Rubbing sound/sensation in lower throat/upper chest

[camden73]

For the past four years, I've experienced a strange rubbing sound/sensation in my lower throat/upper chest area.  It occurs only whenever I twist my torso from side to side, such as when exercising, or quickly turning to the side via pivoting at the waist.  It feels & sounds like something is causing friction.  I cannot pinpoint where it is coming from, but it seems to be my lower throat/upper chest, somewhere around collarbone level.  It seems to be located within the windpipe or esophagus.  There's no pain, just a friction/rubbing sound and sensation.  The sound is especially audible if I open my mouth while twisting my torso.
Three years ago I saw my Dr about it and she ordered a chest CT scan, which was clear.  My concern is that the scan began at lung level and didn't cover my lower throat area, and that's where I think this is coming from.  I'm also concerned because since then, it has become much more pronounced...I used to only hear/feel it when I was rotating vigorously (like when doing aerobic workout), but now I hear/feel it whenever I'm simply doing daily activities and happen to turn or twist at the waist.  
Any thoughts on what this may be, or the cause?  
I have no sore throat or hoarseness or any other throat/esophagus symptoms.  I do have very occasional heartburn that responds easily to Zantac.  
Thank you very much.

[tenk]

I am going through something real similar.  It is amplified at night.  At first I thought it was athma, but after many attempts of taking my inhaler, it continued unchanged.  Some nights the noise is high pitched, others it is of medium pitch. I try coughing or drinking but the throat noise does not go away or even change it.  I can tell it is not in my lungs, but in my throat.  I can breathe shallow and minimize the noise but I feel out of breath then.  My daughters say this wheeze is not my snore.They say I wheeze before the snore on intake and then exhale.  I hear the noise during the day but I really have to listen to hear it as there is always too much back ground noise.  I have already had my soft palet surgery for sleep apnea years ago with great success, but this noise is new and annoying.

[battery]

hi, I also have this noise that seems to echo from somewhere below my neck and out of my mouth if it's open on twisting at the waist,which is quite scary seeing as with you I am just doing normal functions, I have showed people this including my local G.P and they all say I am breathing when infact I am holding my breath and the noise is just echoing out of my open mouth, very frustrating seeing I have had chronic neck/jaw/chest pain for 2 and a half years and have been unable to work and lead a normal life, my local G.P has refered me to numerous departments at the hospital over the 2 and a half years from head and neck specialist to nueromuscular. I have only just recently managed to get anyone to look below the neck to see if the pain could possibly be stemming from elsewhere, so I am waiting for the results from a lung x-ray and a spinal and neck M.R.I, still I have mentioned this noise to every department I have been to and they all say they have never heard of such a thing, they don't even ask me to show it to them, after typing in numerous different combinations of rubbing noises into the search engine this was the only mention I could find about this sort of noise, so if you find an answer to it I would appreciate hearing back from you

[MaryRoe]

Count me in too.  I have these nosies daily now and more pronounced ...or shall I say, I can hear them more at night.  I tried coughing to get rid of them but no such luck.  On some rare occasions I can turn over in bed and they are less pronounced.  They are not a snore but a noise that can have a musical overture to them.  One time it sounded like a freight train and then a boat whistle.  There is no pain.  It is coming from the throat or just below the throat.  Telling a doctor...is useless.  I would just get the look....LOL  I do have 4 heart stents and I do have reflux/gerd.

[Laturia]

Hello everyone! The same thing happens to me. Just last week I discovered this rubbing sound that seems to be coming from my upper chest. I hold my breath but it sound like I'm breathing but I'm not, the sound is more audible when my mouth is open. It's scary and like some of you said you can't really hear it if there's a lot of noise around but my sister and my mom were able to hear it. If any of you find an answer please post it here. Thank you!!  

[Craig78]

Hi there, I have had the exact same problem you folks have described.   I first noticed it about 3 to 4 years ago and have never mentioned it to anyone.  I am 29/m/ 6'0 155lbs. Did you happen to find any answers?

[Craig78]

Just wondering if you heard anything back on this strange breathing sound.

[jo1403]

Exactly the same sensation/sound is happening to me. I hear it when I twist my body when I am exercising. I've had it for a few months now. I've also had hives since March and wonder if it's connected some how. Did you ever find out the cause?

[jenniferlynn123]

I have had this same sensation for about a year now. When I twist my body and open my mouth there is like a hollow rubbing sound that somes out and then it makes me cough. I went to the Dr and  showed him and he said in all of his 38 years in practice he has never seen this. I told him its keeping me from certain forms of exercising. He said if its bothering me to just not twist like that. I paid my co-pay and left. Have you found out anything? Thank you

[LA2008]

I'm in the same boat, good to hear there are others out there! 10 days ago I swallowed a chicken bone, the sound seemed to appear at the same time although it could well be coincidental, I was just moving around to try and move the bone, twisting at the waist certainly amplified the sound. I went for a chest x-ray and an endoscope to check the oesophagus but there was no bone to be seen. The noise is still there however so I think they may be unrelated. Does anyone remember swallowing anything that may have damaged the oesophagus?

[lady87]

I have been experiencing the same problems that I see you all are discussing.  The noise coming from what to me appears to be my chest area.  I have been to my family doctor and also discussed this issue with my gynecologist to no avail.  I have had a chest x-ray, which came back normal.  I do have symptoms of anxiety.  As a matter of fact my pulse rate gets to 98-100 and I start feeling light headed at times.  Also I feel if I take off my bra I feel much better.  It feels as if it is squeezing me. I was on a medication for anxiety, but stopped it because  I am now on Chantix.  I don't like taking pills anyway so I did not want to take those 2 at the same time.  I know Chantix has a lot of side effects also, but this problem with the noise in my chest started over 2 years ago.  I also have been diagnosed with costochondritis.  So that makes it even more difficult to figure out what is going on.  PLEASE if anyone has any answers or suggestions let me know!

