Neck /throat tightness and pressure

The medication is Gabapentin 300mg. Which is from what my doctor says a very low dose, as some people are prescribed 1500mg. The upper cervical treatment definately helped. My atlas bone was off by 3 degrees causing some pressure on the C1-C3 vertebraes and if you look at the nerves that this area of the spine influences, you see it is the jaw bone, mouth, sinus, upper neck, behind the eyes. So it did give me instant relief after my first adjustment. I go only 2 times a month now instead of 8 times early on, as my adjustments are holding. The meds at first were a bit annoying, about 3 days of feeling like a zombie, till I got used to them. Now I am used to them and they help me for the long term I would say. I believe if I had to do either one of the other, it would be the meds, as they do block the nerves but take 4-6 weeks to kick in. I still have some "feelings" of the symptoms, but they are like 10 out of 100 where 100 is perfect health. I hope this helps you, it took about 1 year for me to finally get relief after researching, going to doctors, MRI scans, heart ultrasounds, blood tests, etc.... Doctor said if meds work, it would take about 6 months for full affect, where I shouldnt feel anything anymore, to actually get rid of the last 10. But hey I will take it like this for the rest of my life compared to what I originally had 14 months back... Wow what a difference. Best of luck to you!

Many thanks for your prompt reply, I shall look into it and mention it to my doctors, good luck too

You may have a Chiari Malformation.  Google it....just trying to help you pinpoint a possible cause.  Don't be too freaked out when you start reading it.  Start simple before you think it's a Chiari.  Give serious consideration to the neck and thyroid, etc.  MRI would be needed for the Chiari diagnosis, along with a picture of how the fluid is moving into the brain. MRI alone won't cut it (yet many docs who are not well versed in current Chiari diagnosis may ONLY look at the MRI. That would be incomplete and outdated).  MRI could look normal/within limits.  

Keep in mind there's a great chance that you have a neck curve/disc problem, especially those of you on the computer for long hours, and those who are frequently a posture like that from texting on the phone with the head bend forward and down, etc.  Newer cars have awful headrests that stick way forward, so that the car manufacturers can get better safety ratings on whiplash test.  Get a better headrest; I flipped mine around. It had my head way forward, like E.T. or something; almost ALL newer cars have this horrible new headrest.  It's ONLY for a better 'rating'.  It will destroy your neck.

I'm not a doc; just someone who has read too much.

I am a diabetic and when my sugar gets too high my throat gets tight and lumpy, as soon as my numbers go down to the correct level the tightness subsides.  Diet soda can make the body react as if you were using sugar.  Do not be fooled.  Get your A1C checked.  (sugar level for the last three months)  when I went for an endoscopy they stretched my asophogus and that made a difference.  Gerds can cause that throat to tighten.  Sugar comes in the form of milk, bread and of course fruit and desert. Watch out for the water bottles and clorine and floride in your drinking water.  Filter it, for sure start a journal.  Booze is high sugar.  Test and eliminate, find a holistic doctor and take a ALCAT blood test I was allergic to everything I was eating when I do not watch my diet the throat is closing and telling me NOOOOOO!

Spinach. fish. Wheat. you name it.  You are not crazy,  Your body is trying to tell you something.  You are trying to understand your body's reaction to food. Most of you who keep looking will find an answer.  You are smarter than most doctors they are still looking for a pill to prescribe.

 

I have had this for 6 months...many doctors, CT, MRI, X-rays, specialists... no solution.  Oddly, I was cleaning out a bathroom cabinet and found an expired Z-Pack (azithromythin- same as zithromax).  These are commonly prescribed antibiotics for common bacterial infections- not a big deal to get from a doc unless you have heart problems.  

I decided to take 500mg, as I would have done if I had something like a sinus infection.  Sure enough, within an hour, no face/neck pressure.  My pressure for all these months has been a 'high blood pressure' feeling around the neck and up through the lower face (all a feeling of the pressure being veinous or swelling of tissue in face/neck-yet no visible swelling in face), with headaches at the back of the neck/skull, and worse in any position flatter than about 30 degrees.  I had both jugulars bulging out anytime I started to lay down, as I felt that annoying pressure start increasing in my neck and face. I could hear my heartbeat whoosing the blood in some vein/artery near my ear.  I was sleeping sitting up.  The fatigue, brainfogs, headaches, a vertigo episode, nausea, and some eye blurriness here and there was all stuff I have had.  Mine was never one side; it was even across the front/sides of neck and up through the lower face.  

Anyway, hopefully this helps someone!

I will have to call my doc and see if I can run a non-expired Z-pack.  I have had no answers until this- and it's annoying that it might be that simple?! 

how does the Atlas bone interfere with choking sensation, or pressure in the neck/throat?

i looked up that drug u mentioned and its for seizures or epilepsy ..or nerve damage...so how would this fix the choking feeling?

I am sorry you all are having these problems. The symptoms are scary, and the constant doctor visits are not reassuring. 

