End of my tether - choking cough/throat spasms and GERD.

Hi all, first time poster here. I was wondering if I could get some advice from any of you who might be suffering/ or have suffered from the same as I am going through at the moment, although I apologise if I'm in the wrong sub-forum
My GERD flare ups have been swings and roundabouts for the past two years since I was diagnosed (M,42) - I am currently on 30mg Lansoprazole - which sometimes seems to work, and sometimes not. Since Christmas it seems to have been behaving itself as I've been trying my hardest to avoid my triggers (although a new one always seems to rear its head every so often). When it does flare up I get reflux, chest pain, bad breath (God I hate that part), stomach ache etc, but thankfully it's never really affected my asthma unless you count being tight chested. About four weeks ago I developed a random dry cough, no GERD symptoms, no fever, slight sinus pain but the cough was setting off my asthma. I went to the GP who thought it was probably allergies and sent me off on my merry way. Then the cough turned wet so I went back, got prescribed antibiotics as a precaution as I was going away on holiday, and was then dismissed again.
Thanks for bearing with me here people! Anyway whilst I was away I suffered a terrifying moment when I woke in the middle of the night coughing, choking, regurgitating - I couldn't breathe as it felt like mucus covering my windpipe, and I was making this weird whooping sound whilst trying to catch my breath. However, this time I had a burning chest which felt like one of my GERD symptoms (I will admit that I'd eaten quite late the night before) and a slight acidic taste at the back of my throat which I put down to the coughing/regurgitating: I was just so shocked as this has never happened to me before. This has now been repeatedly happening, pretty much once a day for the past two weeks, which is having a real impact on me going out on a day-to-day basis (the second time it happened was in a very public street). I discovered on Easter Sunday that chocolate really is my enemy now, and I am thinking of putting this 'cough' is a hideous GERD flare up as I am now suffering from my classic symptoms: just with this added nastiness of the cough/choking/regurgitating/can't breathe. The cough has moved back to being dry (but it's hit and miss, occasionally there's mucus), but I am now struggling with a sore throat and a croaky voice, which is great when I have to talk for a living. Has anyone else had this/dealing with this/anything that might help? I'm at the end of my tether and I am feeling utterly miserable.

Yes all sounds familiar to me.
I went on the acid watchers diet and cut out everything triggering. Chocolate definitely makes me cough.
I also take gaviscon after meals and before bed. Research LPR REFLUX & it will sound very familiar to you. C

Thanks Scass, I'm going to give that a try - I really am losing the will over this, and my HA has gone through the roof.

Sounds familiar to me to.
Apple cider vinegar (the Mother)

Sounds familiar to me too. It's quite terrifying waking up like that but now that I know it's related to what I eat it's not so scary. It's also worse depending on how stressed I am.

I agree with that catkins

I know to try and calm down when it happens, but that's easier said than done... I will try anything to stop it now, stress is breeding stress

The most common culprits are diet and stress.

Don’t eat 2-3 hours before bed, don’t lie down after eating. I sleep on a wedge pillow which has made such a difference.

Yesterday was a really bad day, it happened twice and I've pulled a muscle in my neck from doing it – it's like a long litany of pain ��