So for the past 2 1/2 months I have had extreme anxiety over my throat. I got choked on milk and it went down the wrong pipe and ever since then I've had a lot of panic issues & I focus on every little sensation that I have back there all the time. I went to the EnT who said it was all swollen (probably from me coughing and clearing my throat so much from the incident) and now I cough up little mucus balls all the time when I wake up in the morning. I feel like my throat now always has some type of sensation there (probably because I'm hyper focused on it) I'm having trouble with eating because it has caused me anxiety about what to eat on if it'll make my symptoms worse and I love food. I've lost 30 lbs because of all this which is scary and I focus on my throat all day. It consumes my life with my family and they are very tired of hearing me because it's an all day thing and it's all I can talk about because it's stays on my mind. I also google my symptoms all day long which has become obsessive which I know makes it worse. I'm very hypersensitive to it all now and I'm very scared that I will never be able to stop focusing on it. Everyone tells me to let it go but I'm having trouble because I still feel like something is wrong. I know I need to distract myself but I feel like I'm trying to run away from my own body and I'm stuck in the loop of horrible anxiety thoughts and fears about never being able to get back to my normal life and I don't get much sleep. I know it's only been 2 1/2 months but I pray every day that this will go away. I know it's all probably anxiety but I've been scoped by a GI and he says no reflux. ENT says I do have it. This keeps the cycle going and it's making me feel crazy. I just want to forget about it and go on like it didn't happen. Please help!
Throat anxiety : So for the past 2 1/... - Anxiety Support
Throat anxiety
I chocked twice once was really bad. I now feel like there's something in my throat all the time, its been two weeks and I'm getting it checked next Wednesday. I'm pretty sure it's acid reflux, I have all the symptoms maybe a hernia too. I got really anxious thinking about it this morning, its going away slowly. If the doctors checked you for acid reflux and you don't have the symptoms then you don't have it. Somebody else had posted about the feeling of having something stuck in your throat but theres nothing there its just a sensation. That's possibly what you have. I hope it makes you feel better.
Globus pharyngis (also known as globus sensation, globus or, somewhat outdatedly, globus hystericus, commonly referred to as having a "lump in one's throat"), is the persistent sensation of having phlegm, a pill or some other sort of obstruction in the throat when there is none.
Let me know how yours goes. Seems the same thing happened to both of us. Was yours liquids or food that you got choked on?
Amber, you did right to see EN&T so they could check your throat and give you the reassurance that there is nothing seriously wrong. Anxiety can affect any part of the body and the throat is no exception. About once a week someone turns up here complaining of the feeling they have of a lump in their throat and I tell them this is a well known symptom of anxiety called Globus Hystericus.
From what you say I am sure your throat problem is anxiety disorder: for some reason such as worry, stress, overwork or disappointment your nervous system has become over sensitised and in this state it starts to play tricks on you.
Amber, there is no point looking up symptoms on Google and trying to work out how to cure yourself: you can't cure yourself of an illness you don't have. You don't have throat cancer or glandular problems or any of the other diseases you found on Google. So instead concentrate on curing yourself of the one illness you do have - anxiety disorder. It's good that you understand the fear causing symptoms causing more fear causing more symptoms cycle. Now you must break that vicious circle by accepting the bad feeling in your throat for the time being. Accept it and stop stressing over it and checking it every 5 minutes. Accept it calmly and with the minimum of fear, surrender to it, stop fighting it, stop paying it so much importance!
It's not going to go away today or tomorrow morning or by any deadline - it will go away when you stop flooding your nervous system with fear hormones that keep them in an over-sensitive state. Then your nerves will recover and your throat will recover and you will regain your quiet mind.
So no more stressing over your throat, Amber, no more constantly testing it or coughing so much to clear it because none of that will make your throat feel normal again. So stop obsessing and start accepting and you will soon be on your road to recovery.
Is the mucus balls I wake up to in the morning a result of anxiety also? I do also have a hiatal hernia. I've never these little mucus balls before but they are there when I wake up from my sleep at night and then I constantly clear my throat all the time thinking something is there which then makes my throat feel tight. I just wanna forget about it 😩
The answer to that is beyond my competance, Amber, but my wife has a Hiatus Hernia and she doesn't cough up mucus balls.
As two different specialists have given you different diagnosis I think that for your peace of mind you should go and see your gp/doctor and ask for a third opinion from another specialist. You won't be reassured until you have that. But when that third opinion is forthcoming I suggest you accept that decision and accept that it is anxiety.
I don't remember what my "normal throat" even felt like... or how it's supposed to be. 😥
You'll remember soon enough when it returns as I assure you it will. But ask your doctor for another opinion as two specialists have given different diagnosis.
