throat swelling fear

[helen_1]

hi i had a root canal done on a tooth a few weeks ago which didnt work and i ended up getting a bad abscess which i had to be referred to hospital to have 3 teeth out and the abscess surgically drained well i thought things were healing nicely till a few days ago when i had a feeling that my throat was closing like i was wearing something tight around my neck so i went back to the hospital i had to have a camera inserted into my nose to look into my throat and i got told everything was fine and theres no swelling and they sent me home these couple of days i have been still feeling the same thing and getting really panicky over it and my hearts been really racing and a butterfly feeling in my stomach like a bad nervous feeling and bad ectopic heartbeats i admit now that i do suffer from panic attacks and ectopic beats but im wondering wether the stress off the surgery has done this to me before the op i had to have something in my throat to open my osophagos for a breathing tube i dont have a sore throat just this feeling like my throat is closing please help someone im really worried about it thank you

[Nechtan]

Hi Helen,

I think by the sounds of it these are anxiety symptoms. The good thing is you've had it checked out and the experts have told you everything is fine. It's not so easy even with that information to convince ourselves though when something doesn't feel right. But with the checks it would appear everything is.

When you are anxious you tend to home in on things and this aggrivates things in our mind. The throat sensation is one a number of us can relate to and in actual fact I've had the same sensation for well over a week now. The reason I know it's fine in my own case is that when I am distracted I don't even notice it. It's only when I think about it I keep coming back to it.

Like has probably been said before it's a case of sitting down, thinking about the sensation and accepting it as just that- something that won't harm you and will go away. Unless we can do that it will persist as we will keep returning to it.

I hope this helps.

All the best

Nechtan

[Alisonj]

I agree that it sounds like anxiety symptoms. You were through quite an ordeal and it is no wonder that you are not anxious about the whole situation. But the good news is that they have done the testing and say everything is ok. I would imagine having that test done alone would create some irriation and that may be part of what you are feeling as well. Either way I hope you feel better asap!

[helen_1]

i would like to say thank you for your replies well after a few days i had what looked like white patches in my throat but no sore throat been doctors and he said it was a throat infection so i guess it was the start of an infection i had panic attacs in the past i do suffer alot with it but since i had the operation for an abscess i think i have developed health anxiety now because every little twinge i get i go into a panic and my heart races finding this site does help calm me down alot knowing you all get the same symptoms as me so thank you again xx

[helen_1]

i am sorry to be posting again but i have gone into a extreme panick over this tightness in my throat it is still there i havent eaten properly cos of it everytime i sleep i jump awake with the feeling that my throat has closed i was even ready to go A and E today im sure it is something to do with that operation i had and i dont think i have thrush of the mouth because i brushed my tongue with a toothbrush and the stuff that was coating my tongue came off with no sores and i constantly have a dry mouth as well i think the dry mouth is why i get the coating on my tongue i feel like my tongue is really big as well this is really getting my down now i dearnt go back to the maximillofacial doctor because when i was back in hospital he wasnt very nice he hurt me with a needle then told me off for flinching i still have a bad bruise from that lol i do have a appointment again with them on the 22nd of this month but for now i just need help it seems to be getting worse and im really worried and my heart just constantly races

[countrygirl]

When you went back to hospital and they put the camera up your nose and into your throat I assume they looked down as far as your larynx?? and said all was normal. the only other thing apart from anxiety is if they put a breathing tube down your throat during the op it can cause irritation for a couple of weeks afterwards or so I found.

If you can eat and swallow without the food coming back then its unlikely to be a blockage but could be some irritation. If you are very distracted doing something do you notice it as much??

