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What Causes Severe Sore Throat When Diagnosed With Anxiety?

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Posted on Mon, 3 Apr 2017
Question: Dear Doctor .....
I am trying to use Functional Food..... Just Got a Ton of Blood Work Back ..... Everything is Excellent .... Even tried testing for H Pylori -- Negative Celiac -- Negative ..... My Suprasternal Notch area either tickles or is like a sore throat .... Either/Or ..... Its Crazee --- I am a Competitive Golfer and during a Thanksgiving Outing .... I messed up my Meniscus in my Knee .... Couldn't work out for 3 weeks .... I work out 6 to 7 days a week for the last 19 years .... So after I was not being active ... I thought I was having issues with my heart ... Wore a 24 hr Monitor .... All Tests came back Great ..... Still getting the Spasms in the Chest and the Tickle in the Throat ...... Got with a Functional Medicine Doctor and Now Stomach not as Bad .... Flutters in the Chest ... Not as Bad ... But still there .... But the Tickle and then sore Throat by the Suprasternal Notch is Horrible .... Plus ... Now actually feel Exhausted -- Like a Truck hit me ... Maybe Anxiety is kicking in and Not helping either ..... Thoughts, XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
May be GERD or achalasia or even hiatal hernia

Detailed Answer:
Hi! Thanks for sharing your concerns with us. We will try to help you in best way possible. First of all, it is sad to know what you had gone through.

Based on the history you have shared, it is good that most of the blood work is fine and so is work up for H pylori, but even if yeh se are normal certain issues like GERD that is gastro esophageal regurge or achalasia or increased tone of upper stomach opening causing accumulation of food at the site may be the cause. Similarly hiatal hernia may also present like feeling of bone impaction behind the sternum.

Using motility agents like domperidone alongwith antacids like omeperazole or pantoprazole before meals may be started preliminary though an endoscopy and barium swallow should be planned after basic work up like EKG and chest Xray to rule out other issues relating to chest.

Using soft diets, small buy frequent diets and avoiding heavy greasy fatty meals and fizzy drinks may also be helpful.

Wishing you a speedy recovery. Hope this has answered your query, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (23 minutes later)
I am a Very Active Athlete .....

What if I try the Functional Method first ......

And Get myself back to Normal from Over Alkalizing.....

I don't want to go for an
Endoscopy .....

So I go to 2 Doctors ..... I know Quite well ....

And they tell me I have GERD ......

So One thing I forgot to ask them ... Maybe you can Help .....

Certain parts of the day ... I may feel like I got hit by a truck ( Fatigue and Body aches ) ...... Can this be the GERD .....

ALL my Blood Work .... which I just got .... EVERYTHING is EXCELLENT .....

Wondering if GERD can do this to a person .....

And So Now after using a Functional Medicine Doctor for 1 month ..... Here are my Results

I don't get Heartburn or Reflux anymore .....

When I get a little Anxious ... I kind of feel some Esophagus spasms .....

and I get constant tickle in my throat ......

I do talk a lot for work and have to clear my throat .... Phlegm ...

Seems like I also get Excess Saliva .... at times ....

And then because of that .... I will get a blister on in between the upper and lower lip .....

This is Crazy ....

Feels like I get bouts of the flu without having the flu .....

Like I've been hit by a truck .... Just when you start feeling good .... It hits you .....

1. Is this how GERD reacts ??? .... and

2. How long before recovery .... ???

I am using a Functional Doctor --- On Cleanse and Supplements ....

Functional Doctor says I have to get My Acid Correct in my Gut ....

Regular MD tells me to take over the counter stuff to get the Acid Out ....

So Confused .....
Can GERD from time to time ... allow you to also have some back pain ....

Curious .....

I read a to of people will also get some back pain from time to time with GERD ...

Why is that ???
doctor
Answered by Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (8 hours later)
Brief Answer:
All Symptoms are explained by the GERD

Detailed Answer:
Hi! Thanks for the feedback. Yes it's quite possible that all the symptoms were triggered by stress in the first place or may be a subjective feeling like no organic cause except the psychological interpretation of the symptoms. It's called globus sensation however GERD explains almost all of the symptoms and it is allways advisable to rule out organic or physical causes before consulting a functional doctor so that it can reassured that we are not missing something grave here.