Everyone has told me that I will REMEMBER and that is one of my biggest fears is that I won't or that I'll stay this way. I'm feeling very sad about it. I'm trying to stop getting upset about it but it's so hard because I don't even know when I'll know it's BETTER.
Does everyone have some sort of feeling in their throat and maybe I'm just hyper aware of mine? Or should it feel like nothing at all altogether? this is me overthinking as usual.
Jeff I forgot to mention when I had my GI Endoscopy he says I didn't have any reflux At all. I was taking Nexium at the time would that matter?? It's hard to know which specialist is correct because the ENT said I do have reflux which is what is causing my throats swelling. Who would you trust more? I'm confused however I just ate Mexican because the GI told me to eat what I want. 😐
Amber, I am unfamiliar with Nexium but if you don't mind me pointing out you are still obsessing about the throat problem thereby prolonging it by feeding it with fear. You have not embraced the idea of accepting the discomfort for the time being and attaching less importance and interest in it. The less attention you pay to it the quicker you will recover from it. Once again I commend to you the Acceptance method of Doctor Claire Weekes as described in her first book as mentioned. Go to Amazon and look the book up and read a few of the hundreds if positive reader reviews. Acceptance brought recovery to so many of them and can do the same for you.
Normally you feel nothing in your throat. Because your anxiety has settled on your throat and you are constantlt clearing your throat, coughing and thinking about your throat you are flooding your nervous system with fear hormones. This perpetuates your problem. Only when you are able to accept that there is nothing organically wrong with your throat and FOR THE TIME BEING totally accept the discomfort in your throat, surrender to it, agree to co-exist with it without constantly creating more fear despite the discomfort will your nervous system recover and your yhroat return tonormal.
There are two options for you:
1, Accept the symptoms calmly as described in my previous long post to you and stop frightening your self half to death.
2, Continue stressing about your throat, constantly thinking about it and testing it, coughing and clearing your throat and generate more fear on a daily basis causing the condition to continue.
I can tell from your post that you are continuing to prolong the duration ofthis problem by constantly generating fear. You must now decide which of the two options above to choose.
Yes you are correct. I guess my problem is how do I stop thinking about it and focusing on it?? It seems impossible not to do but I want to more than anything. 😏
Go to Amazon, if you are in the U.K. search for the book 'Self help for your nerves' by Doctor Claire Weekes, if you are in the U.S. the same book is called 'Hope and help for your nerves', read a few of the hundreds of readers reviews. This is the book in which the Acceptance method was first set out some years ago, it costs just a few £$ either new or used. You will recognise yourself in its pages.
Jeff what if it is nerve damage from all the coughing and clearing I did when I got choked 2 'months ago?? I'm scared. 😓
I've never ever heard of anybody damaging the nerves in their throat by prolonged coughing and although I'm no doctor I don't believe it's possible. Don't worry, everything will turn out alright.
I did some no no's and I read about all these other people who have had this "globus" thing happen and last for years or come and go frequently and I'm so scared because I don't want that to be me. Why did this have to happen?? This has got to stop. I feel like it's eating me alive and the depression and the anxiety bit has brought is becoming unbearable 😰
Amber, there's no profit in asking "Why me?" Whilst you remain " scared" it will be difficult to recover: anxiety feeds on fear.
I had globus hystericus 20 years ago, they gave me a radio active barium meal to drink, they told me there was nothing untoward and no need to worry. I stopped worrying about it and it quickly went.
I guess I'm scared it's silent reflux because I fit the symptoms and I'm scared that it will stay with me even if i get my anxiety controlled... not knowing what it is like you said is what keeps me in fear and constant monitoring... i also swallow a lot because it's been brought to me conscious which doesn't help either. Every morning I wake up with that thick gory glue back there and then I freak out the whole day with anxiety... I hate this but I'm trying. I had barium swallow also and it was normal.
Amber, so your barium meal was fine joining all your other tests as fine. But you continue to obsess and fear and worry yourself sick about your throat and this is what keeps your throat sensitised and will continue until you cease worrying and obsessing. It's as simple as that.
My family is so aggravated with me.... I'm feeling awful about this. I don't know what to do
Jeff how did you know yours was globus instead of reflux??
Jeff I'm still so focused on my Throat. Trying to remember how it's supposed to be. It's driving me silly. What do I do?? I feel so many different feelings back there all the time. My family says it's my mind playing tricks on me. I can't tell if it's silent reflux or if this is how it's always felt. It's driving me nuts with terrible anxiety and hardly any sleep. Why can't I remember how it's supposed to be? I don't wanna be like this every day! 😔
I don't feel like my mind will ever leave this alone or give me peace. 😥
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