A while ago I posted a note about my
constant sore throat which I have had for
about 9 months now. My doctor could not
find anything wrong with me. Now the sore
throat itself is gone and has been
replaced by a horrible aching, burning
grape sized lump in the left side of my
throat below my tonsil. My tonsil is
still a little bit swollen, but not like
before, and the white spots are gone. I
went back to my doctor for this and she
said that the lump in my throat was a
lymph node. I thought that a swollen
lymph node would show outside of my neck
not in my throat! It hurts so bad it is
driving me crazy! I am getting nowhere
with my doctor. She keeps running all
these blood tests and strep tests and mono
tests and they are always negative! If
anyone might know what the heck is wrong
with me,
|
fasholafay
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 8 Location: Virginia
Posted: 04-30-04 04:14am
Hi my name is carolyn am I think are
symptons are very similar. Mine started
about 2/3 weeks ago with slight cold
symptons and a sore throat. Also coughing
and I was taking the usual medications,
but I never really developed a cold, but
my throat became worser and worser and now
i'm beginning to become alarmed. Havent
seen a dr yet----no insurance. At times
(like now) it seems as if its getting
better and then it starts hurting again,
hard to swallow, feels as if there is a
small sore knot at the back of my throat.
I just pray it goes away!!! Let me know
how you continue to feel. Better I hope
carolynfaye
|
sandyallen
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 02 Feb 2004 Posts: 4580
Pmarie Posted: 04-30-04 05:34am
Hi there! You always have a right to a
second opinion! Was that Dr. You
went to an ent specialist (ear, nose &
throat). Hope this has helped.
And fasholafay, if you or someone you know
will call around you should be able to
find at least one Dr. Who will arrange
payments under certain circumstances.
Sincerely,
sandy
|
Pmarie
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Apr 2004 Posts: 15 Location: WV
Mystery Throat Ailment Posted: 04-30-04 22:20pm
Thanks carolyn and sandy! It helps to
know that someone else shares my pain {not
that it makes us feel any better!} not
having insurance carolyn is no better than
having it in my situation! I have
insurance that covers 100% and I still
can't get an answer or any relief from
this pain! The doctor just keeps saying
that she doesn't know what is wrong with
me. I too have days when I feel better
and days when I am miserable! My family
is mad at me for being sick all the time!
Like I want to be! Carolyn, we have
something here in west virginia called a
health right free clinic where people with
no insurance can go to get treated. I had
to go there for 6 years while my husband
was out of work. Its not the greatest but
it is something. You could call your
local welfare office and see if they have
something like that where you live.Let me
know how you are doing my sisters in pain!
|
yanra
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 15 Location: sc
Posted: 05-08-04 02:43am
Could be oral thrush. Just a thought.
|
Tet5u
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 3
Posted: 07-09-04 04:10am
Does it by any chance seem like the things
in this thread?
|
TekWiz
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Posts: 3 Location: USA
Posted: 08-02-04 11:49am
I wonder if pmarie solved her problem. It
sounds like she had a throat infection for
months and then she was able to fight it
off, but the lymph nodes swelled as a
result of the body beating off the
infection. Lymph nodes can take a while
to subside. The fact that the tonsil is
smaller now shows that it was involved in
fighting off the infection and now the
infection is gone. There nothing that can
be done to reduce the swellings except
wait. The fact that all the medical tests
are negative should be reassuring.
|
Pmarie
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Apr 2004 Posts: 15 Location: WV
Myster Throat Ailment Posted: 08-03-04 12:31pm
No, I have no new info here. I still have
a sore spot in my throat just below my
left tonsil. I had an e n t doc look at
my tonsils and he said that they were not
infected. I found that hard to believe
because they had been covered in white
spots and swollen. I couldn't get a
second opinion because I lost my job and
health insurance. So here I sit today
still in pain and the lymph node under my
left jaw still swollen.
You sound quite a bit like me. I have
had a left sided sore throat for 2 years
(tonsil stones, took me ages to learn how
to get them out, now that side doesn't
hurt as much), and now my right side has
been sore for months. I can't see any
stones, but it looks swollen on the right
side, tonsil, etc. I would get the node
checked out. It's probably nothing, but
could it be mono going undetected, etc.
