sore throat, globus

Ears, nose and throat
1

I have had a globus sensation that comes and goes. Weird things have been happening since the beginning of the the year. It all started after a took some rounds of antibiotics. My neck started feeling tight around the sides. It started getting worse and after a few months, It got so tight that I went to the ER twice cause I thought I was dying. I have had lots of tests but there are more to do. Ive had 2 barium swallows( one looking for abnormal blockage and on for a hernia), xrays, thyroid blood work, pepsin tests, and 3 scopes, everything came out fine. Ive been to several ENTs and nothing unusual showed up. The specialist assured me its not cancer. 

I still havent done a ph test and havent had my esophogus scoped, just my throat which has cobblestones in it and also appears swollen at the voicebox.Ive tried reflux medicines on and off during these  periods, i was on protonix for a month with no improvement, the doctor did say to stay on it for 3 months but it make me feel nausious. Perhaps the worst symtom is I have had a sore throat going on 6 months now. 

Does anyone with silent reflux also have globus and a cronic sore throat?

 

2

Hi Jay,

Your circumstances sound similar to mine. I had antibiotics a month ago for an infected tooth. A few weeks later I had a bit of a sore throat and then for the past few weeks a feeling of a tight throat/lump that's worse after I eat.

I have GERD and also had some trouble swallowing. I went to the doctor with the throat lump thing and he said my lymph nodes in neck are swollen, which I can only presume is from the tooth infection. Im taking Omaprezole now for 6wks and then he said if my trouble swallowing isn't gone he will send me for an endoscopy. I do have a bit of a sore throat on and off as well.

I hate this its driving me mad!!!! And I keep thinking its cancer or something awful. I need to relax Im told because if it is globus it can also be due to stress. I have marriage problems and now this, how can I not be stressed wink

How was the endoscopy for you? Im a little worried about how that will feel...?

Cheryl

3

If I knew 90% that it was gerd/LPR then I guess I would be much relieved. Its still aweful but at least its not life threatening like throat or thyroid cancer. Ive seen many specialist and they all say its nothing serious. They think its Gerd. Ive been on meds for months with no change in symptoms. I have a "raw" throat, its sore and feels like I ate a mild pepper and its there constantly. Under my neck feels like its "tight" kinda like a lump but not really. 

Ive had 3 endoscopys but they just went to my throad and it looks a bit swollen. These were dont by ENTs. I have an appointment next month to see a GI and im hoping they will figure out something new. 

Perhaps they can do a deeper endoscopy that goes down to my stomach. 

My throat clicks when I open it. It feels like its swollen. Not just tight muscles. This thing is very hard to figure out. Ive read all the different possibilities and lot have cross  over symptoms.

Also... I spit a lot. The scope saw there was a lot of flem in my throad. 

Do notice that you throat clear a lot and spit? They say the mucous lines the throat when it irritated. 

Earlier this year I had a bad bout of asthma which I never had before, I had a hard time breathing a few weeks. Another symptom of GERD.

 

4

To be honest I'm not sure what I've got anymore, I've been diagnosed with Globus and after having the usual (it seems) checks for cancer, ie. endoscopies, ultra sounds and x rays I have been given the all clear which of course I'm profoundly grateful for however, like you I have to live with this horrible condition.  Like yourself I've gone down the usual routes of meds all to no avail.  I frequent this forum in the hope that someone will come on and say 'guess what?  I've found something that works/helps but to date after a year that hasn't happened.  I have to say though I am relieved to find that everyone else has other symptoms apart from the phlegmy throat.   I am going to ask my Dr. about protonix to see if that will help me.  It seems to be all we can do is support each other and try remedies that we haven't tried before and hope that one of them actually helps someone.  No one has mentioned the silent reflux to me although I've read about it  and I have wondered if it's relevant to me so am going off to check it out a bit more thoroughly,  although I was taking Omeprazole for a time and it didn't help at all.  The endoscopy result came back that they could find no globus lesions??? not sure what that means to be honest, no one explained it to me they all cleared off home afterwards and when I came round there was no one to ask!

5

So do you have a phlemy throat and is it sore? 

There are only so many causes that this could be and it takes time to eliminate them all. Even if you knew for sure it was silent reflux, there could be many causes and could take a while to treat. 