Fear of endoscopy needs to be discussed in detail in a session with your gastroentrologist so that you can share your concerns with him and you may find it feasible to have endoscopy or esophageal pH monitoring.

Meanwhile if you are getting relief with the functional disease doctor you can continue the regimen with which you have experienced symptomatic relief however consultation with s consultant psychiatrist or a motivational psychologist may also help to alter the modifiable risk factors like emotional stressers in your case.

Wishing you a speedy recovery. Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (9 hours later)
Seeing that I am getting better with Functional Doctor .....

My Doctor that fixed My Hernia in my Groin and my MD ....

Said keep working with Functional Doctor for 3 months .... If symptoms are still there then work from there .....

I think when my Anxiety gets real High which can be often from OCD .....

That is when everything all symptoms come on strong ....

I have Only been working with Functional Doctor for 2 weeks and things have gotten better .....

I wanted to give you All my Symptoms so you can see All that is happening .... This only started about 8 weeks ago ... Was real bad and now a bit better after seeing Functional Doctor ....

Functional Doctor says on a Scale of 1 - 10 of 10 being the worse ... I am a 2 maybe a 3 and through diet and Functional Supplements he can stop all this without any scopes ... He told me No scopes yet .....

I was giving you everything that has happened ( not at the same time) ...So you could understand what has happened ... The crazy thing is that this didn't slowly work its way up to this point .... It All came to me All at Once .... Its was Crazy ...

Most All Symptoms are a Lot better and some even gone with Functional Doctor now.... The Docs said that i should give this Functional Doctor time ( 3 months ) .... before I try anything else ....

What has me confused is Functional Doctors all told me I wasn't Digesting my food properly because I didn't have enough Acid in my gut and the Acid in the gut was not as low as it should be for digestion of food .... And the Conventional Doctors want to give me Medication to take away Acid ....

I also suffer from Bad Tinnitius and PPI's and All the Medications for Any o these issues are Ototoxic and can create permanent ringing of the ears which I already have and if you have it .... It will make it worse .... of which mine id debilitating already and I am not ready for Tinnitus to go Louder and I would want to blow my head off .....

I hope and Pray that Functional Doctor protocol will eliminate All that has gone on and what is going on still at the moment .....

Thoughts ...
doctor
Answered by Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (24 hours later)
Brief Answer:
It's better to continue functional doctor medicine at this moment

Detailed Answer:
Hi! Thanks for sharing the details. Yes it's better to continue using the medicines by your functional doctor which have helped you in first place. Since major organic causes have been worked up alongside and continue doing the same if symptoms persist but keeping in view the history of OCD, symptoms may persist if that is not under controlled and that is one of the contributing factor in your gastric condition. Using medicines which take away acid are almost unavoidable though the psychiatrist medications and follow up is a good way to go along and their is no harm in continuing follow up with both at a time. Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (8 hours later)
Something else .....

Sometimes when I eat .... I get a bout 5 hiccups ..... ????

All the Functional things seem to be working ... other than the Lumpy Feeling in my Throat ....

Been to 3 Doctors (MD's) one being my Hernia Surgeon .... And they Went crazy pressing everywhere on My Neck and said it is Perfect Anatomy .....

Puzzled ....
doctor
Answered by Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (19 hours later)
Brief Answer:
It can be globus sensation

Detailed Answer:
Hi! Thanks for sharing the details. It can be globus sensation meaning, only subjective feeling of having a lump but physically nothing organic present. It can be felt in cases of extreme emotional stress or even with depression. Though for further reassurance barium sallow can be done and to look for any deformity or out pouching in posterior esophageal wall. Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (4 days later)
Ok .... Plus another Question .....

So I get looked at and the tell me I have Silent Reflux .....

But here is my Question ..... Up by my Sprasternal Notch ..... Depends on the time of day .... Mostly towards evening .....

It feels like I get a quick muscle Spasm .....

