Pain right side of neck when swallowing saliva.

[WeegieMac]

I've been to my doc 3 times about this and all he does is examine my neck and feel as I swallow and says everything is fine.

I have, for around 4 or 5 weeks now had this odd twinge in the side of my neck when I swallow saliva. When I eat food or swallow fluids, fine. It's when I swallow saliva from an empty mouth. For the record this is in my NECK, it is not in my throat.

I now find myself focusing on it and "gathering" saliva to test and see if it's still there. When I'm kept busy at work for example, I don't even notice it and painkillers such as Anadin or Neurofen take it away completely.

When I wake up in the morning for the first half hour or so worth of swallows it's not there. I have no pain when turning my head either way or up or down, etc.


My doc seems convinced that it's nothing more than a strain in "one of the many tiny muscles" in my neck. I have no problems eating or drinking and occasionally I get a feeling of a "ball" in my throat that I can feel when i swallow that feels like it travels down my back, just off centre to the right to about midway down.

Oddly enough for the last week it's been almost non existent but today it returned in a far more noticeable form. Maybe it is just a strain and I've focused on it that much I've made it something out of nothing.

I go on holiday to Italy with my wife soon and want to just look forward to that.

Has anyone experienced anything similar?

[loko]

Hello,
I'm sorry to hear your ordeal. I've been suffering from almost same problem for over 3 years. Please refer to my post for details.
Cheers

[WeegieMac]

As I said, this is not throat pain ... it's in my neck, right hand side closer to the base of my neck at my collarbone.

I have no lumps or swelling in my neck, my throat itself is absolutely fine. No pain in my throat when swallowing, only the side of my neck.

It feels like a muscular strain. It's so strange.

[KayeS]

I had something similar for about a year once. In fact one time I sneezed and it absolutely wrenched it even more and I went to A&E because it was so bad. Saw an ENT who put a small camera down my nose and had a look and said he can't see anything wrong and it's probably a muscle strain. Once I knew it was nothing serious I ignored it and it eventually went.

[WeegieMac]

I had something similar for about a year once. In fact one time I sneezed and it absolutely wrenched it even more and I went to A&E because it was so bad. Saw an ENT who put a small camera down my nose and had a look and said he can't see anything wrong and it's probably a muscle strain. Once I knew it was nothing serious I ignored it and it eventually went.

Thanks for the reply.

I've had this now for around 5 weeks, but it's only noticeable when I swallow saliva from an empty mouth. When I eat food and swallow fluids, it's fine.

Even then it's not every swallow, and sometimes one swallow hurts less than the next. Just feeling it right now, it's perhaps two inches to the right of my Adams apple, but it's not in my throat. It's my neck. If I take ibuprofen it's unnoticeable and it's always fine when I wake up for the first half hour or so. Thing is, it's not agony, it's just annoying.

If it was a muscle strain surely it'd hurt when I turned my head, etc? But it doesn't and why only when I swallow saliva?

[KayeS]

Thanks for the reply.

I've had this now for around 5 weeks, but it's only noticeable when I swallow saliva from an empty mouth. When I eat food and swallow fluids, it's fine.

Even then it's not every swallow, and sometimes one swallow hurts less than the next. Just feeling it right now, it's perhaps two inches to the right of my Adams apple, but it's not in my throat. It's my neck. If I take ibuprofen it's unnoticeable and it's always fine when I wake up for the first half hour or so. Thing is, it's not agony, it's just annoying.

If it was a muscle strain surely it'd hurt when I turned my head, etc? But it doesn't and why only when I swallow saliva?

Mine was the same. No pain with movement of the head etc... only swallowing, and it was in a similar place to yours also. Not like a sore throat, more muscular.

Your throat muscles move in different ways depending on what you've swallowed. Think about it, when you swallow saliva, your throat has to contract the muscles more as you're only swallowing a small amount of fluid. That's how I see it anyway.

[iwanttofeelbetter]

I had this once and was told that it was dried up mucus from post nasal drip. It felt like it was in my neck and not my throat, same feelings you have.

[Ned]

Hi WeegieMac

Hope all is well. I just wondered if you had any resolution from this? My symptoms are more or less identical. Pain when swallowing saliva but not in the throat, more in what feels like the tissue on the right hand side of the neck. Had it for 2 weeks now. Pain killers sometimes help, and very occasionally it hurts when I swallow food. But as you say, the pain is not in the throat, but in the right hand side neck area. No lumps as far as I can feel.

Any info you received would be appreciated.

[anxiousme]

Wow. The original post is identical (and I do mean identical) to what I am having at the momment. Out for dinner last night, every swallow or food or drink fine then in between that swallowing saliva hurt that exact point in my neck. Same in morning first thing fine and worse throughout the day. Very odd been a couple of weeks now. Anyone get and resolution with it? Any tips for easing it. Cheers

[moshi]

@weegimac Any update on your pain? i have recently had this same pain and symptoms you describe. when i lay on my left side on the pillow the pain is gone. but when i look down and swallow the pain is much worse. not sure what could be the cause. Its been about 2 weeks now and doesn't seem to be getting worst or better. and no lumps or inflammation either