Lump in throat symptom

I know this "lump-in-the-throat" sensation is supposed to be a common symptom of anxiety and GERD but is it normal for there to be a slight amount of pain or soreness along with the "lump" feeling when you swallow and for it to only be on the left or right side?

Also, I have been under intense stess for the past month because I have anxiety, panic and hypochondria and I am terrified of having a disease. I actually felt half-way decent this morning for a change but then I got a letter with info about rabies from someone I had emailed a few days ago and thats when I got adrenilin surges, intense fear, racing heart, feeling wobbly and mortified. Then my throat started to constrict really bad and get lumpy and because throat probs are a symptom of rabies, I freaked out even MORE!!.

Then, my totally unsympathetic and wise-guy friend/roommate tries to tell me it's all in my head, that I just "thrive" on inventing new diseases and has all these lame little phrases from the 50's (ie; "you have to think yourself happy!", etc) and when I spent an hour explaining in detail to him why I am the way I am, he makes a few sarcastic remarks and then the next thing I know he's blabbing on the phone and could care less about me. My dad is the same way. You come to the people you trust most in your greatest hour of need and they just totally blow you off, treat you like crap and even poke fun at you. Unbelievable.

i'm sorry that your friend was not more understanding of your plight......i'm sure that the lump you are feeling in your throat is due to your anxiety.........i hope that you realize by now.that your friends here at PC will never make light of what you are going through....and we will try to reassure you all we can........i know that all the things you experience are very real to you....and i for one will never deny how horrible it must be for you.....i hope everything settles down a bit....please take care of yourself and lean on your friends here.we will always stay right by your side..i only wish i could do more for you....sigh.....sometimes i feel so helpless......love you

((((((((((GG)))))))))))))

I have a terrible time with the "lump in throat" symptom with my anxiety. My throat feels so tight that when I swallow it is actually painful. Your not alone. My T says its because I'm clenching the muscles in my neck and throat so much that it is causing pain and discomfort. I went around like this for days and its one of the more bothersome symptoms that go along with this damn disorder. I tend to tighten up my neck as well. When I notice this happening, I am literally walking around stiff necked and then I start thinking people probably think I'm weird and then that sends me into paranoia about what others think. My Gosh GG. It is endless. Your roomate is pretty insensative. Opening up to anyone about this is not easy. But to have a reaction like that. WOW. I am sorry.
You always have me Grey. I will also be here for you and listen to whatever you have to say. No matter what it is. We all think very highly of you and I hope you know that you can always turn to us. Take good care of yourself GG.

Talk to ya soon.

Butterfly Lady - Thank you so much for the comforting words. Yes, I'm sure your correct since I was doing pretty good this morning until I read that email about rabies. Then, it was all downhill from there. Every sensation, ache or tingle brought on a new surge of adrenalin. Incidentally, I was looking at your profile and saw the part about Tourette's Syndrome. It's funny you mention that because I've had this condition since childhood and also have the echolalia as well. If there's anything you want to know, I'd be happy to share.

jmo531 - Oh my yes, is'nt it just aweful?. I HATE that lump feeling but why does it sometimes feel a bit sore?. It's not sore like a sore throat or anything but it just freaks me out real bad because when I swallow, it clicks and feels kind of tender/irritated or something. I am hoping to go see a therapist myself soon but have no idea what to expect. I took the first step today by leaving a message on the answering machine of the clinic I used to go to and asking them for the name/phone of a therapist they once gave me a referral for (I'm on medicaid).

You know, I was half-thinking earlier about putting in a request in this forum or perhaps another one and asking if someone would be willing to be my "real life" friend (ie; go out for coffee, talk and support each other, etc) - possably even someday end up being my roommate or something. Of course that in itself brings up all kinds of issues of trust, motives and a bunch of other stuff but my only motive is that I LOVE people, need support and I don't ever want to be alone.

Well, that's about all. Thank's for all your help and support!!

GG,

The pain in the throat is because your stiffining up that muscle. You dont really notice it but thats whats going on. I also clench my teeth really bad which causes me to get bad headaches.
I think reaching out for IRL friends is a great idea. I too have trust issues. I open up to very few Real life people because I am afriad of rejection. So I totally understand your aprehension (sp).
I am so proud that you have left a message and have taken the first step toward therapy. This is a poistive move and you should be so proud of yourself.
Grey,
I have been reading your posts for a long while. I cant remember if you take meds for your anxiety or not. I know for me I waited as long as possible to take meds cause I have a medication phobia that ties in with my OCD. However, I currently take effexor xr. It has helped a great deal with my anxiety. Not 100% but at least I can semi-function. I don't know if maybe that is something you could look into or even an option for you.
Please do keep me posted on the therapy. I am very interested to know how that turns out for ya.
Take great care of yourself GG. Have a wonderful Day!!!

