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SFAOK
14-06-05, 19:01
Hi there.

When I swallow, and then relax my throat, I can feel a lump on one side that I can 'push' with my fingers inwards behind my adam's apple. The actual movement is a 'pop' if you will, where the lump moves to the centre again.

Now usually I wouldn't worry about such a thing, but being a Testicular Cancer patient (caught it real early, no sign of spread, currently on surveillence), the damn thing really likes its lymph nodes so you can understand my concern!

Both my girlfriend and her brother have confirmed (over the phone) that they can also get the same feeling, but being an anxiety sufferer, I tend to think they are just trying to put me at ease! Not sure if its a part of my normal anatomy or something more sinister! I've been looking at diagrams but its like a spagetti junction in that area!

Is this somehow connected to the 'lump in the throat' sensation you get when sad/anxious?

Probably going out of my mind,
SFA

mjh74
14-06-05, 20:46
Hi SFA,

I am a long term anxiety sufferer and my latest and most crippling addition to the symptoms has been my throat. My throat symptoms can change from day to day now and I've replied to a post only today with regards to a similar feeling you describe.

If you have a look here and also look at the links posted in the thread you'll be able to find out more.

throat !!! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3857)


Kind Regards,

Mark

Meg
14-06-05, 21:04
Yes , you're absolutely right SFA , it is directly connected to that lump in throat when sad/ anxious or emotional in general especially when trying to hold in emotion.

Its no coincidence that the throat chakra is also known as the emotion chakra .. What we feel gets reflected here.

Globus hystericus - just a muscle with a fancy name .

Yes there are lymph nodes in the neck but not this high up.

Not out of your mind at all.


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

alexis
14-06-05, 21:11
Hi I too have a problem with my throat and it is surprising how many others do. I thought it was something real bad and kept going to the gp so much she sent me for a scan. Alexis,x

SFAOK
14-06-05, 21:12
Thanks for the replies!

mjh74 - Yes your symptoms do sound like what I'm experiencing, although I have yet to actually feel a bump/clicking sensation when swollowing.

meg - With globus hystericus, would you actually physically be able to move the lump? I've always thought anxiety lumps were 'phantom' lumps.

Meg
14-06-05, 21:30
It may not be the actual muscle you're moving but the cartilage around it.
You'll find even when its not there you can do an awful lot of pushing the anatomical structure around.

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

SFAOK
20-06-05, 17:46
Well I went to the doctor on friday and then another today (monday). I went twice because over the weekend my throat (and lump area) started to feel sore, and it felt like I had something stuck in my throat.

They both gave me the same answer - don't worry, you're moving cartilidge around (looks like you were right Meg!). The second doctor added that the reason it hurts (and why the whole left side of my throat hurts) is that muscles go into the cricoid cartilidge (adam's apple) and out again. So when I 'popped' the lump to the middle, I was putting strain on the muscles, hence the muscle ache.

Serves me right for prodding around I guess! [:P]

chucklehound
20-06-05, 17:52
I hope that puts your mind at ease.

Well done for getting it checked out...

All the best

Feel free pm me if you want to chat

steno -x-

Meg
20-06-05, 18:20
I'm pleased to hear you've been reassured .

Now, do you believe and accept it ?


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

SFAOK
21-06-05, 14:37
<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">I'm pleased to hear you've been reassured .

Now, do you believe and accept it ?
<div align="right">Originally posted by Meg - 20 June 2005 : 18:20:01</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">
Ummmm yes I do! I believe its a combination of me pushing things around and also having a sore throat, which probably made it worse...

A side question if I may - why does your jaw 'click' when its tense/achy?

angieb
22-06-05, 17:07
T.M.P.D.S

In short!!!!!!

Again, totally harmless and subsides when anxiety and or stress is reduced...go figure hey!

angieb
22-06-05, 17:12
“Temporomandibular Pain Disorder Syndrome” (TMPDS) for what has commonly been called “Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Syndrome.”

TMPDS is defined by a triad of primary symptoms:

Pain and tenderness of the muscles of mastication.
Joint sounds with jaw opening.
Limited mandibular movement.
Secondary characteristics include referred pain to other areas of the head causing headaches, and retro-orbital, bitemporal, and occipital pain.

