Sore throat, cough, congestion, and trouble breathing... help!

I almost choked to death last night. I woke up unable to breathe because my airway was totally blocked. I barely managed to cough hard enough to clear a tiny path just to get some air, then finally hacked all that mucus out. Feels like there’s still more stuck in there, though—plus my left side hurts a bit when I take a deep breath.

I sent that message to my doctor and she tried to squeeze me in today. Turns out she wasn't even in—some covering physician was there instead. He told my nurse (without even seeing me first!) that he already sent a prescription for Control4 to the pharmacy, and that was basically it. I asked my nurse what the hell kind of med that was, and turns out it's for the stomach!? I told her I've never had stomach issues in my life and that I probably need something to thin out this mucus—I've had this scratchy throat and hoarseness for a week now, and everything in my nose and throat feels so thick and congested it's a struggle to cough or blow my nose... I finally went in to see him, and he insisted it was acid reflux, claiming the nighttime choking and back pain are typical symptoms. He did give me something for a cough (turned out to be for a dry cough at the pharmacy), so I ended up just buying some Bisolex myself and heading home with a pile of meds that probably won't even help.

Still, that whole choking fit from the mucus hitting my airway has me worried. It felt like things could have gone south fast—like, fatal fast—because I was completely without air for maybe ten seconds. What if I hadn't been able to cough that stuff up? What if it happens again? Who am I supposed to call on a Friday afternoon to make sure this doesn't happen again?
What was even going on here?

frozenangler9 said:I nearly suffocated last night; I woke up gasping because my airway was completely obstructed. I barely managed to cough hard enough to force a tiny bit of air through the narrow opening, which finally allowed me to clear out the mucus. It feels like there’s still more stuck in there, though I can’t seem to cough it up, and I have this nagging pain in my left side when I breathe.

I sent all of this to my doctor and managed to get an appointment for today. However, it turns out she isn't in, and I ended up seeing some substitute physician instead. Without even examining me, he told my sister—via her—that he had already sent a prescription for Control4 to the pharmacy and that should be that. When I asked my sister what kind of medication it was, it turns out it's for the stomach. I told him straight up that I've never dealt with gastric issues in my life and that I likely need something to thin out the mucus, given that I've had a scratchy throat, hoarseness, and congestion for a week now that makes everything feel thick and impossible to clear. I went in to see the doctor, but he insisted his assessment was correct: gastroesophageal reflux. He claimed the nocturnal choking and the back pain were typical symptoms, though he did give me something for a cough (which turned out to be for a dry cough at the pharmacy). In the end, I just bought some Bisolex myself and went home with a pile of medications that will probably do nothing for me.

Regardless, that episode where the mucus entered my windpipe is deeply unsettling. I have a strong feeling things could have gone much worse—potentially fatal, really—since I was left without the ability to inhale for about ten seconds. What if I hadn't been able to cough that mucus up? What if it happens again? Who am I supposed to contact on a Friday afternoon to prevent another incident like this?
What exactly is going on here?

Perhaps an urgent care ENT clinic?

When mucus drains down the throat and enters the trachea, it can cause the airway to close. I've experienced this several times during the night, and it is terrifying. I've noticed that if I use any nasal sprays before bed, the mucus thins out and drains down my throat while I sleep. I was actually saved by chance by a medication I take for anxiety that dries out my nasal and throat membranes, but obviously, you shouldn't take that without medical advice.

Don't use any nasal sprays right before going to sleep.
Bisolex is excellent.

Have you had a virus recently that might be causing this mucus? It certainly wouldn't appear out of nowhere. It would be wise to have your sinuses and lungs checked to see their current condition.

Try sleeping with your head elevated tonight.

Actually, I had a similar experience, but for different reasons: my mucous membranes get really dry, which makes the mucus much thicker.
I manage it by staying incredibly hydrated, using large amounts of saline nasal spray daily, and taking Bisolex to help thin out the mucus in my lungs so it’s easier to cough up.

When mucus gets too thick, it becomes much harder to clear out.
The key isn't to try and dry it out, but rather to dissolve it.

