Pain in the throat

[Lilu14]

I have been having problems in my throat for past 2-3 weeks, I have burning  pain  in my throat which radiates to my  left ear. Also when I swallow I feel pain in my back between shoulders. I've been taking  Ibuprofen 200 mg q 4 hours. I had a Barium Swallow test done, everything is normal. I checked with a ENT doctor who performed  Partially Thyroidectomy  in August. Last week I had been checked again they told me I have TMJ. I have been taking Zegerid from stomach upset.  I felt something stuck in the throat for 2 weeks,I can eat and swallow solid and liquids but pain is always there. I had a Candida Albicans in the throat as well after I took an Augmentin from H. Pylori but now it is gone. I am 27 years old , female, ETOH, non smoker. It really scrares me thinking about esophageal cancer. But nobody sends me to do CT or MRI,  and gastroenterelogist can see me just in December. I do not know what to do and where to go? I can't wait to have all these tests done to ensure  I do not have a cancer. I went 2 times to ENT and to my primary doctor and looks like they do do not taking seriously. And I am a person who has a good insurance as well? Please someone help me what's going on with me?  

[hannahhpaige]

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)

[GhostOf1901]

Regarding esophageal cancer, I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. Cases for people under 30 are EXTREMELY rare.

Your pain can be a number of things, though I'll start with the most obvious. If you haven't yet tried, you might want to start taking some Prilosec (OTC). (You can try something a little less powerful, such as Pepcid or Zantac, but I don't like to recommend them because they never worked for me.) If there's erosion due to acid, that'll help stop it. If you find it works some, but need a boost, you should be safe bumping your dosage up to 2 20mg pills per day, but start with only one. (You might have to start with 2 per day for the first 2 days to get it to kick in faster, but then step it down to one.) In the meantime, start talking some Gaviscon to help neutralize the acid and keep it down.

Diet wise, move to eating very simple, light foods for the moment: rice, oatmeal, cream of wheat, cornmeal, potatoes, mashed cauliflower, and light meats like fish (sushi is good at this time) and skinless chicken (white-meat). Eat small, frequent meals, and drink lots of water.

These are just suggestions to tie you over until your appointment. Note that you may get far better advice from someone who you can actually see personally. I highly, highly recommend you seek a holistic physician or an acupuncturist familiar with the use of herbs.

Good luck, and I hope you sttart feeling better.