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Mucus stuck in throat, post nasal drip...anxiety or LPR?

Posted , 8 users are following.

raven0801
raven0801

Hi,

I’m a 27 female, it’s been weeks since I started having these symptoms, which really freaked me out. I even shaked/trembled when I first felt it.

I started to feel mucus/phlegm stuck in between my back nose and back throat, or the very back of my palate. It cannot be swallowed down, also hard to be hacked out. Sometimes I feel it dripping down from my nose and makes me feel like choking. It feels more like very, very thick and sticky saliva, it’s not green or yellow, it’s white clear coloured. Sometimes with a tickle feeling in my throat makes me feel like coughing(but I don’t actually cough and nothing can be coughed out). It feels horrible when I swallow saliva or drinking water, feels like the mucus has been dragged but wouldn’t go down(so hard to describe). My eating is affected too because I feel the mucus dripping down sometimes while I’m eating and makes it hard to swallow food, which resulted in my appetite went completely away. Sometimes when I breath I can feel the mucus thing moving...so much discomfort! My throat feels really really tight and I have constant swallowing problem now...which makes my throat even drier.

I went for an ENT endoscopy and nothing was found. Planning on taking an upper endoscopy as well.

I have heard of Globus Sensation but it doesn’t look that typical(a lump belows the Adam’s apple). Mine is more upper and feels more glue-like.

By the way, my nasal passage is always very dry, I don’t have runny nose/sneezing, so I guess this post nasal drip sensation is not caused by excessive secretions from my nose. I never had heartburn but I do belch and burp while eating or drinking. And I also started to have some chest pain(not sure if it’s the muscle or the bone) after those symptoms started.

My life is in darkness now...anyone??? Please help...is it caused by increased sensitivity of my throat due to anxiety? Or it could be caused by LPR?

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • kellie0613
    kellie0613 raven0801

    Posted

    I seriously could have written this and I’m relieved to hear someone describe this.  I went to the ENT and he said it was Globus Sensation due to reflux. I have never had any reflux symptoms until now. No heartburn or indigestion or anything. He prescribed me to Nexium. I’ve been taking it for about 4 days now and hoping to get some relief soon. 

    The sensation that I have is not near my Adam’s apple either. It’s inky in the left hand side and right under my chin. It’s deiving me crazy!

    • raven0801
      raven0801 kellie0613

      Posted

      Hi Kellie,

      If it’s silent reflux then you don’t have those typical symptoms associated with GERD. Could be caused by LPR. Your body produces more mucus to protect your throat/airway from acid. Hope the antiacid works well on you.

      Do you have any rhinitis symptoms such as runny nose? Is your sensation more like a lump or thick phlegm?

    • valerie91673
      valerie91673 raven0801

      Posted

      Thant exactly what is happening to me, runny nose and a sensation like a lump of thick phlegm. what is LPR please. Thanks for your help I didnt know what it was.

  • michelle22985
    michelle22985 raven0801

    Posted

    I have had this same sensation before and it is scary. I believe anxiety makes it worse. I also believe it’s is related to my reflux. I didn’t eat three hours prior to bed, slept with my head raised, endeavored to not clear my throat (I read that can irritate it further) and tried not to worry. My symptoms have finally subsided. I hope yours do too!
    • raven0801
      raven0801 michelle22985

      Posted

      Hi Michelle,

      Glad to hear you got better. Yeah anxiety definitely makes everything worse, it just enlarges all kinds of physical symptoms and feelings. Have you been diagnosed with GERD? Did you also have post nasal drip sensation? I don’t know if they are related.

    • valerie91673
      valerie91673 michelle22985

      Posted

      Thankyou Michelle I will try that, not eating three hours before bed and sleep with my head raised. I will let you know if it works

  • stefanpavel98
    stefanpavel98 raven0801

    Posted

    Hi, you might find this reassuring because I believe it can be anxiety related / induced or muscle spasm / nerves related as well. I have had this very same symptoms often, even very acidic taste in my mouth but usually only when I think I have them and I focus on them for a little while. Try to break out of it and see if its correlated in any way to your mood, notice if you feel it more when you might think you're having them, or when your mood is down (especially if you are generally worried about it and you know the symptoms that people feel normally). You probably don't have this when your mood is up or when you do something that gives you positive emotions. I often try to fight it with my brain by forcing myself to believe that I don't have anything and that I am making it up and in a couple of seconds the symptoms go away fully, or I try to redirect the pain and imagine I am feeling it somewhere else in the body. This made the symptoms go away completely as it seems that your brain is inducing either muscles spasms in muscles or it triggers the nerves around that side of your body that produces the sensations. So notice if that makes it go way, if it its that then its anxiety related, I know it feels very real but there's actual studies that show how your body becomes more sensitive (mentally) and then gives you these sensations or triggers some of the nerves/ muscles that make you feel this way. But please do the necessary medical investigations either way if necessary, even for your piece of mind! Please try it, its been quite a revelation for me! All the best!

  • valerie92757
    valerie92757 raven0801

    Posted

    My symptoms exactly the same...it is perfectly horrible and just takes over ones life..Am trying to manage without medication for anxiety but may have to resort...

  • colin69574
    colin69574 raven0801

    Posted

    would be interested to hear how / if this was resolved for those in this chat

    my symptons are the same...

    had a virus with excessive congestion - felt like it was sliding down the throat.

    throat congestion appears to have continued after the virus

    severe gagging and heaving with the congestion - really made me anxious

    Now struggle to clear my throat (which i try to do constantly) but trying to manage the anxiety with breathing exercises.

    strange taste / sensation in the roof of my mouth and throat

    no appetite, fear getting food stuck in congestion and losing weight quickly.

    Currently awaiting results of chest xray and on antibiotics.

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