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Bumps of various sizes on the back of my throat, behind uvula

Hello I'm currently 19 years old.  I've been smoking weed for the past 4ish years on a fairly regular basis (1-2 spliffs w/ 10% tobacco, 90% marijuana). Before I go into what's scaring me I'd like to mention that I've been going through serious anxiety issues lately and have never worried the way I currently am over a physical illness.

Anyways, about 2 days ago I woke up with a horrible sore throat. I only slept for 3 hours, and to the best of my knowledge I had no sore throat proir to going to bed. I had smoked earlier in the night using a vaporizer (something i rarely do) as well as a spliff. I examined my throat in the mirror (something I've never really done before) and noticed that the back of my throat had various sized fleshy bumps (by fleshy I mean the same color as a healthy throat). Directly behind my uvula was a bump slightly larger than the others but similar in color. They are scattered over the back of my throat and clearly visible when I shine a light into my mouth and yawn. I also feel slighty sick... while I don't have a fever I just feel a little ill, weak, and have a slightly smaller appetite than usual. I've had the same sexual partner for years, there is no possibility of an STD.

I would like to know if this is something to seriously worry about or something that will likely go away in a few days. Thanks, I'm extremely worried and anxious over this.
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Avatar universal
Hi there Stro512. Just wanted to update you on the ENT appointment and hopefully give you some reassurance. I paid privately for the ENT appointment which I attended last night as I just couldn’t bear the thought of waiting weeks for an NHS appointment (I’m in the UK). I got the fright of my life when the consultant pulled out a camera on a cord and told me he was going to stick it up my nose and down my throat there and then. He then invited my husband to have a look at my vibrating vocal cords which was interesting!! Actually it wasn’t as bad as it sounds and I got instant reassurance! The upshot was that there is absolutely nothing abnormal in my throat. The only thing he did say is that I have small shrunken tonsils with lots of crypts which apparently cause more problems than larger ones and that some people have them removed but he wouldn’t recommend it. He advised me to clean any food debris from the tonsils with a soft brush. (yuck).  I also don’t drink enough fluid and often have a very dry throat.  I don’t have reflux or post nasal drip like my doctor thought and he didn’t mention anything about cobblestoning which I am assuming is an American term but he did see the bumps on my uvula which he said were just a variation of normal. Apparantly they have been caused by excessive coughing and throat clearing which I am aware that I do quite a lot. Apparantly this leaves marks like scarring on the back of the throat. I was left with the impression that they may or may not go away but I have to make a conscious effort not to clear my throat or cough to stop it from getting any worse. ( He also said something like bonjela may give some relief if i felt it necessary). This probably explains why people of a nervous or anxious disposition get this thing because I am very much aware that the throat clearing is a nervous habit of mine and yes I do burp a lot because of the constant swallowing. What you said about magnifying symptoms was really interesting because I ended up in A&E last week hyperventilating because I was convinced I had a blockage in my throat and couldn’t get breath. Since i’ve had my ENT appointment I don’t feel that lump at all anymore. I do still have the stuck hair feeling but it doesn’t really bother me now because I know its harmless. Its just more of a nuisance that I notice every so often only when I think about it. I haven’t been near the mirror to examine my throat with the torch and dental mirror since the appointment either which was something I spent a lot of time doing previously. The mind definitely does some scary things and fear is a horribly crippling thing which does a good job of sapping all of your energy for anything else. In my experience it’s also something that some doctors (but not all of them) and people in general don’t have a lot of sympathy for which is a shame because sometimes a bit of understanding, reassurance and an explanation goes a long way towards stopping the fear in its tracks before it spirals out of control. Luckily, I have a good doctor who has helped me through this. I am currently seeing a psychologist to undergo cognitive behaviour therapy because I don’t want to teach my kids this affliction of mine (ironic as I am studying psychology myself). If you can I would recommend you ask your doctor to get the camera thing done if only to give you some reassurance and closure on this but I am sure after my own experience and reading about others that this is down to an anxiety problem and not anything serious. I’m very much aware now that when i’m anxious my throat tenses up and feels restricted. Having had it checked I can recognise that now whereas last week I would have thought I had throat cancer! I would also recommend speaking to your doctor to get some help tackling the anxiety as well. Ive denied the anxiety thing for a long time but now having finally confronted it I am finding that its less scary out in the open than in my head and you’d be surprised by how many people suffer. On a final note which made me feel better my doctor told me that the people who suffer from health anxieties like us do a lot more thinking than the average person because we are just too intelligent for our own good! Good luck and I hope things get better as I am sure they will.  
