constant tightness in front of neck/throat HELP!!!!!

[debsfoden]

hi there  just joined forum.

I have had this tightness feeling in my throat for over 6 months now.  it is very annoying and feels like someone is trying to strangle me!!!!  i did have neck pain for over 2 years but that has  subsided alot now.  has anyone else experienced this constant feeling or any suggestions to what it could be?  it does disappear when i lie down but reappears within a few minutes of standing.

i do check my posture every day as someone said it could be muscle tension in the front of the neck.

PLEASE HELP !!!!

deb

[Jenwall86]

I too have constant throat tightness and feels like I am being strangled 24/7. My CT scan was normal, tried allergy meds and antacid no change, I'm worried they are missing something. Dr tells me it's anxiety? I have a hard time believing this, want to go to ER constantly, want to see an ENT. Am I gonna not be able to breathe cause of this? Please help

[Anecdata]

Hey, I'm quite late to the party but I've had very similar symptoms to what I'm reading about here. I was at my wit's end trying to find a solution. Throat cultures, antihistamines, barium swallow all came out fine.

Eventually, it came to me that it may be posture-related, given that self-administered myofascial release helped a bit.

If you sit often. Or if you generally don't watch your posture, your neck muscles may be too tight and knotted.

These stretches helped me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWAsAseT39A

Also, strengthening the neck via putting a load on it has also been beneficial. What you do is: 1) Stand next to the wall, heels, head, and parts of your back against the wall. 2) Keeping your head against the wall move away from the wall so your neck bears some of the weight. Remember to keep your neck straight.
Don't strain your neck and don't do too much too soon.
And be sure to speak with a physical therapist if you don't feel comfortable doing the stretches and exercises yourself.


You may see results immediately, or you may see them in 2-3 weeks.


Hope this helps at least a single person! Because I know how absolutely hectic this condition is.

Cheers!

[Mustangmom1979]

Hello can you please tell me if you found out why you felt like that? Your symptoms describe me to a T. Even the neck pain for a few years before.

[Anecdata]

I ended up canceling my appointment with a physical therapist, as the problem resolved itself once I paid attention to keeping my neck mobile and doing the stretches a few times per day(no skipping). The lump in my throat and the pain swallowing simply went away after that.

The neck has quite an elaborate musculature, and the direct imbalance is hard to find, so it's best to approach it from all directions.

One of the avenues of the problem which I explored was forward head posture, which led me to find the stretches and strengthening exercises.

[rcagle]

I have been researching this because 8 weeks ago I had a bad cold and also got this feeling in my throat like a rubber band around my neck. It almost feels like there is a quarter sitting on the hollow spot under my Adams apple. I'm always clearing my throat. I had a positive Epstein bar about 6 months ago. It is worse when I lay down.  I also have pain in the back of my neck and at the base of my skull. It feels like I am choking but I an not having problems breathing. So strange. The ER doctor looked at me like I was crazy and said you are fine.  

[Chelzanne]

I feel a tight band across the front of my neck/throat.  One comment I saw here or elsewhere termed it "like a charlie horse in my throat". Term I took from this thread seems to make sense:  Cricopharyngeal Spasm.  Going to primary Doctor next week and will just hope she knows what it is and how to treat it.  So frightening to think your throat may close up, but it never does so I will stop worrying about that.  Has anyone been helped yet??  Any discoveries?  Thanks for reading.

[Rickesco]

I also have been suffering with the tightness of the throat for almost 4 years. Been to my GP and then to an Ear, Throat and neck specialist without relief. I've been taking Xanax for number of years due to my anxiety attacks. My tightness is a constant pressure that never goes away. The Specialist told me two weeks ago it's because I'm all tense so he is sending me for some physical therapist. He said he found my shoulders too tense and it could be causing the tightness ( I doubt it) I've gone and had massages and still the tightness is still there. I just want some relief..!!! Thanks for reading this.

Rick

[Chiexme2]

Pls I need ur help....I hav been experiencing dis tightness and heaviness of the throat for over two weeks now....I hav been taking treatment such as antibiotics from doctors, nothing seems to b working. I hav also gone for CTscan d result show dat everything is normal. I keep feeling dsame way. I any help from here?

[Chiexme2]

I hav had this constant tightness of the throat for over two weeks now

[tomtom34]

hi, have you found a solution ?

[survive1914]

ewd

[wandererzor]

Hi everyone ,
Like the most of you I am experiencing throat tightness in the base of my throat just on the top of the thorax when the two neck muscles meet.
I have been having this feeling for almost a year now .
The tightness did go away for a few months ( spring-summer) and it usually manifests when it’s cold.
When that tightness was at its lowest , I did have another small feeling next to my throat that felt like a bit of food was stuck .

I had blood tests for thyroid - came clean , ENT checked my neck and looked inside - clean , I had an ultrasound - clean .

The above do seems to point that the tightness is psychological and possibly stress , but like many of you the irritation is real and been going in for long.

