My story and how I beat globus sensation
Posted , 164 users are following.
I made a promise that if I got better I would share my story on this discussion board in the hope that I may help someone. All the posts on here were a great comfort to me when I was experiencing this awful condition.
It all happened about 8 weeks ago. I was in the theatre and just sat down to begin the show when I ate a sweet normally, took a sip of water normally and afterwards felt like I was having difficulty swallowing. My mouth went super dry and I felt like a had a lump in my throat and my tongue was enlarged (it wasn't). I thought perhaps I was having a reaction to something so before the interval I had to leave and get out of there. I felt complete terror and danger and thought I was going to die. My husband was worried and took me to A&E. I couldnt breathe properly but was not wheezing. I felt like someone was strangling me, standing on my neck and I was in a complete panic that came out of nowhere. Apparently I had a panic attack or severe anxiety episode. Well, I didnt believe this diagnosis because I had over the years suffered from anxiety on and off and bouts of low mood but even when I have faced the most difficult times in my life, never have I had a panic attack so wondered why on such a happy day I would develop this. Anyway the initial attack was only the start of my problems, I was told the symptoms of my choking sensation would go away within a few hours. It didnt. This made it worse and I was not so easily going to put this down to stress as most things seem to be these days. I went to my GP who said I did seem to have some swelling in my neck and ordered me an ultrasound. As I couldn't wait 3 weeks for the paperwork to come through I saw an ENT consultant privately who put a camera up my nose and down my throat and said everyhing looked perfect and likely to be globus sensation which is common when experiencing panic attacks and anxiety. This only gave me some comfort because I was still feeling these awful symptoms. After the 4th week I had scan and this showed nothing. My thyroid was perfect, which I suspected may be the issue due to my high thyroid antibodies, although I knew I had normal thyroid function. This was also some comfort. I was suffering, and it was really really getting me down. Having to get up every day and go to work was so hard and I was so anxious I was not sleeping or eating well. I thought I would have it forever. After a while I started to think, well this isn't going to kill me as time has proven, its not getting worse or better so I need to start trying things to see if anything helps. I also had a strange crawling sensation in my neck not on top of my skin but underneath - hard to explain. Also when I put chin to chest I felt like the part between my neck and chin was swollen. I tried breathing exercises, hot water bottles, hot baths, drinking red wine, taking NSAI's, drinking loads of water, trying to eat better, sleep better, watching funny films but nothing worked. I then found a couple of websites online suggesting a very simple neck exercise to do many times throughout the day and specifically for globus sufferers. I started to do this and over a week the symptoms started to ease and has got better and better to the point that its only 5% there. The most important part is to make sure your shoulders are always down and pushed back as far as you can. No hunched shoulders or it won't work. Then carefully, with mouth closed, ease your neck back as far as it can go, all the time looking up to the ceiling. You should be able to feel yourself stretching your neck. It may make you cough a little. Then roll your head a little to left and right and centre. It probably won't work the first go. you have to do it many times a day over a week or so.
My GP said that panic attacks can cause a lot of problems in the neck, real tension and muscles, and other structures and a horrid sensation of a lump in your neck. I have to understand now that this is the cause.
Apologies for the long post but it's a long story.
I hope it helps someone.
Good luck to you all and take care of yourselves.
x
35 likes, 1120 replies
margie1951 chippy12
Posted
Dmanbas chippy12
Edited
My doctor told me that anxiety is causing the muscles in my throat that are used to swallow are clenching involuntarily. This makes having globus physically difficult to eat. Has anyone else experienced trouble eating?
charo88321 Dmanbas
Posted
I have no problem swallowing but food comes back up
Is horrible
katie16755 Dmanbas
Posted
Hiya, I don't have a problem eating but have had it before when I go to swallow and I can't swallow, that's definitely stress and anxiety!
With my globus I feel like I have continual phlegm that I need to clear but in the last month when I swallow saliva I get gurgling in my throat, this is driving me mad!! Does anyone else have gurgling in their throat?? Dr said it's because I'm swallowing air 🤔
charo88321 katie16755
Posted
Katie
Same thing here. Is a constant flem. And now I started coughing too.
I'm going to start a food and drink diary . I feel like it could be an allergic reaction that attacks the throat . I feel like it swells up and that's what causes the whole thing!
katie16755 charo88321
Edited
Hi charo,
I don't cough too much but throat feels irritated, I do sometimes feel acid but strangely not when laying down it just comes at random times in the day, all very odd.
