Blockage in throat - doctor told me it is anxiety?

nzjennie · Newbie Joined: 16 Feb 2007 Posts: 2

Hello from sunny New Zealand,

I am hoping that someone out there can give me some advice.
In the last week I have had felt a lump in the left side of my throat when swallowing. However I can still eat and drink without food getting stuck so not sure if it is a physical blockage or not.
Right now it feels like I have a large vitamin pill stick in my throat and I just want it out! I have no pain or swelling - it is just annoying and I can't seem to focus on anything as I am worrying about it all the time.
I visited my GP yesterday and he asked me if I had had anything 'big' happen to me emotionally - like a death or toubled relationships.
I can honestly tell you that I do not feel stressed or tired. I did lose two loved ones last year in close succession but I feel that I have been dealing with my grief well??? Or so I though.
He has prescribed me some anti anxiety medication but I am hesitant in taking it.
Should I go back and request further tests - such as tests for tumours or growths? At present he has taken bloods and is checking for thyroid issues.

I hope there is someone out there that has had similar symptons or experiences.

Many Thanks

Jennie Lavis

Guest · Guest

I have the exact same symptoms!! Please let me know what your other tests show. I am not sure which type of dr to go to....

Guest · Guest

Hey nzjennie-
I read your post- I recently have been suffering from some of the same symptoms you described in your post- Ive never had issues with anxiety or with my throat before. It sounds like your doctor is on point. Ive been scoped for nodules, pollups, and cancer and nothing showed up. Ive been dealing with a constant drainage feeling in my throat for the last 6 months- along with having tension on my throat. After seeing an ENT I was diagnosed with having muscle tension dysphonia- which can be caused from stress or anxiety- as well as bad speaking habits. I still delt with the lump in the throat feeling after going to therapy. Im a singer- so having anything wrong with my voice freaked me out- Unfortuantely I didnt handle my stress very well and saw myself go into a downward spiral which led to anxiety and a little depression. The mind is a powerful thing- if you focus all your energy on worrisome things- the body shuts down, and sometimes can cause a chemical imbalance. Im finally getting on the road to recovery through some therapy and medication for the anxiety. I know my situation is more crazy than yours-but....when i saw your post it hit home with me. Relax- odds are there is nothing wrong with you physically- its most likely more a mental thing caused from stress. If you do have anxiety issues- theres nothing wrong with taking medication from a qualified physician. Hope it goes well for ya!!

Guest · Guest

I also have this weird throat sensation that does not want to go away. i also feel a slight click in my throat when i sometimes swallow. i went to the doctor and he told me it was mucus and he gave me something for it. it still didn't go away and i sometimes feel like i cant breathe properly because there is something stuck in my throat. I have been experiencing some depression though from school.

Guest · Guest

Hang in there if you're being told its anxiety. I had similar symptoms years ago ... and they cleared up when my stress levels went down. The technical name for what you're describing is "globus hystericus" - don't let the name for it scare you b/c it's exactly what you're describing ... a sensation of something lodged in the throat when actually nothing is there. Two tricks that helped me included the following: 1) Sipping on water and tilting my chin towards my chest as I swallowed. 2) Breathing in deeply through my nose for 4 counts, then exhaling through my mouth for four counts, and repeating this for sometimes up to three or more minutes. If you discover that you are suffering from anxiety... try to discover your sources ... pay close attention to the thoughts running through your mind & try to figure out which ones are making you feel anxious. Once you know what's making you anxious, you can deal with that either through therapy (you may even find therapy will help you to uncover what's bothering you)... or try talking to your doctor for other alternatives. One book that really helped me was "The Power Of Positive Thinking" - it's a gold classic you should be able to find on-line or at any Borders, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, etc.

mikesschmieder · Newbie Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

I too had this and it is indeed very unsettling. I was thinking tumor, esophogeal cancer, all the bad stuff. A barium test confirmed no abnormalites or blockages in swalloing. The doctor said it was likely a reaction to stress, the neck muscles tensing up. He prescribed somethign to help me relax which I still take on occasion. Eating was very difficult, stressful and scary so I di d this - I quit eating. I just decidd that until it subsided I wasn't going to fight it. Instead I started mixing fruit smoothies - not too cold and had them several times a day. Eventually I started feeling like I could handle a somethign more solid and now I'm back to normal. But I do live a stressed life and once in a while it does creep up. Also, very important - my doctor was suprised by this - Prilosec seemed to aggravate it significantly. I think it has somethign to do with throwing the magnesium out of your body which helps with muscles relaxing. I also picked up some Ionic Fizz (drinkable magnesium supplement) and this helped too.

kimc1976 · Newbie Joined: 15 Feb 2008 Posts: 1

So, I am not alone. I am 31yrs old and I to can feel something in my throat. I went to my family physician and he sent me to an ENT. The ENT did a scope through my nasal cavity into my throat. Automatically said he thought it had to do with my thyroid. So he sent me to have a Thyroid Scan & thyroid uptake test. Radiologist at the hospital made a comment to me that he could not believe the dr. did not do a blood test first to get some idea. None the less results came back that my thyroid is absolutely perfect the lump in my throat that is so-o-o bothersome is totally unrelated to my thyroid. Now the ENT suggest a ultrasound of my neck. I am furious because instead of wasting my time I feel he should just get blood work out of the way. Maybe by chance it is caused by some infection that he might find with blood work. Because I do not have insurance and I have to pay for all of these test out of pocket. If it was up to me I would say just remove it first then do your test.

supersonicsarah · Newbie Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1 Location: UK

heya, i was lookin on the internet to find out what was wrong with me becuase i have the exact same symtoms. I'm 16 years old and i've had this 'problem' for a couple months now, but i've only just started to really take it in and it's been worrying me thinking that there is something physically wrong with me. I went my GP and they just said that it is anxiety. Lately I have been under a lot of stress with school now that my GCSE's are comming up very soon, and also stress at home. One night i couldn't sleep because i got into a panic attack over this 'blockage' in my throat and i was thinking to myself that i couldn't breathe properly and got into a big fear of death. However, when I am out with my friends and have got my mind focused on something else, I am fine. When I am at school, or on my own, this anxiety comes back. This is when i realised that there is nothing really wrong with me, I'm just anxious.
This might help you but I recon that you have just got anxiety, lots of people have anxiety but it comes in different forms. In your case it is your throat feeling clogged up and I have the same.
I overcame this anxiety by telling myself that "there is nothing pysically wrong with me, this is all in my mind, i'm fine and healthy" I hope my comment helps you. =]

Guest · Guest

Its probably one of the worst things ive had wrong with me. Im a really relaxed person generally and dont really get stressed about anything so i couldnt really work out what was wrong with me so i went to the doctor and he said it was stomach acid going into my gullet which makes my gullet expand and feel really bad. I hope i havnt got my biology wrong but it feels like i cannot breath as well and not able to eat so i cant see why it would be that. I have tried what some one before me about sipping water with my chin down and that helped alot as well as the breathing things. I think it will probably be anxiety as it only happens when im in a situation im not totaly comfortable with.

Blockage in throat - doctor told me it is anxiety?

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