Throat Problem

[constantworrier]

Hi All,

I have been having discomfort in my throat now for a few weeks and i am getting scared.

It comes and goes and varies between a slight ache to feeling there is a lump stuck in there. It seems to involve the one side only and i had some ear discomford (blocked) on the same side which has now improved. I also feel like i am being strangled at times !

Strangely, i can swallow food and drink fine, with no discomfort at all.

I saw my GP a few days after this started and he said it was a mild throat infection and would run its course.

I have since seen my dentist who did a check for oral cancer at my request and he confirmed all looked ok.

I do smoke though am in the process of trying to give up by cutting down gradually.

Can these symptoms be due to just anxiety?...and if there is a throat infection as well, how long can these last? (I've never had one before.)

Thanks,

Best regards, CW

[lauren6]

Anxiety can cause a condition called globus hystericus where you feel like there's a lump in your throat. Acid reflux can also cause that, also gas pressure. But anxiety is so often the cause and is usually listed under symptoms of anxiety. When we are about to cry, we feel it a lot and less at anxious times. If it continues, you could see an ear nose and throat specialist as well as a gastroenterologist and maybe get an endoscopy, let them look at your eustachian tube. I've had 2 done and was asleep, knew nothing. This will rule out a physical cause.

[Michelle41]

Hi CW

I'v been looking at this website for some comfort about my throat problems and when I saw yours, I thought that's me!

I have had exactly the same symptoms as you...all the same feelings, ear problems etc but I didn't dare go to the doctors as I thought he would say....that horrible c word! How is yout throat now?

I am sure it is nothing to worry about but you can't help thnking...can you?

I have a got a lot of stress in my life at the moment which I don't think is helping the throat problem either ie moving house!!

I too am trying to give up smoking and I have ordered one of the electronic cigarettes. I've got to do something. I can't stand all this worry about cancer all the time and hoping quitting will help!

Hope you feel better soon
Michelle

[xfilme]

I had exactly the same for about 2 months. Mine was globus. x

[always-ill]

Hi all,

I have exactly the same thing and have had it for about 6 weeks, it all started after a bout of tonsilitis which cleared up and I was fine for a week and then this lumpy, tightening feeling started. Have just been to see the doc who diagnosed globus but has offered me an endoscopy if I so wish, to put my mind at rest, but am too scared to have it done, so Im going to try and sort it out by relaxation and exercise befor I go down that route. Has anyone had this and got over it, and if so how as its driving me mad.
Thanks.

[xfilme]

yes, i had it and got rid of it. my technique was to chose to totally ignore it and tell myself it was DEFINITELY in my head. It went within days. I figured if it hadn't disappeared within a week, then after that I would allow myself to worry about it again. But it went before the end of the week. x

[constantworrier]

Hi all,

Thankyou so much for your previous kind replies. Unfortunately i dont seem to be much better.

This is a bit of a long post.... please be patient with me - i am just trying to give as much detail as possible...and explain my fears.

Basically, I am scared that something sinister and serious is wrong - a severe infection spreading - an abscess - cancer???!!!

Trouble is i am equally scared to get this investigated too thoroughly and put my mind at ease cos i am scared of bad resuts and having to deal with them. My life is now in complete limbo and i dread what tomorrow is going to bring. Please help!

I am still suffering from this throat problem - its not as bad, but still there.

Unfortunately i have now developed an ear problem - on the right hand side, like my throat.

As well as an intermittent sore throat (right side only), I also have developed a pressure feeling in my ear. It builds through the day becoming quite painful and has now started to radiate into my jaw. At some points throughout the day, the symptoms almost disappear..then return as soon as i think about them again.

I have visited GP twice and he can find nothing obviously wrong. He did notice my eardrum looked "dull" last time i visited a few days ago and he said this can be due to fluid trapped behind the eardrum.

