Throat closes can't breathe

[jappel2]

I am a 62 yr old man. When I was 17 I was taking a shower, and out of the blue, I couldn't breathe. It felt like my throat closed (it probably was) and air couldn't get it or out. It lasted for about 30 or so seconds. Then it relaxes on it's own, slowly and air started flowing in and out. After a few minutes I was back to normal.
This happens infrequently. As many as months or a year or so between bouts. I had an attack last night that was brutal, seemed to last well over a minute, and I panicked. Now, this can happen while i'm sleeping, or awake during the day.  I all of a sudden jump out of bed and can't breathe. Feels like i'm trying to breathe through a straw with a thickness the size of a toothpick. Now for the strange part, this has happened in the middle of the day sitting at my desk. I'll jump up, and have the same symptom for a minute or so. It's scary. I have had two instances the last 30 days. I am reading that it could be VCD (vocal cord dysfunction). It's not sleep apnea ( I don't believe) because it happens while i'm awake. It happened while I was watching tv one night but only lasted 10 or so seconds.
Any thoughts?
Ant, it's very very frightening.

[JacksonL]

I never had a problem until I was rafting and became trapped under a large waterfall.  This was a bad situation that kills rafters every year, but I knew that by relaxing and letting the current toss me out I would escape.  If you fight it you risk using up precious air and then you are a goner.  

As I was being rolled and tossed around in a whiteout of bubbles I was thinking, any second now, stay calm, don't fight it, but it was taking longer than expect.   The seconds passed and I played all sorts of mind games to remain calm, but by the time I was in clear dark water we estimated I had been trapped under the falls for over 2 minutes.    

I found myself free of the waterfall, but I near the bottom of the river, out of air, with 15 feet of dark water over me! (I was wearing a life vest too)  In a last surge of adrenaline I swam to the surface which also used up the last bit of air in my lungs.  My timing was off by a split second as I broke the surface and I gulped water and that closed my throat.  

The irony was I on top of the water, but I still couldn't get any air!  I started coughing to expel the water and clear my airway.  It was like breathing through a tiny straw at first, then as the seconds ticked off my throat began to relax where I could breath.  

A year later I was asleep in bed and I felt the sting of acid reflux in my throat and I leapt to my feet unable to breath.  It was a scary experience, but I was also angry at the muscle in my throat that triggered this event. I recall thinking, hey this wasn't supposed to happen except during drowning!
It was probably a full 20-25 seconds before I could get the first tiny gulps of air into my lungs.  With every few seconds my throat was opening up and within another 15- 20 seconds I could breath with only a small restriction.    

I've had at least 6-7 similar events since that time and I've learned to stay calm, don't rise up and let it relax.  Just lay there and trust that this is the fastest way to get my throat open.  

I believe I suffer from a condition know as Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) that is similar to another condition -- GERD  -- that results from the contents of the stomach backing up (reflux). But the symptoms of LPR are a bit different.  

According to the article I read on LPR, "At either end of your esophagus is a ring of muscle (sphincter). Normally, these sphincters keep the contents of your stomach where they belong -- in your stomach. But with LPR, the sphincters don't work right. Stomach acid backs up into the back of your throat (pharynx) or voice box (larynx), or even into the back of your nasal airway. It can cause inflammation in areas that are not protected against gastric acid exposure."

I've scheduled an appointment with family doctor and I am going to present my finding.   I'm a male, in my mid 60's and I'm about 40 lbs overweight .  When the acid reflux events happen I've usually eaten just before bedtime.  

Hope this helps.  

[Apes00]

This does sound like what I have.  Thank you for suggestions.

[Apes00]

I have this.  It has happened only four or five times in the last few years.  I am 62 and not sleeping well.  I am also a singer.  I believe it is triggered by unexpected things such as vinegar or hot food, spicy food.  After another recent attack I am going to the doctor this week.   I am avoiding these types of foods.  It is truly terrifying.  

[Detestre]

Thank goodness there are others like me. I have the same symptoms around once a month. Throat closes .u try to suck in air but it won't go down. Then the panic starts. I sip some water , don't know if it's the right thing to do but it works for me after maybe 30 sec to a minute. Scares the crap out of my wife and me. No doctor can come up with a solution.

[bi33y]

my daughter carnt breath throat tightens, been to hospital and they said it was a panic attack, she only panics because she carnt breath, shes having a baby very soon and I am truly concern, she has experience this for the last 5 years, I tried the homeopathic, anything, she is an asthmatic, waiting on hospital checkup, I hope someone finds a solution, I'm her mother and feel so helpless, can someone help her, anything

[letv]

I cannot believe I found this site and I'm so grateful. I am nearly losing my mind thinking what could I have. I have thought of worst things like cancer and Im dying. My doctors cant give me straight answers. Thank you for all who said something and truly I'm relieved.

I have this problems since high school. Im in my 30s now. Before it only happened once or twice a year. This month almost twice or more a day thats why I had to go to urgent care multiple times and they diagnosed me with bronchitis. After a round of antibiotics it still persists. I get really scared and I thought I could die from this. I am scheduled to see another doctor tomorrow. Hopefully he can give a good insight about this problem.