Pain in the left side of throat near Adam's apple

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My throat has been hurting for two weeks.  It's not your typical sore throat, it's like a pain left outside of the throat near edge of Adam's apple. It doesn't hurt when I swallow like a normal sore throat would, but it kind of has it's own little spasms of pain.  Let me describe these symptoms more specifically: Comes on and off, frequetly everyday.  It is located adjacent to my adam's apple, but further back.  (if you feel your adams apple, take two fingers and move more back, around your throat tract) and that's where the pain is.  The pain is like a little pinch.  It's tolerable, but it is incredibly annoying.  It mostly hurts on the left side. The pain is there no matter what my actions are.  If I talk, sneeze, blow my nose, yawn Somethings is pricking with sharp needle at edge of my Adams Apple. no swelling in my throat, swollen lymph nodes nor it is tight.  Rarely, I'll have to breathe deeper because of this. There is no swollen area from what I can tell.  So I'm wondering if this has anything to do with thyroid or lymph nodes? Maybe tonsils? Or throat Cancer i dont know.  I'm not very educated about the throat. ALSO, I have NO cold symptoms, whatsoever. I am on anti biotics (amoxcyclin) for a week and ibuprofen 400mg for a week. No let-up from the sharp pinch and dull aching in the left side of the neck. I only have trouble with swallowing saliva when I sneeze, yawn, talk on the phone, burp or yawn. Normal drinking & eating food is fine. I also feel very dull pain in the left ear.

Please help me.  I'm really terrified & worried about this as my grandma died of throat cancer many many years ago.

Thank you so much for any of your input or advice.

I genuinely appreciate it.

11 likes, 103 replies

103 Replies

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  • Posted

    I highly encourage anyone who's experienced these symptoms long-term (one-sided pain in throat/ear, feels better when swallowing solid foods) to look into the possibility of Eagle syndrome. I had this debilitating condition for YEARS before I received a diagnosis, and saw every health professional you can think of - ENT, GI, endocrinologist, etc. I had to bring up the potential diagnosis to my ENT - the SAME ONE who had told me everything was fine years prior. Got a CT scan and guess what - that's what it was.

    I'm incredibly sorry to anyone who has this symptom, it nearly ruined my life. Ask an ENT for a CT scan and specifically mention Eagle syndrome. It is relatively rare, so it may not be the answer. But considering how I went through hell with no answers, I'd really love to spare anyone from that kind of suffering! Best of luck to you all.

  • Posted

    My grandmother died of throath cancer a few months before I started feeling something verry similar to what you're describing.

    I have been trying to ignore it for almost a year now. I am not certain that it's cancer (can be some form of reflux?). Anyways my grandmother was describing similar sympthoms before beeing hospitalized.

    I have used some small amount of tobacco over the last two years.

    Sometimes the pain is there, somethimes not. Usually fine when eating, but worse when swallowing saliva. Planning a doctors visit.

    • Posted

      I hope this help. I had a pain in my left ear. It was so painful and  needle sticking me in my throat , went to the doctor a week later gave me  anabiotic . After the pain had me up all night I found this board and reading the post and the word esophagus and    Acid  reflux disease reminded me of my  hart burn medicine called pantoprazole 40 mg. Started my first dose in the am and when I tell you I feel better, and cracked my neck. I hope this help you and  anyone who is reading ,, I don't think it's cancer.  Good luck 

  • Posted

    Hope this help

    After reading all the post on the pain in the left ear in pain as I read them. He hit me that have.  Being diagnosed with acid reflex  and damaged  Esophagus . So I knew I had medicine for that called pantoprazole 40 mg  twice a day ,it is a  digestive disease. I felt compelled to write my solution , I feel so much better.  The pain was the in inflammation that damages the tube running from the throat the  stomach. I have (gastritis )

     It's the lining of my stomach was inflamed. Hope this help someone. It's  you helped me. Ps  I also got my naked cracked. Feel so much better.. 

  • Posted

    I am having a lot of these same symptoms. A pain around the the left side of the adam's apple, a consistent loud deep cough that I can't get rid of. A constant tickling of the throat. this has been going on for two weeks. At wits end. How tall are you do you mind me ask. Along with this I have recently been confirmed with an umbilical hernia

  • Posted

    I just figured I'd weigh in on this since I was going through the exact same thing and worked it out on my own. It's for sure reflux related. I had been suffering from this for a week until I started treating it as reflux. Took a 14 day course of Prilosec and I was better but what really helped was drinking a baking soda/water solution at least once a day to settle the acid and soothe the bottom of your throat. If the reflux is really bad you'll probably need to go get some prescription medication but this worked itself out quite normally for me.