He thinks that symptoms could be due to having a throat virus / infection which has caused opening of Eustachian tube to swell shut in throat and presure / fluid to accumulate in E.tube. (I confess, Dr.Google has since informed me that certain tumours in the back of the nose / throat can also cause similar blockages...guess which doctor i believe most? :( )

Alternatively, my GP thinks GERD (acid reflux) could be responsible and has prescribed me a course of lansoprazole (to reduce amount of acid my stomach produces) to stop it refluxing and causing throat to be sore (would this cause sore throat on one side only like mine though?)

If this doesnt work, he wants me to go to ENT specialist. I had a bad experience with an ENT surgeon a couple of years ago. he was far too abrupt, promptly performed a nasal endoscopy right there in his office with zero warning or explanation (thankfully found nothing seriously wrong) but announced that he would see my again in theatre should i contiunue to smoke! (A bit harsh?) Understandably i dont want to repeat that experience.

If you have got this far, thankyou for your patience...my questions i guess are:

1. Has anyody else had a similar throat / ear problem that has gone on for nearly 6 weeks or more and been not anything serious?

2. If so, how long did it go on for...did you end up having to go to ENT?

3. Has anyone taken lansoprazole? (I am actually too scared to take this because i am worried i will have a bad reaction to it!)

Thanks again in advance - any support an reassurement would be soooo gratefully received.

Best regards,

CW.

[Trish]

Hi CW

I understand your concerns as i suffer HA to:blush:

On Tuesday i went to see an ENT specialist after suffering almost the same as yourself. I had the 'scope' up my nose and down my throat...i could have thought of a more pleasant way to spend those few minutes!!:)

Anyway the specialist said that my throat was inflamed that could be caused by acid reflux, my steroid inhaler & of course my smoking:blush: Also she told me that i need to drink more than i do. There was no 'Nasties' there thank the Lord. She wants to repeat it again in 2 months.

I hope this help to ease your anxiety and that you can find it in you to return to your GP and let him know your fears.

Big:bighug1:

Trish x

[mummyto4]

Hi,
How long have you had this for? I ask because recently I had viral tonsilitis and you have described it perfectly. My throat hurt a lot (not sore) hurt for weeks, I could not get rid of it - then it went into my ears! they itched, hurt, whistled, then hurt again. This went on for weeks and weeks, around 6 - 8 weeks I think, may have been longer! I thought it was a throat infection and it was severe. Funnily enough, I have since heard quite a few people that have suffered the same thing since I had it. This horrible HA makes you think your the only one that has it though. Hope you feel better soon.

[mummyto4]

oops forgot to say, mine has gone now. I stil feel sometimes like my ears are a little bit blocked but I mean really really minor compared to how they did feel. It wasn't a nice way to feel so I do understand how you feel and it is scary, it scared me too at one point as it went on for a while. Drink lots of fluid, and don't do any karaoke! :)

[Valka]

I had all sorts of throat problems a couple of years ago which were due to anxiety, and yes, they lasted for several weeks. I even ended up going to A&E because I thought I was going to suffocate. It felt like someone was pressing on my throat, constantly. It disappeared after I'd started taking Cipralex for the anxiety, but it completely freaked me out at the time.

[shelly438]

i too had that awful throat symptom it was soooooo annoying. ive been suffering with ha for almost a year. to make things worse i reg suffered with heart burn......ive been on ppi for eight months but this has stopped the heartburn but now ive just had a pa as i bent forward i vomited????? it involved no heaving but it was like a full mouth full.....sorry too much info.......i have had barum xray which showed up reflux only, and my blood test were all clear as i also have Ibs So im terrified that doctor has missed something or they misread my results. guys would a serious stomach gastric illness be detected in barium xray? ive put pn quite a bit of weight so maybe that dont help. doctor tells me i have gord. why is this not going away???