It was interesting to read a persons response mentioning the neck muscles .
Before this tightness appearing , I was having a very weird soreness above my left clavicle - sort of a swelling across the bone till my shoulder . That caused to feel my left arm a bit funny as if that swelling was messing up the muscle/nerves.
I had an ultrasound on that and it came clean. I suspect that has to do with round shoulders syndrome and muscle scar tissue between shoulder and back wing .

So I am a bit lost now as the doctors can’t seem to help me with my inconvenience .
I am currently awaiting some results from the Endocrinologist but I am not sure what are the next steps to take .
Ct scan? Barium swallow ? These would remove the chance of something malicious I guess , and then maybe talk to a surgeon orthopaedist to investigate the possibility of my shoulder-clavicle-throat being all stuck together .

[Kpounds]

Hi please am going through same problem as u discussed for two years now, I ve being to the physician and have been given antibiotics with ibuprofen, citrizen always when I visit the physician and also told me to stop drinking cold drinks and eat more fruits,  but I ve seen no improvement, so please keep me in touch when u get help somewhere.  

[Larusta13]

I don't know the answer to why this is happening. I to have similar feelings. In my case most of the time i get a sharp pain on my right upper side above the breast. Than it starts to elevate with that tightness but it goes up my throat with pain. Breathing is difficult specially if I take a deep breath. It's happening frequently now.

[kushal1982]

I have same problem as you discuss ,doctor not understand what can I do,please help

[led_00]

I am experiencing this tightness in the throat too with a feeling of pain or stiffness at the back of my neck, and also on the side and front, it is for more than a month now. I've been to an Endo and told me that my thyroid is normal. Then I went to ENT and check my throat and found out that I had some redness in my throat and it is beacause of an acid reflux, the doctor prescribe me an Omeprazole 20mg,I've been taking this now for 1 week and seems to be not working. I will return to my ENT to request for a CT scan so that I will know if there is a lump inside my throat, I also belive that the pain or stiffness arround my neck causes the tightness in my throat. I have I have a proper diagnostic within a week or so.

[Dale1996]

Im currently going threw with the same thing let me know how things go please I have no insurance I don't want to go John q

[asfddsffds]

I have had this tightness in my throat, dr, specialist told me it was psychological, it was actually dairy.  Doctors never suggest doing an exclusion diet, instead push drugs.  So something to rule out is allergies.

[asfddsffds]

I have had this tightness in my throat, dr, specialist told me it was psychological, it was actually dairy.  Doctors never suggest doing an exclusion diet, instead push drugs.  So something to rule out is allergies.

[cocogijo]

I have had a lot of throat pressure and tightness in my throat.  It has gotten worse over time.  It feels like a lump is in your throat or someone has their hand around it.  I have alot of mucus and throat clearing.  It's horrible when trying to lay down.  You feel like you are choking.  It's depressing because you feel like nothing will work.  I went to an ENT and had a scope and everything is okay.  After researching this on my own I believe what I have is silent reflux.  It can be cured with diet and lifestyle changes.  I just ordered Dr. Koufman's cookbook, Dropping Acid, The Reflux Diet from the library.  If you google "throat clearing from Acid Reflux" you will find information from Dr. Koufman on which trigger foods to avoid.  I hope this helps anyone suffering from these symptoms.

[Wilde1sn]

My question is have any of you had a neck trauma before any of this symptoms occurred? Time frame 3-4 weeks before throat discomfort started and tightness in SCM muscles, trapezius, and shoulders? Think, whip lash, fall, blow to cervical spine?

[Rico2014]

Medication is causing that headache.

[Jess732014]

Hi. I know now that my symptoms are due to Gerd and this: The Sternocleidomastoid Syndrome http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=44247

I am still dealing with this over a year later. Take care everyone.

[Mot425]

Nuts, sorry, didn't mean to click on "Post."

Anyway, the last specialist I saw prescribed clonazepam. He wanted me to take half a mg before sleeping. This didn't have much effect.

But then I tried taking it during the day and after 15-20 minutes it almost completely resolved all my neck lumps/tightness/problems.

It can make you pretty zoned out and drowsy and uncoordinated so I wouldn't recommend taking it at work or if you have to drive.

But, after taking it once every few days for 2-3 weeks, it basically solved my muscle spasms.

[Mot425]

I felt a lump in my throat for a while, and later a tightness along the length of my neck on the other side. Both problems lasted for weeks or months.

After spending over $1000 to see doctors and specialists about this, I self-diagnosed the problem as this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricopharyngeal_spasm

Luckily the last specialist I saw prescribed clonazepam.

[YouAreNotAlone726]

I've been having this throat/neck tightness for over a month now, and I have been searching high and low for what it could be. It seems to be more prominent on my right side and even goes into my chest. It's affecting my ears (ringing, muffled, etc) and my right arm to the tips of my fingers. I am almost 28 years old, I have been on a lot of medication over the last 7 months (klonopin, atavan, lamictal, seroquel, latuda, gabapentin, vibryyd, and zoloft). I  just had a physical end of last month and they even did an EKG because of the chest tightness/pain which came back normal.

