Hello! I was actually very excited to find this article, thank you so much for addressing this issue.
I am a recovering alcoholic, and in the last few years prior to becoming sober I developed problems with anxiety and depression. Thankfully I am sober today and don't have too much of a problem with depression. I do, however, still struggle with anxiety, and my "attacks" almost always involve gagging; sometimes to the point of vomiting.
Around the time I got sober, I had been prescribed xanax and I found that it helped when I would have one of these coughing fits. They truly are miserable. I usually would start sweating heavily at the onset and would alternate between hot and cold flashes. The coughing would start shortly after. It actually felt like post-nasal drip but no amount of coughing/gagging was "productive", and it seemed my gag reflex was constantly stimulated. The gagging wouldn't stop on its own for probably 20 minutes when my body was just completely wiped out - or until I vomited. I originally attributed these attacks to allergies, but since they always occured during a panic attack and xanax seemed to help, I realized they may be related to my anxiety problems.
I still have not identified the perfect "fix". I quit taking xanax early in sobriety and have had to find other ways to deal with these fits.
Seeing this issue addressed and knowing it's not just me is a huge help.
What works for me when these attacks occur is just to slow down. Now that I recognize them as symptoms of anxiety, I'll stop whatever I'm doing and try to clear my mind, try to identify what is triggering me to be anxious, and then slowly and deliberately breathe. Often, if I can determine a cause of the anxiety and take deliberate action around it I can avoid the coughing attack. Sometimes, the cause of the anxiety is something completely out of my control and just acknowledging that is helpful. Unfortunately, once the gagging starts, I haven't found a great way to stop it - sometimes a menthol cough drop helps :)
I had an attack this past weekend - I was going to be in a situation where I believed I would be tempted to drink and I had a severe attack. Slowing down enough to look at the situation was really helpful, and in this case I came up with a plan for what I would do if I thought I was going to drink. In this case, having a plan of action helped me feel like I had some control, and I was able to move on.
Sorry for the long post - but thanks so much for the article and all the folks who commented! You made me feel like less of a freak, which always helps :)
I'm in my 50's & have had tyhis for approx. 30 years. It seems to have gotten worse in recent years & am now talking to a physician about Xanax, which I've read helps a lot of people with this anxiety disorder. I'm healthy, work-out, happily married & read books related to anxiety & panic attacks & tried the breathing excercises. So far nothing much has helped.
The scenario is always the same & can be a crowded restaurant, any room full of people, a Dr's. or dentist office or even getting a haircut. I get sweaty palms, rapid heart beat, dizzyness & fear of fainting, gagging which leads to dry heaves. Mints or hard candy can delay this for awhile until I can find a rest room. Once I go through this episode I am OK, but worn out. The general feeling is I have to get out of the place where I am that is causing the feeling. I refer to it as "The Curse" as my lovely wife is enjoying herself & I am quietly miserable.
When this starts to happen the mere thought of eating anything makes me nauseous as well & unable to eat [embarassing when they've just served your dinner in a restaurant & waiter is asking you if something is wrong with your food]. I tried having a drink [alcohol] & that only seems to make it worse, so cannot drink when out at a restaurant or many social functions [but at home is fine].
This really limits you socially & I'm tired of dealing with it & hope the Dr. can give me Xanax or anything that will help me with this problem.
I am 49 yrs old,I have had anxiety and panic attacks ever since I was in High School. A couple of years ago I finally went to a doctor to try to end the "curse." I was first prescribed Zoloft to take daily and Xanax for high anxiety situations. The Zoloft made me feel just plain bad and did little for Depression or Anxiety. The Xanax did help curb anxiety and panic but made me fall asleep standing up. I quit taking both medications and my Doctor prescribed Pristiq 50mg. After just a few weeks my anxiety level dropped considerably, with no side effects. I have been taking it now for about 2yrs and it still is quite effective. There are some days when I still experience some anxiety in social situations but it is controllable. The panic has seemed to go away for the most part. I am thinking of talking to my Doctor about additional medication for high anxiety days. I have never felt better since I've been on the Pristiq. Keep trying there are a lot of Medications out there and they effect people in different ways.
Hey all,
I am glad to know that i am not the only one who suffers from gagging when having an anxiety attack. This has been a really big problem of mine and even interferes with my romantic relationships. Last year I was in a relationship and it wasn't the greatest and my anxiety just made it worse. I had to end things with my boyfriend after only dating him for a month and a half :/ There were other reasons for leaving him but I wont get into that. Now I am talking to a couple guys and am too nervous to even meet up with them for fear of getting anxious and gagging in front of them :( Help me please.
I know how you feel. My gagging problem started when I was around 16 too, and has lessened but never stopped since. I will say, first of all, that if a guy is really worth keeping around, he will understand this gagging problem and want to help you through it. I'm now 21 (5 years of dealing with this problem) and I luckily have an amazing boyfriend who helps me get through it every time it happens (which happens a lot when I try to eat with his family).