[Pandagirl]

Hey CW,

I too have suffer thoses symptoms along with heartburn for 12 months when I was first diagnosed with HA. I had an endoscopy on the NHS which showed slight acid reflux in my stomach. Still not convinced as symptoms were worse, I paid privately to see a throat specialist who stuck a camera up my nose (weird feeling!) & advised I had a condition called "Globas" which is very common for HA sufferers. I've been on Cipralex for over 18 months now & the Globas has gone although it does pop up occasionally when I'm very stressed. I know how worried you feel, I was a complete wreck & conviced I had throat cancer & wouldn't see my little boy grow up. Go see your GP & explain your fears & get on the waiting list for an Endoscopy to put your fears at rest. Take care :)

[DufusMaximus]

Hi Constant Worrier

I have:-

Lump in my throat (actual..not just "feeling")
Object in my throat (actual..not just "feeling")
Aches in jaw, neck, ear (sometimes itches)
Nerve pains in head,scalp

All of these (other than the first one), for me, come and go over days or even weeks NONE of them are not present when I first wake up!

I'm a very nervous type but prefer going to the Docs as I only worry more if I don't!

[always-ill]

Hi,
I posted earlier in this thread about my Globus symptoms. I still have it :-( It seems to come and go, I think, or else I dont notice it so much at times. I do have good days and bad days but am suffering at the moment. Not had any ear problems as yet, also, I dont have any acid/reflux/indigestion problems, but do have gurgling and windy symptoms in my lower stomach and bowels, (which of course I am worrying about!). I am at my wits end with the throat problem and am tempted to go back and see my gp AGAIN! I also suffer with broxism, (teeth grinding), and wonder if anyone else has had this, as Im sure it is linked with the globus. Ive worn two teeth away and also my crown which fell off on Saturday :-( I am trying everything natural to overcome my HA, including hypnosis cd's, Reiki, diet, Ive even joined a challenge to walk a minimum of 10000 steps a day, as Im told it is good for stress, and have strained my calfs and can hardly walk! I dont know what else to do :-( Sorry for the long rant, Im having a bad day.

[SAM21]

hi,

this is how my throat problems started
i woke up one morning and felt unwell and decided to take 2 tablets of iburophen, after about 5 minutes i threw up, and it was real bad. after being sick it felt like my neck was tighten my throat was burning and i could breathe. i had a panic attack.

i developed similar throat problems to yours, for me it felt like a tightning around my neck,like i was being strangeld, i also had a sore throat kind of sensation that was felt more worse on the right side, sometimes it would feel like i had something stuck inside the right side of my throat. along with throat troubled i had blocked right ear, and a constant dull pain/ache in the right ear and right eye. i had weird sensations when swallowing. everytime i swallowed i could feeling a clicking feeling. apart from this clicking feeling i didnt have any other trouble in eating or drinking, i mean although i had throat problems when swallowing food it didnt make them worse and it didnt feel like my throat was blocked.


the first time i went to the doctor he explained that it was probably a viral infection and would run its course and would probably last a week or 2, but it lasted 1 year. the first 6 months were the worst and it too me almos 6 months more to recover totally.

in those months i worried every single day, i couldnt sleep i was sure that it was soming serious like the c... word. along with throat problems i developed other symptoms, like palpitations, constant head ache, body aches, insomnia,.
i couldnt sleep because i was scared that i would not be able to breath. i was worried about dying and thought of it constantly. i ended up going to A and E about 5 times.

i had a number of doctors to check my throat i went to ENT appointment and had a neck/throat scan ...but nothing came up. doctors assured me that it wasnt anything serious. probably due to the viral infection. none of them mentioned stress or anxiety could be the cause. after googling and reshearching i found this forum, and many posts of people with similar throat problems all caused by anxiety, at
i couldnt believe that the throat symptoms could be due to stress.

after researching and talking to fellow sufferers who had similar symptoms it did begin to reasure me that it could jus be anxiety, and i also realised that i was making symptoms worse by worrying and that maybe i was stuck in that viscous cycle.

after months of convincing my self and trying to ignore symptoms the throat problems began to lessen. and eventually dissapear but it didnt happen over night although i was still worried i would think positive and tell my self that it couldnt be anything serious if it was it would have gotten mucch worse in the space of time that i had suffered. every time i was anxious or stressed i used to read my threads and those of people who had similar problems.

all this happed about 4 years ago, after getting over the throat issues and convincing myself totally that the symptoms were due to stress, it has never bothered me. although i due get throat/neck tightness when im stressed but i dont allow my self to even think that it could be something sinister and it disapears when my anxiety settles without creating more symptoms.

i hope reading my post has helped eased your worry, and beleive me one day you will be able to rid your self of these problems. you need to constantly tell your self that it isnt any thing serious and really try and believe that the cause is anxiety and stress.

