Closing throat/strangling sensation

[lookingforanswers4]

I know this is a bizarre way of describing it, but for the last 4 months I have gone even more downhill then I already was. It started with all over itching. Legs, arms, back. Went to doctor as I had a rash by the crease of my leg and he said possibly contact dermatitis. Gave a cream which didn't do anything. Another doctor did testing and thought I had a fungal rash and gave me cream and eventually rash and itching went away.

I have now maybe 3 or 4 times come up in a red rash all over my face, which will last for about 30 minutes and then disappear. I would try and fall asleep and wake up gasping and my chest started to get tight. I started having symptoms I had never had before in the 6 years I have been sick. I went out and had a full on panic attack in my car, something I have never experienced before. I was hyperventilating and it was just a very scary experience.

I started to have what I can only describe as a throat closing sensation. It feels like something is restricting my throat and it is an awful feeling. Sometimes when I swallow my throat clicks, and it feels like I am being strangled or drowning. I also have a really sore itchy throat, itchy ears, itching inside nose, runny and stuffy nose, and the super tight chest.

I will easily run 99-100 degrees and my face will burn up so I can feel when my temp is increasing. I have tried allergy meds but it didn't put a dent in my symptoms. I have been tested three times for corona too and the antibody test was negative. I actually thought at first this was corona due to the chest stuff.

I have also had an increase in feeling wobbly, off balance, extreme nausea episodes, vibrating, tingling, and tight muscles.

Has anyone had anything similar? Please help. I am miserable and half the time I wonder if I should go to the ER and I just feel like I am going to be stuck with this awful throat feeling forever with no answers.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Sorry to hear about your health problems. I hope you find some helpful information here.
I know a lot of people with your itching symptoms will end up with a diagnosis of psoriasis or mast cell activation syndrome, but I don't know how accurate those diagnoses would be.

I started to have what I can only describe as a throat closing sensation.

There are a couple of things that produce a feeling of throat closing. Esophagitis, anaphylaxis, dysphagia are some possibilities.

I would try and fall asleep and wake up gasping and my chest started to get tight.

This may be sleep apnea in one of its forms. Dyspnea, hypoventilation, hypercapnia, are some possibilities.

Hope this helps.

 

[Lalia]

Hi @lookingforanswers4

The throat closing feeling has been my leading symptom since I became very ill from mould illness three years ago. I read Dr Neil Nathan’s book, Toxic, and have started mould binders, although I am so sensitive I only tolerate tiny amounts. There is no way I would ever tolerafeIn spite of this, I’ve made significant progress (my weight is now back to normal and I have days where the choking feeling disappears).

Here’s my story in the news: https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.9news.com.au/article/3e87ef14-df4c-45cd-878c-b9efc9db0b6b

I strongly recommend the book. If you have any questions about my diagnosis or treatment, please ask.

 

[Lalia]

Sorry, the above was supposed to say, there is no way I would ever tolerate CSM.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Sorry to hear about this. It's very scary when it happens.

I have had this throat closing sensation a few times over the years. The first was when I initially caught EBV around 20 years ago. It lasted for over 12 months. It started to happen again last year and testing showed that the EBV was active again.

 

[Strawberry]

Hi @lookingforanswers4

The throat closing feeling has been my leading symptom since I became very ill from mould illness three years ago. I read Dr Neil Nathan’s book, Toxic, and have started mould binders, although I am so sensitive I only tolerate tiny amounts. There is no way I would ever tolerafeIn spite of this, I’ve made significant progress (my weight is now back to normal and I have days where the choking feeling disappears).

Here’s my story in the news: https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.9news.com.au/article/3e87ef14-df4c-45cd-878c-b9efc9db0b6b

I strongly recommend the book. If you have any questions about my diagnosis or treatment, please ask.

Lalia your story is interesting! I'm curious though, from your link I quote : "The doctor suggested a test for mould spores in her system. The test came back positive. " What test was that? Was it a blood test, and if so, what was it called?

I've had people tell me mold is the base of my illness, but I have never had a doctor give me any tests... So I'm trying to figure it out.

 

[Lalia]

Lalia your story is interesting! I'm curious though, from your link I quote : "The doctor suggested a test for mould spores in her system. The test came back positive. " What test was that? Was it a blood test, and if so, what was it called?

I've had people tell me mold is the base of my illness, but I have never had a doctor give me any tests... So I'm trying to figure it out.

Hi @Strawberry - I did the Great Plains mycotoxin test ($400AUD) first, which came back positive for one strain, Ochratoxin A.

