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Thread: Still worried about throat cancer

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2018
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    98

    Worried about throat cancer

    Hi everyone, I'm new to this site.
    I've been struggling with health anxiety on and off for over 15 years. The past 18 months have been particularly difficult, and I have had severe worries about cervical, ovarian, breast, stomach and now throat cancer.

    I've been having stomach issues since December, which was put down to gastritis although I was fearing the worst. My endoscopy was postponed and I'm having it on Thursday. Feeling pretty nervous about that. But actually, my stomach problems have mostly disappeared now except some remaining acid reflux. My current fears and symptoms involve my throat. It started with my fear of stomach cancer leading me to read about someone's experience of their father having stomach cancer and she mentioned that his voice become hoarse. Immediately I started to wonder if my voice has changed and became preoccupied with that for a few weeks. I was convinced that it sounded more hoarse, even though my husband and friends said it sounded the same. Then I began to notice how I had a slightly sore throat and ear pain. I went to the doctor who said there was nothing to see, which made me more concerned. I started to clear my throat a lot and even though I've always done this, I began to think that there was a strange rattling noise inside my throat when I was clearing it. Then about two weeks ago, I noticed a strange "clicking" sensation in my throat sometimes when I swallowed. This has been driving me crazy and making me very worried that there is something in my throat, even though it's not affecting swallowing food and drink. I then developed tonsilitis, which was horrible but at least took the focus off of cancer for about a week. But even since recovering from that I still have this clicking, the ear pain, and now a lump in throat feeling or pressure.

    Has anyone else experienced this?

    I'm hoping and praying they don't find anything sinister on Thursday.

    I'm a 31 year old female, non smoker, only drink a couple glasses of wine at the weekend. I know my risk for throat cancer is very low, but the thought of it is terrifying.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
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    24,667

    Re: Worried about throat cancer

    Quote Originally Posted by hazelbritt View Post
    I'm a 31 year old female, non smoker, only drink a couple glasses of wine at the weekend. I know my risk for throat cancer is very low, but the thought of it is terrifying.
    That's just it... the "thought" of it. And that's all it is, a "thought". There's nothing else at all that point towards that fear from a physical standpoint.

    Positive thoughts
    __________________
    "Eat. Drink. Enjoy the work you do. Be thankful for the blessings God gives you in this life. Live, love and seek out the things that bring your heart joy. The rest is meaningless... Like chasing the wind." King Solomon

    The best help is the help you give yourself! http://cbt4panic.org/

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2018
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    98

    Re: Worried about throat cancer

    Thank you fishmanpa. Our thoughts are so powerful.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Posts
    98

    Re: Worried about throat cancer

    The ear pain is really getting to me. It's quite bad & the fact that it's even persistent for about 6 weeks has me worried. It does seem to be related to this feeling of a lump in my throat.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    670

    Re: Worried about throat cancer

    You sound a lot like me. I always have a raw throat, i have been throat clearing ( think its the time of year), and I have a constant lump on throat feel on the right side. It is also a little sore over there. I don't have ear pain, but I do get tingling.

    I was reading TMJ can cause these symptoms. I sure hope so! I do clench my jaw somethong fierce, and it is worse on the right. I can't feel anything enlarged in my throat, and I go to the ENT at the end of the month. I am not too nervous yet, but hope a scope finds nothing. I've had the symptoms for months. There is always something!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
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    256

    Re: Worried about throat cancer

    It's my biggest fear currently too, especially when my tonsils are inflamed (they usually are though funnily enough) and whatever is going on back there seems to be spreading. (Slowly I must admit).

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Posts
    98

    Re: Worried about throat cancer

    Thanks for responding NervUs. I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling as well. I hadn't thought of TMJ as a possible cause of the ear pain. I do have a clicky jaw, which is irritating when I'm chewing. I actually had the totally irrational thought of jaw bone cancer recently when focusing on my jaw clicking, but was able to catch that particular moment of catastrophizing.

    ---------- Post added at 23:16 ---------- Previous post was at 23:13 ----------

    Hey ThroatGoat, thanks for your reply. Nice to hear from a fellow Canadian (I am from Ontario but have been living in the UK for 8 years). What are your symptoms? I know that throat cancer is very rare, but it seems to be a common fear for people with health anxiety.

  8. #8
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    Apr 2018
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    256

    Re: Worried about throat cancer

    Quote Originally Posted by hazelbritt View Post
    Thanks for responding NervUs. I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling as well. I hadn't thought of TMJ as a possible cause of the ear pain. I do have a clicky jaw, which is irritating when I'm chewing. I actually had the totally irrational thought of jaw bone cancer recently when focusing on my jaw clicking, but was able to catch that particular moment of catastrophizing.

    ---------- Post added at 23:16 ---------- Previous post was at 23:13 ----------

    Hey ThroatGoat, thanks for your reply. Nice to hear from a fellow Canadian (I am from Ontario but have been living in the UK for 8 years). What are your symptoms? I know that throat cancer is very rare, but it seems to be a common fear for people with health anxiety.
    I get the clicking jaw thing too sometimes! I had that for like a day during whatever the hell I'm having trouble with right now.

    My first major concern was trouble clearing my throat, like a phlegm feeling stuck at the back there somewhere and sometime in my chest. (I drink and smoke, might just be that).

    But then came the "flu" which it wasn't because I've been tested for that (and strep twice and mono/glandular fever too). I had a fever of around 39, shakes, aches everywhere including upper back, lower right and left abdomen and more.

    I've got a thread in the Throat section if you want to have a look at the full hoohar.

    Still struggling with night sweats, chills/coldness (or feeling too hot), fatigue, weakness and a bunch of other stuff too like bad breathe and dry mouth.

    Should have an ENT appointment sometime soon though, so hopefully that will go well and I'll find out I've just got some funky tonsils or something.

    I'm actually the opposite to you! Brit living in Canada. Funny that!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2018
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    98

    Re: Worried about throat cancer

    ThroatGoat, I've read your thread and I can relate to your story in that there are symptoms that could be a harmless infection, but it's difficult to control the anxiety and the thoughts of "what if". For me, I've been dealing with worrisome symptoms alongside having tonsillitis 2 weeks ago.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
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    256

    Re: Worried about throat cancer

    Quote Originally Posted by hazelbritt View Post
    ThroatGoat, I've read your thread and I can relate to your story in that there are symptoms that could be a harmless infection, but it's difficult to control the anxiety and the thoughts of "what if". For me, I've been dealing with worrisome symptoms alongside having tonsillitis 2 weeks ago.
    Thanks for taking the time to read all that nonsense !

    I've always had inflamed tonsils, but seem to have focused on them again lately because of whatever this is.

    Some of the doctors I've seen think it may have been a virus, but I thought my white or red counts might have been higher if that was the case? (Not sure). I know it's not strep, flu or mono for sure though.

    I did have something similar to this about 8 years ago, so it might be the same thing again I guess.

    Hopefully it's all benign for both of us!

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