Sore throat, neck and shoulder pain, and health anxiety

[Mascarponeandwine]

Had this for over a month now! Fed up of worrying I must have a tumour hidden somewhere. Am existing on anti inflammatories to help the random twinges of pain in my neck (both front and sides). Pain also migrates to top of shoulder sometimes.

Antibiotics helped initially (cleared the mucus), they seemed to calm the throat inflammation, but the course has now long finished and the neck twinges of pain still happening.

Thought it might be thyroid, but GP examined me and can’t find anything except an inflamed throat, so have GERD medication to try. Do I just sit it out? Could it be an infection - it’s been 5 weeks now! Still consumed by the thought it’s going to be a hidden cancer, though GP said he’d have referred straight to ultrasound if he’d seen any red flags.

Anyone have any other ideas?

[Nogodsnomasters]

I could literally have wrote your post from start to finish. The sore throat is it mild? Like not unbearable to swallow etc if so and continuing this long it probably could be GERD, do you have other symptoms of GERD such as lump feeling in throat occasionally trouble swallowing, heart burn, indigestion?

The pain in neck and shoulders is probably muscle tension pain from your stress and anxiety, I would really recommend going on YouTube and finding a video of either Pilates or yoga for neck/shoulder stretches and give this a go, a few times a week for a month and see if you find any improvement. Also any form of exercise such as walking will really help improve your general mindset of worry if you do it on a regular basis.

Mine is obvious and causes chronic tension headaches, I'm now fed up with putting up with it after 3 years so I'm putting in the effort of what I've advised above and keeping a diary of pain/headaches to monitor my improvement.

[Mascarponeandwine]

Exactly! Sore throat is mild and the globus feeling in throat comes and goes. I have had some heartburn recently, and wondered if it was enough to kick all this off. The prescription from the doctor has reduced it though (even though it’s only been a couple of days).

Common sense tells me that if something was really wrong the lymph nodes in my neck might be swollen. That’s what I keep telling myself!

[Nogodsnomasters]

Yes I've had the globus lump in throat occasionally and nausea and trapped wind and funny tastes in mouth etc, I'm not on treatment for GERD but I know I have it and I know my anxiety doesn't help it.

You're right about your lymph nodes and I know nothing a doctor can say will reassure you for long (as I'm the same!) But if you try the exercises and keep a diary of symptoms and you can see with evidence for yourself that it's improving alongside the medicine then that should be proof enough to soothe your intrusive thoughts about this.

[Mascarponeandwine]

It’s really hard when you’re anxious. I always worry that the one time I conclude that it’s anxiety, would be the one time that it’s something sinister.

Still, if there’s no red flags to the gp then I have to try and let it go. Symptoms are so real though!

[Nogodsnomasters]

100% same here, if I don't worry and research and this is the one time it's actually SOMETHING then how will I ever forgive myself? And also one of these times...it's gonna be something! It's a very hard mentality to break but we have to try to because otherwise our anxiety is going to rule our lives.

I've now got a painful lump in my armpit since yesterday and my goodness the fear....but I'm going to try my best to stay rational and keep an eye on it instead of googling and panicking.

[Mascarponeandwine]

My neck has been much better today, in fact better over the past few days. Not so much for my throat, which is just sore sore sore. Which is weird, as I haven’t had a temperature or virus that I know of. The GERD meds are working though.

A sore throat could be anything though...maybe I need to ask for antibiotics? It’s not strep throat, as that’s agony and this is just - dry inflamed and irritating. 5 weeks now....

I suppose I have to sit it out (and worry) until I see the gp again.

A painful lump in armpit is likely to be a small cyst I would’ve thought. Easy to say though, so hard to believe when it’s you in the thick of it.

[Nogodsnomasters]

Thanks op. I'm glad your GERD meds are working, definitely moving in the right direction of managing symptoms. Do you have another GP appointment coming up?

Trying not to freak out that it's some sort of infected boil/abcess type jobby but im controlling it rather well (the anxiety that is not the lump lol)

[Mascarponeandwine]

Well done, it’s not easy keeping things in perspective.

The sore throat is better today than it was yesterday, but now my voice has gone croaky! To be fair I’ve used it a lot this weekend, but of course am now symptom matching to thyroid and throat disease. Maybe it’s a virus. Neck pain still there but very mild, hopefully that’s going to disappear forever now.

[Mascarponeandwine]

Think it’s a cold virus as am also snotty.

[Nogodsnomasters]

You may also be getting a cold at the same time as the GERD symptoms. Have you had a blood test for thyroid and the likes? I'm due on myself on 3rd march but not related to my GERD symptoms as I've not discussed them with GP before/yet. The test is for my tiredness and headaches.

My armpit lump is still there but a lot less painful so I'm hoping it's an ingrown hair or a pimple, I am spot-prone.

[Mascarponeandwine]

Hope your lump is settling down. Yes I had a thyroid blood test which was fine. I’ve read that sinister thyroid nodules don’t generally have symptoms at least initially, so I doubt that’s the cause of all this.

There’s another post on here about a chesty virus that’s gone on for 6 weeks, maybe I have something like that. Seems odd that I haven’t had a temperature though.

[Nogodsnomasters]

Do you have a chesty cough alongside the throat symptoms? My lump is still there but no pain anymore so I'm still trying the wait and see approach.

[Mascarponeandwine]

A little bit, but not much. I think the antibiotics are keeping any spread to the chest at bay. But throat persists! Accompanied by an awful taste in my mouth today, though that’s better than the throat pain.

Am quite relieved I’ve had snot and ears popping as at least it indicates a virus. Fed up of croaking voice though - day 5 now

[Nogodsnomasters]

Definitely sounds like a viral infection mixed with GERD which one of the symptoms is a funny taste in mouth or a funny smell in nose ( I get both from time to time).