gagging attacks, starts to dry heave

[cs13]

My husband suffers from gagging attacks, and then he starts to dry heave and/or choke and cough.   It's not accompinied by nause however he will gag so hard that he will vomit up some phlem.  This happens every day, some times several times a day, every time he takes a shower, once in a while while he is sleeping, some times in the morning, some times in the evening, some times outside, some times inside, while he is driving.  In other words I happens just about any time.  Does not weem to be related to eating, what he eats, what time he eats, or how much he eats.

He has been doing this for 5 years.  He has had an upper GI, X-rays, blood work, been on Prilosec, gargles salt water.  And still he does this every day.  It last for any where from 1 minute to 3 minutes.  The ear, nose and mouth specielist say there is no anotomical reason for this to be happening.  The Prilosec have no effect on the severity or the frequency of the gagging and dry heaving.

Any ideas where to go or what to do?

[patient915]

Please post your question as its own post because this one is so old.

[dr_help]

no

[patient915]

This post is almost 3 years old and usually people don't answer/look at these posts anymore because of this.  If you had any questions that you wanted answered by the people on the forum I recommend, for your sake, that you post your question as a post of its own.  If you don't want to, you don't have to though.

[some_girl_20]

I too have had this problem. I gag for no reason at all. First thing in the morning, showering, walking, even now while I'm typing this. I've been having this problem since I was about 13 or so.. I'm 20 almost 21 now sooo around 6 or 7 years this has been gong on. I thought i was the only one that this was happening to.. so I didn't bother to say anything about it  or even research it on the net.

The past.. year or so.. its been getting worse. I am now finding myself gagging (no exaggeration) at least 400 (if not more) times a day. I've been able to find ways to cover it up or hide it.. which all of my friends know i am a very random and spontaneous person so any act of weirdness i throw out there will cover up my gagging and my friends don't think twice about it. It's becoming harder and harder to cover up though. It's becoming exhausting just to deal with it anymore. Its completely taking over my life...

[Kimomac]

Hang in there. I am 46 and thought the same thing you did. I have found that certain things do make it worse:

Alcohol (the next day, not a hang over)
Caffine
Nicotine
Anxiety
Stress

It has started to come and go. I haven't really had any bad attacks in awhile, but I have had horrible ones in the past, usually first thing in the morning. I have found that Zanax helps me which tends to make me think it is an anxiety issue.

Try cutting items out to see if it helps, (i.e. what I listed, for me). Do it in a methodical way, so that you know if it was that particular item that caused it. For me, when I quite drinking, it practically went away, but if I do go out and drink, I know it will be back usually the next morning and will last for a few days.

Good Luck. Keep us updated on how you are doing.

[Anonymous012345]

I too have the gaging/coughing/dry heave issue.  I remeber hearing my dad before he left for work in the moring gag just the same (it may be genetic).  I have a theory; deficiencies in minerals such as magnesium and potassium results in a variety of symptoms, including anxiety.  Unless you are considering diet this will not go away.  Something that takes the gaging and all those symptoms away is Marajuana, if you don't beleive me and want to do it legally go to Holland and try it.