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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lindenblüte on November 22, 2006, at 16:12:21
Hi All,
for the last 10 days I've been having the very unpleasant sensation of a lump in my throat. It makes me feel like I need to swallow. It feels a little better when I am eating or drinking or sucking on a candy.I detect no lumps on the outside of my throat. I had some allergy-related asthma and cough about 6 weeks ago, but no colds or anything this year.
I have been "stable" with good mental healthiness on cymbalta 120mg, seroquel 300mg, provigil 200mg for the last 6 weeks.
My pdoc suggested that it might be some kind of dystonia from the seroquel, and asked me to take 50mg of benedryl. Said that dystonia would respond to that within an hour. I have taken 50mg of benedryl twice now, and noticed no difference.
Google search for this symptom turns up "anxiety". I feel no anxiety that correlates to this particular symptom. I have stress and all that, but nothing special in the last 10 days, at least nothing more than Thanksgiving planning.
you have any ideas for how I can get rid of this? It feels like someone is choking me or like I got my neck punched, even.
best,
-Li
Posted by linkadge on November 22, 2006, at 16:39:12
In reply to The Lump in my Throat, posted by Lindenblüte on November 22, 2006, at 16:12:21
Yes, I had that exact throat dystonic reaction to seroquel. It kind of felt like I couldn't controll part of the muscles in my throat. Like a lump but slightly different.
Linkadge
Posted by blueberry on November 22, 2006, at 16:51:44
In reply to The Lump in my Throat, posted by Lindenblüte on November 22, 2006, at 16:12:21
My first guess was seroquel. Possibly compounded by the high dose of cymbalta. It's not fair that we have do deal with all sorts of weird complications.
Posted by Racer on November 22, 2006, at 21:11:56
In reply to Re: The Lump in my Throat, posted by blueberry on November 22, 2006, at 16:51:44
Have you had your thyroid checked lately? Sometimes an enlarged thyroid can give you the feeling of a lump in your throat.
NB: an enlarged thyroid may still produce normal blood tests. It's not a bad thing, it's not dangerous, nothing to worry about -- except that it can produce some discomfort.
Posted by Phillipa on November 22, 2006, at 21:14:24
In reply to Re: The Lump in my Throat, posted by blueberry on November 22, 2006, at 16:51:44
Only other thought would be have you had your thyroid checked? I have hypothroidism and don't have a goiter so nothing to feel from the outside but sometimes I do feel like I have a lump in my throat. But do you feel anxious? Well you know how to get ahold of me. Love Phillipa
Posted by Lindenblüte on November 22, 2006, at 21:14:58
In reply to Re: The Lump in my Throat, posted by Racer on November 22, 2006, at 21:11:56
My blood test for thyroid was normal, and I detect no lumpiness when I feel my neck and throat.
good idea though, I just can't imagine such a sudden onset.
Posted by Lindenblüte on November 22, 2006, at 21:20:35
In reply to Re: The Lump in my Throat » Racer, posted by Lindenblüte on November 22, 2006, at 21:14:58
so, two trials of the antihistamine produced no effect on lumpy throat swallowing choking feeling.
Next experiment: klonopin .5mg Yep, what do you know? Fairly immediate decrease in lumpy throat feeling. Now I'm curious- is this because of muscle-relaxant property of klonopin, or the anxiolytic property of klonopin.
Geez, if I send pdoc ANOTHER e-mail he just might decide to not answer me.
Forunately, I have a physical therapist who would probably be intrigued by this. He specializes in helping me recognize & remedy unnecessary sources of muscle tension. I wonder if we can figure out a way to get this particular spasm under control?
-Li
Posted by FredPotter on November 22, 2006, at 21:44:36
In reply to Re: The Lump in my Throat, posted by linkadge on November 22, 2006, at 16:39:12
I've had a lump in my throat for 37 years. Even when I feel really cool it's still there. Globus hystericus I believe (sounds like a choral piece by Cesar Franck). All I can say is you get used to it
FRed
Posted by Bobby on November 22, 2006, at 21:47:10
In reply to The Lump in my Throat, posted by Lindenblüte on November 22, 2006, at 16:12:21
maybe a piece of yet to melt chocolate? Actually, I've no clue--just throwing my support in for a peaceful resolution.
