Throat constricts during runs?

I think you mean, when it get's a little tough, you choke.

Not to be alarmist, but isn't throat tightness a potential symptom of cardiac trouble?

In my situation, problems with outdoor allergies will cause my throat to constrict.

Vocal chord dysfunction?

Asthma is characterized by difficulty breathing out. Vocal chord dysfunction is characterized by difficult breathing in.

Vocal chord dysfunction tends to worsen when the need for oxygen increases, as in hard running.

Wow, everyone's saying something different. I don't think it's reflux, as I don't have any of the other symptoms.

@ kibitzer What kind of cardiac trouble? ):

@allergy issues Do these flare up only while running? This is something that happens at around the 45+ minute mark into a run. I never have this issue until I'm running, and deeper into it.

@smell the coffee, that doesn't sound too good but it makes sense... How could I confirm? I don't think going to the GP about an issue like that would do me too well, but that's just based on past experiences with running injuries and the such.

Interested also. This happens to my wife when she runs hard. Normal runs, no problem.

Email me. There is a chance you need specialists. I can point you in the right direction. I honestly hope it's not what it sounds like right now.

sisyphus wrote:

Email me. There is a chance you need specialists. I can point you in the right direction. I honestly hope it's not what it sounds like right now.

Hey sisyphus, would you mind just stating your suspicion? We all understand you can't make a diagnosis, but I think many of us would appreciate some insight into this problem.

Okay. I agree with the above poster that Vocal Chord Dysfunction (slang term really, the longer one escapes me at the moment)is a prime candidate. Although vaguely familiar with it before, the last seven months have thrown me into literally, and I mean literally, hundreds of hours of increasingly desperate research on the issue. I have come up with certain ideas on the issue that need to stay my personal educated guesses. However, I know the right types of people to see to help the condition (it surprised me who these people were) if it really sounds like VCD. I just wanted to have a more one on one discussion of the symptoms to help confirm my suspicions before sending someone scurrying to specialists.

Try some anti allergy medication before running. It my be just be a manifestation of EIA. Benadryl and the like should work

Try that before throwing your money at mostly clueless medical personnel,

Doubt VCD - vocal cord dysfunction is a condition in which the vocal cords adduct (come together) while breathing. This causes a narrowed airway and stridor (high pitched noise) while inspiring. You would never be able keep on running if you were having an attack of VCD.

Sounds to me like you are having cricopharyngeal spasm for some reason while running. The cricopharyngeal muscle is the muscle that acts as a sphincter between your throat and your esophagous. Sometimes it can spasm and you throat will feel extremely tight - but it doesn't interfere with your breathing. Could be due to reflux, medications (esp. doxycycline, tetracycline), allergies (possibly, but I doubt).

Talk to your doctor first - we're there to figure out if you are really sick. If everything checks out OK and this isn't getting better by itself see below:

So - if you are on medications check out if dysphagia or esophageal irritation is a side effect. If so, talk to your doctor. Also caffeine can cause reflux which can cause this problem -so cut back on caffeine. If no meds no caffeine - probably worthwhile to try an antacid before run - see if it helps. If no benefit - try an antihistamine ((claritin etc.) (don't use anything with a decongestant- that will jack your heart rate)).

ENT doc

smell the coffee, wrote:

Vocal chord dysfunction?

Asthma is characterized by difficulty breathing out. Vocal chord dysfunction is characterized by difficult breathing in.

Vocal chord dysfunction tends to worsen when the need for oxygen increases, as in hard running.

Exactly what I was going to say. Get it checked out.

blaize wrote:

Doubt VCD - vocal cord dysfunction is a condition in which the vocal cords adduct (come together) while breathing. This causes a narrowed airway and stridor (high pitched noise) while inspiring. You would never be able keep on running if you were having an attack of VCD.

This is not true. A friend of mine coaches a state champion 1600 runner who started to have throat issues this year. It would affect him on longer bouts of racing or training and was diagnosed VCD. He was often able to finish his races or workouts, but at a pace just a bit slower.

Unless his diagnosis was wrong, he was able to run with VCD, and even with a state title.

blaize wrote:

Doubt VCD - vocal cord dysfunction is a condition in which the vocal cords adduct (come together) while breathing. This causes a narrowed airway and stridor (high pitched noise) while inspiring. You would never be able keep on running if you were having an attack of VCD.

S

ENT doc

Sounds like that IS what happens and with my wife. She absolutely gets stridor and HAS to slow or stop at least temporarily. It also resolves almost immediately which seems consistent with what I read of VCD.

In her case it is also associated with hard *and stressful* running which points to vcd as far as I can tell.

For the OP, not sure, but thought I'd share in case its useful.

