Chest pain/Sharp pain in throat/lump in throat -Terrified of cancer
Hello,
I am a 24 year old female, I have never smoked in my life and I don’t drink alcohol. I do live with anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia, I am housebound and have been for years, I have lived with anxiety since i was very young so can usually distinguish between panic sensations and real physical issues before people just in case anyone assumes this is all down to anxiety.
I have had quite a bad experience over the past 3 months and am so anxious due to it all, I am actually terrified of cancer of the oesophagus or something which may sound ridiculous but having had pain for 3 months now my minds thinking all sorts!
I had a cough back at the beginning of May and had to have some penicillin antibiotics for an ear piercing infection, these gave me awful side effects, I had painful indigestion and heartburn and a gnawing pain under my sternum as if i was being crushed almost so was told to stop them. (I am not new to indigestion and heartburn i have dealt with it a lot in the past but this was daily pain)
The gnawing pain continued mainly in the mornings and I developed chest pains mainly central and to the right side, the dr gave me nsaids for possible costochondritis with omeprazole to help my stomach while taking the nsaids, after taking the omeprazole i started getting sharp pains in my throat when inhaling (i don't know if this is coincidence or if it set my issues off) these pains are like the pains you get when you've gone for a run and those sharp pains shoot up your throat, it feels different to the pain I've experienced with reflux before which I've felt is more like glass coming up the throat.
I had a d dimer blood test to test for clot as i was on birth control at the time which i stopped taking and was completely freaked out that i had a pulmonary embolism as i was getting shortness of breathe with the chest pains etc and even leg pain, the test came back negative, i also had a h pylori test also negative.
I also was given some antibiotics (not penicillin based this time) in case it was all down to an infection- again didn't help which didn't surprise me.
I started getting a lump sensation in the right side of my throat and sometimes in the chest too, as if food was stuck there, no matter how much i swallowed or drank water or even ate to try to shift it it wouldn't move and really scared me! I in fact felt like i was going to choke during one episode. The lump sensation comes and goes, and when its there and i eat i can feel the point where my food passes and its hurts. Mostly the lump is more of an annoyance and makes me anxious. (I do also suffer with anxiety but have done for years so can usually differentiate between anxiety sensations and real illness however it can be hard when you are a very anxious person and think something could be seriously wrong)
I had a chest X-ray, which was terrifying for me as I had to leave my home for the first time in years with the help of strong diazepam! The chest X-ray came back normal, again which i thought would be the case as i tried to explain to several gps it feels like it's more in my oesophagus.
I have been feeling some form of chest pain, breathing pain in throat, back ache etc every single day now since May and i am getting really depressed due to it, it doesn't help my anxiety either.
to break it down my symptoms now are:
-cough since May (almost 12 weeks)
-sharp pain inhaling in my throat (right side and central) like the pain after running feels different to reflux
-on and off lump sensation on the right side of throat and sometimes in my chest again on the right side
-bad back ache between shoulder blades primarily on the right side (sharp and achy) had this every day
-sore throat and hoarseness not constant, comes and goes
and I haven't had a day without symptoms since May when it all began
Tests done:
Chest Xray- ok
H pylori - negative
D Dimer blood test for blood clots - negative
The dr has now said he'd like me to see an ENT, the thought of having to leave my house again is scaring me but more so to have a camera down my throat terrifies me but I know it needs to be done, it's just probably one of the worst things to have done when you're anxious, but I need to know whats wrong, for my own piece of mine and so i can begin to get better.
I have been taking some natural things for reflux like slippery elm, dgl liquorice, dried marshmallow root and chewing fruit gum from doing research as well as taking gaviscon in case its acid related, but it doesn't seem to have helped me. I feel like the omeprazole made my symptoms worse somehow as i started with just the indigestion now i have agonising sharp pains in my throat. I have also been trying to keep my diet clean, I only ever drink water anyway, I don't drink caffeine, I drink ginger tea and other herbal teas, I have stopped eating chocolate for now and fatty foods, but again I am still in pain.
If anyone has the same symptoms id' really like to hear from you and give me some piece of mind as I have been going out of my mind thinking something is seriously wrong and am so scared. I have had a good cry about it all on several occasions now, hopefully I'm not alone!
Thank you ... and sorry for the long post!
(and before anyone asks regarding the anxiety etc, I have had pretty much every therapy to offer for agoraphobia and anxiety, seen specialists in agoraphobia, been through the mental health system, CBT, EFT, NLP, gateway workers, general therapists, hypnotherapy, you name it I've probably tried it during the many years dealing with anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia)
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