Laryngospasm/Can't breathe/Cough triggers

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CarolSue

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Joined
Dec 16, 2015
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123
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
01/2016
Country
US
State
Kansas
City
Middle America
I wrote a while back about the laryngospasm I had the misfortune of experiencing and found there are other ALS patients that also suffer with this.

I've had 5 or 6 all total. None of which where as bad as the first. With the subsequent spasms I could at least get a little air in and they didn't last as long as the first one.

What I want some opinions on is a condition called Sensory Neuropathic Cough. I had this condition about 15 years ago and it lasted almost 5 years. Get a horrible tickle and had coughing fits till I gagged, etc etc. My personal Dr and a pulmonolgist just couldn't figure it out. It just stopped on it's own. Well now I know it was Sensory Neuropathic Cough. So the Dr has a video on Utube and said in severe cases the coughing fit could end with a laryngospasm.

They say this tickle or other trgger that brings on the cough/laryngospasm can be treated by neuralgia drugs because it is caused by damaged nerve endings. So we treat pain from neuralgia with neuralgia drugs so they tried them on those suffering form the cough/spasm.

I've started getting those tickles in my throat again and So I'm wondering if the same medication would help ALS patients with the laryngospasms? The drugs listed are amitriptyline, desipramine, gabapentin, etc. Anybody have an opinion about whether it will help us?

Thank you all for your help.
CaroSue
 
Those drugs at low doses are used for several types of neuropathic pain, and the TCAs (amitriptyline and desipramine on your list) can help dry up excess unswallowed saliva and help sleep. They are widely used in spinal cord injury. So certainly worth a try in that situation. For someone with heart problems, though, I would try gabapentin or pregabalin first.
 
If it helps, my wife found somewhere that recommended breathing through your nose when the spasms or locking happens in my throat. When I cough, sneeze, or yawn I often get these. The nose breathing does allow air in and seems to stop the air panic to relax things enough that they go away.
 
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