Angina is often felt as burning or tightening in or of the throat. I was running 50 miles a week while I was in my late 30s and I kept feeling sluggish and I felt tightness in my forearms and burning in my throat. Turns out I needed triple bypass. Six years ago, a friend who cycles kept feeling tightness in his throat. Because of my own experience, I pleaded with him to see not an internist, but a cardiologist. Turns out he needed two stents. Six weeks ago he's complaining to me about similar pain. You'd think he'd know, but people like to think they're not seriously ill. He finally went to his cardiologist (believe it or not he hadn't seem him in five years). He went to his internist who said it wasn't heart related. I begged him to see his cardiologist. He's now recovering from a quadruple bypass. So, I don't mean to scare you, and it's unlikely your problem is heart related, but if you're middle-age and there's a family history of coronary disease, I'd see a cardiologist. Worst case scenario, you get a clean bill of health. Best care scenario . . . .

Choking wrote:

Wow, everyone's saying something different. I don't think it's reflux, as I don't have any of the other symptoms.

@ kibitzer What kind of cardiac trouble? ):

@allergy issues Do these flare up only while running? This is something that happens at around the 45+ minute mark into a run. I never have this issue until I'm running, and deeper into it.

@smell the coffee, that doesn't sound too good but it makes sense... How could I confirm? I don't think going to the GP about an issue like that would do me too well, but that's just based on past experiences with running injuries and the such.

This is why doctors and runners have such a tough time communicating. Runners just refuse to behave according to the statistics. I am sure most people could not run during a VCD attack. In the last six years I have seen or heard about four that have run themselves to the brink of consciousness. Like eyes rolled back and down on the ground. Most finished the race in a good time. Scary as hell. That's one town.

blaize wrote:

Doubt VCD - vocal cord dysfunction is a condition in which the vocal cords adduct (come together) while breathing. This causes a narrowed airway and stridor (high pitched noise) while inspiring. You would never be able keep on running if you were having an attack of VCD.

ENT doc

I have to second what Montesquieu is saying. Always rule out the stuff that can kill you first. See your doctor - let them figure out if something is really wrong.

As for VCD - unfortunately, this has become a wastebasket diagnosis. True paradoxical vocal cord dysfunction (PVCD)results in stridor and cessation of activity. I have no doubt that there are hundreds of athletes that have been diagnosed with VCD because their "throat feels tight" when they exercise. They probably even may have been diagnosed by an excellent ENT or voice pathologist. However, IMHO, anyone that is running and can keep on running is not having a vocal cord problem. Your larynx regulates the intake of air into your lungs. If your vocal cords are adducting to any degree and limiting the flow of air (remember the relationship of the diameter of a pipe to flow is to Flow= diameter to the 4th power (OK not exactly in this case -turbulence, short pipe, pressure change, etc - but you get the point)you are not getting nearly enough O2 to keep on running. Keep in mind that there a lot of other muscles in your throat/ esophagus that can "tighten up" and they will have very little effect on your running.

Obviously, we've hit on a point that bothers me because I've seen a lot of people diagnosed with VCD who, I believe, do not have a vocal cord problem. They do, however, tend to respond the "VCD" treatment which basically entails relaxation techniques.

"Women and men have similar symptoms of heart disease, including the most common symptoms of chest pain or shortness of breath with physical activity. Throat tightness, left arm pain, sweatiness or feeling faint with activity are other symptoms seen."

http://www.uofmhealth.org/medical-services/womens-health-heart-faq

IIRC Jim Fixx, the running author who died (on the run) of a heart attack at around age 50, had experienced throat tightness prior to his cardiac event. He was very knowledgeable--probably knew about throat tightness as a potential cardiac symptom--but ignored it. ("Runners will live forever"--or at least not get heart attacks--was a widespread meme back then.)

Anyway, good luck.

Because of my heart problems, I've met a decent number of people with coronary disease. Not one of them experienced chest pains as a symptom of their disease--it's always throat burning or tightness, lower arm pain, upper arm numbness. Actually having a heart attack is another matter, and chest tightness almost always accompanies such. I speak, alas, on the basis of experience.

kibitzer wrote:

"Women and men have similar symptoms of heart disease, including the most common symptoms of chest pain or shortness of breath with physical activity. Throat tightness, left arm pain, sweatiness or feeling faint with activity are other symptoms seen."

http://www.uofmhealth.org/medical-services/womens-health-heart-faq

IIRC Jim Fixx, the running author who died (on the run) of a heart attack at around age 50, had experienced throat tightness prior to his cardiac event. He was very knowledgeable--probably knew about throat tightness as a potential cardiac symptom--but ignored it. ("Runners will live forever"--or at least not get heart attacks--was a widespread meme back then.)

Anyway, good luck.