A year later I did the Real Time Labs test ($750 AUD) and that showed three other strains.

I strongly recommend Neil Nathan’s guidelines, if you suspect mould. His book ‘Toxic’ is excellent, I wrote a review on it for this forum, if you do a search. Or you can just listen to one of his podcasts, he did one with Better Health Guy that was pretty comprehensive not too long ago.

If you have any questions let me know. My case is not as simple as it’s portrayed in that media article. It was a perfect storm of factors that destroyed my health, but mould was certainly the biggest one.

 

[Strawberry]

Thank you!

 

[Zebra]

Hi @lookingforanswers4

First of all, I am very sorry this is happening to you.

I know someone who experienced something very similar and was diagnosed with Angioedema.

Here's a link to a Merk Manual that describes various types of Angioedema.

https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/i...d-other-hypersensitivity-disorders/angioedema

Does anything described here resonate with you?

If so, this condition is best diagnosed by an allergist or immunologist. Do you have access to one?

I hope this helps you rule something in, or rule something out.

Best of luck,
Z

 

[lookingforanswers4]

Hi @lookingforanswers4

The throat closing feeling has been my leading symptom since I became very ill from mould illness three years ago. I read Dr Neil Nathan’s book, Toxic, and have started mould binders, although I am so sensitive I only tolerate tiny amounts. There is no way I would ever tolerafeIn spite of this, I’ve made significant progress (my weight is now back to normal and I have days where the choking feeling disappears).

Here’s my story in the news: https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.9news.com.au/article/3e87ef14-df4c-45cd-878c-b9efc9db0b6b

I strongly recommend the book. If you have any questions about my diagnosis or treatment, please ask.

Hi, Thank you so much for reaching out and I have only just checked this again. I have read Neil Nathan's book and my new doctor trained under him and follows his protocol. They have thought the strangling sensation may be mast cell related. Has that been something you have been told is possible?

I have felt awful the past 4 months and symptoms have popped up that I have never had before in the 6 months I have been sick, which has been worrying. I did a mycometrics home test and my place tested very low, but a few days ago I noticed mold growing around my ac vent which I sampled and has been identified as cladosporium, so I am wondering if this has been making me sick for months.

I did the Realtime labs mold test and I tested positive for every single category of mold. I know some doctors don't believe in this test but I guess it depends what you believe. I was actually seeing a doctor previously who is very adamant on the Shoemaker protocol, but I made no progress on welchol for 9 months and I cant tolerate csm. I was taking a 1/6th of a teaspoon every other day and it would make me feel awful.

I have attached my results so you can see. I just don't get why no binders work for me. It is frustrating, but maybe the mast cell stabilizers will help my body.

 

[Lalia]

Hi @lookingforanswers4
Sorry for my slow replies, I don’t come on here often anymore. I’ve had doctors talk to me about mast cell, but my reactions tend to be quite delayed, so I don’t feel I fit the picture. I also think it’s the type of diagnosis that’s so vague, that doctors use it when they don’t know why you’re so sensitive. A bit of a wastebasket diagnosis when they don’t know what else to do with you.
I find it very interesting that you don’t respond to welchol at all. As in, you don’t even have a negative response? Just nothing?
have you tried any other binders to see if you react to them? For example, CSM, charcoal or clay? If you don’t react to any of them, I would be wondering if mould is actually a problem for you.

 

[Lalia]

Sorry @lookingforanswers4 i just reread your posts and notes you tried CSM and had horrible reaction. Did you also react badly to welchol?
If yes, and this is the reason you feel unsure about things, I would just reiterate that I’ve only ever been able to tolerate tiny amounts of binders, taken 4 - 5 days apart. And I have seen results from doing this. I hope that helps somewhat. There are a bunch of other th in ge you can do to open up detox pathways too. Feel free to PM if you’d like to know more.

 

[lookingforanswers4]

@Lalia I did welchol for 9 months and it didnt do a thing for me other than give this weird tingling in my legs. My doctor said if I didnt make any progress after 9 months on a binder then it probably wasnt mold. My doctor now has me on something called GI detox. Not sure I feel much on this either.

 

[Lalia]

Have you ruled out heavy metal toxicity and bartonella? These are the other two diagnoses I’m somewhat familiar with. The tingling sensations you describe certainly sound like they belong to either a mould or bartonella diagnosis.

 

[Lalia]

Sorry I can’t be of more help, I hope you find answers soon. Being undiagnosed is hell x

 

[poohsilk]

My throat would close up when living in moldy house. Mold was not visable. Tested swab swifter tests thru Mycometrics in NJ.