HI i was wondering for those of you who have had that feeling of lump in throat, did you feel congested too, like you have to constantly cough because there is mucus down there? I feel mine right behind my thyroid......thanks alot!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Jake,
Just wanted to let you know, I've had the lump in my throat for 2 years now and alot of drainage from my sinuses too. It always feels like I have the beginning of a cold when I swallow. My feeling of discomfort is mainly around my thyroid area. Thats why I've gone around and around with thyroid issues. I had a scope done by an ent and was told I had lpr. She put me on nexium which actually seemed to make things worse. My neck always felt swollen but actually wasn't. My gp put me on prevacid and no results. So after stopping all meds for 1-1/2 months, I started the prevacid again 4 days ago. I can't take this mucous and swallowing problems anymore. The anxiety is getting worse. My neck is driving me crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Patti

thanks for the reply, i have done my own research and the only thing i can come up with may have is LPR, i am on prilosec and i take a
zantac but i still feel like i have mucus or congestion in my throat...do you make yourself cough alot to try to get it out? I do all day....when you cough does it feel raspy like congestion? thanks alot.....

I'm so glad that you all are out there! I have that lump in throat feeling also. For about 5 weeks. I call it a feeling like having a "tic tac" stuck in my throat. I don't know if it's GERD or what. I had an infection in my ear and throat and have been treated with Antibiotics. It feels better but??? If I eat a little something it feels a little better. It comes and goes. I have an appointment with an ENT in a couple of weeks. Now I'm scared! Oh yes, I'm a smoker (stupid habit hard to quit). I'm under extreme emotional stress having given up my entire life to move to Arizona last year to care for my elderly parents. My Mother died in June and my Father is doing ok. My husband is the greatest. I just don't know what's going on. The lump feeling is right below the "Adams Apple". Does your's feel worse when you lay down? I don't have mucus (atleast none to notice). I don't belch. Just the tic tac! When I think about it and what it could be, I get this anxiety thing going. Was diagnosed with Vertigo when this first started. It began the morning after I had a massage and went to my Chiropractor. Don't know if that has any relevance or not Any suggestions? Thanks so much!

You're right, it does feel like a tic tac stuck. At first I was told it was menopausal and stress related. My dad had past away a month before this started. Anxiety definately makes it worse. I almost lost my mom last week, she's still in the hospital and this past week it seems my neck and throat musales are stretched to the limit. That's why I decided to try the prevacid again. The lump seems larger and larger. My husband also is the greatest and has severe gerd, so he is very full of sympathy. The prevacid helps him alot. I have no heartburn, no belching, no problems when laying down. Feels better when I eat and drink. Its just the throat and neck problems.

Patti

Hi Patti,


Has the doctor discussed the possibility of allergies causing the problems with your throat? Maybe you should try some allergy medication.

i always decribe mine as a feeling of something clicking when i cough almost
like my throat is stuck together and when i cough it opens up.....

hiya everyone oh i sympathise with you all about sinus constantly draining and lump in my throat ariound which area I get the oddest sensations sometimes also feeling like I cant swallow and makes me quite panicky ..I have constant pain at the back of my neck too travelling over my right shoulder and sometimes down my arm ..it kinda feels like its being pulled tight like an elastic band..does anyone else suffer with this too?
thanks for listening
Diana

your throat feels like an elastic band? sometimes when i cough thats how my throat feels inside.....like a rubber band snapping.....do you have indegestion?

I was diagnosed with LPR last October (2004). It started last August, with a feeling of a "hair" in my throat, then progressed to a "hairball" or a feeling that my throat was coated with peach fuzz, then the tic tac, and finally it felt like it grew into a lump the size of a grapefruit! I have a great ENT but he is very, very busy, and in great damand, thus it takes a long time to get in to see him. After two months of wondering what this all was I finally got the diagnosis in October. I spent about 8 months on PPI's (prevacid and nexium) 2x a day with some relief but was never completely symptom free. This spring about late May, I started seeing a sports medicine professional for a shoulder problem. She is also a nutritional specialist. I mentioned my LPR and at her suggestion I started supporting my digestive system with digestive enzymes, and probiotics (the friendly bacteria that helps in digestion). Also, I know it sounds crazy, but chewing gum gave me some relief of the lump feeling. I know it's not going to "cure" anything, but it was soothing to my throat. I also have improved my diet to include many more fruits and veggies, along with a LOT of fiber to keep the acids moving downward rather than coming back up. These natural methods have really helped me a lot. I wouldn't recommend these to replace your doctors advise, but I have been very successful with them. I even stopped taking the PPI's in mid July and am doing fine. I still have my good days, and bad days, but for the most part I feel pretty good! Good luck to all in finding what works best for you.