[constantworrier]

Hi everyone,

Thankyou all for taking the time to reply to my thread - especially Sam21 for going into such detail.

It is reassuring to know that many people have experienced what i am going through - and have survived to tell the tale!

Interestingly, whilst the "blocked" feeling in my ear rarely leaves, the other symptoms (tightness, pain, "lump feeling) seems to move about. I woke up this morning and the throat sensations had switched sides and were affecting the left!...This lasted for a few minutes before switching back to the right hand side.

I have noticed that my right shoulder aches and feels tight and this extends up the right hand side of my neck into my jaw. I have started to get an aching tight feeling in my jaw, with occasional sharp pains...I am now wondering about TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) - would this fit with the tension i feel and the symptoms i am having? Has anyone ever experiened TMJ and globus at the same time?...Surely its a stretch for tension to cause a blocked ear though as well?

I have been prescribed 30mg propanolol daily to try and reduce the physical symptoms and thus break the anxiety cycle.

Im a bit sceptical - if these dont work i will have to go to ENT. I dont know how i can face that - ive been before - see post earlier in this thread; the thought terrifies me. I am in limbo - i am too scared to get an endoscopy or similar in case they find something bad and i have to deal with that....yet im too scared to function at all with the symptoms i am getting!

Please keep the reassurance coming guys!

Thanks again

CW

[Joyce]

Oh I feel so good finding this site.
It is winter here and i have a rounded necked jumper on and it's driving me nuts. I have just been to my dr for the 2nd time. Finished on lot of anti-biotic (waste of time) now he says it's a virus. But it sure sounds just like what you all describe. I also have a slightly uncomfortable stuffy feeling in right nostril. If I talk for long my throat gets very sore and it's an effort. Thankyou all for words of encoragement etc. J:-)

[T89]

My latest symptom!

I've only eaten a slice of toast today because this lump in my throat just won't shift which is making me feel so weak.When I swallow it seems to slide down my throat a little,almost like phlegm (sorry for being disgusting) but then it comes right back up.I've had a lot of indigestion/acid reflux this past week and now this.

Really want to go see my GP but had an emergency appointment on Friday and two emergency calls last week....surprise surprise she couldn't find anything physically wrong with me and now I'm scared to go and see her because she has been so good to me but I'm just not coping.I'm scared to go to sleep because of this feeling in my throat :(

[constantworrier]

Hi everyone,

Yesterday, the lump / sore throat changed sides! :ohmy:

Now its the left hand side of my throat / ear that is affected and the right hand side is back to normal!

I want to be relieved - but don't quite dare yet....I guess this kinda rules out serious things???!!...That is tumours etc dont up and leave and relocate to another area....do they? Should i be relieved that although the throat problem hasnt gone, the fact that it has shifted sides lends itself to the anxiety theory?...That is, the only thing that could switch sides so abruptly would be muscle tension / spasm?

I have recently been reading something about TMS syndrome (tension myositis syndrome) - the theory here is that a lot of the physical symptoms of anxiety are harmless and simply due to temporary oxygen deprivation...the brain tries to protect you from the pain of emotional issues by temporarily restricting blood and oxygen to certain tissues, (muscles, nerves & tendons), causing pain and thus a distraction and thus stopping you worrying about other emotional things. This seems to fit!

Please give me your thoughts?

[Inika]

Hi constantworrier,

I'm feeling the same issue what you have mentioned. I'm very tensed. Hows your discomfort now?