thanks..
Finding this thread is such a relief. I am 35 M. I started having this problem after removal of an infected left molar tooth. Same symptoms, mild pain neither inside or outside the throat near the left submandibular salivary gland. No swelling. Visited an ENT yesterday, he said no sign of cancer (I use Spit Tobacco for more than 10 years, and smoked 6 years prior to this). I asked if I needed further tests. The ENT said not needed and gave me some anti inflammatory meds and pain killers, no antibiotics. I am supposed to report after 10 days. Keeping my fingers crossed. There is no other thread out there like this one... the medical websites are scary to read and cause me severe anxiety. I do suffer from teeth clenching in the night. Hoping the best for all of us.
Look forward to your responses.
Dawn
I have been going through these exact symptoms for about nine months. They started the day I was laid off and starting working in my basement. The stress level for me this past year has been short of 'soldier in war' levels. Cricopharyngeal spasms describe a lot of my symptoms. The pain usually goes away when I eat (a huge indicator for CS). Here are other some other symptoms I have and am wondering if any others share them:
1. Occasional burning tongue (usually at night when I get into bed)
2. Hoarse voice (this comes and goes and seems to improve throughout the day a bit, but if I start talking for prolonged periods I start clearing my throat and have a hard time with stamina; I am a professional singer)
3. The pain on the left side of my neck goes from a dull throb to a zingy muscle feeling like when you blow up a balloon for too long. I don't feel swelling. It's more in the area of carotid artery that seems to radiate to my lymph nodes. I had antibiotics many times and nothing fixes it).
4. The sensation is also an occasional pulsating, twitching feeling like a muscle twitch in the neck area next to my adam's apple (to the left)
5. Back of throat feels swollen and closed up and sometimes sounds weird when I talk (like pee wee herman).
6. Post nasal drip (really thick white streaks)
7. Occasional ear pain on the left side where my neck hurts
8. Occasional pain on back of neck left side (soreness, like a lymph node before you get sick but no swelling).
9. Burning sensation in back of throat (ant-acids do not help).
10. Clicking when swallowing, gets more prominent when really stressed.
11. Feels like cartilage is moving in my neck, feels like I can make it move with a crunching sound.
12. Feels like there is a golf ball deep in my throat when I bend over or talk really loudly.
13. Dull throbbing pain in same location as golf ball sensation.
Blood work came back normal. I went to the ENT and had a scope down and he said it was inflamed and said I had LPR. I eliminated most things causing acid and stopped eating before bed, drink alkaline water, sit up while sleeping, take Prilosec, but nothing helped. I went to the Dentist because I knew I had a bad cavity, she took x-rays and felt my neck and looked in my mouth and said everything is fine except the cavity (on left side). Symptoms vary and come and go. They started in October of 2015 and stopped almost completely for two months starting in January and the started again in late March and have only improved slightly. The most concerning symptom as of right now is the hoarseness (my voice sounds lower pitched to me but not to others). Does anyone else experience a hoarse voice?
It started when I began to work in my basement. The houses closely surrounding mine are covered in mold. During my time in January I was away for a month and thats when it fellt better. I cannot smell mold, I bought an air purifier but it's possible that allergens are causing it. I move out of this place in two weeks so I will know better if that's the cause.
I think it may be a perfect storm, of stress, LPR and allergens. I am almost 100% that I am experiencing anxiety induced cricopharyngeal spasms.
I hardly drink alcohol and I have one cigar a week, sometimes once a month (don't inhale) and have never smoked consistently or inhaling.
I also think the LPR is more devious than I realize. I had GERD really bad for years, undiagnosed, where I went years coughing up acid into my throat and lungs during sleep maybe once or twice a month, almost drowning in it, unable to breath, but always dealing with acid to some extent. I also have a gluten intolerance (not celiac) and I don't consume gluten anymore, but was also diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis, but nothing ever came of it even with two verifications with blood tests (no further symptoms, I think it was the gluten intolerance I had not yet discovered). My symptoms sound like a combination of Cricopharygeal spasms due to high stress and continuing LPR, and maybe residual damage from GERD that finally caught up with me. The pain is still confusing to me in light of that self diagnosis, the hoarseness makes sense with the LPR but it's become a constant and that is concerning. I will not be able to go back to the doctor until my new insurance kicks in with my new job in August. I will update when I get more tests. I want an ultra sound, MRI, barium swallow, maybe CT Scan, and possible endoscopy.
The hardest part of this is not knowing. If it is stress induced that only feeds the vicious cycle. It's hard because it shares to many symptoms with really nasty stuff. Don't check the web without the expectation of seeing a cancer diagnosis everywhere. Literally, if you visit ***edited by moderator*** web addresses not allowed it takes you to WebMD, that says a lot.
Anyway, I'm wondering mainly about the hoarseness, does anyone share this symptom with me?
EVERYONE!
I'm a fellow sufferer and we all have similar symptoms. I studied this for 10 years and I get good, get bad again. This lead to understanding the psycho-somatic reactions of emotions we deal with suppressed or repressed.
Audio books or print such as John Sarno "The Mind Body Prescription"
You won't find anything medically going on - except if we don't get our nerves under control.
Are you a perfectionist?
Fear of being wrong?
Afraid of failure?
Always submitting to people?
Sad?
All of this is Energy that has to be felt and dealt with. If not - it will go to yourself. Our autonomic body will react against us.
Frankly it's not easy ... it's a change of mindset... change in thinking... change in what you think of yourself.
It's not about finding a day you feel good - that doesn't last. I've had long runs of feeling at ease and able to breathe. But it comes back if I allow my mind to go back to the worry or panic.
Another great audio book I found "Mindfulness" by Written by: Mark Williams, Danny Penman, Jon Kabat-Zinn
I find audio books better for psychology because it's better to hear it from another person than our own voice.
I've had this for a good few months now, going four or five perhaps, I can just about feel the pain in/aroundthe muscle, the pain is local somewhat, in that it's always around the same area, but when it gets really bad, it goes all the way deep under the jaw, and then at the same time I get this weird pain inside my ear (?). everyone seems to have this on the same side, why is that?
it's all very baffling indeed, my GP told me it's strained muscle, but how do you get rid of it? I can't immobilise my neck as much as I'd like to. I tried Ibuprofen for a week to no effect, and since Dr. Gupta's reply isn't particularly encouraging, I guess I'll have to go and demand an ultrasound scan and some blood tests to start with. Has anyone been posting on their treatment/progress?