I have a sore throat thats phlemy, I also believe if I could get a endscopy down my throat, it would reveal that it is swollen, ive had endos just to the back of my throat but not down deeper which is what im hoping to get. 

 

6

Yes, I have the phlemy throat, sometimes it's sore, sometimes not and there never seems to be any definitive reason when it is sore, although eating sweet stuff seems to make it feel worse.  I always have mouth issues though either with my tongue or around the area where I had the extractions.  My endoscopy showed nothing and it went right down to the duodenum?? and again nothing showed up.

7

I had a lot of phlegm and throat clearing. I just resigned myself to the fact that its GERD as I did feel some burning in the back of my throat before I started the course of Omaprozole. After I stopped thinking and stressing about it it went within a few days. Now Im ok, except for a few ulcers in my mouth. So something is still not quite right. But Im changing my diet and getting more exercise so we will see if that helps. Think maybe just run down.....

Good luck all, hope you find what it is and feel better!

8

So you dont have much phlegm or throat clearing now then?

Ive pretty much resigned to myself that I have gerd/silent reflux too. 

I was even at the doctors again today to see if it was candida (oral thrush) which is a fungal infection and she said you need an extremely weak immune system and usually happens with babies. She looked down my throat and didnt see anything unusual. 

She said I could just have chronic pharygitis. 

So it was gerd that was causing your phlegm then? were you spitting a lot at the same time you had your sore throat. 

And did the phlegm and sore throat go at once. You symptoms sound similar to mine. you are lucky you healed fast. ive been reading that it can take 8 months or so to heal on ppis.

9

I am now sure it was the GERD causing it yes. I don't have the phlegm and throat clearing anymore no. But I did notice that it came back a little last week. I stopped taking the PPI's fro a few days because I had a sickness bug and they made the nausea worse, heartburn came back with a vengeance (doctor told me this happens when you come off them, short rebound thing). I actually felt it burning my throat. The next day I had phlegm and throat clearing. So I am now convinced its that.

I read it can also be 'silent reflux'as well where you don't actually feel the acid.

I was also drinking ginger cordial and eating pro-biotic yoghurt. Both help with GERD in restoring bacteria balance in the gut. I hate to be on PPI's actually Id rather do it that way but I need drastic measures since Im pretty sure my oesophagus is burned to crap from it.

10

PS The Globus/tightness didn't come back but I think that was just because the damage was pretty severe last time.

11

Jay one more thing, have you had your thyroid checked? Could be that, esp the clicking sound you mention. I read that can be the cartilage around the thyroid moving which can happen if thyroid gland is swollen.

Im finding out more and more how rubbish some doctors are. They really don't have a clue half the time and Im pretty sure like us they are just eliminating possibilities but sometimes they don't find the right possibilities. Googling symptoms can be both a blessing and a curse all at the same time. There have been occasions for me when Ive googled and told the doctor it might be that and its turned out true... but at the same time it can cause so much anxiety looking up symptoms and trying to self diagnose.

Im pretty sure many people have thought I was bonkers, but its desperation in not knowing what it is that drives you to that!

12

I have had some thyroid bloodwork and also some ENTs felt my thyroid area and didnt seem to think it was that. I was thinking earlier in the year to get an ultrasound but I dont think it could be that because of the chronic throat clearing, sore throat, and globus. I also had a bad round of asthma for the first time in my life when this all started around Feb of this year. I remember feeling really nauseous and throwing up badly around that time too. Thats probably when it all started. The ppis havent done anything so far and its been around 2 months but some say it takes a long time.

I also talked with a dentist and he said whatever was the problem with my throat is still current cause the soft tissue heals within weeks and my problem is the result of a current condition, not something that happened months ago.

I wrote earlier that I wanted to get an endoscope to go further down so I went to see a GI specialist this week and she said she will try to get it approved. She also said I may have bile reflux if I have a bitter taste. I do have a little bitter taste but its pretty mild. 

The reason I dont believe anything is wrong with my thyroid is because Ive concluded that I have Gerd/bile/lpr or whatever is in that family and it would be too unlikely that I could develop a thyroid problem at the same time but who knows? 

I think the clicking is from the throat being inflammed and when I move it, it rubs together. If I am approved to get the endoscope, it will be in Feb of next year. 

 

13

Thanks for sharing your connection with gerd and throat clearing/phlegm. I am now even more convinced it is gerd that I have. 

