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Steve62
26-05-06, 14:46
Hi all

This is my first post and I know that there are many very helpful threads here that deal with throat problems but I've just got to get it off my chest....

About 2 months ago I felt a sensation in my throat (kind of tickle). Unfortunately I began to think about it more and more and so worry more and more. I then decided to look up these symptoms on the internet - BAD IDEA! - and found out that it could be esophegus cancer (among a million other things [Duh!]) and from then on I started obsessing that I might have it! I also found info about GAD and this excellent website so the internet isn't all bad.!

I went to the doctors who firstly diagnosed a virus, then a possible infection before agreeing that it may be caused by anxiety. He checked me thoroughly and could find no cause to worry - but I just could seem to stop thinking it was something worse (terminal) even though I knew this was daft!!!! For a period of 2 weeks I wasn't eating and wasn't sleeping (I never sleep well at the best of times). The doc gave me antidepressants and I've started seeing a therapist - the pills didn't seem to help much tho'.

Since all this has started, my throat has worsened. It feels kind of swollen but the most irritating thing is a clicking/juddering that I get when I swallow. In addition, I'm light-headed a lot too.

Does anyone know what this is and more importantly how to stop it? Since I'm a bit more used to it and don't feel as worked up shouldn't this go away? Does anyone else think about their symptoms all the time - it's the first thing in the morning and the last at night and any chance I get. I don't want to think like this - I hate it[Sigh...] - but I can't seem to stop. I'm always trying swallow just to see if it's still there!!!!:(

I have always been anxious/a worrier but don't understand how this has happened now - this feeling first came when there was nothing particularly stressful in my life.

One last question : How does anxiety work? I thought that you got an adrenalin rush and that caused the symptoms, however even when I'm relaxed I still have these problems.

Sorry to ramble but even though my family are understanding they have heard my worries so many times that they quickly glaze over - so it good to know someone's understanding for a change.

Thanks for listening
Steve[:P]

Dan21
26-05-06, 15:16
Hi Steve,

I have had exactly the same symptoms as you for almost a year now and the doctor also told me it was due to anixety. I believe it is called a globus, which is a feeling of a lump in the throat when there is actually nothing there at all.

I too have had the annoying click that comes when you swallow. Mine tends to come and go over a period of weeks. But as many of the great folks on here will tell you, the only way to ease the symptoms of this condition is to ignore it. Which, in and of itself is sooooooooo hard to do. You just have to believe what the docs have said (they know there stuff!) and give yourself a break.

As for how anxiety works, man, thats a million dollar question. I think it works differently for different folks. Mine, I think, Is always there, lurking under the surface and is rarely announced by an adreniline rush. More often than not, the symptoms (such as the lump in the throat) signifies that my anxiety is back.

Have a look around the forums, there really is so much good advice on here, but dont forget to look after yourself. Take things easy and realise that you need to be easy on yourself too.

Dan

-----------------------------
I want to go up to my anxiety, smile, put my arm around it and say to it caringly, 'Hey! How are you? How's your day been?'

Then, just as its about to answer me, I wanna throw a sack over it and give it a hiding within an inch of its life.

That would be nice.

jackie
26-05-06, 15:24
steve sounds a bit like " globus hysteries "

have you ever read claire weekes book " self help for your nerves" a great book that explains alot , along with this anxiety related lump in your throat which is a " hysterical lump and completely harmless

i think the book would really help

jackie

MrMonkey
26-05-06, 15:46
Adrenalin is right BUT this adrenalin continues to float around your body until you burn it off and being stressed produces oter toxins too which can result in anxiety symptoms so don't be surprised if your anxious when "relaxed" not to mention strained muscles from being tense all the time.

Regular exercise will burn off most of the adrenalin and toxins, plus your relaxing breaks will be deeper and more helpful.

More specifically for the throat thing, you're fixating on it. I know its hard not too but even if youa re more relaxed about it you are still thinking about it, and even when youa re not, your subconciouss is because its so USED to thinking about it. It will take time to pass but it will pass.

* * *
It's just my high anxiety getting to the best of me. I call him Bingbongilypoop. Then I can laugh at him cos he has a funny name. HAHA! [points]

whatisitnow
26-05-06, 17:08
Hadnt been in this forum til i read someones post on giving up smoking but saw this post while in here. Honestly i had this throat thing years ago, was convinced i had throat cancer. Luckily had the best doctor ever at the time. It is a globus like someone mentioned further up. Its horrible though when you stress about a symptom so much that it really does make the feeling worse! The power of the mind is scarey, makes you wonder what you really are doing to yourself! Wish it was adaptable to other things in life like making the lottery numbers im thinking of happen! [^]
C xxxxx

eeyorelover
26-05-06, 17:11
this link says it better about what anxiety is than I could...Help for Sufferers of Anxiety (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/NMPcms.php?nmppage=anxiety)

As far as thinking about things over and over... been there done that - lol
I think that most of us on here can relate to that!!
I have chosen to think of anxiety as mind over matter - kind of. What I mean is, if I think 'there must be something physically wrong with me' then of course I will feel poorly. So I have tried to change the way that I think about my symptoms. As soon as I start to feel dizzy or anxious I say to myself, it's just the anxiety and I go on with my daily routine. After I had been doing that for a while I realized that my anxiety was coming alot less often and when I do have symptoms they are far less severe than they once were.
The fact is there is no quick fix - no miracle cure. It takes time and work to get past it. But if you keep working at it - it will get better.

Steve62
29-05-06, 18:16
Thanks to all for your thoughts

Somedays I can laugh in face of anxiety but other I can't seem to think anything other than "what if" in a completely self-indulgent negative way.

It still seems hard for me to 100% realise that anxiety is causing all these problem but this forum had done me a lot of good sofar and know it will play a part in my getting back to "normal".:)

scoobygirl2005
29-05-06, 19:12
Hi Steve.

A big warm welcome to the site. You will find lots of help and support here.

Scooby2005
x x

PanickyPolly
30-05-06, 17:33
I often feel light-headed. Have fainted a couple of times or feel I am about to faint. I'm also borderlibe diabetic though so I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

Daisybun
30-05-06, 23:14
Try reading Claire weeks book, it really explains why the symptoms continue even when you don't feel anxious, bosy is in stress mode most of the time and takes a long time to 'come down'. I had the lump in the throat for 4 months last year, it went when i accepted it was anxiety.
Take care

Daisybun


'This too will pass'