Straight out of a medical paper

Identifying TMPDS is usually achieved based on the client’s history and clinical findings. In general, extensive radiographic evaluation is not necessary. Yawning, chewing or moving the mandible will often result in stabbing or severe pain, precipitating cramping or locking of the jaw. Long-term pain may also include cyclical periods of remission. Be aware also that chronic TMPDS clients will often present psychological characteristics that include anxiety, stress, depression, anger and frustration.

Harmless Harmless Harmless

Meg
22-06-05, 23:44
Pain in Jaw,cheek bones and around eyes (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2475)
Another little question (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3787)



Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

charlies angels
30-06-05, 20:28
Hi all, new member here.

Does anyone know if a feeling of tightness over the arch that goes over our throats - soft palate - is anything to do with anxiety?

With thanks
charlie

mjh74
02-07-05, 16:24
Definitely Charlie!

I wake up every morning and the first thing I think about is just that. I am left with a tight feeling where my tonsils are and roof of my mouth and a despirate feeling around my gag reflex area. It's something I'm trying to accept and learn to live with until I have it beat!

Mark

SFAOK
02-07-05, 22:01
<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Does anyone know if a feeling of tightness over the arch that goes over our throats - soft palate - is anything to do with anxiety?
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">
Yes I get this too. Is it the tounge muscles or something? It almost seems to eminate from the lumps on either side (underneath) the tounge.

mjh74
02-07-05, 22:09
That's what I've been trying to work out. I THINK it is my tongue doing it. I was having problems speaking without wanting to heave and I'm almost certain that my tongue was so tensed, it was raised against the back of my throat making speaking uncomfortable. I feel like 2 fingers are pinching above either side of my adams apple quite a lot of the time. Especially when having to face someone and speak or speak on the phone.

Mark

Meg
02-07-05, 22:18
When I've practised emulating this for 5 minutes I also get a strain that comes up from where an adams apple might be if I had one..

Well done Mark for working it out

How are the visitors ?


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

mjh74
02-07-05, 23:35
Hi Meg and thanks,

The trouble with something that you create yourself, concentrating on it makes it feel 100 times worse doesn't it! And my every waking thought is still about my throat. I'm a bit braver with regards to facing life and accepting the sensations that I'm creating, it's more a fear that it IS me creating these sensations and if I'm ever going to learn to forget them over time. It's taken me seven months to work out what I'm doing and some days just for short periods of time it starts to get the better of me! I guess Rome wasn't built in a day though was it.....

As for uncle, I've managed to rise to the spirit and have a good laugh and a joke with him. We're getting along really well and I don't feel as if my 'safe space' is invaded anymore... great!

Mark

Meg
02-07-05, 23:48
**something that you create yourself, concentrating on it makes it feel 100 times worse doesn't it! **

Yes it does , especially as when you create it you also create a worsest case scenario possible -so what is the worse thing that could happen to you from this and is that a factual based meaning ?

Think you will have to learn that they don't mean anything sinister or dangerous before you will forget them .

It is all going the right way these last few weeks -Mark. You are coping better and doing more - you are making headway.

Glad uncle is proving fun


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

mjh74
03-07-05, 14:27
I think my fear is that I will end up heaving Meg, with the risk of that causing me to vomit. I know that just because we heave doesn't mean we are going to vomit, especially when the stomach isn't trying to reject something. It's just the emetaphobia making it feel like theirs more at stake.

I have definitely made massive progress since this all began but it would nice to be able to forget about it altogether. I am starting CBT therapy soon for the emetaphobia, I'm not sure if this will help or not.

Most days I have periods of globus hystericus is it? The painful lump in the throat feeling which makes the top of my back and ache (shoulders too).

Also due to having this hyper sensitivity with my throat, I think I'm going to find dentist appontments terrifying now, I did anyway but this is just going to make it all the more worse...

Mark

Meg
04-07-05, 16:10
I have confidence if it is proper CBT that it will adress this Mark and I agree you have made good progress recently.

