Throat Tightness

[tmckenzie-orr]

Hello everybody , My names Tony and I am new to the forum, I am 24 years of age and I was a regular social pub drinker, And have always been a strong character, this year I decided to stop drinking and just drink once every now and then, I managed to stop for a month or so, Then I had a foul curry witch I am not used to and it burnt my mouth and everything even when it past the other end , I then had a drink with a friend down the pub and I had a chilli shot and the next day I was majorly sick hungover, couple of days after that, I began getting extreme tightness in my throat, went to doctors after a couple of days and doctor looked down my throat and felt my neck he said he cannot see nothing wrong with me and to gargle paracetamol if not better in 2 weeks come back, I then went back and GOOGLED my symptoms and there I had it Reflux, Lpr reflux, throat cancer, etc and basically I turned into a absolute nervous wreck feeling sick and having major worry, I went to the doctors this time saw another doctor and explained everything she said I had Inflammed throat from curry alcohol and being sick and even sleeping infront of a fan didnt help and being a mouth breather, she gave me LANprazole for a month 2 weeks in feel bit better but still got this tightness and major anxiety I am now looking and feeling for lymph nodes in neck seeing if its cancer, (weirdo) all I know was I addicted to feeling left side of my neck prodding and touching constantly , i even looked in mouth and saw little white spots on my gums and booked up a dentist appointment that havent been to for 5 years because worrying its cancer witch it wasnt and was fatty lumps harmless, I felt as if cannot deal with this now at the point of break down even cried thinking its cancer with is so unlike me, I went doctors again saw another dr who said its not cancer , cancer doesn't work like that, but you do have a inflammed throat and when a throat is inflammed and can become tight and close up, so going to refer me to a ent to put camera down if so you will need surgery but don't worry amd gave me some sucrafate to suck to make a barrier around throat, easier said that done went home and still this tightness is taking hold of me cannot work and obsessed with google, etc, and then I started eating liquid food and noodles etc and still prodding left side of neck, well speeding story up, throat tightness went a bit but now got pain leftside of my neck and can sort of feel a lump to me, so went dr and saw another dr after feeling around for a while , they said no lump there at all no tumour no growth nothing all normal except from a little bit of swelling, she said stop touching ur neck and should get better and try and relax , i even got stomach pains and googled and fort i had appendictus i was even sick turned put i had a stomach bug, we'll I have finished my months worth of tablets now and throat feels better but not 100% so went back to dr and saw another dr explained I have became a hypercpndriac and worrying constantly he said I don't think you need anymore tablets and just need to relax and its not cancer so stop worrying, I do think now it may be anxiety but cannot help to worry and think what if? I haven't drank any alcohol or fizzy drink for 42 days now and don't want to ever drink again I am going to look after my body proper now, I just want to be better sometimes when don't think about my throat it don't hurt, I have stopped touching my neck witch has made it feel better but do still get front throat tightness I just want to be well my mind is constantly thinking before when felt stressed etc would go have a pint but now its like dealing with things it's weird , I am sure my mind is playing up due to stopping drinking who knows but I know I am petrified that have some form of cancer , sorry for the essay but have bored every 1 else with my moaning so thought I would try and see who else is suffering from this

---------- Post added at 08:06 ---------- Previous post was at 07:57 ----------

Even to add I was 19 stone eating 4-5000 calories daily I then with the worry stopped eating for 2 days, and then went to eating noodles drinking water etc and not having a beer and have lost 2 stone in around month and a half, I do feel better for it but think what if its weight loss, every 1 says its because I have not been drinking or eating junk

[bibliophilic]

Here's my story, I hope that you identify with some of it. I'll do the condensed version. :D

Beginning of February, I had a coughing episode and developed tight throatness afterward. Felt like I had a lump in my throat or some swelling. Drove me crazy and I went to a million doctors who usually didn't take me seriously. I had several different scopes, x-rays, and a food swallow. Everything was normal but I still felt like I had a problem. I didn't eat any solid foods for about two months and I lost a LOT of weight. I dropped out of school and laid in bed all day because I felt too weak to do anything since I wasn't eating. It controlled my life.

My symptoms have been throat tightness, feels like the skin on my neck is too tight (feels uncomfortable to tilt my head up), muscle pain in shoulders, skull and upper back, and spells of having excessive burps. (I mean constant, like hundreds a day, just little air burps.) I wrote out a will and everything. I'm 24, like you. I Googled obsessively and still have rituals where I search daily to see if someone else has my problem, since no doctor has seen it before.

About a month ago, I thought, "This is insane, I have to eat or I'll die." So I started working towards things. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, smoothies, macaroni. These days I can do scrambled eggs and toast, which is HUGE for me! I had a setback last night where I tried to eat fish, but I'm going to push on.