no it feels like the muscle from my neck all the way down to my shoulder is being pulled tight like an elastic band ..but I do have all the other symptons you talk about too..I also have spondolosis in my neck so Im not really sure whether its that or not ..I have a hiatus hernia with acid reflux for which im on 20mg omeprazole a day .. I have posted my symptoms on a gerd thread a few days ago..its such a nasty feeling sometimes isnt it ..nobody knows huh unless they actually experience it ..I feel like one day im gonna either choke or suffocate.. mostly I try to keep distracted with work..but sometimes it wins .

I just want to get the lump out, but nothing really comes up. It just feels more "stuck". I'm going through a lot of anxiety about this right now and am going to see my Doctor on Wednesday for something to calm me down. I'm not big on medications for everything and really don't want to do this but???? I find myself clearing my throat a lot, which does absolutely NO good. Good luck everyone. This is no fun!

Hi All,
I would explain the feeling in my throat as more of a hot aching feeling rather than a stuck tic tac. It just aches and throbs and I do have a lump on the side of my neck that gets bigger when my throat hurts more. Also have terrible reflux. I have thyroid disease so I'm sure that's alot of it.

BethanyF

:confused: i have been to an ENT 1 year ago and he told me that i was fine it was just post nasal drip, well here i am a year later and i still have it, go figure, i am making an appointment this week and gonna see a new one....i have great anxiety over this, i am always afraid of cancer!!

I also have the feeling of a lump in my throat, and the funny thing that caught my eye was that I got mine as well after seeing a Chiropractor. I don't know if it is related, but all I know is that my neck is sore as can be, and I have the lump in my throat.

I also have Gerd and it came back with a vengenance. I have a lot of acid in my throat, so that is probably the cause as well.

One thing that I have learned is that the internet is both good/bad for us Gerd people. It is great in that we can find people that relate to us, but the problem is that it can add to our anxiety. I swear that almost everyone that has Gerd has anxiety. I think it is because the symptoms are so uncomfortable, they can mimic a heart attack or cancer, so we are put through the test. Plus Gerd is hard to diagnose. They basically put you on prilosec and if you get better, then it is Gerd.

One thing I would tell you (which I have a hard time doing as well) is try not to stress about it. It only makes things 10x worse. If you can find ways to relax, do it, and I have a feeling your symptoms will go away. I am doing my best since I have the lump in my throat not to think I have throat or stomach cancer (which I logically know I don't because the symptoms don't just pop up, they are slow to build). Be strong and let us know what the doctor says. I am giving myself another week, and then I will go back in myself if I am not better.

when I eat I can swallow it jus seems like later on it s in my throat like a stuck asprin. Don't tell me this is the same way it feels when you have esophagus cancer?? It does go and come. Sometimes does feel more like post nasual drip and a husky voice...help?

Gaylord67,

The lump in throat sensation or globus is more associated with LPR than Gerd as the reflux reaches all the way into the larynx on a regular basis. From other threads it is felt that the lump is actually from inflammed vocal cords as a result of the reflux. Any associated mucus could come from this area but where there is regular nasal congestion and stinging nostril (inflammed membrane linings from acid fumes) then it is most likely to be post nasal drip. I have been diagnosed with LPR via 24 hr monitoring and I suffer terrible PND and other symptoms that mirror chronic sinusitus (pain in upper jaw, pain around the eyes and general tiredness). Indeed I am beginning to think that I have chronically infected sinuses from all the stagnating nasal drainage. The LPR blocks the sinus passages by inflamming the membranes and slows down the cillia movement of the mucus into the nose. It pools, stagnates and falls down to rest on the throat and back of the tongue. For bad sufferers one throat clearance merely makes way for another load of mucus. The mucus does not appear to be causing the globus as when the throat is clear the globus is still there. Without doubt this gluey mucus does prevent the effective swallowing of pills and even when eating you may find small particles in the mucus you clear. Esophaegal cancer or Barratt's esophaegus is a very serious condition that comes about when reflux is left unchecked and untreated for many years. It can cause pouches or diverticulums in the esophaegus which result in strictures and seriously hinder the ability to swallow and also esophaegal motility. These can also appear as the result of pure esophaegitus however you should take heed of advanced esophaegitus as it is a recognised pre-cursor to Barratt's.