  • Posted

    I have searched the internet for so long, I've even read this post several times, I think I found the answer. Look up Glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Every symptom was spot on. It eased my mind regarding cancer. 

    • Posted

      Possible glossalpharyngeal neuralgia.

      I have sharp pain in the left side of my neck/throat, left of and above the adams apple. I've had this problem for about 10 years. The pain comes on most often from talking than from other activities and it gets worse the more I talk. When the symptoms are at their worst, it even hurts just to say a couple words. At these times I will avoid talking as much as I can at work and at home. Eating and swallowing don't cause the symptoms but opening my mouth very wide for flossing or for the dentist can bring symptoms. Kissing and making out with my girlfriend can also be painful. Talking causes the most pain, however. I try to talk in a very neutral voice and usually keep the volume lower because that helps somewhat. I don't

      talk in loud environments unless I lean in an inch from the other person's ear. I've seen many ENT's and even a couple of the top ENT's in Oregon at OHSU. I've had scopes down my throat probably 4 different times and had an MRI of my throat as well. We've ruled out reflux, tried botox injections in the throat, muscle relaxants, voice therapy, massage, and nerve medications (side effects were too strong for me with the nerve medication). Where we left off was the ENT referring me to a neurologist. The neurologist thinks it's glossalpharyngeal neuralgia and he thinks he can help. I need to follow up as its been 6 months since that appointment. Hopefully he can perform some tests to see if that's really the cause. It's been very tough with this throat pain issue. I avoid most social situations and found it hard to make connections with people. Talking to them causes me sharp pain. Luckily I have a strong support system in my family and my girlfriend. I've been managing well with my career although I have to work through the pain often. I will update once I see the neurologist again.

    • Posted

      hi michael

      now what about your symptoms i am also having same think for last 2month please update your condition.

    • Posted

      Hey guys I’m having same exact thing for a week now exactly. Left side of throat just to left of Adam’s apple, days 1-2 I felt like I had a piece of hair stuck/poking far back left side of tongue almost, doesn’t hurt really just irritating. Days 3-5 were the worst. Pokey hair feeling went away, but the swallowing irritation increased. Last 2 days it’s been slowly getting better. I drink regularly, and chew tobacco for 10yrs. Everyone once in a while I’ll have a sharp pain in my left ear, I have extremely bad acid reflux though too.  I’m going to a great family doctor tomorrow. (Apr 9). Hopefully I can help. See u tmrw 
  • Posted

    Have the same symptoms plus I can't turn my head to the left without pain and when I use my left hand or lift anything hurts

  • Posted

    I feel the same pain  sorta but I got a toothache to but I just don’t no what happing.. I Had sex with this girl a week after my throat started hurting but I wasn’t sick it just was my throat I didn’t kiss her are nothing so I wanna know what is going on . The doctor told my I don’t have no flu or anything . He did say when he look down my throat he said looked swollen in small

  • Posted

    I feel the same pain  sorta but I got a toothache to but I just don’t no what happing.. I Had sex with this girl a week after my throat started hurting but I wasn’t sick it just was my throat I didn’t kiss her are nothing so I wanna know what is going on . The doctor told my I don’t have no flu or anything . He did say when he look down my throat he said looked swollen in small

  • Posted

    I have the same symptoms as this person above and am going to the doctors today but was worried it isn't something serious.

    • Posted

      What did your Dr say. I am now at the Pain unit yesterday they block my left gland. This is not a field trip. I was treated with tonsil carcinoma and it looks as side effects. I call it friendly fire effect never though it will reach this stage.
    • Posted

      My dr said I had ulcers and my throat was swallow so I was given antibiotics and something to help my throat rid of the ulcers and changed what mouthwash I used and went to pharmacist to ask them for a green strepsil which you mustn’t eat drink anything hot as it numbs your throat mouth I used this for half the year and then my throat got better on it’s own and am better now and taking it a day at a time so far been half a year without throat problems but I am a carer and like a doctor I’d need to see prescribe help you from your symptoms and I could help you as I work in the medical proffesion but first I’d ask you to go to your doctor be honest say how it started and BE HONEST FORWARD ANOUT TOUR SYMPTOMS TRY TO REMEBER EVERYTHING DOCTORS CAN ONLY HELP IF KNOW THE TRUTH AND IT HELPS NEVER HET ANGRY FRUSTRATED WITH THEM I DO BECAUSE I WORK IN CARE KNOW MY BODY WELL AND ID ADVISE EVERYONE THE SAME WHAT TOU ATE WHO YOU KISSED ETC BECAUSE ITS ALL RELATED FROM JAMES 
    • Posted

      Thanks mine us a result of friendly fire radio quimio treatment . Now I have started with blocking the glands with radiofrecuency and it's not improvingoing. Cancer was beat twice.

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