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966327 tn?1248023356
Well it seems that there are alot of us that are suffering from this problem.
I have recently developed "cobblestone" in the back of my throat(around 3weeks). I too have the feeling of like a hair stuck down in my throat. It triggered two panic attacks and has caused me to lose around 18lbs. It has affected my desire for food, even my favorites like Chinese, pizza, burgers..everything..I eat because I know I have to not because I'm hungry, and I find I'm eating only foods that are easy to swallow. It's interesting to note that a lot of people with this affliction also have anxiety disorders including myself. I have seen two different Dr.s one was a walk in ProMed (waste of money and time) and the other was a Family Health Center (much better). I currently have no health insurance so my options are limited. Interesting enough that both times I was explaining everything to the Dr's they both got really focused on the panic attacks. The Dr at ProMed looked me over so quick it left me wondering if anyone gets a good diagnosis there. He prescribed Xanax for anxiety. but it wasn't until after I felt this obstruction in my throat that the anxiety set in. I could understand being prescribed Xanax if I had anxiety AND THEN felt the obstruction in my throat. One interesting thing the 2nd doctor said to me was,"People (like me) that are sensitive or have anxiety from congestion tend to be over perceptive when even the slightest obstruction is felt in the throat or air passage.") and that because of the over perceptiveness we tend to concentrate too much on it amplifying the feeling. It was the 2nd Dr. that noticed the cobblestoning in my throat and has me on a tapering dose of prednisone to help reduce any swelling. I have taken two days worth, I must admit it so far has done nothing to reduce the feeling of something being stuck in my throat or the cobblestoning. I like many on this post and other posts for the same problem have gone through the whole "am I going to die from this?" feeling. One thing the 1st Dr. did was run a basic CBC, which is a blood draw to check basic blood chemistry. If I had some infection my white blood cell count would have been high but there were no abnormalities.(Hoorah!) The second Dr. after seeing the cobblestoning also opted to do blood work but instead of a basic CBC, drew 4 test tubes of blood to be send off for a multitude of tests...(that actually made me feel better!) I do not yet have the results back but If anything does show up abnormal I will post it here. Any info you find out from your ENT visit would be greatly appreciated. If you find your self burping more often these days don't worry about that. If like me your constantly trying to swallow to get that "stuck thing" to go down, your just swallowing more air than normal which will cause burping..Good luck to everyone dealing with this, I hope we all get well soon. I have been needing to loose weight but not uncontrolled like this..
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am also having problems with my throat and have lumps on my uvula as well as pain further back and feeling of having a swollen tongue. I was wondering if anyone ever got a definate diagnosis? I too suffer from anxiety which I am doing something about and am four weeks into CBT to tackle my health anxiety problem. Ive got myself convinced that Ive got the start of throat cancer and the ongoing lumpy feeling when I swallow doesnt help to alleviate my fears. My doctor said that although the lumps arent normal theyre not anything that looks worryingly abnormal. Ive got an ENT appointment next week which I am counting down the days to as I just want someone to tell me whats in my throat and how to get rid of it. It feels like there is a hair stuck in the back of my throat constantly. Has anyone found anything that gets rid of the feeling of discomfort?
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Avatar universal
I've never smoked and the doc said I have cobblestone throat. I have two good size bumps in my throat. One the size of an eraser of a pencil, that's good size. The doc said nothing to worry about but Im thinking what if they get bigger. They came from no where and with out warning( no sore throat) I feel like I always have something in my throat now.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
hey i feel you. i have cobble stone throuahght and im pretty sure its from smpoke. like you i am 19,smoke weed every day and smoke cigartess alot. spliffs are the **** > ; ) . what bothers me is the anxiety. it really does blow and i take ad medication and it make it worse when i come down. anxiety *****, and it makes me do stupid crazu things, but the summer is soo . that will relax me. lets get massages.
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Avatar universal
I took my son sto a specialist yesterday and he said that it could be caused by acid reflex or allergies.  He has given him medicine for acid reflex and allergy medicine.
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