[aem6352]

I have had this same issue for about 2 years now -- it's the same as most of you have described; I hear it when I twist or move my torso from side to side.  If any of you find out anything, I would greatly appreciate any information at all. Thanks a lot!

[katiejanevl]

this exact thing is happening to me. I twist to crack my back and I hear a hollow rubbing sound and feel almost an extra breath. no pain, no cracks.... it's really freaking me out.
anyone know what it is?

[jenniferlynn123]

Im going to another Dr next week about this. I dont twist from side to side anymore just because the whole things freaks me out. It amazes me that a Dr. has not been able to help me. I sometimes wonder if I had an adjustment that had gone bad or something in the past. I'll keep you posted. Feel free to write.

[shilly]

i have same thing as you lot and my doctor said it was coming from the lungs and was wheezing from smoking.Hope this helps

[Healing_jmc]

Male / 31 / occasional smoker, heavy drinker:

Just discovered I have this today by accident. Moving my upperbody left to right at the shoulders, feels like my lungs are exhaling a tiny breath on their own. It feels strange but if some of you have had this for 4 years, and it was something bad, you would know it by now. So that's reassuring.

I have GERD something fierce and recently noticed GLOBUS sensation. Since August 07 I have had both an Endoscopy and a Laryngscopy from a GI and an ENT. ENT said I'm fine, GI said I have mild Gastritis. But I'll be checking back to see if any of you find out what this is. I think it's probably all Acid Reflux related or just normal. I Read on another blog, one person had their whole family try it and they all could make the sound.

[Westy75]

I've also just started experiencing this, exactly as you describe, a scraping feeling that feels like an extra breath and makes me cough every time i rotate or stretch sideways like i'm stretching my abs. I can still exercise ok but when i do those certain movements it kind of feels like a scrape and a breath at the same time, it's really weird. I have had a bad chest virus that I'm just recovering from and this thing coincided with the virus so don't know if that's related.

Has anyone had any luck finding out what it could be yet? I'd really appreciate any feedback as like a lot of you guys, it's freaking me out.

[jenniferlynn123]

Well I went to my chiropractor and he mentioned to me that this was not going to hurt me any and I was fine. He did do an adjustment which I have to say helped for 24 hours and now its back. Its just such a crazy feeling and there has to be an explanation out there. I guess a chest x-ray might help.
I feel the same exact thing you are describing to so hang in there, your not alone.

[shilly]

i know i only wrote a short sentence (shilly above) but if you read it it may give you the answer!! is everyone a smoker? well itcould be from your lungs, wheezing my doctor said!!

[jenniferlynn123]

I know its not wheezing due to the fact that Im respiratory therapist.  I have never smoked a day in my life either. My symptoms are totally diiferent than what you decribed and is more muscular and positional with exercising.  But thank you for sharing your info with me!

[shilly]

My symptoms are exactly like what most of the people on here have described, a breath coming out from the mouth when twisting the torso even though you are holding your breath.  I showed my doc, he said it was wheezing from my long 20 year 15 a day smoking habit.perhaps he lied and said it to scare me to give up!! you say that your symptoms are different so i dont really understand why your saying that my problem can't be wheezing coming from the lungs

[brandy1126]

I am having the same symptom. It sounds like something is rubbing together when I twist. It is scaring me to death. My voice is also getting raspy lately. I have bad acid reflux and had an upper G.I. scope done two years ago. My family doctor thinks that I have bronchitis, but no coughing. This rubbing sound seems like its coming from my esophagus. There is also a popping sound coming from my back. I am only 29. I don't see why my bones are popping already.

[dianich]

Hi, guys! I am surprised that your doctors did not mention to you that it might be simply arthritis. I got that problem by pulling too much weight while rotation my body in the GYM 6 years ago. I am going to Gym pretty often doing yoga, pulling a lot of weight. My bones started popping and I felt that I easily dislocate my chest bones when sitting not strait (banding forward). So, our joints are week, or it might be genetic condition running in the family. Even kids have arthritis. I am waiting for my chest x-ray results but I guaranty it will be no miracles!!! Take supplements for joints. Good luck!

[GoblinGuy]

I do have arthritis and experience this. Stretches, deep breathing,  and yoga help, so it would make sense for them to be related. I often have cravings for salmon and avocadoes,  (which i happily indulge) so that also checks out.

[AnxiousNoMore]

A doctor explained what a person should do on this thread, and it is to see a doctor instead of just guessing which has almost no chance of being correct. https://www.medhelp.org/posts/Undiagnosed-Symptoms/Strange-Breathing-Sounds-When-I-move-Upper-Body/show/227001

[dianich]

So, u see - nothing is found on my x-ray! But I still have these symptoms

[camden73]

I'm the original poster, and yes, over 2 years later I still have this strange sensation.  I finally stopped worrying about it so much, since it's been 6 years since it started happening, and I'm still alive...LOL.  It hasn't gotten any worse since I posted this original thread, but it hasn't gone away, either.  
I am not a smoker and never have been.
It doesn't happen when I hold my breath, no matter how much I twist & turn.  But otherwise, it's there anytime I rotate/twist at the torso; it's also there when I run.  I've mentioned it to a couple of doctors now and I just get a puzzled look followed by them saying they've never heard anything like that before.  
I've had a bone scan and another CT scan (both for other reasons) and they've turned out normal.  So I have no idea why this happens...I just hope it's benign.