You don't get a gurgling feeling in the throat though? I must be the only weird one with that 😬 Will ask for endoscopy soon as I'm not satisfied that it's just globus...
charo88321 katie16755
Posted
Yesterday I had a good day
I avoided eggs and fatty foods and did pretty well
I started keeping a journal
Will see what makes me feel that lump in the throat !
katie16755 charo88321
Posted
Hi charo,
That's good to hear!
I don't eat fatty foods but I love eggs 😬😬
I do feel acid on occasions so do wonder if that's what is causing my globus.
Best of luck to you
charo88321 katie16755
Posted
So do you eat eggs?
katie16755 charo88321
Posted
I do yes 😬
I'll try without for a few days and see if any change.
I've always eaten eggs and never suffered this before but it's definitely worth going without to see if it helps
charo88321 katie16755
Posted
Me too ! I have eaten eggs all my life but Since I stop eating eggs 5 days ago I have not gotten anything on my throat
Try it and let me know
katie16755 charo88321
Edited
Hi charo,
So annoying as I love eggs but hate this throat thing!! I'll definitely stop and let you know!
You don't suffer with gurgling in the throat do you?
charo88321 katie16755
Posted
I do
I feel like my saliva thickens and sometimes I can't stop coughing
I love eggs too but I think is because they are high in fat so our pancreas cannot metabolized
Even good fats I notice gives me the problem if I eat too much
katie16755 charo88321
Posted
I don't really get the coughing just gurgling every time I swallow, ent said it's because I'm swallowing air 🤔 Not sure I believe that!
I'll definitely try no eggs now and see if it helps 😊
charo88321 katie16755
Posted
Katie!
I found it!
Read this
I could not believe it!
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/what-is-thrush
katie16755 charo88321
Posted
Hi charo!
That's very interesting and I also thought about thrush myself a while ago even though I've never suffered before, would my ENT specialist have not noticed I had thrush when he looked in their with a tube 🤔
I have had an antihistamine this morning and it does feel slightly better than yesterday, plus I've had no eggs!
I still think with the gurgling in my throat it's caused by reflux.
I take ACV and I will take olive leaf extract so that should help if there was any thrush! We will get rid of this one day!!!
deon28030 katie16755
Posted
Hi Katie and Charo,
I hope you all are doing good. Just wanted to chime in. I'm not sure about the eggs thing but I'm curious. Katie, I do have a tingling, crawling type sensation in my throat but it is actually a much better feeling than the choking and straining. Have you tried the peppermint oil yet? I just love what it does to open up my breathing.
Charo, I don't know why moderators delete our posts. They do that to me too, and I have no idea what I say that offends them.
katie16755 deon28030
Posted
Hi deon,
i havent had eggs in 2 days and have gone back to feeling like I'm being strangled along with gurgling and acid, so quite fed up!!
havent tried the peppermint oil yet, do you just inhale?
Very odd that posts get deleted 🤔
deon28030 katie16755
Edited
Hi Katie,
If you are cutting things out of your diet (eggs) it probably will take longer than two days to make a difference. So if you think it may help, keep going. I'm sorry that you had a bad day. Mine of course is not completely gone. But I think I'm just so used to it by now. Before it was constantly on my mind, but now I forget that I have it most of the day. Which is so great. It never fully goes away but I think through acceptance, and just being used to this feeling, it feels better. I really try to be positive about it everyday.
In the beginning, I used to throw up in my mouth a lot because of it. Atleast a couple times a day. That may have been due to acid. But now that symptom is gone.
I use pure peppermint oil and put it directly where it hurts on my throat, and also on my nose/nostrils. It may burn a tiny bit. And then I just breathe deep. Maybe the peppermint tricks me and changes the sensation just enough that it doesn't bother me for the time being. But it is very temporary.
I wonder if you would like to exchange contact info so I can talk to you directly, and how we could do that?
Moderators? Can you advise?
katie16755 deon28030
Posted
Hi deon, yes I will give eggs longer but in a way I'd be gutted as I love eggs!!
I believe mine stems from tension in my neck, I was lifting a very heavy mattress and was in a lot of pain the next day but also stressed as all kids at home so I think the shouting too 🙊 Just triggered this in my throat, if only I could turn back time!!
I'll try the peppermint !
I have some good days and when busy I do sometimes forget but sometimes especially when it feels like being strangled I feel quite claustrophobic with it.
So has your acid feeling gone?
I sometimes think I have caused a hiatus hernia lifting the mattress but I'll only know once I get an endoscopy.
I'd be more than happy to talk.
Have a good day 😃