Ginger, I also have LPR and wanted to know if you had the DOUBLE probe PH manometry or the single? Unfortunately no one in my area has the double probe available, only the single probe. I was on Nexium 40 mg twice a day for 6 months with minimal relief. I went off of it for 2-3 weeks and had no symptoms. Now, the symptoms are back....lump when swallowing, chronic sore throat, ear pain, a "twinge" like feeling in my mouth constantly like the sensation when you're sucking on a lemon, water brash, strange strange symptoms. I don't know what else to do or where to turn. I never smoked or drank, am physically fit, watch my diet. I did drink alot of coffee in the past but quit 8 months ago. How are you handling your LPR as far as meds?

does it kinda makeyou feel a tad hoarse or husky voice? GERD?

sorry i posted twice :wave:

i have read that gerd can make your voice hoarse too from the damage to the throat from the stomach acids.....i have been doing my own research as much as i can because i know something is going on in my throat its almost like my throat is like a suction cup and when i cough it feels like its sticking together then coming apart....it sounds more like mine could be gerd or inflammation of something....Good Luck to everyone....also does anyone ever have any wheezing too??

yes I wheez and have a husky voice that goes and comes....some days its hoarse others fine. Feels like something is in my throat sometimes other times clear. Some days my stomach right below my ribs and some above my navel feels like its gnawing. I dont know if its GERD or something worst like cancer...I am afraid at times...but it doesnt bother me everyday just occasionally. And IT NEVER started until I had surgery for diviticulitis last Winter. Then it started.

i know what you mean, i am a nervous wreck thinking i have cancer, and i know my chances are slim...I am 30 year old female dont smoke rarely drink, but i have noticed ever since i had my son and gained weight and didnt lose it, thats when i noticed alot of heartburn that would wake me up at night because it was coming back up and i think i damaged my esophagaus or something like that...i too get upset stomachs and a gnawing feeling occasionally........but the wheezing made me think i have bronchitis or something but my chest xray was clear..

Patti, i was just looking for similar posting to my problem and saw yours. I have that lump in the throat feeling below my adams apple is that where yours is? mine feels often like the raspy begining of a cold feeling, also my throat often feels swollen then the congested feeling, on and off, i have a tickle cough and constantly clear my throat, its very ittitating. Today I have soar feeling glands in my throat, dont know what thats about...have you found any relief?

Suncat

Yes I had the double probe at St Thomas's Esophaegal Research Unit, London on an NHS referral. Single probe is for GERD and you will need double probe for LPR. One probe is above lower sphincter and the other probe is below the upper sphincter. Ideally a third probe is best and this is placed in the pharynx. This is not available in the UK

Hope helps

To Dan the Man,
I feel exactly like you do. The swelling feeling is right under the adam's apple area and radiates to the sides. Always feels like a sore throat coming on. I have given up on nexium and prevacid. They actually make my neck feel worse. I have been taking a pepcid complete every morning and I am actually getting some relief from all these neck problems. The anxiety has become better which I know helps all these feelings of a swollen throat and neck.

Patti

i know i am obsessing, but are these symptoms of cancer? I dont smoke or drink, except occasional, but i am always afraid this is cancer, prilosec doesnt work anymore, it stops the heartburn sometimes but the esophagus is still sore and congested....thanks

Oh, I am so glad I found this post. I have this exact feeling and I don't know what is causing this. I feel like a have a lump in my throat, at the very bottom of my neck in the middle. It runs all the way up to the top of my neck. If I take my finger and push in on that place it exacerbates the problem. I have a lot of nasal congestion, but I really don't have much congestion in the throat area. I also try and "cough-up" the lump all day long to no avail. Some days are definately worse than others, and today is a bad day. It gives me the sensation that I can't get enough air (although, if I shut my mouth and breath through my nose (if it is clear) I feel fine, in terms of getting enough air). I had my gallbladder taken out about a month ago and my doctor performed an endoscopy shorty before that surgery, noting that I had a lot of irritation (gastritis). I was on Nexium for about one month prior to the surgery, but I don't know if it helped with the lump, because I was in so much pain with the gallbladder I didn't even notice the lump. I just get this scary vision that my throat is going to close off altogether. I'm jsut wandering if any of you have been diagnosed yet, and if your treatment protocol has been successful. Also, what tests should I be asking for?


