Plz help , throat pain 4 over 2 weeks

[Blue_Jay]

Hello Every1

I am a 20 yr old college student and have been suffering from throat pain for over two weeks.

I have the pain about 2 inches below my jaw , on the left side of my throat.The pain is  mild and only comes when i am swallowing .

I have had a history of common cold and sinus problems.In fact this pain started  after a common cold attack , in which my sinuses felt full and heavy.I had a very painful sore throat , which went away as I recovered.I even did  anti septic  gargling. However this pain didn't go and still persists.
I've had this same exact pain about a year ago , in which the pain had lasted for over  3weeks.I had gone to the doctor and he gave me Cetrazine Hydrochloride tablets and the pain went away in a few days.
I took a couple of those tablets but the pain still isn't going away.

I still feel some heaviness and mild pain behind my eyes.I dont have cold or sore throat anymore , and my sinuses aren't particularly a problem.
Plz help me out
Thanks in advance

[Enoch Choi, MD]

Threre's a good way to rinse your sinuses listed here:
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/665

[Blue_Jay]

Ok I'll do that.
Thanks a lot

[Enoch Choi, MD]

Cetirizine is zyrtec, an antihistamine that fights allergies.  It's typically taken once a day.

More than 3 grams of Vit C a day can cause kidney stones

Ask him for a nasal steroid, since he's treating you for allergies, it's likely from post-nasal drip.

rinse your sinuses with saline.

[Blue_Jay]

Thanks for ur reply!

I saw the doctor(General doc , not a specialist or anything) and he said that its quite OK and I should let the body take care of it.
I had taken a course of Cetrizine Hexachloride for about 4 days(2 tabs a day) and it hasn't helped.
I am taking about 600 mg of Vit C thru tablets daily too.
He said that i should come again in a week and then he'd start something.
Even today , the pain is exactly the same and my condition hasn't changed.But I am getting along with my life and am not bothering much about it.
Any further ideas as to what lifestyle changes I should make?i.e. diet , exercise ?
Thanks

[Enoch Choi, MD]

You have "some amount of post nasal drip every little while" which makes me think that your post-nasal drip could decrease from using nasal steroids and saline.

1) not likely symptoms for cancer, see your doctor for examination to check for this
2) gargling won't help post-nasal drip
3) ask your doctor if this is somehting other than a swollen lymph node or post-nasal drip

Thanks for the encouragement!

[Blue_Jay]

Dear Dr Choi
Thanks a lot for replying.
Here is a more detailed post that I had made on a similiar forum:

Hello Every1

About a month ago , I had a severe sinus problem , cold and sore throat. But I recovered in a week. But since then I have this throat pain. It is l 1 cm left to the tip of my Adam's Apple , about 1 cm below the line which joins my jaw to the neck. It is on the inside of my throat, I. e I can touch it by putting my finger in.

Most likely it is a swollen lymph node.

I have had a history of common cold , sinus problems and sore throats , occurring like twice a year. But usually I have never had this specific pain , after I have recovered.

My pain is not continuous ; it occurs only when I specifically move that area of my throat , or when I swallow something. And the pain isn't much.
Also I had exactly the same problem about a year ago(I had a bad cold , sore throat and for over 2 weeks after recovery I had this same pain , at exactly the same location)My doc gave me Cetrizine Hydrochloride tablets and in a few days the pain went away.

I have been reading a lot about swollen lymph nodes.

I cant say if my lymph nodes are hard or not , cuz I cant see them and don't feel anything if I don't do anything to "disturb" them. And they don't feel hard. And I don't feel as if they are enlarged or anything. Its like having an ulcer/wart of some kind , which pains if you touch it or if something goes over it. The pain is quite localized and doesn't seem to grow or anything. Nor are any of my lymph nodes growing. Infact the pain and the condition of my lymph nodes has been constant.

Right now , I don't have a severe cold or anything , just some nasal discharge( transparent and very little quantities) after every hr(quite normal for me). Also I do have some amount of post nasal drip every little while. I do get an irritated throat if I my throat gets dry or if I remain in an AC room for a while.

I tend to worry a lot and this is driving me nuts. It'd be nice if someone could answer these qns:

1)Could this be Cancer?Like from what I know , Cetrizine only removes the swelling , but could it have been a cancer deep within ?

2)I have been doing saline gargling but that spot doesn't seem to get better. What should I do?

3)Could this be anything other than a swollen lymph node?About a month ago(when I was sick) , I had been advised to do antiseptic gargling which I did properly. So I don't think so it could have been a bacterial/fungal infection .

Although I don't have a major sinusitis problem right now, I still feel a kind of heaviness behind my eyes. And there is mild pain when I face the ground(same pain is much larger when I have cold ).But that has been there for quite a while and I am on Ayurvedic Medication for my sinus problems.

Also I am a 20 year old , male engineering student , and am overweight(I am 6ft tall and weigh 80kgs).I am quite active , as in I walk a lot and practice deep breathing. I don't smoke , drink etc and live in very unpolluted environment.
Please help me out.
Thank in advance

I'll see a doctor as soon as pssible.But please could you answer to my above qns.

Thanks a lot again.You are doing a really great job.

[Enoch Choi, MD]

OVer 2 weeks is less likely to be a viral infection, go see your doctor.

Zyrtec, cetirizine, is helpful for allergies and post-nasal drip.  You may need a stronger antihistamine like benadryl but wathch out for how sleepy it makes you.  Nasal steroids and nasal saline rinse can help cut down on the post-nasal drip that causes these kinds of sore throats.

[Blue_Jay]

Hey someone plz help