If your tonsils were covered in white
spots, etc, something was up. Find a new
ent when you can. Mine is good. At
leasts he keeps doing the scopes, seeing
me on a regular basis and gives me ideas
to help with the pain. Try a waterpick
on your tonsils (very gently), gargle
three times a day with baking soda and
salt, have you tried advil or tylenol
(they usually work for me when I can't
alleviate the pain).
Anyway, I haven't had any pain for a few
days which happens periodically, so i'm
going to enjoy. It will come back, it
always does for me.
Take care and I hope you are feeling some
relief soon.
Michelle
|
TekWiz
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Posts: 3 Location: USA
Similar Mystery Throat Ailment... Posted: 08-05-04 21:22pm
Sorry, pmarie, to hear that you are still
having this maddening problem. It is very
strange. It's like there's a chronic
infection that your immune system isn't
eradicating completely--but just keeping
in check. One interesting thing about
lymph nodes is that I read on the web (dr.
Walt stoll) that lymph nodes tend to
swell if you touch them (even once
according to Dr. Walt stoll--some sort of
built-in protective mechanism) and it
takes them 6 weeks to shrink again...
One suggestion I thought of--have you
tried aerobic exercise? It raises your
metabolism and maybe helps fight off
lingering infections? Haven't researched
this but I just thought of it.
I was a bit more active today, and I
notice that when i'm more active I tend to
feel better and have more energy.
I can relate--about 2 weeks ago I woke up
one morning with my nose running like a
faucet for about 3 hours. I even felt it
running into my throat, and I remember
thinking "oh! Oh! I hope that doesn't
start something" strange... Well, it
gradually subsided, I went outside and it
cleared completely. That evening I
suddenly developed a sore throat which got
worse quickly and was very painful the
next day. I think that the day after that
it was so bad that I woke up with a
swollen uvula as well. I also noticed
that my left tonsil seemed swollen.
I always am aware of the possibility of
strep, but I had no fever at all. Well
the sore throat cleared up by the third
day and the uvula swelling subsided. But
the tonsil remained swollen. After about
3 days, I again had a sore throat for a
day, and it went away again.
I was touching my lymph nodes on the
neck--(a little nervous after finding
leukemia 10 years ago like that), and I
suspect that I feel one a little swollen
on the left side below the jaw as you
describe.
My left tonsil remains swollen with no
change. The right one is pretty flat and
recessed, but this one is enlarged (maybe
twice the size of the right one and looks
more "bulbous" on top.) it has one little
white spot on the top--like it's a bit
injured. The right one has 3 white little
spots on it. Regarding my tonsils--i
noticed about a couple of months or more,
ago that I got these mysterious white
cheesy things that everybody describes and
tries to remove--and I noticed some white
spots and thought that I might have some
kind of low-level infection. Now there
aren't any more of the cheesy things
though. I did see one (they are
annoying--when they are there I could feel
them like something in my throat), but not
for the past few days. I also suspect
that I am feeling a little bit "sick" like
a bit sensitive--like when I have a cold,
but it gets better when I eat. I also
tend not to sleep as well these days for
some reason. I wake up after like 6 hours
and can't get into deep sleep again.
I was searching like crazy on the web
trying to see what it could be, but it's
really hard to tell. I check my fever
daily--like twice or three times and it's
always a bit less than normal. The
swollen tonsil worries me and I check it
like 3 or more times a day, but it doesn't
seem to change.
I also seem to spit up some green, and
today brownish phlegm in the morning--just
a bit though, and if I try, a little
slightly green or white during the day.
I understand that swollen glands can take
weeks to subside.
I think that I have some kind of allergic
reaction to something, maybe mold spores
from outside, or some viral throat
infection that caused my tonsil to swell
up. Whatever it is, it appears that it's
just lingering and not being cleared up
quickly by my immune system.
Very worrying and annoying--never noticed
such a thing before...
Tek.
P.S. I'm adding this several hours later
in the morning: before I went to sleep, I
took the advice I saw somewhere and added
baking soda to my salt gargle. I feel
better and my mouth feels cleaner. Is
baking soda as good for the mouth as for
the fridge/freezer? Magic remedy or
coincidence?
Last edited by TekWiz on 08-07-04 13:04pm; edited 1 time in total
|
Pmarie
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Apr 2004 Posts: 15 Location: WV
Mystery Throat Ailment Posted: 08-06-04 11:42am
Hey tek, thaks for talking to me! I know
how you feel it is very disruptive to life
to live in throat pain every day. As I
said before I have lost my job and as a
result lost my medical insurance so I was
not able to go back to my doctor I usually
see. I went yesterday to the free clinic.
It is sad that they took better care of
me there than my paid doctor did! They
put me on a high dose of antibiotic to see
if it is an underlying infection and also
some allergy meds to see if it is an
allergy. If these dont work in 14 days I
am scheduled for a scope to look in there
{finally}. I makes me very mad that I
begged my doctor for a scope for over a
year to look in there because I felt
something in my throat with my finger, a
rock hard mass now, just below my left
tonsil.She kept puttng me off.I go to the
free clinic and they insist on it. Makes
me wonder what good medical insurance is,
huh? No wonder west virginia is the
highist in the nation for medical
malpractice lawsuits!But yeah I am very
worried about cancer, cause as I said I
can feel a rock hard, almost bony growth
of some sort just as far as my finger will
reach into my throat.I got desperate is
why I jammed my finger in there! I just
had to know what was in there hurting! I
will try these pills, but I feel that it
is something worse. When I gargle there
is always some blood that I spit out and I
am running a fever now and my blood tests
yesterday showed that my liver enzymes
were up and that my thyroid is swollen.
Who knows! I am so frustrated! Well,
gonna go now. I will keep in touch with
everyone. Thanks all for sharing your
stories and I hope we all are well
soon!!!!
Hi pmarie, i'm sorry to hear you are
feeling even worse. It's a real shame
that there is no national health
insurance, a real irresponsibility on the
side of the government. I don't think the
amount of $ a doctor gets paid has any
bearing on their will or ability to
diagnose. I doctor won't say "i'm not a
very good doctor so i'll go work in a
clinic". In fact I think that human
nature is that the stupider you are, the
more you think of yourself. I have been
truly shocked and horrified by how badly
informed some doctors are about current
medical procedures and erroneus decisions
through personal experience. Good thing I
tend to do a lot of research
myself--thanks to the internet.
Regarding the mass in your throat, lymph
nodes can feel rock hard when they
enlarge. There are two sets of
tonsils--the lingual tonsils which you can
see and the palatine tonsils which are
located behind the tongue in the back of
the throat. I understand there are many
lymph nodes in the throat and in the
neck.
I believe that elevated liver enzymes and
a swollen thyroid can be indications of an
infection/virus. If there is some blood
in your sputum it could be related to the
infection. Not everything is cancer. But
since I am going through the same fears
and have had leukemia, which really helps
one become a hypochondriac, I can believe
how terrified you must be.
I truly hope it's really nothing bad and
gets resolved soon. Please keep us
updated.
Warmest wishes,
tek.
P.S. I made a mistake about that Dr. I
mentioned in my previous post--it's Dr.
Walt stoll. He is Dr. With 30 years
experience who left his medical practice
to run a website answering people's
questions for free. He hates the medical
"establishment". Http://askwaltstollmd.Com/
|
moad
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Australia
Constant Sore Throat Posted: 10-29-04 02:28am
Ok this is a bit long but it might ring
some bells for someone. I have posted a
similar piece on some other message boards
but this is the most up to date. It
sounds like many of us have the same sort
of sore throat, pmarie and I are old
friends.... :d ok, here goes. I started
getting the symptoms about eighteen months
ago. Before I go any further I have to
say that I was diagnosed with cfs and
fibro about fifteen years ago and have had
most of the symptoms that go with it, the
constant sore throat seems to be the
latest. When I got it I had the flu at
the time so I thought it was from the flu
because it was still sore a week or so
later. I went off to the doctor and they
gave me some antibiotics, that did no good
so they did a swab of the throat to see if
there was any bacteria there. All clear
there, so they put me on another course of
antibiotics but still no joy, in the end
they sent me to an ent, ears, nose and
throat specialist. He checked down my
throat to see if there were lumps to rule
out cancer then after finding nothing sent
me to a get a scan, a ct scan where they
inject you with a warm liquid and then
slide you into a machine that takes
x-rays, or something like that, of the
area they are checking out. That was
again to rule out any cancer. Nothing
showed up and I still had no answer so I
asked to see a second ent specialist and
after he examined me he said the other
specialist was right that there was no
cancer and he thought it was "post nasal
drip". Well I have taken the product
called "fess" that is to spray up your
nose for post nasal drip but again no joy.
Since then I have been to two other
doctors and they have not offered any
other solutions either, it is so
frustrating!!!!! I went to the third ent
in august and he said he felt I had
"reflux" even though I did not have the
symptoms for it. He checked up my nose
and down my throat with a camera and ruled
out any lumps as far as cancer went. I go
back to him this month (october) for a
follow up, nothings changed so it will be
interesting to see what he suggests.
Anyway the throat is still very red and
inflamed at the back and my voice goes
hoarse when I talk more than fiffteen
minutes or so, nothings changed. Just
before I started having the throat
problems I had some teeth extracted from
the top and bottom of my right had side
because I was getting pain there, my
dentist said there was nothing wrong with
the teeth but I said take them out because
they were killing me. Anyway to cut the
story short after they were taken out the
pain,although a lot less, was still in my
right hand jaw. I ended up going to a
oral specialist and he said that the
original pain in my teeth was not from the
teeth but from fibro myalgia and
myofascial pain, which is what I have had
for the last fifteen years since I had a
motor cycle accident. Now, as you know,
when you are sitting there with your
throat aching you try and think of things
that could of caused it or be causing it.
For me I am thinking maybe getting the
teeth pulled out caused more damage to the
jaw which in turn has irritated the
throat, the again maybe this had nothing
to do with it. I am only clutching at
straws but when you have this pain
continuously what else can you do. Have
you had any jaw problem? I have tried all
the things in alternative medicine books
for sore throats but still no relief. I
have had some times when the pain is not
as intense but it is still there, other
than that it is full on and driving me up
the wall. Well I am sorry if I went on
but maybe if any of you guys recognise
something that I am experiencing that you
also are going through I would love to
hear back from you with your thoughts and
if you have had any luck with finding out
what is causing yours.
By the way, I would really appreciate any
feed back.
Thanks
shane
|
Alicia Star
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9 Location: Hawaii
Sore Throat Posted: 10-31-04 15:54pm
Hi, I don't have the sore throat but I
empathize with you being a test bunny for
the medical system and them unable to help
you after all of that!
First, I would suggest you get on a
nutritional program to build up your
immune system. What do you eat?
The aloe vera juice (without sugar) has
come highly recommended from a friend who
has had throat problems as she is a public
speaker.
|
marelle
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Posts: 9
Sounds Familiar! Any Suggestions? Posted: 12-05-04 15:18pm
Wow. It took me a while to find anyone
with a problem similiar to mine, and moad
seems the closest. I have had a sore
throat for 6mos but the last three has
been nearly unbearable. My doctor gave
me allergy meds, steroid spray, and reflux
medicine even though I never have stomach
problems. I do feel drainage, though.
When the throat pain got really horrible,
he sent me to an ent. The ent did a
scope and saw thrush. (thanks to the
steroid spray!) I went on nystatin, then
diflucan. Then I had blood tests to
check for allergies and a ct scan. After
3 weeks, I couldn't even sleep or eat so I
parked my fanny in the ent's office until
he would see me. He did another scope
and this time since the thrush was gone,
he could see my lingual tonsil was very
infected. I went on augmentin and it
improved but I have been on augmentin for
30 days and every time i'm off it for a
few days, the pain becomes unbearable
again. He said I may have to have my
lingual tonsils out. They are located
back behind the tongue and can only be
seen with a scope. Has anyone had this
surgery? What causes lingual infections
and please tell me how great it is
afterwards! I looked back in my charts
and found I have been to the doctor 4
times in the last 18mos for my throat.
This must've been going on forever! Any
help would be appreciated-
Hi I am a pro singer and 3 months ago I
experienced over the course of a week
severe pains in my throat when
singing.This stopped me from working for
the past 3mths although the doc said it
was acute layrngitis.They put the camera
down and said it was all clear as I had
feared the dreaded nodules.I'm not the
type of singer who puts exessive strain on
my voice so I didn't think it would be
nodules anyway so I was relieved when they
said it was ok.
However I now have this feeling of
something in my throat ,a dryness,ache,i
find it hard to describe but the doc keeps
saying they can't find anything but you
know yourself when it just ain't right.I'm
extemely worried and upset about this
now.I've asked to see another specialist
but that could take up to another 3mths
and i'm due to go to in austria in january
to sing the winter season.My voice keeps
breaking down with one thing or another
which I believe are connected to the
original thing although the doctors
won't,can't confirm this.I am able to sing
now without the awful pain that brought
this all on but there is a constant
feeling of something not being right.Also
with the austria thing coming up i'm
worried that I won't be able to complete
the season.
Help
|
illuvleto
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 1 Location: New York
Posted: 01-06-05 00:18am
I am so happy I found your posting. I am
also a professional singer currently on
tour. My role is vocally strenuous
however I am a trained singer and never
thought I could have developed nodes. I
have had this awful soar throat thats been
sitting in the back of my throat for the
past month. The pain is even stronger
when I sing. I went to my ent who told
me that my chords are completely clear.
Even though I would never want a node, I
was so upset that he said nothing is wrong
because it just doesn't feel right when I
sing. Luckily I am on a break from tour
so i've been able to rest for two weeks.
However i'm supposed to go back on
saturday and I don't know how I am going
to sing 8 shows a week again. The worst
part is that I don't know if I should get
out of my contract when I can't prove that
something is actually wrong with me. :(
I just don't know what to do!
|
malibumick57
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 2 Location: England
Fellow Singers Posted: 01-20-05 20:35pm
Hey I replied to your letter yesterday but
incase you didn't get it here's a brief
summery.
I went to see a specialist last friday and
had a camera down my throat again only to
be told that everything was fine.I know
its not fine and I have had to cancel my
winter season in austria so far,i also
have a summer season in greece looming and
i'm doubting whether i'll be voice fit for
that either.It is so unfair,i wonder what
would happen if I was someone famous,would
they be able to get to the bottom of it
then?I even thought of writing to a famous
singer and asking for some advice but
whether they would reply or not who
knows?I may give it a try yet.
Anyway thank you so much for responding to
my original note it means a lot to know
that there are people out there who truely
understand.Its been 5 mths for me now
since this horrible thing happened to me
and it remains an ache,dryness,a lump in
the throat,i'm at a loss as to how to
describe it other than it just isn't
right.
However I refuse to believe that my career
is over and I will find the answers i'm
looking for.
I wish you all the best of luck with your
own problems and i'm hoping that someone
will come along soon and say,"hey I know
what that is" instead of some fool doctor
saying "well it looks fine to me maybe its
stress,"well excuse me, all I know is that
when this happened 5mths ago I wasn't
stressed so for gods sake take my word for
it,it's an injury of some sort and get to
the bottom of it.
I know i'm loosing my mind but you know
when you get sick of patronising doctors
who just don't listen.Maybe if it was
their future on the line they might take a
bit more interest.
Sorry again folks but you know what I
mean.
Best wishes
mick :cry:
|
babygirl_27
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jan 2005 Posts: 5
Mystery Throat Ailment Posted: 02-27-05 00:21am
:d
i also have the some of the same problems
pmarie has with the constant soar throat
the red swollen tonsils and white debree
in them. Its called cryptic chronic
tonsilitis. And if antibiotics dont help
the only thing to do is get your tonsils
out. And I too felt the rock hard mass in
my in my throat when I stuck my finger
down there. I was concerned about cancer
but was told its my lymphnodes swollen to
try and fight the infection cuz its viral.
And antis cant do a thing about it.
Try some boosting of your immune system.
Vitamin c pills zinc and magnesium to
help. And the antibiotics do more harm
them help if your pain does not go away
and neither do the symptoms. There is a
web site call coqui in winterfalls that
has helpfull testimonys from people that
have the same problems and had there
tonsils out.. I have had this for 3
months and it just wont go away. Also
mind over matter the more you think about
it the more it just wont go away....
|
babygirl_27
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jan 2005 Posts: 5
Mystery Throat Ailment Posted: 02-27-05 00:22am
:d
i also have the some of the same problems
pmarie has with the constant soar throat
the red swollen tonsils and white debree
in them. Its called cryptic chronic
tonsilitis. And if antibiotics dont help
the only thing to do is get your tonsils
out. And I too felt the rock hard mass in
my in my throat when I stuck my finger
down there. I was concerned about cancer
but was told its my lymphnodes swollen to
try and fight the infection cuz its viral.
And antis cant do a thing about it.
Try some boosting of your immune system.
Vitamin c pills zinc and magnesium to
help. And the antibiotics do more harm
them help if your pain does not go away
and neither do the symptoms. There is a
web site call coqui in winterfalls that
has helpfull testimonys from people that
have the same problems and had there
tonsils out.. I have had this for 3
months and it just wont go away. Also
mind over matter the more you think about
it the more it just wont go away....
