Throat Story
As I sit here and write this out, I feel a complete and utter loss of hope. This is probably the lowest I’ve ever felt in my life. Two years ago I felt the sensation in my throat for the first time. I would soon realize the medical term of my sensation “Globus Pharyngis” or the feeling of having a lump or something stuck in the throat. This issue has caused everything from severe panic attacks to not wanting to go hiking/camping which are some of my favorite hobbies. For two years, I’ve been living life as some one other than myself. I’m so lost at this point and have no idea of what steps I can even take to continue looking for an answer.
For some background, I only experience the sensation on one (left) side of my throat. The actual location of said sensation is best described as being at the far back base of my tongue and the back of the throat. The feeling can fluctuate slightly up or down in my throat. On a normal day it can vary between a slight annoyance to feeling like my throat is slowly closing off. I’ve been to so many ENT appointments I can’t keep track anymore. I’ve had the following procedures done:
* Nasal Endoscopy- Multiple Times
* Results: Normal
* X-Ray of Neck
* Results: Normal
* Upper Endoscopy
* Results: Airway opens slightly when I breathe, otherwise normal
* X-Ray of Sinuses
* Results: Normal
* Allergy Testing
* Results: Some mild allergies to outdoor plants, cats, but nothing abnormal
In addition to these procedures, I’ve tried treatment for a various number of things:
* Acid Reflux Medications - Omeprazole, Ranitidine, Tums, Some Kind of Liquid Reflux Medicine that’s Supposed to Line the Throat
* Results: Nothing
* Sinus Rinses - Multiple Prescription Rinses, Saline Rinses, OTC Rinses
* Results: Nothing
* Diets - Low Acidity Diet, No Caffeine Diet, No Gluten Diet
* Results: Nothing
The only things that I’ve noticed that potentially cause an increase in the Globus sensation is drinking coffee or alcohol. However, this isn’t true every single time. I could drink coffee 20 times in a row and one of those times “might” lead to an increase in the sensation. So I can’t say with any certainty that there is a direct relationship between these foods and the sensation.
One other random tidbit to point out, I have been having some random Rheumatologic symptoms in addition to my Globus problem. For example, pains in pinpoint areas on arms and legs, mild sleep apnea, brain fog, etc. Not sure that this stuff is linked to my Globus sensation at all, but figured I would include as a bullet point.
At this point, I truly feel that the ENT has written me off as an annoyance because they see nothing “clinically” wrong. While I’m thankful nothing appears to be serious, the actual impact this has had on my every day life has been massive. As mentioned earlier things such as camping or hiking now give me anxiety as I don’t know how my throat will respond while out doing activities. I understand a lot of people will think this is solely due to anxiety; however, the Globus sensation has always been the pre-cursor to my anxiety. I also will get the sensation simply watching a movie at home with no anxiety whatsoever.
I don’t expect anyone to really read all this which is completely understandable. I think for me it just helps getting my thoughts down in writing. If you’ve made it this far thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time to read my story. Any kind of advice or guidance would be so greatly appreciated.
Brandon