Newbie - Please Help!

[Gail May]

Hi, this is my first posting on this site and I would really like some help at the moment.
Three years ago my husband and I moved from the UK to live in France and for the first few months everything was wonderful. We subsequently went through a year of high stress and anxiety as a company set up close to our house, making hot tar! Not the sort of idyllic retirement we had planned. Needless to say and cutting a long story short, it took us over a year to sort this problem out along with our neighbours.
Last September (when we had finally sorted things out and I started to relax), along came a pressure feeling in the right thyroid area of the base of my throat. Went to Drs and then Endo who said I did have nodules but these would not cause me this pain. I visited my dr again who put it down to muscle tension due to anxiety etc., (I should say I suffer with emetophobia and health anxiety).

Since last September my throat has gone from pressure pain, to one of strangulation, then I started to feel that when I ate bread at lunchtime, it felt like I had a dry spot in my mouth and felt like crumbs would stick in this area.

During the summer of this year, the feelings died down but almost exactly a year to the week, at the beginning of this September I started to feel a lump sensation in my right throat and I had the feeling of crumbs sticking after I ate. I have to say that it helps the feeling to eat and drink, it just seems like after I have finished eating, I have the problem.

I have had a flashlight down my throat and can see that at the back of my throat (not on the tonsils), I have what looks like white patches as far down as I can see. These are not sore but do give me stinging sort of pains sometimes.

I am very worried that I may have cancer of the throat as I cannot begin to think what all of these pains and sensations, together with these white patches could be. Whatever I have started over a year ago, and the doctor says it is nothing to worry about, but the anxiety is beginning to take over my life again. My Doctor (who is French) is wonderful, but I do not want to go back to him again about this problem.

I should also mention I have been having pains all in my upper back and neck which the dr has also put down to tight muscles due to stress.

Sorry for such a long email, but has anyone had anything like this - and can put my mind at rest?

Thanks so much for reading this long post!

[gaaron]

Hello Gail May,
Oh gosh, that must be awful, moving to France for the 'peaceful' life and having to put up with the smell of tar.
I'm afraid that I can't offer any help with the 'breadcrumb' problem - accept that an aquaintance has had similar problems for years and her doc says its stress. With regards to 'white spots' - I have only had that when I've had tonsillitis - a very sharp feeling along with cold like symptoms.
But as regards to the upper back and neck that is definitely tight muscles due to stress. I have that and keep trying the usual things to try and relax them. But it seems to be my 'default'.
I feel sure your Doctor wouldn't mind you going back to see him, because he may not know how concerned you are and that you need reassurance.:flowers:

[dodo]

The White patches aren't tonsill stones are they? Or are they flat patches of skin?

[Gail May]

Hi
Thanks so much for your very quick response. It is very hard to realise that stress could give you something that feels so very real and that takes over your whole life. I am getting to the situation of avoiding eating, particularly at lunchtime as this is when the sensation is worse. Breakfast seems to be okay as does a large dinner in the evening.

Thank you so much for the reassurance.

[Gail May]

Hi Dodo
Thanks for taking the time to reply. The white patches down my throat are flat, all on the back wall of the throat as far down as I can see, and they seem to be sort of round shaped. I dont think they stick out enough to be tonsillar stones, not sore but can feel very dry.

[paula lynne]

Hi Gail, a belated welcome to you, you arent alone. Reading the info in the left hand column is a good place to start., regarding anxiety and panic, and the throat is common regarding anxiety. I hope you feel better soon, best wishes. P x:welcome:

[Primula]

Hi Gail. I have these white patches on either side of my throat, and also the feeling of a lump in my throat, which comes and goes. I think they are normal part of your throat. If you keep looking down your throat, and prodding around you will make things sore. Also you have become hyper aware of the back of your throat, so you will feel food going down, and sticking, because that's what food does, especially bread. Try to do some relaxation, you've had a lot to cope with, and I'm sure this is a reaction to it. You have had the endo and your Doc's reassurance so now you need to practise acceptance that what they say is right. Read some of the posts on coping with HA, there are some very good ones. DONT go symptom surfing though.

Good Luck
Primula