HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Swallowing hurts

Support Forums
>
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 5/4/2014 10:37 AM (GMT 0)
Roughly 2 nights ago I was treated to an all-you-can-eat Chinese meal. I was careful enough to bring my meds and watch what I ate. The next morning I woke up to excruciating ear pain every time I swallow - and sadly I don't buy it as a coincidence... It tends to change sides of my head randomly, and only goes away if I don't swallow at all, which means spitting out a lot.

The same goes for my other "new" symptoms, excessive mucus, tight throat and a smell of vomit. Sometimes I also have trouble swallowing my own spit. All of these also go away if I don't swallow, and my medication, Gaviscon Advance makes them worse. They've all appeared since taking a new drug for GERD called Esomperazole.

I can wake up in the morning and not have any symptoms until I start swallowing. The more I swallow the worse it gets. I'm freaking out here, as this is impossible to ignore since swallowing is an everyday occurrence. And of course everything on the internet says GERD/LPR despite me allegedly taking the best medicines for both. Even alkaline water - the so-called cure-all for reflux - is making me worse, and also causes a burning throat.

All of my efforts just make me worse and worse; my stress has been through the roof! What should I do? Could there be anything else doing this to me?!
Posted 5/4/2014 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
Dax,

Are you sure this is related to your GERD, and not a virus?

I recently has a scorching sore throat, with little other symptoms. (I had slight congestion, headache, but not much else condidering the severity of my throat pain)

It hurt so much to swallow for two days that I dreaded the event!!

I am starting to feel better now after three days.

Also, are you seeing a GI doctor, or are you still seeing your regular GP?

S.C.
Posted 5/4/2014 4:34 PM (GMT 0)

Scaredy Cat said...
Dax,

Are you sure this is related to your GERD, and not a virus?

I recently has a scorching sore throat, with little other symptoms. (I had slight congestion, headache, but not much else condidering the severity of my throat pain)

It hurt so much to swallow for two days that I dreaded the event!!

I am starting to feel better now after three days.

Also, are you seeing a GI doctor, or are you still seeing your regular GP?

S.C.

I'd like to believe that, but if that were the case I'd have a virus all year around for my other symptoms. I don't have a sore throat, just ear pain radiating from the back-right of my mouth. I can only think that reflux must have gotten up there and damaged the area. If it hadn't happened right after me trying to return to a normal diet, I'd have written it off. :(
Posted 5/5/2014 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
Go to your doc and get checked. It could be a virus or bacterial infection like strep throat. I really know nothing but the throat and ear symptoms I have had before. I had strep and ear infection at the same time. It was awful.
Posted 5/8/2014 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
I'm wondering if it could be some type of food sensitivity reaction which would stay in your system for awhile. I'd be very cautious about most of those All U Can Eat places, especially chinese!  Or there could be a bad interaction between any type of medications you might be taking.

Post Edited (SnoozlessSuz) : 5/8/2014 12:43:13 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/8/2014 7:50 PM (GMT 0)
Have you had a chance to mention this to your docs?

I remember being put on PPI's and it made my symptoms worse.....just like a lot of things, it sometimes takes working a bit to find the right med or combination of meds.

Another thing may be that if this is something above and beyond what your meds can handle, you may need to adjust your diet as certain "normal" foods are upsetting your delicate digestive system. It may not be worth eating a certain food if the side-effects from said food are painful?

Just a thought....






M.
Posted 5/10/2014 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
I recently had a bad sinus infection and once I finished 2 rounds of antibiotics I still had ear pain. come to find out it is TMJ. Apparently, I clench my teeth and jaw together without realizing it and even more in my sleep. I have a follow up with my dentist to have a night time mouth guard made for me.
Posted 5/10/2014 7:27 AM (GMT 0)
The PPI esomperazole has been stopped for about a week now; I'm not getting rebound as far as I know, but my throat is getting worse and worse. Every swallow contains thick mucus; I have virtually no saliva, and my only relief is to spit constantly. Gaviscon Advance worsens it, my diet is still as bland as it gets, alkaline water is all I drink and I'm still on vitamin d3. Why would all my efforts have no effect?! I can't take my mind off it because I need to swallow, and every swallow makes it worse. It isn't globus alone because its linked to the mucus and it radiates to my ears and back. It's making me short of breath too as it clogs my throat. Every google search says "reflux." Incurable, torturous reflux.

WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?!!!??!????! I can't call these symptoms anxiety because they happened to start the one night I tried to resume my normal diet. So I can never enjoy what I eat, drink and do ever again in my life, because one day of laughing with my friends means one hundred more of reflux. I can't live a full life like this!! I don't even have a basic level of quality of life right now. I'm sorry but I need to say this- I would be happier being assisted in dying right now than living a full life like this; I don't have the guts to kill myself, but I refuse to live like this. If I can't have my pain-free life back after everything I've tried, I don't want a life at all. Dramatic yes, but very true. I've literally been crying to myself, begging for a miracle from any gods that happen to exist. Please, someone get rid of my reflux. I don't care how you do it, just do it.
Posted 5/10/2014 2:50 PM (GMT 0)
Daxter,

If I recall correctly these symptoms have been around a long time.............You posted in February, "Sadly all my efforts to Google an answer say "LPR" which only scares me even more. I thought I'd have these kinds of problems when I had MORE mucus in my throat, so why are they only appearing now? Any help you can offer to calm me down would be greatly appreciated."

If your Drs. have not dx you with LPR than do your best not to Google.