GG,

I hope I didnt offend you in the last post about the medication comments. I only meant medication as an option to help with your anxiety. I am sorry if I offended you.

good morning.....i hope today is a little better for you.......as far as tourette's goes.i know it all too well....i did my grad thesis on it mainly because i have a 27 year old son with it and now have an 8 yr old grandson with it.........as far as a real life friend......i'd meet you for coffee if we lived close enough and i'd even be your room mate....oh schucks....i'm married......forget that....lol.....just joking with ya!..hope you have a good day........love julia

jmo531 - No, you did'nt offend me at all hon! ((((((jmo531)))))). I love reading your encouraging and very supportive replies and they are almost like morphine to me because when I'm scared out of my mind and the you or others here reply, it is very comforting and greatly eases my mind:-). Now if I could just learn how to make graphical smiles instead of these text ones...lol.

Butterflylady - I think it's fantastic that you studied this disorder. A lot of people are ignorant or ill-informed and just stare or giggle rather than getting to know people with Tourette's and what makes them tick. I've had this for as long as I can remember (I'm 42 now) and used to take Klonopin for it but I hear that Orap is supposed to be good too. I took Haldol during my teens (w/Cogentin to conteract the side effects) but that was a pretty rough ride. I guess I cope prett well considering and sometimes I wish Tourette's was the ONLY thing I had to worry about (GAD/OCD/Panic is MUCH worse!!.

Take care and thank's for the responses (they mean a LOT to me!)

I posted (above this) and my edit time expired so I guess I'll post a new one. I just wanted to say that my roommate made a nice dinner (chicken, potatoes w/ gravy and sliced squash) and I sat down to eat it but with each bite I had to really squeeze it down. It was sooo scary because I'm imagining I have the disease I was talking about in other posts here. Now I'm half-scared to eat anything and that freaks me out even more!!. It's like the bite of food goes down my throat just so far and then I have to really work my throat muscles to get it down the rest of the way. I have heard that stress, anxiety and GERD can cause this and I suffer from all three and have been under a HUGE amount of stress and anxiety over the last month but can the throat thing last a whole week?...two weeks?...how long can it go on?. I have been taking a half of a 0.25mg Xanax and it seems to help but yesterday I took a whole one and it did'nt help that much and whats more, I woke up at 5:00AM this morning and just layed there and I could feel the anxiety building up in me. This has never happened before that I can remember. Is any/all of this normal?.

((((((((((((((((GG)))))))))))))))))

Its like your talking about me. When I first started having my panic attacks at age 19, the sore, clenching throat symptom was very horrible for me. It seemed that it went on for weeks. Seriously weeks. I couldnt eat at all. I was always afraid that either the food would get stuck or I would throw it up. I tried to mostly stick to slim fast drinks and soda's. That was then. This is now. I was taking Xanax at one point back in January-February but they stopped helping after a while. The Dr had me on .5 mgs. At one point he told me to take 2 whole tablets. Well, since I have a fear of meds, there was no way I was taking more. Maybe your Doc can prescribe something a little stronger. Those Xanax dont last too long.
Back in December, when thing got really bad for me, I could not sleep at night at all. I would lie awake all night with my mind racing a million miles a minute. I told my T once that my head felt like I was in a busy Lunch room and I could hear people talking. Actual conversations in my head which freaked me out even further cause I kept thinking I was hearing voices and thought I had more then just anxiety. Pdoc told me this is over-stimulation. I still get it sometimes but not as bad. My meds have helped with that. Anyway, point of the story, I would sleep during the day because that was the time of day I felt most safe to sleep and I would be awake all night long. After a while, and after the meds kicked in I eventually got back on track with the normal sleep pattern.
So relax a little bit. Know that your not alone. I would call the Dr though and see if they could give you something stronger. You'll make it through this. It's a slow process but I'll happen. Dont forget, you always have us to turn too.

Take Care.

GreyGoose,

You are the clone of me 2 years ago. You may have aswered this in the past, so forgive my ignorance. Are you currently in therapy? Psychotherapy did wonders for my hypochondria.

Believe me, I understand where you are.

Hi folks ! Just found this site tonight, and have been reading lots of posts. I had panic/anxiety/agoraphobia, so I sure can relate ! Biggest issues for me were that danged feeling of not being able to swallow - so I would swallow air just to make sure I COULD swallow, of course that made problem worse (and gave me gas ) I was helped with relaxation techniques, visual imagery , exposure therapy, and meds. I have been panic free for 15 years and after getting better, got my Psych degree and do In Vivo Therapy (I take people out to places they are afraid of and teach techniques to help them overcome the phobia). You know - swallowing is one of those bodily functions that we do not have to say "Brain , it is time to swallow now" - it just happens when necessary. I learned to deal with, and overcome this phobia with 3x5 cards that had positive statements (as one above) etc.