What is LPR?

Last night I had a scary feeling mine was closing. My mom laughed when I asked her to look and see if it was closing. But it felt like there was something in there or that I needed to burp but couldn't. And then Id get in a habit of trying to burp and that would only add to it. I finally said well if I keep this up I might mess up my esophagus so I tried not to strain anymore. I try to ignore it. And some days are bad too. But before this I use to have this bubbly feeling in my stomach. Like gastoritis and now this throat busiesss!! I had surgery last Feb for diviticulitis and have had this tummy trouble every since. Everyone says its reflux. I cant help but wonder if they screwed me up in there or something.

Hi Seabreezes

LPR stands for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux which means the acid reflux that largely bypasses the esophaegus and enters the voicebox and throat. It differs from GERD in that it happens when upright during the day as well as laying down at night. A globus sensation or something stuck in the throat is one of the common symptoms and maybe the first physical symptom picked up by a sufferer. LPR is known as 'silent reflux' as it can occur for quite sometime before identifiable symptoms present. By then it could it have caused some dental erosion, increasing nasal congestion when the acid fumes enter the nasal passage causing inflammation to nasal membrane. You may also have noticed and ignored increasing throat clearing in the morning of mucous often yellow in colour. This indicates post nasal drip due from the nasal congestion. It is possible that at this time an infection may also be occuring in the sinuses. You may have noticed and ignored a persistant cough often in bouts which many on these threads feel is the earliest indicator of LPR. The reflux may have also changed your oral microbial environment allowing bacteria to flourish and feed off the mucous. Many people then experience sore throats, cryptic tonsils and tonsil stones, tongue coating,acidic taste and breath.

The lump in throat is thought to be from irritation of the vocal cords and the mucous from post nasal drip congestion. You will probably notice that clearing your throat does not clear the lump. However,this feeling is also associated with infected tonsils and the stones they produce. If you have been coughing up foul smelling white/yellow stones you have cryptic infected tonsils. For some the lump sensation lessens after the tonsils and infection are removed. You will still probably have reflux as this caused the tonsils and your vocal cords may still be irritated. A 4 or 5 month course of full strength double dose PPI or Proton Pump Inhibitors is the standard in the US (3 months in UK) to determine whether the meds can alleviate your symptoms. They do this by limiting the volume of stomach acid produced which allows time for the larynx and throat to heal. If they fail you are looking at a series of other tests (endoscopy, 24 hour PH monitoring) to determine the structural cause of the reflux most commonly a hiatus hernia and loose Lower Esophaegal Sphincter. If you have a structural problem the meds will not work in any event. With LPR it is the frequency of the reflux that continues to do the damage and not the acidic level per se.

Think carefully about these other symptoms of LPR as it is unlikely that you would only be experiencing globus unless fairly early on the problem. LPR largely presents itself with multiple symptoms. It alternatively could be a small diverticulum in your upper esophaegus which is a pouch like protusion in the tissue which catches food debris and can be a major irritation. You may have esophaegal strictures which are more common which serious GERD. The acid inflames the esophaegal lining making it narrower for food to pass through.

Hope helps

My goodness, ginger65, thank you ever so much for taking so much time to expain (in intricate detail) GERD, LPR and globus. I don't think my doctor would have taken that much time in explaining this to me. This information is invaluable.
A little over a month ago, I had an endoscopy performed by a GI doc. I'm not sure how much attention he gave to the esophogus, but he didn't mention any abnormalities, other than an extremely irritated spot on the right side of my upper stomach. The only symptoms I seem to have are the lump in my throat and nasal congestion. When I do cough out phelgm it is definately yellow-brown, and that is something new to me.
I don't need a referral to see a specialist, but I'm not sure which specialist I need to see, or what tests I need to have ordered. Do you ahve any suggestsion, you seem so knowledgeable and I would appreciate your opinion. I hate doctor's who waste my time with useless tests, or ambiguous diagnoses. I much prefer to walk in with some knowledge of the condition I'm concerned about.
On a side note, how serious is GERD, LPR, or the other related disorders?
Thank you, again. I have copied your post and saved it on my hard drive for future reference.

