car, but not as much as previously.

I keep throat lozenges, and gum in my purse, and I always have a bottle of water when I go out. Don't you find it depends on the day? Sometimes my symptoms are very bad, and the next day I am almost symptom free! I try to choose my best days for trips if I can.

I think you did amazingly well! Maybe it would be a good idea to just do short trips out until you find they go OK before trying several hours out. Also it sounds like traffic is triggering you - maybe choose to take it easy, give yourself plenty of time, and don't worry about waiting in queues, and in traffic.

These are just ideas from a fellow sufferer...

jb7

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:32 am

Originally posted by C. Florence:
Andrew, I think you did awesome things over the weekend. The Iis what I am learning to do with my painful anxiety symptoms.

Thanks C.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:34 am

Originally posted by Boon:
Andrew - Always give yourself options. Have a way out on your next trip out.

You could have also stopped right where you were and had the attack. According to your post you were not thinking rationally at times. You just wanted to get home. (This is your safe place and a perfectly natural place for you to want to be.)

Stop next time and have the attack. Sip some water if you want or don't, whichever you can do is fine. Use soothing self talk. Tell yourself you are having an anxiety attack and it's OK. Not a big deal. I'll have it and then I'll head on home. Use your STOP sign to stop any further thoughts from coming in. Then add your calm breath work and then focus on something you can touch, see, smell - don't get caught up in your thoughts. Continually use your breath until you feel yourself calming down. (And, you will calm down with the breath.)

Another approach would be to tell yourself the following:

"Oh, I feel anxious. Not sure why but it's Ok. I'm almost to (wherever you are going). Let's go ahead and wait until we get there and then if you still have to have the attack you can go ahead and have it there." (You are talking to your inner child here.) Postponing an attack is a wonderful way to not have it at all. You are making it OK to have. (This is letting go of resistance.) You will start to calm down immediately. Now when you get to your location check in with yourself. Ask yourself if you still need the attack? (I already know that answer will be no.) Pat yourself on the back for handling that situation really well. Remember, it's not about not having anxiety. It's about knowing you can handle it when it comes. You can calm yourself down immediately when you let go of the resistance to it.

Thanks Boon,

That's kind of along the lines I've been thinking along...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:41 am

Originally posted by JayBee7:
Hi ! I have had the same symptom and I have found several things seem to work. Gum, candies or lozenges, and/or a drink (water etc. not an alcoholic drink!) seem to work for me. Then again I don't ride a motorbike and would probably have a full blown panic attack with chest pain if I was riding one! I am often nervous in my car, but not as much as previously.

I keep throat lozenges, and gum in my purse, and I always have a bottle of water when I go out. Don't you find it depends on the day? Sometimes my symptoms are very bad, and the next day I am almost symptom free! I try to choose my best days for trips if I can.

I think you did amazingly well! Maybe it would be a good idea to just do short trips out until you find they go OK before trying several hours out. Also it sounds like traffic is triggering you - maybe choose to take it easy, give yourself plenty of time, and don't worry about waiting in queues, and in traffic.

These are just ideas from a fellow sufferer...

jb7

Thanks JB,

The problem is that I'm wearing a crash helmet at the time. But I take the point. That's why I didn't stop to drink. It would've meant a lot of messing around. I think I'll start keeping my water bottle in a belt I have that has a place for it. It would be easier to get at. At the time I had it in my leather jacket (which is tight to begin with). I think the pressure of it against my chest wasn't helping either.

You're all correct, of course. The best thing to do is to stop, have the attack and go home buzzing with accomplishment! I hope to do it. It's hard to keep rational when the world seems to have tipped off it axis; desire seems to drain away very quickly.

But I've done so much and come so far in recent months. I never thought I'd do as much as I have and to be honest, I haven't exactly given my all to it. I'm not going back to my hollow, isolated existence. I have goals now. One of them is to start a degree at Oxford University in Sept (or Oct). There are things I want now and they're starting to become bigger than the hurdles.

Thanks for all of your thoughful replies and for taking the time to read my woes.

Here's to freedom!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:31 pm

oh wow andrew, i can definetly agree,i was just feeling that way, i cant help but to dwell on that symptom. it closes to where u think no oxygen is going to the head, and then i start to worry. but most of everyone on here has some really good advice. tell yourself, if its anxiety, wait til i get home. or chew gum. or just float with it. i needed to read ur posting cause it hit home right now. i gotta keep telling myself its anxiety and its going to pass. but im really proud. that ur getting better, im on lesson 5, but if i have to do it agian, i will. im glad ur going to continue to use the program. im rootin for u, ur gonna be fine, and i know i am too. its just hard for me to believe that right now though. but good luck...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:46 am

AndrewUK,
Good on you. The goal to go to university. Stay out of the shell and get out there. I am like the woman who said she would have a panic attack with chest pain on a motor bike. That is what happens every time I get on one.
Is your difficulty swallowing something that only happens when you are anxious? Or does it happen at other times? Gastroesphogeal reflux disease (GERD) can cause difficulty swallowing until it is under control. Caffeine, fatty foods, carbonated beverages, and mints are some of the things that trigger GERD. Eating a big meal then bending over or wearing tight clothing or lying down can too. If it happens when you aren't anxious GERD can make you anxious so I would check out exactly when the symptoms happen. I have GERD so I am speaking from experience as well as as a nurse.

Bees4me · Post by **Bees4me** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:58 am

No, it's purely an anxiety response.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 9:03 am

Hi i'm just starting week 3 so i have a long way to go but your post caught my attention. I've had swallowing issues when it came to panic but this sounds more like your saying i'ts become a habit. i have some "habits" of my own which is a cough and tighness in the throat. i call them habits because they don't seem to come and go with anxiety they seam to linger. anyway the only thing i've found that helps is not being afraid of having them. them more i fear it or dwell on/ worry about it the worse it is. if i just say oh well here is that feeling again i'll just blow it off and not give it any power it seems to help alot! and i wouldn't hesitate to take a sip of water if you want to. take the sip and then blow it off and go on with things. my habit seems to come and go now and has greatly improved, even gone away at times...hopefully it will be gone for good one day. think like they teach for the panic attacks "once your not afraid of them anymore they go away". i think once your not afraid of the swallowing it to will just go away.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 9:12 am

Originally posted by CarolM:
Hi i'm just starting week 3 so i have a long way to go but your post caught my attention. I've had swallowing issues when it came to panic but this sounds more like your saying i'ts become a habit. i have some "habits" of my own which is a cough and tighness in the throat. i call them habits because they don't seem to come and go with anxiety they seam to linger. anyway the only thing i've found that helps is not being afraid of having them. them more i fear it or dwell on/ worry about it the worse it is. if i just say oh well here is that feeling again i'll just blow it off and not give it any power it seems to help alot! and i wouldn't hesitate to take a sip of water if you want to. take the sip and then blow it off and go on with things. my habit seems to come and go now and has greatly improved, even gone away at times...hopefully it will be gone for good one day. think like they teach for the panic attacks "once your not afraid of them anymore they go away". i think once your not afraid of the swallowing it to will just go away.

I totally agree.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 2:29 pm

Andrew, I have had the exact same symptoms! I always blame it on the use of antihistamines (allergy medicine) but it could also be anxiety! In any case, I find that I always have a bottle of water AND gum or hard candy. It's not a solution for anxiety, but it sure makes the symptom much more bearable!

Congrats on your accomplishments and Best Wishes in your recovery!