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Dan21
15-10-06, 14:25
I've had the terrible lump in the throat feeling for ages now, almost a year and over that time it has tended to come and go, often not being noticeable for weeks, but then it will come back more or less. Sometimes it feels like the muscles in my throat are constricting, while other times it feels like I have some food or something stuck. The doctors told me in Feb that it was most likely down to stress, but I just cant get the fear of cancer out of my head.

The feeling has been back lately and my wife and my Mum keep telling me that I'm always highly strung out, I'm a worrier and that they are worried about my fixation/phobia with my health. I've been feeling pretty run down lately too which is fueling my fear. I have no other symptoms other than this throat thing that comes and goes and feeling a bit low.

My Mam and wife say that its probably the stress from starting University full time, being in a town I dont particularly like and losing my Dad a few months ago (from cancer). It's beginning to really bring me down, the constant worry of whether I'm ill or if its just my mind playing tricks. I know I have posted most of this before, but I'm starting to wonder whats real and what is'nt.

Please, please if you have any words of reassurance, I could very much use them right now.

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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.

Panikki
15-10-06, 14:52
Hi Dan,
I've had similar probs for about the last 2 1/2 yrs throat feels like it's constricting and I struggle to eat as food gets stuck! I deal with this 24/7 ...I've had gastroscropy(sorry if spelling is wrong) camera down throat and they found no reason..just stress/ anxiety ..the usual cause for most our alarming symptoms! If your already a panicker or anxious person I can honestly say it is almost certainly caused by this and the more you focus the worse it will feel..try to do some relaxation more often if you can and accept it as being a tempory thing and thats what it will be ..dont make the mistake like me of letting it over take your life cos then you will have a problem on your hand!! Take Care Jodiex

J Baker

Sue K with 5
15-10-06, 14:53
Hi Dan


After losiing your father to cancer and starting university its hardly surprising your anxiety at this time is going through the ceiling.

First of all your throat problem is as i am sure many will tell you from here a typical anxiety sympton, admittedly not one I have but certainly one that many people can relate to.

The symptoms you have are certainly not in line with the symptoms of cancer, so push that one out of the door. You fear of cancer is natural after losing your dad to it and I for one would have developed similar symptoms had I been through that awful experience. My Husband developed problems with his stomach three years ago a year after his father died of liver and pancreas cancer, he too went through the same anxieties and is still suffering now.

He has had every bloody test under the sun and nothing has shown up, so this just goes to show that sometimes your fears can actually be so severe that the physical symptoms can become so real.

I suggest a trip to your GP and possibly a referral to a councellor to discuss your anxieties and maybe some deep relaxation method such as cds and try to not let this worry you too much.

Take care and hope things improve for you very soon


sue

scknight

becky1000
15-10-06, 15:32
Hi Dan, I had a similar problem with my throat for several years, on and off while I was suffering from anxiety. I was absolutely sure I had something seriously wrong with me but was too scared to seek medical help. My brother, who was also suffering from anxiety at that time and who had the same throat problem, plucked up the courage to see a doctor who did the tests (camera down the throat) only to discover nothing at all. When I had the reassurance that it was the anxiety causing the problem I relaxed about it. It still happened but I became quite relaxed about it and guess what? it just disappeared!
By all means see a doctor if you need the reassurance. You can then stop worrying about it.
From the sounds of things you've been through an extremely stressful time in your life so it's not surprising that you're suffering from some anxiety symptoms

I've beaten depression, panic attacks and anxiety.

Dan21
15-10-06, 17:38
Thank you for your replies, and I feel extremely embarrassed about bringing this up AGAIN on the forum, but I'm having a rough time getting my head around the fact that these symptoms could be anything but something serious. I'm guessing that everything that has happened over te last few months (especially with Dad) has messed me up.

I have started counselling and I think that I'm starting to make a bit of progress. But on a day to day basis, I struggle sometimes to overcome my anxiety and symptoms. For the past three days, I have woke up feeling anxious and like I'm being strangled, plus I'm aching all over and have a real spaced out feeling that makes it so, so hard to concentrate.

I'm really sorry to go on and I'm sure that most people on here are sick of me going on about my symptoms, God knows I bet there are people on here who have it far worse than me, but I feel so detached from the person I used to be that I wonder if I'll ever get back to being that person?

-----------------------------
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.

lainey
16-10-06, 09:29
Hi Dan

All the symptoms you describe today are symptoms of anxiety as I'm sure deep down you know, the aching is probably due to the fact that you muscles are tense.
The lump in your throat is a very common symptom of anxiety and is called "Globus Hystericus", I had it for over a week after my hubby was diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago( thankfully, he is ok now ). I made myself go to the GP and once she explained it wasdue to the anxiety it practically went overnight. I t comes back occassionally now and again, but I do manage to control the feelings about it.
You have had a lot happen in your life recently so I'm not surprised you have all these symptoms, time will help you I promise even though it doesn't feel like it a the moment.
Here if you want to chat, hope this has helped.

Take care

Elaine x

Dan21
26-10-06, 23:00
Not having such a good few days. I've started to get get proper paranoid about my throat thing again. I'm trying to be positive. I got Claire Weekes book last week and read the first few chapters. For the following two or three days, I just tried to accept the feeling of something being lodged in my throat and 'float by'. Well, it did seem to ease for a day or two but things seem to have gone back to how they were before.

I just keep trying to tell myself that if it was a tumor, then surely there would have been other signs since first feeling like this 12 months ago, blood, weight loss, nausea, lethargy etc, etc. But (touch wood), I've just had the throat feeling and a whole bunch of anxious feelings about it.

There would have been some other signs surely??? Am I locked in some fear cycle or might I be genuinely ill and ignoring it in the name of anxiety???????????????????????????? really confused :((((((

Please, any words of help would be greatly welcome.

-----------------------------
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.