The lump for me is on my throat and then I can feel it in my throat as well.
I cough consistently, I am hoarse a lot, and it hurts when I cough/gag.

I have that little tic toc feeling too. It really causes me a lot of pain not just a noisance..... and its not a sensation its pretty real, and scaring me.

Sound like anyone else or no?

Jake,
I have the wheezy kind of feeling too... and it hurts my chest... I also have a pain on a side of my stomach kind of feeling like a muscle spasm but not.. Sorry I can't explain things too well I guess.

Everyone is talking about the feeling of the lump in their throats, and thinking its going to cough up.

Mine was more of on my throat and then in my throat...

Can you all physically touch the lump or is it all internal?

Sorry, I just want to know I am really stressing out about it and I keep on coming back to esophagul cancer as a possibilty... except my age (19) isnt common. However, throwing up/reflux for a long time and smoking can cause it... I have had acid reflux since birth, and actually vomitting for about 13 years.

I am so glad there are other people that have this problem, I thought I was alone!

heres a website about it... and about GERD, surgery, and Esophageal cancer....
its pretty good. There are prolly 5 or 6 articles within the "Lump in throat" section, Anyone else have some websites?

www.nexiumresearch.com/lump_in_throat_globus_hystericus.html

Hi Seabreezes,

The congestion and mucous are indicative of ineffective sinus drainage. LPR effectively mimics chronic sinusitis by the everyday nature of the reflux. The membranes cannot heal and the cillia cannot quicken up due to the acid. Sinusitis is normally the result of allergy, bacterial or fungal infection. The problem with LPR is that by slowing down the drainage through inflammation and impaired cillia movement mucous can pool in the sinus creating an opportunity for infection to become entrenched. This type of bacterial infection is often not picked up on CT Scans and is out of the reach of anti-biotics. The post nasal drip can then carries this infection to the throat, tonsils, esophaegus and stomach. If you are experiencing LPR also then the acidic environment creates a safe place for the bacteria to remain. The use of anti-biotics may not get to the source but will upset further your stomach flora balance allowing candida to grow.

My advice to you is to write down your actual symptoms and how you feel they interact. A lump in throat, congestion and mucous are indicative of LPR but also of sinusitis and infected tonsils. Have you noticed any change in how throat actually feels ie does it burn regularly ? Can you feel acid enter the back of your throat and mouth ? Do your nostrils sting at times ? Do you have to clear your throat regularly throughtout the day ? Is the lump there for most of the time ? Have you detected any enamel erosion or cavities ? Does your mouth feel acidic most of the time and not fresh ?

LPR is normally diagnosed by an ENT through a visible examination of the pharynx and larynx. Red and inflammed tissue particulary on the vocal cords is indicative of LPR. A GI only gets involved if there is no response to a course of PPI's. If you had an endoscopy and it found nothing untowards then it depends what they were looking for. In LPR there is often no damage to the esophaegal lining and the purpose of the endoscopy should therefore be to look for evidence of a hiatus hernia, ulcerations, gastritis and to take a culture for the stomach bacterium Helicopacter Pylori which is now sited as the main cause of ulcers ( and not stress). Not sure what the irritated spot on the right side of your stomach is but it could be gastritis or an ulceration. Incidentally why did you have an endoscopy done as I only had mine 8 months into my symptoms and after the PPI's failed. I have a sliding hiatus hernia and a 24 hour PH monitoring confirmed numerous incidents of reflux throughout the day and night. My sphincter is impaired and the hernia is part of that.

GERD can be a serious condition if it is left unchecked over time. It can lead to a condition called Barrett's esophaegus which is a pre-cursor to esophaegal cancer. This happens when the acid levels are such that they cause lacerations in the lining which can become malignant. LPR is still a relatively new term and the complications of it over time are not yet fully known. One concern is that it could be linked to asthma (especially in children) and potential lung disease in adults if the acid makes it way into the lungs from the larynx. Generally both are a quality of life concern as a lot of the symptoms together can be quite restictive.

Sorry so long. Hope helps

Any of yall have a feeling behind the ribs in the center? I do and it scary as I'm afraid its a blockage or heart problem. Feels like something is stuck in there or in my throat.