And it seems like if my Anxiety is high .... It will spasm as well .....

Curious .... XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (14 hours later)
Brief Answer:
It can be due to anxiety but organic causes need to be ruled out

Detailed Answer:
Hi! Thanks for keeping in the loop. Yes, this can be due to extreme anxiety but still organic causes need to be ruled out on a fresh EKG and chest Xray and if both are normal it's better to have endoscopy to look for any cause in upper gastric tract specially to rule out any oesophageal growth or hiatal hernia. Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (5 hours later)
Just had EKG .... Normal ......

All Blood Work .... 2 Months Back to Back ..... Absolutely Every Reading is Perfect .....

Last Chest X-Ray .... Normal

Do not Drink or Smoke .....

Curious ....

doctor
Answered by Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (19 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Then OGD or endoscopy should be considered

Detailed Answer:
Hi! That's really good that all these are normal, but that further necessitates to have an upper GI tract evaluation, first by non invasive means like barium swallow and if needed upper GI endoscopy to rule out any mass lesion in esophagus. Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (6 hours later)
Ok.....

Just got back from ENT ......

Searched in the Throat and said I have Mild ..... He used the Word Mild ....

Silent Reflux ......

Then I asked him again .... Is it really bad .....

He said .... No Just mild .... It will just take a little time to reset the clock ... meaning ... a little time to heal itself .....

doctor
Answered by Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (30 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Mild reflux can even be due to GERD or hiatal hernia

Detailed Answer:
Hi! Thanks for staying in the loop. It's good that it's mild, but still with other features specially the retrosternal discomfort is worth probing, which can be due to GERD which is evident on recent ENT examination and may only need motility agents like domperidone or itapride with antacids but if symptoms persist a barium swallow or oesophagoduodenoscopy may be inevitable. Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (22 hours later)
Well.....

How bout this one .....

When I lay down and have somebody massage the tummy ....

It feels great and goes away .....

When I get into a sitting position .....

My gut is uncomfortable ......

What to do....

Can GERD from time to time ... allow you to also have some back pain ....

Curious .....

I read a to of people will also get some back pain from time to time with GERD ...

Why is that ???
doctor
Answered by Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (34 hours later)
Brief Answer:
It can be possible to have postural changes in pain

Detailed Answer:
Hi!

It's good that you feel relieved in that way and if that's the case, there is no harm in having the massage fr tome to time.

Usually, GERD pain increases on lying down and decreases in upright posture. However, if some stomach wall have gastritis or ulceration and anterior aspect, it can be one reason that on lying you feel better and have pain on sitting upright or bending forward but again best way to rule it out is endoscopy.

The back pain can be due to radiation of the pain with phrenic nerve irritation or diaphragmatic hernias which can also present with the same.

However one way is to check the serum amylase and lipase to rule out pancreatic origin pains as these can ask radiate from front to back.

For noninvasive investigations, best way for the other symptoms work up we have been discussing for sometime now, is to have a barium swallow and barium meals which can reveal any obstructive disorder in oesophagus as well as other filling defects anywhere in upper GI tract.

Regards.
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee
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Answered by
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Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2011

Answered : 3941 Questions

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What Causes Severe Sore Throat When Diagnosed With Anxiety?

Brief Answer: May be GERD or achalasia or even hiatal hernia Detailed Answer: Hi! Thanks for sharing your concerns with us. We will try to help you in best way possible. First of all, it is sad to know what you had gone through. Based on the history you have shared, it is good that most of the blood work is fine and so is work up for H pylori, but even if yeh se are normal certain issues like GERD that is gastro esophageal regurge or achalasia or increased tone of upper stomach opening causing accumulation of food at the site may be the cause. Similarly hiatal hernia may also present like feeling of bone impaction behind the sternum. Using motility agents like domperidone alongwith antacids like omeperazole or pantoprazole before meals may be started preliminary though an endoscopy and barium swallow should be planned after basic work up like EKG and chest Xray to rule out other issues relating to chest. Using soft diets, small buy frequent diets and avoiding heavy greasy fatty meals and fizzy drinks may also be helpful. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Hope this has answered your query, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Regards.