After reading forums online, health websites, talking to my psychiatrist, going to my primary (I'm going again this afternoon), here is what I've come across:

- ANXIETY- of course my psychiatrist says it's anxiety, but the anti-anxiety meds do not help (plus I completely agree with WeStarStuff's comment. I've been having horrible side effects from all these meds and I've even been losing my hair due to the lamictal/gabapentin my psychiatrist put me on, and she never even warned me about it...). Do not rely on medication alone! If you DO take meds, do your research. Make sure you know the risks, and keep a good log of all your symptoms (good & bad), dosage increases/changes, any physical or mental issues, etc to take back to your doctor. If anything, try to find a good therapist (especially if you are already taking meds) to dive deeper into investigating your emotions and your anxiety. Therapy has helped more than anything for me, and there are no negative health side effects from talk-therapy.

- DEHYDRATION - I thought it could be this because it feels like a charlie horse in my neck, so I have been keeping track of my water intake to make sure I'm drinking enough. However, still has not gotten that much better.

- GERD and TMJ - I've been told I had these years before, so that is probably adding to the problem (my right jaw seems to always crack, especially when the tightness is really bad).

- Muscle Tightness/Cramping - I've gotten massages and even gone to a chiropractor a few times to see if maybe it was a pinched nerve or something was going on in my neck/shoulder due to me doing a weird movement or sleeping funny. I did come across this website which listed pretty much all the symptoms I've been having, and I've followed the stretches/massages this doctor listed on here and it's been loosening a little bit and my ear isn't affected as much as it was before. I try to do the massages about 6 times a day and make sure I drink a lot of water:
http://www.natural-solutions-for-muscle-pain.com/sternocleidomastoid-muscle.html

this also could be something of interest:
http://www.cricopharyngealspasm.com/

Although I already had a full physical exam, I am going back to the doctor this afternoon just to be on the safe side and give me piece of mind because I want to be 110% positive that this is not a tumor, breast cancer or anything of the sort. I've known too many people who have been diagnosed with cancer when it's too late, and half of those people had to fight to get a further look into their symptoms just to find out it was cancer. I'm not trying to scare anyone or say that this is cancerous or anything, but it is always better to be safe than sorry, especially if you have insurance (this is why we pay so freaking much for insurance right...?).

But definitely try those massages/stretches on that 1st website I listed, along with breathing, overall stretching, and meditation helps a lot (it will also help with your anxiety if you experience this as well :-)). Again, no negative side effects, it can only help. Keep track of your symptoms to see if they are getting worse or better and how long your symptoms have been persisting and what you have been doing to try to help it or what may have caused it. If the symptoms get worse, new symptoms pop up, or if you just want piece of mind  definitely go to your doctor and bring a list of everything it may be and things that you have/have not been doing so your doctor doesn't just dismiss you off saying it's anxiety. The best of luck to everyone (www.you-are-not-alone.info)!

[sarabeach123]

I have similar issues with throat muscle tightness.  It is into my jaw as well, and tight shoulder muscles too.  I have been seeing an oseteopath and this is definitely the best medical professional I have ever seen.  My family doctor told me to take 2 ibuprofen everyday when I told him about my throat tightness, which didn't really seem like a logical solution to me. I would recommend an osteopath to everyone - it is just so amazing.  She also fixed a sore knee that I have had for over ten years, with jut one adjustment. I have a series of exercise I do every day that the osteopath gave me, and things are slowly improving with my throat.  

[SparrowSong]

When you had this, did you 'feel' a mild, soft clicking when you swallowed? I'm asking because with mine it seems that there is not a sound, but "feel" almost like a clicking when I swallow. It's not smooth when I swallow, like it would be without the lump.  Thank you in advance.

[SparrowSong]

I'm so upset. I started to get a tight throat about a month or so ago. I first noticed it one evening when reading in bed. Then it persisted and I couldn't get comfortable. I'd toss and turn, nothing helped. I'd press on the base of my throat, hoping it would ease it and it does, minimally.

But it's started to happen while sitting at the computer a few days ago and tonight it's driving me nuts! I am so upset I'm in tears.

I have also noticed my head hurts a lot when this happens. Lately headaches have been worse. I get heart palpations, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. I have been light headed the last two weeks off and on, and my hands shake at times, but they have for years now...

I have stress currently and have been letting go of so many things the last two years and sifting through personal issues, confronting myself. I'm also very overweight, but am losing, and mostly vegan at this point. I recently lost eleven pounds and hope as the weight sheds the throat issue will too...

It could be my thyroid, I am unsure but will have to be tested soon if this doesn't stop. Now it just abated as I am typing. Sometimes it does for a few minutes, then returns. Mostly I feel it when laying down, that's when it's the absolute worst...Night is also when I think way way too much. reading seems to somewhat help, though not much.

[jushan2002]

Have you resolved this issue? If so what was it?? I am going through the SAME thing and have been for two years now!

[tomtom34]

I ask you the same question, have you found a solution by now ? Thanks