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Ache on left side of neck under jaw when swallowing for 3 weeks

Posted , 34 users are following.

markr89
markr89

Hello, I have been going into a deep depression because of this. It all started 3 weeks ago when I noticed I had a minor sore throat on the left side when swallowing saliva. I went to a walk-in clinic last week and have almost finished all the anti-biotics I was given for a supposed "sinus infection", which I know I don't have. I have no other symptoms and feel completely fine outside of this issue.

Whenever I swallow saliva I will feel a dull ache or quick pinch deep near my left lymph node, near under the left side of my jaw. It is about an inch or two to the left of my adam's apple.

I don't notice it as much when eating but I do when drinking. I've been taking 1200mg of ibuprofen a day which sometimes gets rid of the pain for a few hours, but it's starting to have no effect. I would only rate the pain a 2 or 3 out of 10, so it's minor, but it has been constantly there for 3 weeks.

I've researched this like crazy and I feel it's not related to the throat, but more so my neck/left lymph node area that stems to beneath the left of my jaw. There's nothing visibly wrong so I'm at a total loss. I've read it could be inflammation of the cardoid sheath over my jugular vein, as I do always feel my pulse when I touch the area where it aches after swallowing. I've so read thyroid issue, lymph node issues and just about everything else.

The issue is that I have to see my Doctor to get referred to a specialist but because of the holiday season he is booked until the 20th of November. I fear going to the hospital would just lead to me getting an inconclusive result as I feel this cannot be determined by just feeling the area for it feels like it always has on the outside. Still, I cannot get away from this ache or pinch when swallowing.

Please help. Any kind of insight would go miles to calming me down. I also suffer from Bipolar 2 disorder so this does not help. I smoked for 5 years but recently quit. I'm a tall 27 years old in otherwise good health.

0 likes, 49 replies

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  • markr89
    markr89

    Posted

    A photo of the area it hurts, roughly, as it's very hard to pinpoint. It's not tender to the touch but if I feel around for a few minutes it ends up hurting more when I swallow afterwards. http://imgur.com/C7BQlyx

  • natallia04776
    natallia04776 markr89

    Posted

    Hi! Try not to panic. Book a Doctor, go and see the Dentist. Also, I would go to the Hospital, they take your blood test and will check you propelly. I would've done it. May be need to wait but 4-5 hours and you know where you are.

    Can be anything: nerves, neck problems, throat... just google it. I know do it myself.

    Do you eat? Do you feel well? The symptoms didn't get worse?

    Don't worry, may be simple explanation.

    Good luck!

    • markr89
      markr89 natallia04776

      Posted

      Thank you for your kind comment. I have a Doctor's appointment in two weeks. The hospitals here are booked and it's an all-day wait. The walk-in clinic Doctor that I seen last week couldn't find anything wrong with me outside of a supposed "sinus infection" even though I don't have one. I have no other symptoms and they do not get worse. I eat fine and have issues eating, drinking, talking, etc. It's like a pinch on the left side of my neck, near the throat but also near where you take a pulse. It feels sharp like an ear ache at times and comes and goes sometimes. Just an hour ago it was gone completely for an hour, so it's very, very strange.

      I've been thinking cancer, but I have a feeling it's something far less worrisome, or so my rational side wants to believe.

    • markr89
      markr89

      Posted

      *No issues eating. Oops.
    • natallia04776
      natallia04776 markr89

      Posted

      YOU see if you press all the time it will start hurting. Doctors do not press as we do😉 . They check and we are trying to find a lump😊. I've been with my throat for 2 months and still don't know. Blood test is good so can not be so bad, eating is fine, didn't get worse so there is something but not cancers. Don't google just go to the Doctors.

      Get well soon.

  • ihavenonickname
    ihavenonickname markr89

    Posted

    Hi Mark

    One of the pitfalls for med students is that as they read of malady, they think that they recognize the disease in their own body...wait for your doc...or go to the ER

  • joebones
    joebones markr89

    Posted

    Hey there! Did you ever find out what this was? I've got a similar thing going on on my right side.

  • sagar52431
    sagar52431 markr89

    Posted

    Mark. I have a similar story. Nd i have met two dentists and one throat specialist but they say its nothing but an impacted wisdom tooth. I am having very negative thoughts regarding it. Wat did ur doc say. Hav i got anything diagnosed yet? Nd is it fine now?
    • Beanshee
      Beanshee sagar52431

      Posted

      Hi sagar

      I don't see a reply from Mark and am wondering how things have developed with you. I am experiencing the same sort of thing now for a couple of months and most of what I'm reading points to cancer so I am really terrified. Have you seen a doc and  gotten a diagnosis?