Just keep in mind that once the Bisolex starts working, you might feel like there's more mucus at first, but it will be thinner and easier to expel.

You also need to drink plenty of fluids to keep everything diluted.
Whenever I take Bisolex, I make sure to follow it with a full glass of water.

By the way, I deal with constant sinus drainage that's incredibly irritating; Bisolex helps a bit, and the heavy use of saline rinses helps dilute and clear things out, which reduces the overall buildup.

For me, the root cause is definitely those dry mucous membranes.

So, if I were in your shoes, I’d thoroughly rinse my nose and sinuses with saline—if you don't have any handy, you can boil water with salt, let it settle, and strain it carefully (just look up a recipe online for the right salt ratio so it doesn't sting)—and then take Bisolex. (I usually take 8mg twice a day, though during my worst flare-ups, I took it three times a day for a couple of days, even though higher doses aren't typically recommended for long periods). I'd pair that with about a cup of liquid, keep sipping water throughout the day, and sleep with my head elevated, since sleeping flat on my back usually doesn't work for me.

It might be a combination of acid reflux and thickened mucus.

I've got my fingers crossed that you start feeling better soon! 🙂
Keep us posted!

(I know I've spent a lot of time dwelling on systemic lupus on this forum, but there are definitely plenty of people facing similar issues who don't have lupus. Personally, when I take Bisolex, I can actually feel the phlegm moving in my lungs; it feels a little wheezy for a moment, but then it dissolves, I can swallow it, and breathing becomes much easier. It stops that choking sensation at night and during the day.)

Oh, and one of my symptoms was a dry cough, and they actually prescribed me a suppressant—which was totally wrong and contraindicated for my specific situation.

I should mention that during the winter heating season, the dry air really takes a toll on me. Right now, I’m using a large dual-tank humidifier, plus eight of those small water pans hanging on my radiators, and even an extra liter of water sitting on top of the heater. Before I got the humidifier, I used to rely on soaking towels and swapping them out constantly as soon as they dried up.
It might sound 😲 , but you just have to find whatever works to solve the problem.

Any hospital will do, just get to an ER immediately.
They always have an ENT specialist on call who can be brought in if needed.

Still breathing, somehow!
Thanks for the input—I think I’ve finally worked up the nerve to try Bisolex. Didn't take anything yesterday since I wasn't really sure what would help. My mucous membranes feel super dry, and there's this lingering phlegm that just won't budge, probably coming from my sinuses. Plus, the heat just kicked on at the house, and I haven't been running the humidifier—which is a mistake, since I usually do that during the winter.

I'm definitely going to ask my doctor for an ENT referral first thing Monday morning. At least now I know what to look out for and how to manage it. I really hope this doesn't happen again; it was brutal for me, and even worse for everyone else in the house—they all woke up because I was coughing so loudly.

Anyway, yeah, about a week or so ago I had some mild bug with a scratchy throat and hoarseness. I know it wasn't acid reflux, though, because my husband and son both caught it the next day, and people at the office were dealing with the same stuff too. It wasn't COVID, either—we took tests and everything.

You might want to try Fluimucan based on N-acetylcysteine, or honestly, just grab some pure NAC—it’s cheaper and usually comes in bigger capsule packs.
For me, it was a total lifesaver when I had COVID, especially when I paired it with quercetin and high doses of Vitamin C...

I actually take NAC daily along with my other antioxidants to help manage neuropathy, but man, it completely cleared out my lungs. I swear I coughed up half my body weight. XD

Jacob Lopez51 said:You might as well just grab some Fluimucan with N-acetylcysteine—or honestly, just buy pure NAC capsules. It’s cheaper and usually comes in bigger packs.
For me, taking it along with quercetin and massive doses of Vitamin C really did the trick when I had COVID.

I actually take NAC daily with my other antioxidants for neuropathy stuff, but man, it cleared out my lungs completely. I was coughing up straight garbage. XD

Good to know, thanks.
The main thing is my doctor put me on Panatus Forte, even though I don't even have a cough or any dry irritation. Seriously...