Feeling of a lump in my throat, please help?

Never Feel good Please Help!!?

• Hello I wonder if you can give me some advice. I am having several health problems and so far my doctors have no answers. I think they all think that I'm a hypochondriac. I have been very concerned lately and have had some anxiety over this but now I'm no longer suffering from anxiety I just want answers I am a smoker and have smoked since I was 18. I have made many attempts to quit but am so weak with this. I am 33 years old, Male and work a somewhat stressful job in NYC. I have had IBS for about 3 years which was not officially diagnosed until recently. About a year ago I had a urinary tract infection and I noticed while on the antibiotic I got this pressure under my ribs and shortness of breath. I did some online research and read that the antibiotic (Levequin) filters through the lungs and I figured that was the problem. About a week after finishing the meds the feeling went away. This Past November (07) I started to developed this feeling of a globes lump in my throat. This was after an attempt to quit smoking with wellborn which gave me a great deal of panic. It got worse over a week or two and at one point my throat felt so swollen that it felt like I could rip my esophagus out of my throat just by swallowing. I also had a lot of post nasal drip and a thick coating on my tongue. I also wake up nearly every morning with congestion and dry mouth and throat (which causes mouth sores about once a month). I also need a lot of dental work. The following day I went to the Doctor who listened to my breathing, looked at my throat, felt my neck and then told me that she was sure it was acid reflux. She told me to purchase Propose OTC. I used the prilosec for about a week and my shallow breathing got worse and I had some mild chest pains. It's not a feeling like I can't breathe. There is no Wheezing or coughing but I feel like I have to take a deep breath and when I do like my lungs don't quite catch the breath. Almost like having the wind knocked out of you. After a week I want back in feeling very concerned about the breathing. She listened to my heart and lungs again, gave me an EKG, and Chest X Ray and Ran full Blood work...Everything checked out Normal. The doctor reoffered me to a GI to diagnose my stomach issues and a cardiologist to make sure my heart is ok. I chalked a lot of it up to anxiety and tried to keep myself calm, about three weeks later I quit smoking with the patch and as far as I can remember I felt much better within a month or so. The GI did blood work, stool tests, a cine esophogram and ultrasound and Upper and lower GI x-ray series. His determination was that everything was perfectly normal and I had IBS. The Cardiologist did Fasting blood tests which showed low HD Levels. He also did a stress test and electrocardiogram, and found my heart to be very strong and recovers very well from stress. I also went back to my Primary Doctor who ran blood work again. Everything was fine and my DH levels were normal. Since then I started smoking again . I saw the ENT about a month ago who told me I had a lot of inflammation in my nasal passages and at the bottom of my throat... He put me on Flonaise and back on Prilosec. The congestion seems to be better most of the time and I have Less PND but the globus feeling in my throat comes and goes. I also get minor nose bleeds which seem to start at the lower part of the septum and I have what looks like whiteish dry patches at the bottom of my nostril. The ENT made no mention of this. Within the past 2-3 weeks I was attempting to quit smoking again and ended up bumbing cigarettes from my partner. He smokes Marlboro Reds while I always smoked Menthol ultra lights. Within the past month or so the breathing problems have been back and since Friday I have had this achy feeling in my lungs and throat, mostly when breathing. It's not pain but I would say the best way to describe it is soreness. It feels like you feel when you go out somewhere and smoke far more than usual. For example I smoke a pack every 2 days or so and if I go out and drink I may end up smoking a pack in one night. Another example of how it feels is how you start to feel a few days after that’s what this feels like. Also I have cut down to about a pack in 4 days and returned to my ultra lights. I am assuming that this is either from gas or colon discomfort from IBS or more than likely my lungs adjusting to smoking a much stronger brand than I normally do. it feel a little like it's gotten better within the last couple of days but the soreness is still lingering. In addition yesterday I had a lot of soreness and pressure under my ribs, which has gotten a little better today. I KNOW!!!!!!! I KNOW I KNOW I need to quit smoking and believe me I have tried. I am just very weak when it comes to giving up something FOREVER. I always have trouble with that dieting....I always have to cheat, Working out I can stick to it for about a month or 2 and then I lose interest. I know it's no excuse but I'm so afraid that it’s just a part of my personality. I purchased an electronic cigarette and am waiting for it to come in. I know staying addicted to nicotine is not the best answer but I do feel like if I don't have a similar replacement I'll never be able to quit. I hope to quit completely but even having something I can use at those moments of weakness seems more plausible to me. Please if there sounds like I have anything to be concerned about here let me know, and let me know what my next step should be. I am so tired of bothering my doctor every time a new ache or pain pops up, but I'm also so afraid of missing something. I have a dear friend who was just diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread to her lung. She was not very good about checking on her health and I don't want that to happen to me. Other concerns which are probably IBS are lower back pain which seems to radiate down my leg and my hip bone on the same side as the pain. Feeling of weakness and shaky after a bowel movement. I appreciate any help but pleas NO smoking lectures I know how bad it is and how stupid I am to keep doing it.

• Answer:

  I'm having similar problem with a wad of thick phlegm or maybe it's tar lodged in my throat. I also get the soreness in my lungs. My guess is that you have multiple problems. The stomachaches could simply be from lack of digestive enzymes. If you go to the health food store they can give you digestive enzymes. It's a catch-22 situation since swallowing mucus all day makes you feel sick, so you smoke to calm your stomach, which irritates your throat and bronchial passages, creating more mucus. I quit smoking for a couple days but nothing changed. So probably it would take not smoking for several weeks or months to clear it up. However, I have found that drinking Cola helps dissolve the mucus. Also, make sure you are drinking 8 glasses of water a day and taking your vitamins. For every beer you drink, add another cup of water since beer or other alcohol dehydrates your body. Drinking is also a catch-22. I started drinking thinking it would help me smoke less, but after a few, I start chain smoking without thinking about it. Every time I say that's the last time I smoke, about 4 hours later I give in. Probably all I can do is not keep any smokes in my home. Anyway I know exactly how you feel and it's scary. I've been smoking since I was 17 and now I'm 37 and some days I wonder if I will live to see 40. Going up the stairs makes me out of breath. On the bright side, some of your feeling of being clogged up can also be caused by muscle tension in the neck which can be caused by dental problems. I just got my teeth filed so that my bite will fit together properly. The dentist said the back of my throat is swollen because I clench my teeth at night, which feels like something is stuck in my throat. I have a retainer I wear at night and it is gradually helping me train my jaw to stop clenching. Also, see a chiropractor regularly. When your neck bones are misalligned, a lot more mucus can clog up your throat area. I also saw a ear nose and throat specialist. He gave me some antibiotics that cleared out the mucus a little but not much. He mentioned that drinking too much will cause the back of your throat to relax and that adds to the feeling of choking. Definitely take up an exercise or yoga routine. And try to have regular sexual intercourse. It solves a lot of problems. In addition to helping clear out the mucus and giving you a little exercise and relaxation in one, it can help you feel more emotionally secure and thus less in need of a quick fix.