When the ENT scoped me he said there was a lot of phlegm in the back of my throat and gave me a nasal spray, I did take it a few times and it did help but now I decided to stop because the phlegm reminds me that there is still something currently wrong with my throat and I want to be aware of it.

Do you ever get a bitter taste? The GI said it could be bile reflux and a different medication would be needed but she didnt want to prescribe it until I got the deeper endoscope to confirm.

 

14

Hi are you still having these symptoms...I've even been suffering a lump feeling for 5 week now and it's setting my anxiety off really bad I'm convinced it summit serious. ..i hate feeling this way kind regards

15

Hi Jay, how did things turn out? I've had GERD for the past 18 years, so it's nothing strange. I am now having the same issues as you. All trouble started 4 months ago when my neglicted tooth decided to get back at me, otherwise I was in perfect shape, training, and eating well. My upper maxillary tooth got nasty and made the area and lymph node around my eye swell, so I freaked out and began seeing a dentist, abandoned training and diet, sat on computer all day, gained few pounds (this is where my GERD woke up).

Around the same time, a lymph on my neck (on the same side as the tooth) swoll for a week (had another lower bad tooth, so I thought it might be related), a couple weeks later the lump in throat feeling appeared.

Around that time I had collected some bad habits, I used to wake up and immediately sit on the computer, and I would sit all day, one bad habit I started was I used to wake up and sit in a bad position (sit leaning forward), so I figured the combination of stomach fat + wrong sitting position + worn out throat from bile after waking up, this seemed to have contributed to a lump in throat.

I wasn't sure what to make of all this, it was too much information. Tried to see doctors, but health services are real bad in my country (not in US), they kept referring me to other doctors and clinics back and forth several times until I was fed up.

Anyway, more symptoms now appeared, I started getting buzzing in ear and itching all over, I thought it's allergy from dust because I haven't been cleaning around ever since I became a sitting duck. So I cleaned and changed everything inside out, but buzzing in ear still persist, though less itching.

One thing for sure is lump in throught seems to get worse the more I read and speculate about cancer. So I am certain anexiety plays a major role in making it appear, yesterday I was so anxious that my throat actually hurt if I turn my head upward all the way back. Also, sitting leaning forward seemed to make it appear.

Oat meal is always recommended for GERD patients, I've been having oats almost daily, whenever I stop it my GERD gets worse. Bread should be kept to the minimum. I've completely cut out all baked products and sweets for 2 years before I recently adopted bad habits.

I will get an endoscopy next week, I've never had one done before. I can't wait until I get through with this latest series of ordeals, afterwhich I will want to get back to the healthy lifestyle I had. Things were much better. Unless it's something more serious.

 

16

Well.... Im still waiting to get scoped. I am pretty busy these days but want to make my diagnosis a priority. 

I want to get an scope to my stomach. Ive had a few just to the back of my throat and they just said it looked swollen but nothing big. 

I have a sore throat. tongue and palate. the lump has been there since feb/mar 2014 so almost a year. ive been on ppis for about 3 months with no change. 

my first priority this year is to confirm 90% its not cancer. 

I want to get my thyroid and throat checked. Then if I they say its gerd/lpr, my plan is to continue on the ppis or switch meds for another half a year at least then I will look into surgeries at the worst case. 

This really bothers me and I would take a chance with surgery if that was the last resort. 

17

If you've had it for almost a year then I doubt it's cancer, it would have metastased already. Better get it checked soon.

18

Thanks for the input.

i have not even thought of it metastasizing that quick. I am working on getting all tests done next month but here(USA) the insurance needs to approve and it sometimes takes a while unless they know its urgent and so far there have been no signs of cancer. Do you know how long thyroid/

throat cancer would take to metastasize on average?

 

19

Here's an insightful excerpt I found:

"Not all cancer cells have the ability to metastasize. In addition, the noncancerous cells at the original location may be able to block cancer cell metastasis. Furthermore, successfully reaching another location in the body does not guarantee that a metastatic tumor will form. Metastatic cancer cells can lie dormant (not grow) at a distant site for many years before they begin to grow again, if at all."

 

20

how interesting. thankyou. 

It doesnt appear that I have cancer but its sure scary to think that its a possibility. im in my early 40s.