Does anyone else feel this way?

Ears, nose and throat
1

Hello, I've had the globus senseation for over 4 years.  I am from the US, and unlike many people here, I can't seem to find any reason for why my symptoms started.  The tightness/lump in the throat seems to get worse with stress, but not necessarily reading.  Sometimes when I'm sitting on the couch with my head leaning back I'll notice it a little more, but there really aren't that many indicators for me.  Maybe I've just gotten used to it.  

I didn't take any antibiotics, never had any traumatic experiences.  The only thing I can really point to is that, one time, as I was preparing for a college cross country race in the fall of 2010, I had a slight cold.  I ran anyway, and I noticed that my breathing seemed to be shallower. Of course, I didn't think anything of it since I had just had a cold, but shortly afterward, for some reason, these weird symptoms popped up randomly and haven't gone away for over 4 years.  I started getting the lump in my throat, which never went away.  Sometimes, I also experience muscle stiffness and if I tense my muscles, I can't seem to relax them.  It's annoying because even my face does this and sometimes it feels really weird smiling because I can't undo the smile immediately.  

This is my first time posting here, so I'm not sure what I'm going to get from it, but I guess I just really want to find any answers I can.  I have only gone to the doctor once (I don't trust mainstream medicine) and he did some tests and told me I had chronic EBV (Epstein Barr Virus), which is like mono and told me that there's nothing I can do about it except wait (I knew he would say that).  Now I'm not so sure because I've tried treatments for EBV and nothing really seems to work, at least not permanently.  There have been times where I've gotten my symptoms to recede for a couple of weeks by eating a raw vegan diet and taking supplements, but it never goes away for more than a week or two.  I've tried massive amounts of Vitamin C which seems to help somewhat with the muscle stiffness, but that's it'.  It never actually goes away.  I'm supposed to be moving to China early next year and I just want to find a way to deal with this so I'm not constantly miserable.  

Maybe I should try the raw food diet for longer.  It's just so hard to do in modern society, as I'm sure you know, and I don't want to have to do it the rest of my life.  Does this sound like anyone else here?  None of the usual causes seem to apply to me.  I've tried GERD/acid reflux treatments, vitamins.  I've been tested for thyroid problems and a number of other things, but nothing seems to match it.  I know it's not cancer and I don't have any other medical conditions that I know of beside these strange symptoms.  It started for seemingly no reason.  I just need to know that I'm not crazy and that it's not all in my head. 

Has anyone else experienced the muscle stiffness?  To describe it a little better, I can clench my fist, but then I have a very hard time relaxing it.  It feels like someone is physically trying to keep my fist clenched.  This kind of stiffness sensation happens all overy my body and sometimes it will keep me from doing erratic movements like bounding up stairs because my legs will tense up and make me fall down.  I can still run, but it's sometimes accompanied by the worst fatigue I've ever experienced, unlike the usual fatigue of exercise with a severe burning sensation in my leg muscles so bad that I have to stop.  The fatigue seems to have gotten better with vitamins, but that's it.  Nothing else has really improved much as far as the strange muscle stiffness and globus sensation.  

Please let me know if this sounds like you or if you know anything about it.

2

Hey Levi, how old are you? I am 31 and I also developed this lump in throat feeling recently, and yes it also gets worse the more anxious I am. I'd recommend an endoscopy to make sure it's not related to illnesses in the stomach or esophagus, from my research it was reported by people who had either one of those illnesses. Muscle stiffness may or may not be related. Epstein–Barr virus is associated with many illnesses. So first see a gastroenterologist to better rule out any gut illnesses. Then see an ENT.

3

Hi Samuelson, thanks for your reply.  I am 25 years old and I have had this for just over four years.  I've tried treatments for acid reflux but those didn't seem to solve the problem either.  

4

Do you actually have GERD or reflux? I have it, so I am sure it's also related to GERD, but I am sure treating GERD doesn't necessarily treat the lump in throat. I am getting an enoscopy next week to rule out other factors. What's your weight/height? Do you have stomach fat? Do you sit down for long periods?

5

I'm 5'11" and 180 lbs.  When I started getting this 4 years ago, I was 150 lbs.  As for stomach fat, I'm not sure what the metric is, but I assume I have some.  I do sit down for long periods of time now, but I didn't always.

6

I am certain that sitting down for long periods caused my lump in throat, it also contributes to reflux after meals, I imagine when you sit down your stomach is pushed upward by the fat. When it first appeared to me I used to sit down leaning forward, which makes it worse. Another harmless conditon called Zenker's diverticulum causes a feeling of lump in throat. Anyway I suggets have a full endoscopy to mak sure. Don't neglect it, it can be anything.

7

Hi Levi,

I was recently diagnosed with chronic EBV. So far I've only been given immune boosting supplements . I've only been on them a few weeks but feel no different yet. I started doing some research and came across a Dr. A Martin Lerner in Michigan who had great success with chronic EBV by prescribing Valtrex at a particular dosage for one year. He suggests getting tested for CMV and HHV-6. If you test positive, he suggests Valcyte instead. I tested positive for CMV and awaiting the HHV-6 test. I'M going to push for Valcyte although it is quite expensive. Also, there is a slight correllation of EBV with MS. I suggest getting an MRI to rule that out. Best of luck!

Celeste

8

How can you living with that feeling ? Do you still working while having this feeling ?

it is bothering for sure and i am struggling to find the way to get rid of it . I have same feeling as you are talking about . hope we can get real cure with that .

9

This may be a really late post but I'm doing a little research myself while waiting for test my doctor has ordered. One of the things he wants to rule out is als just to be extra cautious so.I have done a little Research on als. I'm not a Dr by any means and I don't want to put fear into you but I would really recommend you tell a Dr or several these symptoms until one listens. As far as I have read you have many symptoms of ALS. I really don't want to cause you stress and as I said I'm definitely not a Dr so. please just get checked out by a Dr soon and don't put your health on the back burner. Prayers for you! God Bless!

10

Hello....I believe you have a peripheral neuropathy.....nerve damage...which you have burning sensation in your leg muscles and muscle stiffness.  I have the same symptoms as you have.  Go visit your neurologist.  They can solve your problem.