Regardless of having someone to help you through it, I know it's a terrible situation. I was originally diagnosed with acid reflux and took medication for about 4 years. Within the last year or so I stopped, and I don't get heartburn as much as I used to but the gagging still occurs. I've been looking at stuff online to see if it helped. I finally have realized that this is probably an issue with anxiety and am finally looking up ways to help it go away. I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to try to go back to my doctor to maybe get a prescription for some anxiety medication.
In the meantime, different things work for different people. Chewing gum is my short term stress relief. Others have said eating a peppermint or hard candy helps. Sometimes breathing techniques works for me, but usually as soon as I get out of the bathroom and back to the dinner table it starts all over.
I sincerely hope you get this worked out. I know how terrible it is to go through high school with this sort of problem, I wish nobody ever had to suffer through this.
This has been very interesting to read. Everyones stories are so famailiar. I am a little different from any that I have read. Social situations don't bother me. I gag with stress, when I get upset, when I get too hot, certain lights (flashing or florecent mostly), noises (sirens, high pitched sounds, sometimes guitars, even the vacuum cleaner, sometimes the babies crying), when the tv or computer screen move too fast. I am getting more and more clostrophobic, which I gag with too. I had a rental car, after wrecking my car. I was very clostrophobic when I drove the rental and would gag. The new car I got the seatbelt was close and caused me to gag for a while.
I have been to doctors for migraines. I have felt like it has some thing to do with the migraines. But I just don't know. Nothing seems to help. I even took a month off from work when it was really bad. I work in an infant room of a day care. It was really bad for a while. High pitched screams is what gets me.
I would be interested if anyone has any other symptoms like mine.
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I suffer from the gagging and occasional throwing up or dry heaving and it is caused by primarily external triggers. I, thru therapy and just forcing myself to think about what I am feeling, have identified my triggers as being my partner, any time I am singled out in public/at work and have to give my opinion on anything or just talk and in classroom type settings when I am called on for "classroom participation" (hate that) and etc. Unfortunately,...I have to face all of these things on a daily basis or at least monthly (for training at work).
I have suffered from this issue for years. I have learned, for the most part to control my stomach to an extent. On occasion, when I am feeling very nervous or upset, I will have to run to the bathroom and throw up. Most often though, I eat peppermints or rolaids and deal with that feeling of almost throwing up or just the stomach rolling and aching/constant nausea.
I think that I need to work on, myself and with my therapist, not taking everything so personally and not feeling that I am responsible for everything and everyone. Note: I am an (ACOA) adult child of an alchholic, the oldest child and the only daughter. This, I have learned is quite commen for those like me. (Great!)
My therapist is in the process of teaching me and helping me "Set Up Filters" to not allow things in that will cause this. She is helping me learn how to "Choose What I Allow In and Let Go What I Don't Need/ What Is Not Useful To Me'. I am just beginning this process. My therapist is teaching me relaxation and meditation techniques. I am starting a small group class with her (4-select people) on 9-23-10 to learn more and practice talking to people and be calm within. (I say to myself: be calm, be calm or calm blue oceans, calm blue oceans. LOL)
This is all a HUGE thing for me. I know that it will be very helpful in dealing with my nausea and anxiety issues but,...I am really nervous about doing the group/class.
Some people "wear their hearts on their sleeves". I, in my opinion, put my heart on a plate and give everyone around me a steak knife and a fork! Hannibal Lector would love me!
I feel for anyone who's anxiety/depression issues are also directly tied to their stomachs. It is a miserable feeling. I think we just need some help learning how to control our minds and this will help control our nausea. (I hope).
Thanks for the article and info. MM! You are the best!
Hey Rena!
Good to see you...you are the same Rena as on the depression site right?
You have made tremendous strides in overcoming this problem...you are doing a great job! One of my relatives is a public speaker and she throws up before each time she talks. She was once in the bathroom gagging and throwing up before a talk and there was a famous children's author who was about to speak...throwing up too! So even people who seem so polished...they may have the same problem.
I am very interested in these techniques you are using as when you said:
She is helping me learn how to "Choose What I Allow In and Let Go What I Don't Need/ What Is Not Useful To Me'. I am just beginning this process. My therapist is teaching me relaxation and meditation techniques. I am starting a small group class with her (4-select people) on 9-23-10 to learn more and practice talking to people and be calm within.
This sound really interesting. If you ever want to write more about these strategies and techniques...that would be so helpful to this site.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience here. Sounds like you are taking the bull by the horns and working very hard to overcome this. I wish you the best of luck.
Hi MM! Yes I am the same Rena from the depression site. These sites have both helped my more that I can express. They are helping me come out of my shell, so to speak. I don't think that I could have even started going to a therapist at all, if it weren't for these sites. Getting into my brain and why I am the way I am has been a huge learning process for me. I have already learned so much.
I will start posting more about this. I am very nervous about my group appointment on 9-23-10 but I know that after I get thur the pain/anxiety of it, it will benifit me greatly. I will let you all know how it goes, good, bad or ugly.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I know you are extremely busy! It is very much appreciated.