It sounds like you're obsessing over it and that it's consuming your every waking thought, which happened to me. Still happens. I didn't start to "get better" until I pulled back on the obsession. I know it's hard! I am reminded every time I try to swallow saliva or anytime I'm hungry and have to think, "Hm, what mushy food can I eat today?"

Message me if you want to vent or exchange ideas. :)

PS: When I tried to have the fish last night, it was marinated in some sort of lemon pepper. (Not the best idea!) It made me feel like my throat was burning a bit, and then I thought I had a fish bone in my throat because it felt weird. Nope, it was just the small amount of lemon and pepper. Our throats are so sensitive and react to the slightest thing!

[tmckenzie-orr]

Have private messages you if you can email me Thanks :)

[Mogwog]

I don't think you have cancer - have you looked at the throat/swallowing part of the forum? I think its under the symptoms section. I think you'll find it helps with your anxiety around this issue. I have it too at the moment so I know how horrible it is - its an extremely common symptom of anxiety and unfortunately it does get worse the more you think about it. Hope I've managed to help a little.

Welcome, by the way :D

Lou.xxxx

[sebinkent]

There are over 600 skeletal muscles in the human body and I imagine nearly all of them can be affected by anxiety, particularly those in the throat. If you had acid reflux after eating a curry, that would contribute to feelings of tightness in your throat and that may have triggered your anxiety.
Throat tightness was one of my main symptoms of anxiety, it's was a part of my body where I used to hold tension and the more I focused on it, the worse it got. It would feel like a tight band around my throat or a sensation of a lump and I would panic, thinking I was going to suffocate - I was never in any danger of this, looking back.. After accepting that this was all due to being tense and anxious, I tried to relax and the sensation slowly went away. It took a while but I never get it anymore.
I'm sure this is exactly what is happening with you and you shouldn't be worrying about throat cancer..
Seb.

[tmckenzie-orr]

Thank you , I do believe it is more anxiety but that cancer just keep going through my mind sometimes when mind is busy working I don't even notice it its only when I stop and do nothing or chill, I hate it I just wish this tightness sensation would go away I do believe so many people suffer from it, I am a nervous wreck now its horrible , Wish it would just go away and can live a normal life and eat the food I want x

[tmckenzie-orr]

I do sound like a absolute weirdo in my messages lol, just horrible going through this, I am sure its anxiety maybe the hot curry started it off by making throat inflammed and anxiety took over , I can eat food sometimes better than others but think its more deep thinking when I don't think about my throat I feel fine , it seems weird it feels like my brain balance if off or something I don't know :) lol

[pinky2681]

You dont sound like a weirdo at all. Your just worrying, you did the right thing going to drs and sounds like youve seen a few and not one has even hinted it could be anything serious so dont panic. I think from your comment "if I don't think about it it doesnt hurt" says alot of it is anxiety causing it. Im exactly the same, deep breaths. Try and distract yourself from it for a few days, if ur like me you'll eventually forget about it and end up worrying about something else.

[tmckenzie-orr]

Thanks pinky, that's what every 1 keeps saying if any dr suspected anything they would be doing all kinds of test but they don't, I know its easier said that done sometimes, its like I go to bed wake up feel fine and I ask myself after 30mins or so does my throat hurt then it appears and feels tight lol, it's just impossible to forget about it today is my best day so far with it tho, talking to people really does help me think I have bored my mrs and mum and friends and stuff to the extreme they just think I'm mental now lol it's just so horrible to explain when I have this tightness

[tmckenzie-orr]

been to doctors, had another doctor see me she was really really good and nice told her everything literally and she felt my neck and throat and said theres nothing there to be worried about or alarmed all feels normal and I said what about the bit where its really swollen to me and she felt it and said she cannot feel anything that's wrong there all she can feel is the sternomastoid muscle and she said she and all the other dr's could feel if there was cancer and she honestly doesn't think it is that ( but yet I'm still worrying lol) she said have I had my thyroid checked because sometimes if that's working faster it can cause the anxiety , so she said she will organise a blood test for that and everything else for Friday 9am, and she said basically for the anxiety would I like to see a specialist therapist and I said yeah , so she gonna refer me as a urgent case for that and she's gonna chase up my specialist appointment with the ENT and she said she's gonna prescribe me beta blockers so got them now , took my first one a minute ago, she also has given me a follow up appointment for Monday to see her and see how I'm getting on, at least she's a good Dr and really helping me I hope these beta blockers will work she said she didn't wanna give me Valium or anything like that just this for my anxiety
And yet I am still worrying thinking the swelling bit down the left side of the Adam's apple is cancer even tho dr said it isn't I crnt help it and just think why isit swollen there then???
And I have for more tightness back across the front of throat today it's so annoying

[tmckenzie-orr]

Got blood test results back, everything is all fine and normal the dr said liver kidneys thyroid etc etc is all fine and done a inflamation blood test also that came back completely normal , dr said need to relax and that and he gave me some Valium that I asked for