Nausea/lump in throat feeling/no vomiting

Dennis26 · Newbie Joined: 29 Apr 2007 Posts: 1 Location: NJ

Hello. Since February (after I got over a bout with strep throat), I've had a feeling of chronic nausea. I feel as though I'm going to vomit, but I haven't in the time that I've had this (only dry heaving). This feeling has led me to have panic attacks (which I've never experienced) as I have a long commute and the thought of being in that embarrassing situation worries me. Now my main feeling is that I often have a lump in my throat, and I feel like I have to keep swallowing it down so I won't vomit (though I know I won't because I haven't).

I've seen both my primary doctor and gastroenterologist. My blood pressure is fine, blood tests fine, and stool samples negative for parasites. I've had an endoscopy performed, as well as a gastric emptying study, and the gastroenterologist said there was minor inflammation in my stomach and noticed I had gastroparesis. I'm currently taking omeprazole to see if that helps, and I'm trying to eat small meals throughout the day (though lately I haven't been hungry for anything). My primary wanted to put me on antidepressants, but I've been off them for a few years (because of problems with side effects) and don't want to be on them again.

I really don't know what to do. My appetite goes from minor to nonexistent. I'm taking motion sickness pills so I can sleep during the commute. I take 6+ Tums a day. I've lost about 15 pounds since Feb. I just want some kind of answer because it's really difficult to get through the day and not know anything.

Thanks.

Guest · Guest

Speaking from TONS OF EXPERIENCE-This is most likely being caused from Anxiety/Panic...the lump in the throat, nausea, etc...Anxiety has a HUGE range of symptoms that include these and the only thing you are probably going to be able to do is go on a low dose of antidepressants for a few months, then try to get back off. Our bodies cycle every few years and things change. This could just be one of those cyclic things. Hope this helps and good luck.

outlaw87 · Newbie Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Posts: 1

i was starting to feel all alone! have the EXACT same symptoms as you. i had an ear infection at the beginning of march which i took antibiotics for. after my ear got better though i began having chronic nausea though no vomiting. lately ive also been getting the lump in the throat feeling and ive had little to no appetite in over 2 months. ive lost about 12 pounds because of it and multiple swigs of pepto and tums are needed to get me through the day (and night). ive had all of the same tests as you and so far nothing abnormal has shown up. my doctor gave me some antiacids and wanted to give me antidepressants also, but i do not want to take them. its driving me crazy! alot of people are saying it could be anxiety but i dont understand why. nothing at all has changed in my life or schedule since this sickness has started. if you find anything out about your condition please post again!

Cynthia2 · Newbie Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 5

I experienced chronic nausea after strep too. But most of all is the onset of severe anxiety, subtle OCD, difficulty w/concentration, overall feeling pretty bad for a long time afterwards.

The only major finding was that I had very elevated antibodies to strep - you can request that your doctor do an ASO titer just to check it. If strep was back in February, they should be within mostly normal limits by now, and if not, it could be that you had a strong immune response to it, or may have very subtle chronic infection. Sometimes it shows up in a throat culture for me, sometimes not. But I tend to feel much better (phsycially and mentally) when on antibiotics.

I'm still going through immunological testing without particularly significant findings. But they have generally decided I do have some kind of undefined autoimmune thing going on. Get your iron levels checked, including a ferriten (iron stores), because this is one of the common findings later on down the road if there is a chronic strep infection, or just chronic immune activation to strep.

HTH

Cynthia2 · Newbie Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 5

Oops - I forgot to add...
I don't remember specifically, but I DO know that I was having some periodic vomiting during this time but without nausea - along with the lump in the throat. My little boy has had it too but w/nausea. In both of us, it apparently was some yeast in our esophageus - it was for my son, I didn't get tested, just treated.

We were treated for 6 weeks w/Diflucan. After the first week, the throat problems went away.

IF you have the chronic strep thing or really elevated antibodies, then thrush or other chronic yeast infection isn't uncommon, because whatever part of the immunity helps stop strep also contains yeast (cellular immunity? Natural Killer cells?) I think. Otherwise yeast is normal and common. Whatever the cause, I just felt a whole lot better after that treatment and some long term erythromycin until antibodies started coming down.

HTH

Nausea/lump in throat feeling/no vomiting

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