Review this link and you will find every sx may be linked to Anxiety:

Anxiety Symptoms, Anxiety Attack Symptoms (Panic Attack Symptoms), Symptoms of Anxiety:

http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms.shtml 

 

You do not have to apologize for posting.  I believe you would do better if you were able to understand how anxiety can cause physical sx.  Working on ways to decrease your health anxiety should make you feel better.

 

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 5/11/2014 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
Random curiosity,....have you consulted with an ENT?






M.
Posted 5/11/2014 9:36 AM (GMT 0)

Merrida said...
Random curiosity,....have you consulted with an ENT?



M.

I have, but sadly I didn't have such an inflamed throat when they checked me. I'm hoping for one to scope me soon, but it can take months to be seen here :p
Posted 5/12/2014 12:38 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know if this is relevant, but if I don't swallow I get no symptoms. As soon as I swallow anything; food, water, saliva anything at all, my symptoms (shortness of breath, tight throat, trouble swallowing etc) return immediatly. Is that to be expected? What could it be?!

As it stands, I keep spitting up into tissues so I don't swallow any saliva when possible.
Posted 5/12/2014 2:32 PM (GMT 0)
Great suggestion by Merrida, check back with an ENT as things changed from the last time you saw an ENT.

Get your scope with a good GI specialist as well as the other recommended testing for GERD.  The symptoms of LPR include voice changes, frequent throat clearing, chronic cough, hoarseness, asthma, sleep-disordered breathing, difficulty swallowing and regurgitation.  Sometimes LPR occurs without symptoms and happens only at night, making it difficult to diagnose. And if it's left untreated, it can lead to more serious problems.

To the best of my knowledge, the gold standard for evaluating LPR symptoms is the ph monitoring. Wondering if you have ever had a ph probe test?

 

Posted 5/12/2014 2:53 PM (GMT 0)

stkitt said...
Great suggestion by Merrida, check back with an ENT as things changed from the last time you saw an ENT.
Get your scope with a good GI specialist as well as the other recommended testing for GERD. The symptoms of LPR include voice changes, frequent throat clearing, chronic
cough, hoarseness, asthma, sleep-disordered breathing, difficulty swallowing and
regurgitation. Sometimes LPR occurs without symptoms
and happens only at night, making it difficult to diagnose. And if it's left
untreated, it can lead to more serious problems.

To the best of my knowledge, the gold standard for evaluating LPR symptoms is the ph monitoring. Wondering if you have ever had a ph probe test?

Yes I've had both the scope and pH probe in the past. ENT scoped me at the one time I had no problems, and I'll probably never get another scope without going private. The probe supposedly picked up reflux at night, but apparantly my readings may also "occur in normal control subjects" so I'm still stuck in denial about what I have.
Posted 5/12/2014 3:30 PM (GMT 0)
Daxter,

Reading your post helped me understand that you do recognize that you are

"stuck in denial about what I have."

 

I think that sometimes people look for other possible diagnoses because the thought of having Anxiety is scary and other things seem like a better option. But once you accept the diagnosis you can work on it not being your whole life and being able to move forward with your life. I hope that things improve for you soon.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 5/12/2014 3:35 PM (GMT 0)

stkitt said...
Daxter,
Reading your post helped me understand that you do recognize that you are
"stuck in denial about what I have."

I think that sometimes people look for other possible diagnoses because the thought of having Anxiety is scary and other things seem like a better option. But once you accept the diagnosis you can work on it not being your whole life and being able to move forward with your life. I hope that things improve for you soon.

Kindly,
Kitt

Oh it's certainly about me trying to protect my state of mind, but I actually could easily accept anxiety being what I have because I've always been an anxious person and at least anxiety is something I COULD cope with or cure. I can't accept having GERD or LPR because I simply can't control it no matter what I try, it's incurable, it ruins your quality of life in too many ways to count and nobody understands how horrible the symptoms are. When just swallowing, burping or even walking makes you worse, it's impossible to take your mind off it. Right now I just swallowed and tightened up in my neck the worst I've been all day. I've been equally anxious all day, but only now have the symptoms appeared...
Posted 5/12/2014 5:08 PM (GMT 0)
Dax,

Have you checked out our GERD forum? Great group of folks over there (it's one of the first forums I checked out when I originally joined)....

Along with anxiety, I've learned it is not uncommon for us to have GERD as well. I mention the other forum just because you'd get to interact with more people familiar with those symptoms which seem to bother you the most (along with continuing to post with us of course!) :)

If that is your primary concern, there are many forms of treatment for it. It does not have to 'ruin your life.' You just need to find what works for you and your body!








M.
Posted 5/12/2014 5:13 PM (GMT 0)

Merrida said...
Dax,

Have you checked out our GERD forum? Great group of folks over there (it's one of the first forums I checked out when I originally joined)....

Along with anxiety, I've learned it is not uncommon for us to have GERD as well. I mention the other forum just because you'd get to interact with more people familiar with those symptoms which seem to bother you the most (along with continuing to post with us of course!) :)

If that is your primary concern, there are many forms of treatment for it. It does not have to 'ruin your life.' You just need to find what works for you and your body!





M.

Yeah, I'm an active poster on there. It actually tends to make me more anxious; when they say "No anxiety does not cause reflux, it only worsens it" especially, I feel like I have no hope. No offense :(
Posted 5/12/2014 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
No offense taken.

In any forum, there will always be nay-sayers.

It may also be a chicken or the egg type of thing. No one can say one thing necessarily "causes" another, but from what I've learned, read, and yes, even experience in my own personal life, it is not uncommon for these two conditions to be experienced by the same person.

Take what works for you, take a grain (or two) of salt with the comments that don't work for you....but there will always be support. Everyone has a differing opinion, and you'll see that in the forums, so not everyone has the same response....







M.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply