Swollen outer throat, Difficulty swallowing, numb/no sensation when swallowing

I have not suffered any of the symptoms you have but it sounds quite frightening. I was diagnosed with achalasia 4 years ago but the symptom started with acid reflux but got progressively worse to the point I couldn't even drink in the end without it coming back up. I did have an operation for this and everything was fine for a year then I suffered with muscle spasms of the oesophagus, these are extremely painful but I now have Borulinum toxin injection (Botox) which has been a great help. I am sorry this doesn't help you but I hope you find out the cause very soon and don't have to suffer too long before you find out exactly what the cause is.

Hi Cathie, Thanks for your reply. Sorry to hear about what you have been suffering with that doesnt sound nice at all. I hope the botox continues to give you some relief.

Yes im struggling for ideas as to what could be causing my issues. Another thing which I should have mentioned is that my mouth is contastly so dry, I drink tons of water but its doesnt help. These things must be linked.

This is the most bizzare symptoms that I have heard of! I feel for you but I wanted to respond to let you know that most doctors chalk mysterious symptoms like this to Acid Reflux. It's so typical and it also happened to me and I have Achalasia. It generally takes about 2 years for a diagnosis and 40% of the time doctors get it wrong. 

If I were you I would try and see a Throat Dr. I feel like they will be able to guide to correctly. 

Also it sounds like you may also have burning mouth syndrome with the dryness issue. Look into this with the Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor. It's a good start and most know what they are doing! Good luck..

Hi, I have had your symptoms.  For me it was reflux, although it was more obvious since I could feel the heartburn.  I don't know about "silent reflux" or its rarity; my symptoms included a numb-ish-feeling throat and odd sensations, especially like something caught in my throat near the top and just a general sense of swollenness in my throat, under my jaw and occasionally in my tongue, making me mumble words from time to time.  Basically, the most worrying part of them was just that things like swallowing or spitting felt somehow 'different' or 'uncomfortable', and there was a minor soreness, but mostly it was just very worrying.  What a lot of the swelling sensation might be is from two sources: The general inflammation from the reflux, and the tails of your tonsils becoming inflamed and enlarged, which lie deeper in your throat than you can see.

You should see a GI, and they will probably want to do an upper endoscopy or a CT; if you are experiencing that degree of erosion, you probably have pathological symptoms lower in your esophagus which can eventually become quite problematic in a variety of ways.  The ENT has little to offer you; if they can't see it from in your mouth, then the only other things they can do is a sinuscopy (which is very limited in the parts of your throat that can be explored, and is wholly unpleasant!) or send you to a radiologist for a CT, as far as non-surgical things go.  The gastroenterologist has the much more sophisticated endoscopy, and can also order a CT if they think it's a good idea.  So really, I agree with your doctor in that the GI is the next step in your diagnosis.

Good luck, stop stressing!

Hi everyone,

So just an update on this and hopefully some advice if anyone has any. So around a year on from when my throat went "numb" or when the swallow mechanism and cartilage seemed to stop moving correctly, I am still here with exactly the same symptoms. 

I tried medication for reflux but that made no change. Im sure it isn't reflux thats causing these symptoms anyway; I have since been back and seen another ENT who said I do not have reflux and there is no sign of any reflux, so im not sure what the previous ENT saw, think he just wanted to fob me off. Anyway the ENT doesn't know what suggest regarding my numb throat, they cant see anything wrong inside the throat using the camera but he said maybe there is some damage to some cartilidge or a ligamant in there causing these symptoms but he doesnt have any ideas on what can be done and says it may be something I have to live with. Not exactly what I wanted to hear.

Anyway I was refered on to a speech therapist to see if they had any ideas. I have seen them a few times now and they cannot work out what is going on either. I had a video flouroscopy/barium swollow study, they could not see anything signifcant other than my epiglottis apparently looks bunced up and the whole are looks tense and restricted they say. They dont know what to suggest and say theres not anything more they can do.

So now im really not sure what to do? Something has structurally malfuctioned in my throat, the whole area is swollen and often aches by the end of the day. When I swollow with my head in a normal position if feels like the throat cartilidge is unable to move upwards freely and contract as it would when normal, It feels like there is something blocking the upward movement and I imagine this would be why I feel no sensation "numb" in the throat when I swallow. If I tilt my head slightly forward and down when I swollow there is a loud crack like the cartidldge is trying to move upward past something but it gets caught on it and clicks on the way up.

Has anyone experienced anything like this? Did you manage to find out what it was and find a resolution? Would really appreciate any ideas. Maybe I try and push for an MRI? cant see them giving me one though.

Sorry for such a long post, this numb non existent swallow, the swelling and the clicking is just really getting me down.

 

I literally have the same symptoms as you! I have crackling in throat feels like I need to clear my throat, numbness in throat, my ears pop, it's so bizarre!!

My grandmother had something very similar to what you're having. Have you been tested for a hyanial hernia ( i'm sure I did not spell that correctly)

Please tell me you still get on !! So i read your first post about the brain fog headaches ringing etc and your symptoms matched mine literally to a TEE so I clicked your profile, seen this post and I also have this issue as well!!!!!!! There is no way that's a coincidence !

I suffer these symptoms too, it's horrendous and made worse by not getting any answers from tests or scans. I have seen two ENTs and neither can get to the bottom of it but just say it might be calcification or ossification of a cartilage and not to worry, yet for me it has got progressively worse from first happening very rarely when I swallowed saliva to now happening virtually all the time with food and drink. 

Google searches are scary and throw up multiple possible causes ranging from serious neurological and autoimmune diseases to TMJ problems and tight pterygoid muscles. The numb sensation is the worst bit for me, it's like I can't tell if I have swallowed properly and worry that it might have gone down the wrong hole  

Has anyone had any answers or progress since they last posted? It is reassuring to know a few people have the same symptoms, hopefully one of us will strike it lucky with a diagnosis and pass it on.