Difficulty swallowing, lots of pain, moral support please?

Posted , 7 users are following.

Hi,

So for just over a week now it's felt like I have something digging into the side of my throat on the right side. I've had neck, jaw, ear and temple pain on the affected side on and off and I'm really struggling to eat - I usually cough for a while even after eating soup or yogurt.

My right tonsil is huge compared to the left and I have a swollen gland on the right side too. My GP has suggested the most common cause is an infection behind my tonsil, as she noticed flecks of white there, so I've been precribed a pretty big dose of penicillin for now.

I've been known to suffer from health anxiety in the past, and very prone to googling so I'm not necessarily asking for theories or speculations as to what it could be, moreso just moral support.

Since this started my brain is constantly thinking Lymphoma (I had mono last year and I'm in my early 20s) or Oesophogal cancer (I get a lot of acid reflux). I'm trying to think positively, for one I don't smoke or drink, I'm female and not in the average diagnosis age for Oesophageal cancer.

In the last 48 hours the pain has migrated to the right of my chest and I've noticed I'm quite easily short of breath - it feels very similar to how it felt when I suffered from Pneumonia last year, which leads me to think I may have Quinsy? It looks like there may be an abscess on the back of my right tonstil.

My doctor has asked to see me back on Friday if no better, but trying to hold out until then is awful sad

Sorry for the rant, and thank you in advance for your responses, I'm just so worried/tired/hungry.

 

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi, this is the place to vent for sure. Make it OK that you feel scared, and be OK with calling your doctor before Friday, even if you still have to wait. Let them know you are scared. Sometimes just talking with them eases the anxiety. Believe me, you are not alone in your symptoms, nor your anxiety. Been there, done that!
  • Posted

    These infections really bring you down, and it is natural to feel anxious, but the fact that your tonsil is inflamed, and the location of where you are feeling the pain does tend to indicate that the doctor is doing the right thing.  Sometimes the pain shifts around as the condition is being resolved.  But it does take time for these antibiotics to have an effect, and sometimes it needs more than one course for it to be fully resolved.   So, it is definitely a miserable time for you and ou are entitled to feel a bit low about it.   These infections can be surprisingly debilitating.

    Concentrate on your tonsil / infection at the moment, but in due course it would be a good idea to talk to your doctor about your reflux.   Persistent reflux is not normal, and might be due to a whole lot of digestive type issues that are fairly common.   The doctor might put you on a course of acid reducing medication for 6 weeks or so and then see if this has resolved it (sometimes stomach ulcers get healed by this for instance).   But if you continue to suffer after this course of medication it might be worth having an endoscopy to check to see whether there is anything in your oesophagus / stomach that is causing the other problem.

     

  • Posted

    Thank you for your replies. Im currently on day 4 of antibiotics. My GP said I would notice a difference after 3 days however my tonsil is still as swollen as it was before and it still feels like there is something stuck at the back right of my throat. The pain is a little more manageable but the muscles on the right of my neck feel so tense and achey.

    I'm not able to eat solids without a lot of coughing and then spending over an hour trying to clear my throat sad

    My stomach has a constant burning sensation behind my navel and I'm waking up every day feeling so nauseous and trying very hard not to vomit as to not irritate my throat anymore.

    I'm debating heading back to the doctors tomorrow, this is really getting me down and I'm barely eating or sleeping. There's only so many times you can force yourself to eat soup...

    • Posted

      Yes, I think it is wise to return to the surgery when the course of antibiotics is complete so that the doctor can review what is happening.
  • Posted

    "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."  You're young and that's in your favor.  

    MANY spend hours waiting to see doctors, waiting to get tests done, waiting to get results from my doctor AND a plan moving forward.  I was lucky to find a doctor in mid 2013 that "partnered" with me to get some answers. What a GODSEND.  Outside of him, I've had to learn the hard way that I don't work for the doctor, they work for me (and/or my insurance company, sadly).  I've "hired" a few and "fired" a few.

    If you feel that you are not feeling better with the course of therapy recommended in the time that was recommended call that doctor's office and get an appointment to get in ASAP.  If the scheduling secretary can't "find an appointment" soon, ask to have the doctor or the nurse call you and talk about it directly with them.  

    Some day if you're blessed you may have children, and you'll certainly not stand for substandard care for then,,, why put up with it for yourself?

    It's OK to be PERSISTENT and DETERMINED about getting good medical care. 

  • Posted

    Do not worry about esophageal cancer. I hope it's not that but in case you're worried and want to make sure, do an endoscopy. Watch your diet strictly for your reflux. Consult your GI. If you have bile reflux too, PPIs may not work. In that case, you may need other medicines such as Domperidone, Ursodeoxycholic acid or SSRIs depending on the reason of your reflux.

     

  • Posted

    You shouldn't have to be waitng to see your GP and suffer until then. I would suggest that after you have resolved this issue, find another GP. Have you seen a ENT? I know that we all think of the worse but don't go there at this point. You may have pneumonia. Are you running a Temperature? All these issues need to be excluded  or rulled out first. Find another GP this ones not helping ypu at all. If you can't get a hold of an ENT immediately, visit the emergency room at your hospital. Don't waste anymore time, get help. 

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