    • nn25
      nn25 Beanshee

      Posted

      hi sabine, did u find out what's the reason behind it? I have exactly the same issue as mark and the same spot. I am just as terrified at the moment because I smoke as well. 

    • jeff44943
      jeff44943 nn25

      Posted

      Hey nn25,

      Any ideas what it could be? I've got the same issue. Doctor says it's not strep but the lymph seems to be swollen (not noticibly) I too have been feeling around causing inflammation but it's just annoying when I swallow or talk

      Sometimes.

      Hope it's all good

    • Beanshee
      Beanshee nn25

      Posted

      Hi

      I am still having this issue. Never went to the doc yet. I smoked off and on for the last six years and so I am worried that this may be something bad. I have quit smoking now- well it’s been only about a month - but since I’ve quit the problem has come back and worse than before. It seemed to have stopped for a little while but now it’s much worse.

      I am seeing a dentist tomorrow. This is my first step. If he doesn’t see anything regarding my teeth on that side, I will see my primary care doc to request a CT scan. I have got to get an answer now because the anxiety about this is mounting.

      How about you? Any news?

  • anicole
    anicole markr89

    Posted

    Has anyone with the same issues gotten any answers? I, too, have the same symptoms and met with my doctor today. He is treating me for a bacterial infection in the lymph nodes. He said if I do not notice any improvement in pain within 10 days, to come back. I hope that this is as simple as an infection that antibiotics will cure, but of course I started googling because I have never had anything like this before and it’s been going on for about a month now, at least. After doing some research, I came across a diagnosis of glossopharyngeal neuralgia.. I am really praying it isn’t that because that’s pretty scary to me, but it sounds just like my symptoms, except that I have no pain in my tongue.

    Please update once you guys have found out what is going on with yourselves!

    Thanks 

    • dip07890
      dip07890 anicole

      Posted

      What is the status of your problem now?

      . coz recently  it started for me.

    • hobby22
      hobby22 anicole

      Posted

      Hi Ani!  Have you heard anything since yu you posted last? Thanks ks!
    • Rendee
      Rendee anicole

      Posted

      Hi-I'm responding to you because your post is fairly recent. I have had this issue for two months now, I've been to an ENT who said he can't figure out what it is and told me to get a second opinion. My PCP is sending me to Pennsylvania (I live in NY but close to PA border) to a clinic that has a fairly new ENT facility. I finally Googled my symptoms last night and came up with either Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia or Sylalgia. It's hard to describe the sensation and the exact location. It started in December, I have been coughing since early November and went to walk-in for meds the day after thanksgiving, after trying Mucinex D for a while. They said I had bronchitis, put me on Augmentin. Then mid Dec. this started happening, and I went to walk in to make sure I didn't have Strep. I didn't have Strep, but had Thrush from using Breo Ellipta for 7 days, my PCP had me on that because my lungs had compressed a bit from the bronchitis. Since then, no one can figure out what is causing my swallowing pain (not when I eat, just saliva). I went to allergist, he tested me for everything, no allergies. I went to dentist, nothing wrong. I also told the ENT that for months now I've had a weird sensation in my left ear-like a tickle, I kept brushing my hair away, and sometimes a sensation that I can only describe as my outer ear "filling up with foam". But the ENT sees nothing wrong with my ear, yet that is the side of my throat that hurts. Anyway, what did yours turn out to be?  Thanks for letting me vent. 

    • ian58926
      ian58926 Rendee

      Posted

      Hello Rendee. I too experienced symptoms as yours really. Last week of November last year I went to a doctor because of my cough and the doctors said it was bronchitis so he gave me antibiotics and yeah it healed for almost a week and then this year January I started to feel my throat is in pain I had a hard time to swallow and again I went to my Doc again and said it was pharyngitis and he gave me again an antibiotic and yea its effective it last for only for days but now sometimes I feel there something in my throat I think its in the submandibular gland on the left side when I try to swallow my saliva I felt a dull ache too from 1 to 10 I can rate it to 1 really, the ache comes and goes by the way and I too smoked for over 10 yrs from now. Im 24 y/o male. And yea I forgot I also experienced that white thrush for almost 3 days it just went away on there own. 
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