[helen_1]

i dont know if they looked at the larynx but because they admitted me in for the night thinking i had a infection where i had the op the next day he just put the camera down and had a quick look and said it was all fine and yes i did have a breathing tube i had a sore throat for a few days after but this tight feeling came after 2 weeks

[helen_1]

and yes i do notice it while im distracted its there all the time

[shelly438]

Hi Helen

Im going through the same thing (read my posts) I have a fear that something is wrong in my throat been to GPs several times and she has reassured me that nothing is wrong - I however have a feeling that a lump is in my throat and occasionally it feels like im being strangled. I alos get
;-

Feels like ive swalled a sack of coins and they are stuck in chest/throat
Shaking especially when I first get up
Jump at simple noises (that wouldnt normally startle me)
Metal Burps (nice!)
Panick Attacks
Mild chest aches
Upset tummy
Dry mouth (at first although this has improved)
Brain telling me I have an undiagnosed symtom etc etc

Please feel free to talk to me I have been suffering for five weeks and still counting x x x x x I know how you feel darling Im at my witts end.

I too can eat and drink normally and very occasionally I burp some funny stuff but im told that this is all anxiety.

[helen_1]

i ended up goin A and E last night because of this feeling i have in my throat i was at my sisters when my throat started tighting up it felt like my eyes were going to pop out the triage nurse shun a torch down my throat said everything was ok then sent me home it really feels like im being strangled its there constantly if i stretch my neck it makes it worse even if im lying down and rest my chin on my chest makes it worse i try and distract my self from it like goin to my sisters but its there constantly when i drift off to sleep i wake with a start because my throat has closed that goes on for most of the night so im constantly tired i havent eaten in 2 days cos of the fear this is something serious and my airway will close up i cant stand anything around my neck either its like someone has there hands around my throat constantly and im getting really scared now this has been going on for 3 weeks now and each day seems to be worse im goin to my doctors for the 5th time tomorrow if i can get in im really scared that my airway will close and i will die

[janeybee100]

Hi Helen

I'm so sorry to hear about your throat problem. I understand that it is the most common symptom of anxiety, there are many many sufferers. I suffer with it too, and agree with you that it is the most frightening thing in the world.
Were you reassured when you went to A&E that there is nothing wrong? If not, go back and get them to explore more thoroughly - just to put your mind at rest. I did the same as you, and the advice was 'go home and have a large drink, and calm down'. Of course, its not as easy as that is it!?
I decided to try and sort out the problem for myself - here's what I did. First of all, I bought some Calm teabags - twinings I think - and I made a cup of the tea, with honey, and let it cool a little. Then I gargled with it. It's really soothing, and gentle on the throat. EVen if you don't feel like swallowing it, you can still gargle.
Next, I took a dose of piriton syrup las thing at night. It makes me relaxed, and a little drowsy, and because its liquid it's not so hard to swallow.
So, that was the first step. I used to find that as soon as I tried to go to sleep, I became very aware of not being able to swallow. So, I took a good book to bed, and read until I fell asleep. I just let the book fall off me, and left the light on, so that I avoided that feeling of laying there trying to sleep.
If I woke in the night, I read some more, and laid there thinking of a really nice place (in my case sunset over the Mile), and moved my thoughts to the next day, and every detail of what I was going to do.
Eventually I moved my focus away from my throat (it took a few days). You can do it too.
I still suffer from that feeling of a lump in the throat, but it's much better.
Sorry to go on!!
I hope you conquer this really soon.
Take care
Much love
Janey

[bostonbuttafly25]

this was a horrible accident you had to go through and anyone with anxiety or even without would react just as scared. but with anxiety disorders you are going to remember the bad events longer saying what if or this is still here when it might be gone. follow up with the doctors if they dont see anything it could be your anxiety , my anxiety makes me feel like im choking and sometimes have bad breathing so i know how you can feel it ontop of being sick magnifies everything. if they recheck you and nothing is there then you can relax and say thank goodness. im sorry you had to go through this my sisters friend had the same thing happen and they actually had to drain her face as well as gums! she is all better now and it takes some recovery days so let yourself heal hun
goodluck and try to think positive and try to stay busy and see if when you dont think about it you feel better -bostonbuttafly25

[helen_1]

well i went to my gp today and he gave me more antibiotics and some tablets incase what i have is caused by heartburn he also said he is going to referre me for a barium test i just hope it doesnt take too long cos these symptoms are very scarey and really getting me down i told him i have been unable to eat as well whatever this is i just want it to go away its really destroying my life i cant cry cos it makes it worse i just hope the appointment doesnt take too long because its really affecting my life