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View Full Version : Horrible Throat Problems - Please Help!



perdurabo
28-12-06, 14:22
Hi everyone!

This is my second post although I have been fairly active in the chat room. I've been experiencing severe anxiety-related symptoms for the past year although in retrospect my panic attacks began about 5 years ago. Over the last 12 months my main problem was heart palpitations, however these have recently and thankfully subsided after an ECG and various blood tests came back healthy (also indicating that my liver is still healthy which surprised me). My heart palpitations stopped then or around then, which in retrospect I must atttribute to the results of the tests.

However, since October/November time I've also developed really unpleasant throat-related problems. I had the lump in the throat thing at first, combined with difficulty breathing and sleep apnoea (leading to several sleepless nights in a row which didn't result in a very productive me at work).

What I do have now is a seemingly constant pain in my throat, combined with a series of hot flushes that consume my whole neck - my neck just feels incredibly hot, sometimes all day. Also, I find myself doing weird "throat-belches" with alarming regularity eg 10 times an hour if not more. I don't know quite how to describe these - kind of like "croaks" rather than burps, and seemingly originating from my throat or the top of my chest rather than my stomach. They also involve a fair amount of air being expelled.

One of my GPs suggested this was mainly due to globus hystericus ie swallowing air to try to overcome the weird sensation of having something stuck in my throat - but I'm just not convinced.

The trouble, of course, is that I've smoked for the last ten years, and I've also been a fairly heavy drinker for the last 5 years (these symptoms are certainly at their very worst after a heavy night's drinking). SO - I've given up smoking very recently out of sheer terror and cut down on my alcohol consumption.

The bottom line is that I'm convinced I've got throat cancer/some horrible smoking-related throat disease and that I'm about to die young (I'm 28).

I don't know if the government's anti-smoking propaganda is having a particularly physical effect on me, or whether the pressure of an imminent exam (Jan 19), my debt (£18,000 and rising) or the stressful, targetted aspect of my job (eg should I really take a holiday when I'm not close to hitting target etc) AS WELL as the fact that I'm moving house in a few days time and don't even yet have anyone to stay with.... are all conspiring to focus my paranoia/health anxiety on the dreaded throat cancer - my voice being the source of my livelihood (I'm telephone based) and much joy eg conversation, singing etc.

I'm off to see an ENT specialist on 30 Jan and I'm not sure whether they're going to perform an endoscopy or what (I'd want to be sedated for that I think - should I request this in advance?).

I've had three GPs look down my throat, listen to my chest, feel my throat etc and none of them can see anything wrong - and yet these weird sensations persist.

If anyone out there has experienced anything similar, please give me your insights as I'm finding it difficult to lead a vaguely normal life - I really am fairly convinced the ENT specialist is going to diagnose cancer and that'll be the end of me.


Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.

T.S. Eliot

nomorepanic
28-12-06, 14:27
Hi there.

My swallowing problems started in June 2005 and have never let up. I find it difficult to swallow every minute of every day and sometimes it freaks me and sometimes I manage to control it and ignore it.

I went to see the ENT specialist in February and he put the camera down my nose to look at my throat and said it was fine and nothing to worry about and I had to ignore it and it would go away.

Well it hasn't but I am hoping in time it will.

They did say I had big tonsils but didn't want to take them out "just like that".

My mum had a friend who had it for over 2 years and then it just went.

There are a few posts on here from people that say the same. It just seemed to go when they ignored it!

Nicola

People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did
But people will never forget how you made them feel

angiebaby
28-12-06, 14:33
I know how you feel about the 'fear', if it wansn't worrying about your throat would you be worrying about something else? I'm like that. They will give you the option when you have your appointment about different options if they recommend an endoscopy. They will probably just talk to you and assess you at the appointment and then make a further appointment for any tests if they feel you need them. The will not put you to sleep if you have the scope, they can't because you need to swallow the camera. You can have a throat numbing spray or a slight sedation that just makes you relaxed and seem to not care. I used to help perform them at the hospital and my husband has had one too. He had the slight sedation and he was fine, he didn't remember everything when he came round although it isn't a total sedation. I think most of us get throat symptoms, i know i do and have for years and i am a smoker too. I was told that if it was something 'nasty' i would have had more symptoms than the ones i've got, that made me feel a little better. Hope this helps some. Take care and good luck with the ENT specialist. Angie.x

It takes a minute to get anxiety, but a lifetime to get rid of it!!!

perdurabo
28-12-06, 14:45
Thanks ladies - but have either of you come accross the specific persistent belching synptom? It's confusing the hel out of me....

Anyway, sincere thanks or your kind words and you have my sympathies Nic :)


Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.

T.S. Eliot

perdurabo
28-12-06, 14:46
Sorry that was poorly typed, I'm in a rush - that should be sincere thanks FOR your kind words....

Take care,

P

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.

T.S. Eliot

nomorepanic
28-12-06, 14:58
The belching could well be swallowing too much air as you are overbreathing

Nicola

People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did
But people will never forget how you made them feel

SAM21
28-12-06, 16:23
hiya,

i had exaclty the same thing with my throat and like u at the time i didnt knw what it was. for me it started in june 05 aswell. however it disapered in december05 /jan 06.

my symptoms were pain in throat, tight throat, trouble swallowing etc aswell as other symptoms caused by anxiety; constant burping, numbness in parts of body, body tingles adn twitches, palpitations, head ache, ear ache, breathing problmd.

my gp told me ithroat problems was due a viral infction but i was so worried. it wen on and on...then i found out it was globus hystericus caused by stress.

despite this i had convinced myself it was something sinister...however when i began to accept that it was due to stress the symptoms began to ease...but this didnt happen over night. i had to constantly reasure myself it wasnt serious.

hope this helped






sam

batchtj
28-12-06, 20:55
Hi there

I am new to this site and have just been reading the posts so far. However, I feel I have to reply to your problem as it is EXACTLY the same as mine. I have been suffering the throat problem for many months now, to the extent that I convinced myself I had throat cancer. ENT Doc put a camera down and said I need a barium swallow, however after waiting 8 weeks for an appontment, I was so stressed out I was feeling sick all the time. I went to my own GP, and thankfully she was very understanding and faxed a request through to another hospital who had a shorter waiting list asking for it do be done urgently. I had it done within 10 days and the results were good. It has been suggested that I have globus. I was still not convinced though until I read your post. So, you see you have helped me too! While I have read other posts about swallowing, your one describes mine to a T! Hopefully we can both relax a bit now! Feel fre to PM me if you want.

Tania

Phill2
29-12-06, 04:33
I can relate to everything you say.
I'm a 53 yr old smoker and I've had a really sore throat for 10 days now.
All I can think about is Barry Sheene was only 52 when he got throat cancer.
My wife thinks I'm crazy but I'm 1 step ahead of her.I KNOW I'm crazy.LOL!
Can't wait for my next drs appy next month.
Phill

Don't believe everything you think.