Very odd neck pain symptoms, stumped, no insurance, scared, need advice on how to proceed.

Hi everyone,

I'm a guy in my 30s. I posted here some months back on chronic ankle joint problems with my feet and ankles due to osteoarthritis and other problems. Since that time, that pain has dissipated somewhat if only because I remain out of work and off my feet, but the pain returns muchly if I'm on my feet or walking for any longer than about 2 hours or so at once.

At any rate, I have a new problem, and really need advice. I'm not sure where to put this: be it the anxiety section, thyroid issues, or some kind of bone problem or if it's just hypochondria, I'm really stumped.

For the past few months, I've had some disturbing symptoms and I'm at a loss as to how to proceed. At first I began feeling a tingling in my back and my shoulders, which was kinda odd, but I wasn't too overly concerned. At around the same time, I noticed a small rise at the back of my neck, but since I've never paid attention before, it's probably just my actual spine, it's not fat, but the actual bone, but then that disappeared.

Then this morphed into, a constricting and painful throat, making it difficult to breathe or concentrate and making it feel like I have a tight necktie around my neck if anything such as a shirt or anything touches the neck. The muscles are also tense during this time. And, my neck feels strange and "rubbery". And, this vacillates between this constricting feeling, and when that disappears, I get the tingling in the back and shoulders again.
Also when my throat constricts, my voice goes hoarse, so I know this is not simply my imagination. Also a few mornings, I have coughed up "phlegm" but no blood, even though I do not have cold or flu symptoms. But again, not always.

Yet, when I'm concentrating on something else, the symptoms alleviate, or if I'm eating a meal, the problem seems to disappear. Whenever I google this, 9 out of 10, the result is classic symptoms of anxiety, and I have reason to be anxious. I lost my job two years ago after suffering ill health in my lower joints (ankles), I've run out of unemployment insurance, and I am living with family and it's a very tense situation, and I have zero income, and yet I have had WAY more stress than this, and it never manifested physically like this, even though I would like to believe this is simple anxiety. And, I am not "panicking" when these symptoms occur, they have occurred, which then yes, exacerbates upon itself and makes the symptoms worse.

When I wake up in the morning, I just feel "off" like something is worryingly wrong, it's hard to explain. Sometimes I feel a lump at the bottom of my throat, or sometimes not. Sometimes I feel a presence in my upper chest, sometimes not. Although of recent, the symptoms have begun to get *some* better, such as the constricting of the throat, and it is easier when things lie on my neck, but not always. Also after exercise the symptoms alleviate, but only afterwards, not during. They never disappear completely though.

I'm very fearful it is a possible thyroid condition, as I have always struggled with my weight and not been THAT much of an eater, yet my metabolism seems to be normal for me right now, if not a little bit fast. I'm eating about 1500 a day and losing about a lb a day right now, give or take, which is fast for me. Sometimes this varies. So it would seem my thyoid has not collapsed, but I'm still at a loss. And, I don't have a "buffalo hump" of fat as in Cushings, I believe that is my spine, I'm feeling as I'm losing the weight. I currently weigh in the 260s.

I did however measure myself a half inch shorter recently, so slipped disc?
Going from 5'11" to 5'10.5". Not much, but odd.

So I'm really stumped, and I know it's most likely anxiety, and that self-diagnosis is never a good idea. So I dunno if I'm being a hypochondriac, or if something is really wrong, but I would like to rule out Thyroid or Cushings, and make sure it's not something grave like cancer.

But as I said, I'm in California, and I lost my job two years ago and my health insurance. I have no cover whatsoever and no income at all. Plus, even though my throat tightens, this is not an "acute emergency", I'm not going to keel over any second, but I DO want to get it checked out, esp. if it's cancer, but I can't just walk into an ER and see an endo or something.

So help? What can I do to get this checked out? I feel really screwed at the moment. I just can't keep living my life this way. I know there's county hospitals and MISP, but basically when I looked up the qualifications for Medi-Cal, you have to be a newly arrived immigrant, a pregnant woman, or blind or have kidney problems. I have none of that, so....help, lol.

I can't really go to an ER with this, what do I do? Thanks for any advice on getting this checked out or anyone with similar symptoms or circumstances.
So thanks if anyone can help me or offer me any advice or guidance as to just get this thing looked at without coverage or money, sigh.

Thank you so much. I had a friend suggest putting pressure on it and counting to ten, and that helps some (relax the muscle), but putting either a warm wash rag or a cold pack on it, also sounds like it might help a lot, will definitely try it. It's just really odd and maddening. It's hard for me to concentrate on studying and such.

Do they have free clinics in your area? You could try there.

If you can, go to an ER. I am not sure where you live but I know that in my area that most hospitals (and almost ALL private hospitals) have "charity" programs. They can not deny you services and then have programs that make you only pay a portion or none at all. If you feel comfortable, call and see what the specific ER says prior to going.

 

Hey,

I often have that feeling of presence in my chest area too and neck issues. I am a very fearful person, there isn't much I am not afraid of. Sometimes I have to just take a clonazepam and go take a nap. Once I just relax an stop thinking so much a lot of my physical symptoms go away. I wish I wasn't like this. I haven't always been this way but after a lifetime of scary experiences I guess it takes its toll on a person.