Posted by Phillipa on November 22, 2006, at 22:05:32
In reply to Re: The Lump in my Throat- update, posted by Lindenblüte on November 22, 2006, at 21:20:35
Li thyroid disease is a funny disorder as it can mimic other things. Mine started with what seemed to be a very bad flu. On the couch for two days then jumping out of my skin with anxiety and tired at the same time. At this time I'm finally seeing an endocrinologist who has lowered my dose of thyroid as I was taking it less than an hour before yougurt which has calcium that binds with the thyroid and throws off your results. And a complete panel is necessary along with thyroid antibodies. Most people with thyroid disease have hasimotos an auto immune one and of course it's more common in women. It does effect your anxiety as when the new tests were done I was now hyper after 9 years of normal and dose has been lowered . In six weeks it will be repeated and the endo thinks it will be further lowered . And I didn't know the pituitary secreted the TSH which is what most doctors only test for. Love Phillipa
Posted by ClearSkies on November 22, 2006, at 22:16:10
In reply to Re: The Lump in my Throat- update, posted by Lindenblüte on November 22, 2006, at 21:20:35
My throat lumps are anxiety-related. I first started to experience it in the middle of the night, then during the day, and eventually it got up in the morning and stayed with me all day. When it first happened I didn't recognize it as anxiety, but rather it felt like I had a physical abnormality.
Xanax made it disappear. I am no longer on Xanax, but the lumpy feeling is returning after a year of respite (not bad!). Now I am trying various meditations, exercises designed for vocalists, and just plain giving in to the feeling. When I turn my fear of this feeling into surrender to it, it flies away after a while.
I just never know when it's cominbg back. It doesn't correlate to particular stressors, but more a general state of anxiety, for me.
ClearSkies
Posted by Lindenblüte on November 22, 2006, at 23:50:01
In reply to Re: The Lump in my Throat- update » Lindenblüte, posted by ClearSkies on November 22, 2006, at 22:16:10
Wow, thanks you guys!
I had no idea that this was so common.FredPotter- I would love to play the Franck's violin sonata one of these days. Now that I think about it, I often hold tension in my throat when I play violin. Perhaps this is when the spasm started?
Phillipa, in the absence of any other thyroid symptoms (I know what they are, since my mom's thyroid is basically non-functional), I will assume that the lump sensation is psychosomatic, especially since it responds to benzos, and since it had such an acute onset.
Bobby- you know I only eat the finest chocolate. Melts on contact. However, my next experiment is to see whether the lump in the throat responds favorably to belgian truffles. Do you think my pdoc has any samples, or would that be too provocative of me to ask?
Clearskies, let me know how your vocal exercises and meditations go. I'm not averse to meditation lately, so maybe we can be lumpy throat meditation buddies? I'm happy to know that it is more of a general mood indicator, rather than a rapid-onset fight/flight type reaction.
y'all are the best
thankful for your collective experience and suggestions. I will see whether mouth yoga (smiling) helps with this feeling.-Li
Posted by MidnightBlue on November 23, 2006, at 0:38:13
In reply to Re: The Lump in my Throat, posted by Racer on November 22, 2006, at 21:11:56
I have four lumps in my thyroid that doctors are watching. I often have the feeling being described. Sometimes have trouble swallowing. I can eat okay. No one takes me seriously about it though. Not sure if it could be meds. Sometimes I think Benadryl makes it worse! I take it for allergies or sleep. I think they just think I'm anxious. I was wondering if it could be Ambien or Celebrex or Prilosec?
MB
Posted by linkadge on November 23, 2006, at 11:39:28
In reply to Re: The Lump in my Throat, posted by FredPotter on November 22, 2006, at 21:44:36
I have had lumps in my throat, but what seroquel gave me was different. It was like it was on one side of my throat. It was like an inhibition of swallowing, and a tightness of thoat muscle. It made it a little difficult to speak at times.
Linkadge
Posted by Lindenblüte on November 24, 2006, at 16:34:41
In reply to Re: The Lump in my Throat, posted by linkadge on November 23, 2006, at 11:39:28
> I have had lumps in my throat, but what seroquel gave me was different. It was like it was on one side of my throat. It was like an inhibition of swallowing, and a tightness of thoat muscle. It made it a little difficult to speak at times.
>
> LinkadgeThat sounds similar to the feeling I had when I first started cymbalta. my pdoc called it dysphagia. this is different though. since it responds to anxiolytics, I'm going to chalk it up to anxiety.
-Li
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