OP, did you ever find out what this was caused by?
I had this for about 2 years. I would almost gag and coughed a lot. I thought it was allergies. I ended up getting gastritis and I started taking protonix. The lump feeling is gone. I've been feeling great for the past 2 months.
Anyone else who may be going through this - it is likely Cricophayengeal spasm. I know, because this plagued me for years.
Google and read about it. The good news is that it does go away. Excessive swallowing makes the constriction worse, and you feel like there is something stuck so you keep trying to swallow. Don't.
The best way to get past this is to not think about it. I know that can be hard though. It causes intense anxiety, and anxiety in turn makes the constriction worse.
What helps is knowing what is wrong. It's not your thyroid, tonsils, etc. (all of these things are bad for me, but in the end are not the root cause). Of course you should have a doctor check these things - but if they say it's not these things causing the issue, it's probably not.
When you get the feeling, it helps to have a glass of water by you. Do not excessively swallow. When you feel you must swallow, take a gulp of water and swallow with the water. This tricks your brain into thinking you're accomplishing something (swallowing something down) and will alleviate the issue eventually. Warm packs and warm liquids can also help sooth the spasming muscle.
Don't panic - this is a normal condition and it does resolve itself. You must first learn how to not panic when feeling it. Then, master swallowing properly. Read about the issue and it will resolve itself (occasionally coming back only during stressful times and quickly passing).
April hi my name is kellie am 39 i might have some relief for you about 3 years ago i had a terrible trauma in my family the stress was horiffic one day i developed a sudden sensation of a large lump in my throat when swallowing i have a history of post nasal drip as well at this time i was sleep deprived was not eating properly and developed severe anxiety i was not aware of any reflux symptoms at the time but due to my diet the doctor put me on nexium it toook a while to work over 3 months the doc told me i had to relax more and not worry and take time out for my self to lowerr my stress levels he also put me on lovan dispersable 20mg per day to relax me dont despair it wiill subside do get checked out to be sure there is no other cause. another time it came back after a severe flu i was coughing a lot and clearing my throat my whole nasal passage on both sides were blocked and i have not slept good even thhough the feeling is back i am not too worried because i know that the meds i used before worked i will just have to wait for the irritation to subside again i think it hard not to let the feeling worry you as it is sometimes a strong feeling avoid acidic foods like lemon , oranges , tomatoes have lots of water try quick eze chewables . i hope you feel a little less anxiety about it if doctors say they cant find any cause take my advice talk to your family for support and hopefully you will be feeling better soon
I do think it's the Acid Reflux, or Gerd. I'm just tired of feeling so yucky all the time. It doesn't seem to matter what I eat, when I eat or even IF I eat. I tried going most of the day without eating and just eating a little soup one night to see if a rest of my digestion would help. Nope, didn't do a thing. I still had that lump in my throat and the constant heartburn. It's every day now. It's just constantly there. I started taking the Nexium again and that seemed to help a LITTLE but the lump in my throat and heartburn is still there! It just won't go away. I can't get in to see a GI doctor till October but I am going to see his assistant in about 3 weeks. That's the soonest I can get in. I just want this to go away!
I wish you all the best on here. I hope you all get answers soon. Please come back and let me know when you do get answers how you all are doing, ok? God bless!
I've experienced the same thing for several months - lump in the throat feeling, difficulty with swallowing, more on one side than the other, coughing and clearing my throat frequently -- went to my GI and he is convinced it is related to the GERD. Reflux is one of the most common causes for the lump in the throat, according to my doc. I was already taking meds for GERD, but he changed me to a stronger medication, and that did seem to help. He also told me that enzymes that can back up the esophagus and throat (related to GERD) can cause actually swelling of some of the tissue in the throat, as it tries to prevent the enzymes from backing up that far. Still am aware of a slight lump, but as long as I feel like it really is GERD related, it is a huge relief that there isn't really a mass or something in there.
So, what exactly is a hiatal hernia and what causes it? Can it be dangerous?
I sure appreciate where you're coming from. I won't be able to see my GI 'til the end of August myself, which is still plenty long enough. I'm glad someone else pointed out the information about hiatal hernia. So, it looks like we both need to do some online research about hiatal hernia, so we have information to take with us when we do finally get a chance to see our GI doctors. I'm having the same symptoms. I'm sure you'll notice that some foods will cause these symptoms much more than other foods will. It seems to still be from the GERD, but likely we both have the hiatal hernia, too. Sometimes it really hurts, doesn't it.
Hi furballsmom, thanks for writing back! So I guess we're in the same boat. I won't be able to see a GI doctor for a few months, it looks like. He's pretty booked. I really want to get in, though, as I feel my symptoms are getting worse by the day.
So you have the lump in the throat feeling too. I noticed just today that I have a sore throat. It seems to be more on the right side up to my ear on that side too. Do you think this could also be related to Acid Reflux or am I just getting sick or what?
Do you ever get a sore throat?
I also have a couple of sores on my tongue today so I'm thinking it may be related. I just don't know!
I'm experiencing the same kind of issue. I have GERD, too. But, someone told me that I should tell my GI about these symptoms because it could be a hiatal hernia. I would suggest that you see your GI doctor, too.