I think most of us with PAD/Anxiety/Agoraphobia are also hypochondriacs! Goes with the territory for most. I had to quit researching stuff ! It really helped too - cause as u know - if you read something that is "sorta" like what u have - then you HAVE IT !

I hope to be here on this site from now on. Sure seems like the support is here and a great site. If anyone wants to get in touch with me, feel free at imsuesue2001@yahoo.com ! Keep on keepin on !

Welcome Parker - you will find a lot of support here.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>

I think most of us with PAD/Anxiety/Agoraphobia are also hypochondriacs! Goes with the territory for most. I had to quit researching stuff ! It really helped too - cause as u know - if you read something that is "sorta" like what u have - then you HAVE IT !
imsuesue2001@yahoo.com ! Keep on keepin on !

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

Hi Parker,

I agree completely with your view here. Even regular people (undiagnosed) will always look for a reason if they are feeling unwell. How may times have we heard people say "I feel sick; it must be something I ate?"

With our illness (I have much the same as you) we feel ill a lot of the time, sometimes really bad, and the mind just can't help searching for a reason. Next stop the medical books.

How many times have I had to remind myself that I have panic disorder? It feels like millions. Every time I go down it's the same, I think, My God what's wrong with me? and then it's, Oh I have panic disorder.

Truth is, we just don't ever get used to having a mental illness, people were just not cut out for this kind of experience.

Good thoughts to you, Myzen.

I think that for me, actually getting a diagnosis helped me tremendously. I started with symptoms in the early 70's, Doctors were not even TAUGHT about PAD in med school til the early '90's.......so many people, me included, were just told "theres nothing we can find wrong with you". I KNEW there was something wrong with me, they just didn't know what it was back then. Once I read an article in Good Housekeeping - it was like they wrote the story about me ! Then all of a sudden, there was information everywhere, and I KNEW what was wrong with me. I lucked out and found a psychiatrist who treated only PAD/Anxiety/Agoraphobia and became his patient. He has several books out now (my story is in one of them), and he has helped so many people (where I live, we had to travel 2 hours to get to him (and for those with phobias about traveling - made it rough!). I started a Support Group in my town and in the 7 years we met twice a month, over 1000 people attended.

I still have PAD - but it has been controlled since 1990. I can do anything I want too now, but it was HARD work to get to this point - but worth every second it took. I strongly recommend a book called "Anxiety, Phobias and Panic - Taking Charge and Conquering Fear" by Reneau Z. Peurifoy. He came and spoke to our Support Group and is awesome. We used that book as our guide. There IS life after panic !

What a great uplifting story Parker! I am glad you were able to find someone that knew about your illness. My mother suffered from anxiety and slowly became agoraphobic, unfortunatly I never new this till just lately. I was 15 and she just stopped eating and wouldn't leave the house much. Docs wanted to commit her. She wanted nothing to do with that! They didn't know much about that when she was getting treatment which was the late 80s. Unfortunatly her agoraphobia got so bad and her mistrust for the doctors and the meds that she gave up and when we were able to get her into a doctor they admitted here into the hospital because her body was in such bad shape. Four days later she passed. I say this because one, it makes me feel better and two, it shows that you can't give up! You have to keep going and I am happy that you found docs to help!

I am glad my story might have inspired people who read it ! I am so sorry about your Mother, losing a parent is tough ! I am also sorry that because of the lack of information Doctors had at that time, she did not get the help that is now available! I read your post about yesterday being a bad day for you (sorry I did not see it yesterday) and hope today is better . I would love to hear how your anxiety manifests , your triggers, coping skills etc. If I could, I would gladly share info that helped me. There was no support for me thru my years of suffering .......and this forum is such a wonderful thing so that people do not feel alone!

Thanks Parker.
My anxiety manifests itself in excessive worry. What if? thinking and just being down right scared. Mostly it is about work, but it comes in daily life as well. I have just recently learned more about it and decided to seek help. It had gotten really bad and I am trying to rebound now. I hit rock bottom in the end of december (Dec 23rd was anniversery of moms passing) Between that and work and just having bought a new house things went crazy! I went into a partial hospitilization program which helped alot and know I see a T once a week to get me back on track. Hopefully soon I can cut that down to once every two weeks and then further.
I am having trouble learning coping skills. One is this place and the other is my website, as well as just fishing in general. If I keep myself busy I seem to fair better. Well I am getting long winded, but that is the gist of my story, oh and Greygoose, you can do it! Keep up the good work and don't worry, things will get better.