My story, and I also could use some advice.... A year ago, I had a cervical CT conducted for a swollen mass on the back of my neck. Incidentally, multiple hypodensities were discovered in my thyroid. A few months later, my general practicioner, wanted me to have a follow-up ultrasound of my thyroid, which resulted in a diagnosis of NON-DIFFUSE MULTI-NODULAR GOITER. I had several small nodules both anechoic and a few solid, as well as two complex cysts in the right lobe that were close to 1 cm^3. I consulted an endocrinologist who put me on 50mcg Synthroid after I had bloodwork conducted. The bloodwork was relatively normal , except that the TSH was borderline low. I have been on the meds for 6 months now, and about a month and 1/2 ago, I began developing extreme tightness in my throat like a choking feeling, pill stuck-feeling, tightness in the back of my neck and sternum. My general practicioner had me see GI doctor, who found minor constriction in my esophagus by conducting an upper endoscopy. I had a followup ultrasound of my thyroid indicating the same findings as the previous except additional growth (+1mm) in some of the cysts. I have since been taking Prevacid, Sertraline, and Xanax with the Synthroid. I take the medications at least 4 hours after taking the Synthroid to avoid interactions among the medications. Since seeing the GI, I had minor relief from the symptoms in my neck, and they have since returned and are getting progressively worse (tightening in throat, choking, pill-like feelings; tightness in sternum and back behind lungs). I am also noticing some weight gain, and I lift weights and do cardio 4-5 days a week for at least an hour. I am 29, male, biracial (black & white), and I was in good health up until a year ago...  I am curious to see if these choking/tightness/pill-feelings are a side-effect of the Synthroid...? Also, I am concerned that this goiter may be causing these issues... I am really concerned that these nodules may be forming into thyroid cancer... Currently, the doctors feel that they are too small to biopsy, and they are pretty much playing The Waiting Game... Any pointers?

 

I had the same multi-nodular goiter thing on my scan. I also have high pressure in my neck -pulsing like the tissues are inflamed and blood can't drain out of head because of neck swelling. They told me the same...too small to biopsy. I got a second opinion and they said the same. If it WAS cancer, thyroid cancer grows very slowly and is 85% survivable according to what I read a few weeks ago.

I had an 'aha' moment with my neck swelling. It MIGHT be a serious allergic reaction (even though it never 'felt' like an allergic reaction) to cigarette smoke from my apartment neighbor. I think it's actually why my neck and throat is swelling up. They went on vacation and I opened my doors to the nice weather. Neck swelling is 70% BETTER. After all the scans, tests, doctors....I actually hope this is it. I never smell it because my sinuses are always bad. However, now that the neck swelling is less, I REALLY smell it. My doc gave me an epi pen since at times, I feel like my throat will close. It was never itchy or anything like that. Just a pulsing, high pressure swelling with ear issues, dizziness, fatigue (pretty extreme fatigue as in 20hr/day sleeping), face tingling, and headaches.

Do you have a smoker or pets around? Consider it. Check out articles on secondhand cigarette smoke and neck swelling.

This is actually mhomer - I forgot my login. I had seen the Upper GI doctor again, and he believes that the condition is called globus... He put me on muscle relaxers and Prilosec, and it has helped a little bit, but I still get the tightness from time to time. I have a tortoise, and I am not around smoke, but the pollen has been awful...  I have changed up my diet to completely vegetarian for now 2 weeks and that has helped a lot. I have been avoiding alcohol, sweets, and fried foods, and I am juicing about 2x a day.  I have my followup ultrasound Thursday and my followup thyroid bloodwork today. I am aware that thyroid cancer is very treatable and high rates of curability, but my concern is that the nodules stemmed from something else. Thyroid cancer has not been ruled out, but the doctor is leaning on that this disease is looking less likely - which is great! 

I've had the same problem with feeling like there is a pressure around my throat. It almost feels like it's being squeezed and when that happens it feels like I'm about to swallow my own tongue. I went to the Doctor and they said I have a gluten sensitivity but some times I still feel the pressure. It might be that there is gluten in products I don't know about but usually when I do't eat gluten the feeling goes away.  

I have just started experiencing this. Last night I was laying down, almost asleep and suddenly my heart felt like it was going to pound out of me chest. As I was close to being asleep, laying down, and not physically exerting myself, I was alarmed. So I checked my BP and it was 140/89 with pulse at 148. I am 27 years old and was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus at age 6, so I am no stranger to health problems, and usually don't get too worried, but this really scared me because I couldn't make it go down. I lied back down flat and took slow deep breaths, releasing them slowly, relaxing myself, but my BP and HR stayed at that high level, accompanied by shortness of breath. I thought I was having a heart attack. Now tonight, I was laying down to go to sleep and I started feeling a pain under my right rib cage, which has subsided, but now I am having shortness of breath along with a tightness in the front right side of my throat/neck. It isn't very painful, just a lot of pressure and tightness, and for a few minutes almost felt like there was something IN my throat (which I'm pretty sure there is not). I don't want to go to the hospital because I would have to call an ambulance (I don't drive) and tonight my BP and HR are normal, so right now it doesn't feel like an emergency worthy of an ambulance ride. But I am worried because I know heart attacks more often present with atypical symptoms or no symptoms at all in women. I wish there was a way to know for sure if this was my heart or just more weird symptoms from my Lupus...

This is not how carpal tunnel works! And I find it odd that if you were a "professional" you don't even know how to spell the words for your "diagnosis." Carpal tunnel syndrome is the result of a compressed median nerve in the wrist... To relieve it they surgically release tension in the wrist. besides numbness and tingling in the hands/wrist it most often does not cause any of the other symptoms these people are having.

Hello I have stomach problems and I was told to take a pill over the counter for acid reflux becaus I have all the symtoms and I called my doctor so she suggested the pill. I took the pill and after an hour or so I had the feeling you are describing here. It is now gone but it could come back. Have you checked your stomach for possible acid reflux. Ask your doctor. I hope you feel better soon

Hi, I know this post is old, but please can you tell me what was causing your problem, I have the exact same problem, could not have wrote the post any different. Please give me feed back. I am a 43 yr old female