Long term throat pain

Question

I have been having chromic troat pain for 3 years now, localized to the left side of my throat. Initially I was diganosed with reflux and placed on prilosec to control it. The medication worked and the throat pain went away but a year and a half ago it returned. It began as sparse sore throats intermittent through the year but as of last year it started as a persistent pain on the left side of my throat. Last summer the doctor thought it was tonsillitis and removed both tonsils in August. The tonsils were swollen and in bad shape. But a month after the procedure the pain has returned. I usually have pain on the left side of my throat with ocassional ear and nasal pain. A month ago the doctors found a sore on the left side of my throat but when tested for herpes it was negative. I have also been tested for thyroid disease, ciliacs and allergies but all test have come back negative. My doctors are puzzled. The pain is really affecting my life, has anyone had similar problems and if so how have you solved them. Aspirin, salt gargles, nasal sprays and proton pump inhibitors (prilosec) don't seem to work. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

hannahhpaige · Answer

I had the same thing happen to me and I became so depressed and hopeless, so just know you're not alone. Doctors can be completely clueless and make you feel like nobody understands or believes you. After a year and a half of horrible throat pain and problems, and doctors performing unnecessary procedures on me (taking out my tonsils, radiating out my ENTIRE thyroid, getting rid of my uvula, scheduling fundoplication surgery for GERD, and almost getting sinus surgery on my nose) I found my savior of a doctor who took me seriously, and was able to correctly identify what was wrong: Vagus nerve dysfunction AND reflux. I totally urge you to reach out to this doctor or at least go on the website and look at her youtube videos/buy her books (ESPECIALLY the chronic cough book, because it talks about the role of the vagus nerve and doesn't only focus on coughs at all.) If you can, schedule an appointment with her because she is a genius and changed my entire life. I am not 100% better yet, but I am well on my way because of her help. If it is vagus nerve pain, you're going to need a prescription for Gabapentin and Amitriptyline for it to get better at all. It helps nerve pain immensely!!!! It is also important to identify trigger foods: things you don’t think are hurting you could be the entire reason your throat is burning! It’s hard to tell when your throat hurts all the time, but pay attention to when it feels worse, what you ate before that, and try cutting out one food you eat at a time for a day or two and see if the pain gets a bit better. Mine ended up being avocados and almond milk!! My throat immediately burns afterward. And if it is just LPR/GERD you're going to follow this diet she has on the website (but explains better in person, or if you can't afford an appointment with her on her videos) that's super strict, but helps soon much with reflux. It's also extremely important to not eat at least 4 hours before bed and don't lay down/recline for 4 hours after you sleep. ALSO: Gaviscon from the UK (not the US version - it's available on amazon) prevents pepsin from coming up at all because the algae in it creates a barrier in your stomach, so I've been taking that before bed and after meals. I HOPE YOU FIGURE IT OUT SOON!!! I know how miserable this is!
Here's the website: http://www.voiceinstituteofnewyork.com/principles-of-dietary-lifestyle-modification-in-the-management-of-airway-reflux-lpr/ 
The doctor is Jamie Koughman and their office is in NY (but worth the trip! I came all the way from Seattle)

urfavrapper · Answer

I believe your pain is due to acid reflux, those symptoms were explained to me by my ENT physician. I am a 23 yr old female and I have been having throat pain going on 2 1/2 years now, I have been back and forth to the emergency room, doctor and specialist, with x-rays as well as an esophogram and still they have found nothing. I have excessive pain in my throat that feels like marshmallows are stuffd down there. I had my tonsils removed in January with promises that the pain would subside, but to only be rendered with an even more intense pain than before. I My voice is raspy all the time  now and is irritated more than half of the time I am talking. I am a non smoker as well.

CareerPlan.org · Answer

I too have had the same symptoms over the past few months. Terrible headaches, throat pain that I don't feel until a slow burp wells up, and a sore that developed way back on my tongue in the back of my throat. The pain always hits prior to the burp. Most of the time I feel the pain then I say to myself "that means a burp must be coming" and sure enough within 15 seconds the burp wells up and hits. The throat pain started on the left and now moved to the right and even goes up into the ear. It is not a sore throat, but more of a pain deep in the glands. The doctor tried to put me on a medication to help with acid because he thinks it will help, but the one and only side effect listed on the medication is "headaches" and I've had to live on Tylenol for the past few months and don't want another headache so I refuse to take it. I've been exercising regularly and the headaches have slowly been getting much better. The throat pain is also getting a little better. I've begged my doctor to send me to an ear / nose / throat specialist but his nurse called and told me "nobody will see you for headaches." I told her it wasn't for headaches but for throat pain and she said "the doctor thinks its all related." So they won't help and I don't know what to do. I thought about just going to the emergecy room because at least they might treat me for something there. Sounds like our symptoms are IDENTICAL and I'd love to know what is going on. I don't want to live with this for years. I'm currently taking Mannatech supplements and hope that they may help but other than that I am at a loss.

baseball7 · Answer

I am a 22 year old, non-smoking male, that drinks on occasion.  About 15 months ago (Jan. '06) I developed a left-sided sore throat as well.  The uni-lateral sore throat I developed was chronic, but rather mild, and went away when consuming food or liquid.  I went to my ENT for 6 months, in which I  was treated with Nexium for possible GERD, and also some allergy medicines for possible sinusitis.  These did not help, so an MRI was taken which came back showing moderate-severe lingual tonsil enlargement, especially on the left side (I had my palatine tonsils & adenoids removed when young).  So, in August '06 my ENT removed my lingual tonsils, and also did an endoscopy.  He said there was tons of tissue that came out with the lingual tonsils and that it should resolve the sore throat.  Well, one month after surgery, the one-sided sore throat came back in a milder form.  Now, around 8-9 months after surgery, it is somewhat off & on, and maybe occurs a few days a week; fortunately, it is nowhere near as bothersome as pre-surgery.  

Have you had any other symptoms?  Prior to my sore throat I had headaches regularly for about a month, and also had been having breathing difficulties/chest discomfort.  Also, while experiencing the sore throats, my left ear aches mostly when swallowing saliva; inserting a q-tip into the ear provides temporary relief also, for both ear and throat pain.  I am unsure as to whether the ear pain is being referred to my throat via nerves, or whether the throat is referring pain to my ear...

When I do experience the sore throat, for some reason burping relieves it temporarily.  It's kind of a wierd burp, not one that I can perform at will; it sort of wells up in the deep portion of my esophagus and slowly rises.  When it comes out, my chest and throat both feel relieved.  Also, I can often taste the last meal I ate (even up to 6 hours ago), as though it were sitting at the top of my stomach/bottom of my esophagus.  I have no clue if this burping being a temporary fix is simply mental or what, but it is befundling as to how it works. 

So, to conclude, it seems as though I may be experiencing something similar to you, in terms of the chronic left-sided sore throat.  I still am unsure though as to whether mine may be caused by my left ear pain, or if it may have something to do with the esophageal/stomach mechanism in which burping provides temporary relief.

Long term throat pain

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