Oh yeah - those "what ifs" !!! How I remember those. I learned to turn those around to "SO what if..". Like I was a severe sufferer of diarrhea. I always said to myself "WHAT IF I have to go and not near a bathroom".......and I changed that to "SO what if.... I can mess my pants and wash them, or I can pull the car over and hit the bushes, etc etc etc. I think the most important lesson I learned about those danged "WHAT IF's" was that worrying about them caused me more anxiety, then more "What ifs", then more anxiety. I learned thru CBT that its our own "STINKIN THINKIN" that gets us in trouble. I wrote down my "what ifs" on 3x5 cards - with a counteracting "SO what if" and was soon able to eliminate most of the what ifs!

You are so right about staying busy ! I cross stitched til I could hardly see - but I realized while counting those stitches, my brain was not able to think about much else. I have my clients who are phobic about driving or riding (can be used with other things) to count backwards from 1000 by 7's ! Now there are not many people who can do that and think about much else. ANother trick is to sing some silly childhood song....like BINGO, and leave off the last word each round . Just trying to remember what word u left off the round before makes it hard to think of other things! There are so many coping skills that will work in many situations ( I LOVED it when I started speaking to large groups of shrinks about PAD and envision them naked!!!!!!)

Another thing that helped me (and others) was to just sit back and say "OK you wicked beast (anxiety or panic), "COME GET ME".......you see, if we are not afraid of the feelings, they won't come. They only want to get us all worked up, and if we are OPEN to the feelings coming - they wont. They dont like us when we want them !!!! (Believe me, I KNOW it is hard to think about wanting those horrible feelings , but it does honestly work !!!)

Another skill is using diaphragmatic breathing. If u have learned about the :"fight or flight syndrome" that goes with panic and or anxiety, we start breathing very shallow to prepare to run like heck away from the 'imagined' danger . If we kick the breathing back into the right gear, MANY MANY MANY of the other feelings that can come with an attack just wont happen. Hope some of the tips help. I have a ton of them (17 years of bad habits that are now all gone, and mainly because I used the skills I read about or was taught). Remember.....There IS life after Panic ! :-)

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>

Another thing that helped me (and others) was to just sit back and say "OK you wicked beast (anxiety or panic), "COME GET ME".......you see, if we are not afraid of the feelings, they won't come. They only want to get us all worked up, and if we are OPEN to the feelings coming - they wont. They dont like us when we want them !!!! (Believe me, I KNOW it is hard to think about wanting those horrible feelings , but it does honestly work !!!)

Another skill is using diaphragmatic breathing. If u have learned about the :"fight or flight syndrome" that goes with panic and or anxiety, we start breathing very shallow to prepare to run like heck away from the 'imagined' danger . If we kick the breathing back into the right gear, MANY MANY MANY of the other feelings that can come with an attack just wont happen. Hope some of the tips help. I have a ton of them (17 years of bad habits that are now all gone, and mainly because I used the skills I read about or was taught). Remember.....There IS life after Panic ! :-)

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

Again, I agree with all this. Fear is a bully.

Part of my anxiety was to have 'irritable bowel syndrome' and in my challenge to this nasty symptom I travelled to Spain on my own, flying (always a trigger for me) and travelling on buses, staying in hotels etc. I don't speak Spanish, but did have a friend in Las Palmas, which gave me a focus for the trip.

I discovered that you can just walk into bars and cafes in Spain and use the loo. Nobody bothers you. This experience didn't make the IBS go away, or the anxiety, but I had some sunshine and saw some beautiful places. Above all, it reinforced my courage in the long term. It was a kind of pilgrimage maybe. If I had been hit by panic while travelling, there was no back up, I couldn't even ask for help in Spanish. I just said to myself, "What difference does it make where I am?"

I'm not saying that everyone should go these extremes, but I am so glad that I did it. My father could never get on a plane, or any form of public transport, his anxiety always held him back. I know how he felt, but I wanted to push past that if I could.

Good thoughts to you, Parker.

Myzen.

Congrats on making such a huge step going to Spain alone !!!

Thank's for the support parker. I copied and printed your response. I hope you don't mind. I want to use it for motivation. I have my ups and downs. Yesterday I was doing good until about an hour before I was to leave work and my boss said that she had to leave. Right away I was panic stricken. Not sure why, but it was scary. I started catastrophizing (sp) and jumped everytime I saw and email or the phone rang. It lasted till I got home and went for a walk. It was hard to turn around, but I did. Thanks for the support

I am thrilled that I might have shared some information that may help ! You can certainly use those "what ifs" skills in that situation - when your boss had to leave ! Like SO WHAT IF I am here alone, I can lock the door and who will kow......or SO WHAT IF the phone rings - let the answering machine take it, I can say I was with a customer (if that is appropriate), etc etc etc. Keep on keepin on !!!!

Thanks Parker!