Throat cancer worries

[LittleLionMan]

Hi, I just wanted to list my throat symptoms and see if anyone can rationalise this for me, as my head is all over the place and I'm convinced I have throat cancer! I'm a 30 year old guy, smoke about 10 a day at the moment, (that will be stopping as soon as this scare is dealt with either way.) It all started with a horrendous sore throat, and a couple of choking episodes, but now, my symptoms are:

- Difficulty swallowing, food always goes down, but it is a right struggle.
- Various pains in jaw and neck.
- Weight loss, I've lost 2st in the last 3 months.
- Loss of appetite.
- Major fatigue and muscle weakness.
- Fullness after only eating a tiny meal. (or I leave half a meal)
- Food / Drink only feels like it goes down the left side of my throat.
- Food feels like it hits something on the way down.
- Enlarged papillae at sides and back of tongue.
- Grinding noise sometimes when I swallow, worse if it's just my saliva.
- Wheezing when I take deep breaths lay down at night.
- Constant high anxiety, as in, absolutely petrified.
- Swollen lymph node on the right side of my neck (although I do have a cold at the minute too)
- Pain under left side of ribs and down left flank at night, like having stitch.

I have seen my doctor, and he said looking at the notes I had from a scope 3 years ago, when I had a little globus, my age, and mental health, he says I have Silent Reflux and has given me an antacid. I have been on that 3 weeks with no improvement. He can't see the need for another scope.

I would love to think it's all just anxiety related, but they seem too real and specific to rationalise. Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Fishmanpa]

I'm a head and neck cancer survivor. Having been a part of a H&N cancer forum and well versed on the illness, I can tell you my thoughts.

First off... Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts.

In my case as well as many others, there really weren't any symptoms other than a hard, painless, immobile swollen node. I had no difficulty eating or experienced any other symptoms until just before I began treatment. The biggest issue was the node growing. It went from an almond size to two nodes over 5cm in size within 6 months. It looked like I had the mumps on the left side of my neck before I had surgery to remove them. It was that last two months when I started to feel ill. The nodes were pressing on structures in my neck which made things a bit uncomfortable. I started feeling fatigue about that time as well.

What you describe coincides with what your doctor concluded and not throat cancer IMO.

If you're that concerned, you should see an ENT experienced in H&N cancers but again I believe they'd come to the same conclusion.

One thing you know right now is the smoking. As a "former" smoker, I can tell you flat out the irrationality of doing so in light of this fear. You know it and I know it. Stopping is imperative! Smoking was a major contributor to the two heart attacks I've has as well as the cancer. Also, my cancer was HPV+. A wild youth, partying and messing around are the reasons for my health issues.

You're young enough to turn things around and lessen the chances of a serious health issue. And you're also to a point of treating your anxiety as much of what you describe can be attributed to anxiety and real physical symptoms it causes.

Good luck and as always...

Positive thoughts.

[LittleLionMan]

Thank you for your insight Fishmanpa,

I have struggled with anxiety, but never really health anxieties before, and I do hope that it is all an unfortunate sequence of symptoms that have made me think this way. Between my anxiety, reflux and esophogitis, most of my symptoms are pretty much covered, but it's the length and intensity of the symptoms that are concerning. I don't have a lump anywhere in my neck that I can feel, apart from the last couple of days when a gland has swollen, which I'm hoping is just the Xmas bug that is in our house.

Realistically, over the last 3 or 4 months that I have been struggling with this, the lump would no doubt of made itself very well known by now then?

The smoking is no doubt going, this has made it clear that I wouldn't have anyone else to blame apart from myself if it was cancer, I also don't think smoking helps my anxiety anyway, so best they go!

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it!

[Sam Winter]

Ahoy there PHR!
you're talking to the master of silent reflux so let me try and offer my advice, i have basically the same symptoms as you, food goes down and it either tries to come back up or just flat out stays where it is until it digests, its darn uncomfortable and can feel almost like you want to gag, i get horrific lump feelings and i'm the hugest worrier about choking i ever met, i've never had a scope yet but i'm seeing a gastro expert in January so i should be getting a barium then, i've actually always had bad acid since i can remember but i only recently got the food issues about last February? (which was coincidentally when my anxiety started flaring up) my doctor put it down to acid reflux although he's suspecting i may have a gastro problem where i can't digest things easily(hence why i'm meeting a gastro expert on the 17th) digesting food has been really sucky since i went downhill with eating i only ate like once a day and i had to work myself back up however thanks to the holidays i'm failing again pretty hard.
especially considering your symptoms i would put it down to silent reflux, quite harmless(though my brain doesn't quite get that) but really irritating, if your doctor doesn't see an issue then i'm really certain you have nothing to worry about x

[LittleLionMan]

I'm not even sure I have silent reflux. The meds have stopped all the gurgling in my throat, but the pain in my throat and the difficulty swallowing has gotten far worse! I will be sat on the sofa pretty relaxed and my throat will suddenly close up and I can't breathe or swallow for a few seconds. It's constantly in pain but kind of hurts more after I've eaten. When eating, for the last couple of days, I will have food in my mouth, chewing it up, go to swallow and can't my throat just says 'nope, not ready for that'. I end up pulling it back into my mouth for some more chewing before I try again. I am in such a mess it's unreal. Nothing seems to help!? x

[Sam Winter]

Maybe look into Laryngospasms and see if that describes something similar to what you're experiencing, if not i'd suggest going back to your doctor, you could have silent reflux and that tablet just isn't working enough or it could be something else but rest assured i don't think it's cancer x

[Fishmanpa]

Are you taking an antacid or a PPI? If its a PPI like Protonix or Omemprazole etc. it can take up to a month or more for it to really kick in depending on which one you're on. Look into the FODMAP diet. Relux in general can be addressed with PPIs and the addition of diet modification. Certain foods contribute to acid production. So modifying your diet as keeping a food journal to help identify what foods aggravate it will be very helpful.

Positive thoughts

[LittleLionMan]

Hello! I take Ranitidine, been on for about 3 weeks.

I have been ignoring my symptoms after your words, and an anxiety symptom description that I found which was extremely reassuring. The pain in my throat has gone for a lot of the time, which I have found very comforting. My throat and back of my mouth just feels really tight now, my breathing and swallowing feels so constricted. Its just feels such a struggle to get food, drink and air down, it's so frustrating and confusing. I have had a far better couple of days since the throat pain reduce, but the actually functionality problems I was having are still there.

Am trying to ignore them too, and trying to eat as much as possible to try and put some weight back on. I'm a big built 6 foot tall bloke, and 11st 7lbs looks ridiculous on me.

Hope you are all doing OK, and Happy New Year!

[jay28]

Just been reading your post, I am going through exactly the same at the moment worried sick about the big c, have had blood tests done fbc, thyroid blood tests, liver and kidney function tests, crp blood test, have all came back normal, I'm now on medication for acid reflux, are you still having trouble with swollowing, it's making me so anxious at the moment, I worry before I even eat.

[LittleLionMan]

Hi Jay,

swallowing has got a lot better, not quite right, but better!

I ate the biggest T-bone steak you have ever seen the other night, and I couldn't of done that a month of so ago!

I still get a bit anxious about eating and stuff, and am definitely still having trouble with my throat, but eating has got easier. It needed too as well, as I have lost so much weight its ridiculous! I've gone from a big bruiser to a little weed! Haha.

What have you tried to help? I do have some tips if you need them?

Cheers, Phil