You could be proactive about the presumed dentist thing and prove yourself wrong !



Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

SFAOK
07-07-05, 11:19
Right now I'm getting worried. I'm paranoid of lymph nodes (see original post) and today my throat clicks when I swollow. The adam's apple goes up into the soft pallate and clicks. Please someone tell me this can happen with anxiety!!! :( The back of my throat also feels dry or swollen or something. No pain just an uncomfortable gagging thing.

I've also noticed that when I do a certain facial expression (right side of mouth downwards - like you do when observe someone hurting themselves or something), my neck muscles on that side go into crazy spasm mode. What on earth is this? :(

mom22
07-07-05, 15:21
Hey SFA,

Relax! I reckon you are so fixated on the throat thing that you are constantly swallowing, one, to relieve yourself of the gagging sensation and two, to see if the condition is still there. I do it all the time! And, the more I do, the drier my throat gets, the drier my throat gets, the harder I swallow, then the clicking starts and then I get myself nicely wound up and all the muscles go rock solid, usually resulting in a very unpleasant headache!! Does this sound familiar at all?

To relieve it, I drink some water, have a mint to produce more saliva and then get very busy doing something and now, within a few minutes, the worst of it passes. I think the trick is to be just conscious of it enough to ensure you're not tensing your jaw and mouth but at the same time, not dwelling on it and perpetuating the vicious circle. Easy eh? NOT! But distraction really does help...give it a go and see what happens!


Take care,

Sue

SFAOK
07-07-05, 18:39
Thanks for the reply mom22. I took a valium earlier and my throat is much better. Still feels a bit sore but no clicking.

I've recently (last 3 or 4 days) found that when I swallow, my ears pop. I braved google with ear, pop, swallow and TMJ and found this :

http://www.sagewoodwellness.com/Doc0009.htm

Facinating. I can pretty much tick most of the questions on that page as 'yes'. How can TMJ cause dizzyness, fatigue and fingers going numb? Most of my supposed 'brain tumor' symptoms can be linked with TMJ - all that's left really is feelings of unreality and my weak leg (and I did have some major surgery on the groin in that side a couple of months ago).

Meg
07-07-05, 23:00
Pain in Jaw,cheek bones and around eyes (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2475)
Another little question (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3787)


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

eve
29-04-06, 20:32
Hi there,

Its a horrible feeling and can be very distressing. I suffer from a lot of anxiety and get this feeling now and then which is only relieved by eating. However, lately I have been atrributing it to eating brown bread etc and since avoiding this the lump/tight feeling isnt there. I have been for tests for it and they have found nothing. I have also been to a speech therapist who helps many sufferers with this.

I would advise you to check with your Dr but only to put your mind at ease and then if it is so severe asked to be referred to a speech therapist.

Hope this helps.

Charlottie
12-11-06, 00:56
OMG I have to say thankyou thankyou thankyou to this post!
I have the exact same problem, there's a lump in my neck to the left above my adams apple and I can move it around and it feels like it pops. And I have the tightness in the throat. But now I've read this post I feel so much better so thankyou!

missacorah
13-11-06, 13:08
Yes its so reassuring isnt it when you have the same thing. I have this problem at the moment and my problem changes daily or sometimes hourly lol!

It ranges from a tingling, unpleasant sensation up the front of the outside of my throat,a need to keep swallowing, a need to try and clear my throat and a pressure in my throat like its being pushed.

I find it amazing that these symptoms arise when I havent really ever thought of them before but they are all symtoms of this horrible thing.

PaladinX
13-11-06, 20:08
I always read this lump in the throat thing.. Mine isnt really the same as being described but maybe its simliar? When i swallow sometimes. especially with my head tilted downward, I feel a clicking or popping sound. I can hear it internally.. Like bones are clicking or rubbing. Its not painful or anything. It usually doesnt bother me. Is this anxiety related or just a bone clicking. I dont think its related to my anxiety

andreim
07-06-18, 02:19
Apologies for resurrecting such an old thread but I am desperate. I have the EXACT SAME thing. It scares the bejesus out of me.

Please tell me, have you identified what it was eventually?

Thanks so much.
Best regards,