GERD? Head & Neck Cancer? Please Help?

starmama asked:


Sorry if this seems lengthy but I need some feedback! 4 weeks ago, I was fine and in good health. I make it a point to visit my doctor regularly b/c I do suffer from OCD, anxiety, and I can be a bit of a hyperchondriac.

My problems all started 3 weeks ago when I ate some spicy food. I had burning in my chest and throat. I was told it was probably acid reflux and was given Prilosec. All of the symptoms went away on day 2 of taking Prilosec and I was OK until day 4. By then, I had this tightness feeling around my neck and my jaw hurt. I went to an E.N.T. and he said I had a TMJ problem and prescribed 40mg of prednisone for 3 days.

Well, on day 2, the tightness went away, jaw pain went away but I started having serious pains from the back of my neck to my back where the spine is. I felt as if something was broken. On day 3, the pain was awful so I decided not to take the last of the prednisone.

Fast forward to 2 days later and that problem went away BUT I started having a muffled feeling in my ear, neck spasms, pressure in the back of my head as if I had a band around it and a dull ache in my jaw. The spasms were painful so I went back to the E.N.T. and he told me to see an oral surgeon (I do clench and grind my teeth) and prescribed me Flexeril. I also aw my GP who thought the spasms were a side effect of the prednisone.

So, I had one day last week when I felt good… no spasms, little discomfort in the ear, and no head pressure. I went to the dentist for fillings the next day and my problems all came back right after. I saw an oral surgeon last week and he said I had very mild TMJ issues… my jaw is aligned and that he thinks it’s a muscular problem.

Well, I won’t be able to see my GP until next Wednesday and I have scheduled an appt for a neurologist at the end of Dec. I am really anxious right now. I’m 30 yrs old and as I type this here are my problems:

1. discomfort from behind my left ear to my neck. It’s not painful but I feel as though the muscle is tight. When I put my head up that feeling goes away. When I’m looking straight or down, I can feel it and I get that muffled feeling as though something is in the middle of my ear radiating down to the left side of my jaw.

2. I can turn my head from side to side without pain but I feel a bit of stiffness in the back of my neck.

3. Some discomfort on and off under my chin where the muscle is. The right side of my jaw feels a bit tender to the touch.

4. A slight popping/squeaky type of feeling in my right nostril when I drink something. My throat does NOThurt when I swallow.

5. Some pressure in my eye that makes the lids feel a bit sleepy/heavy. My vision is not blurred but it kind of feels like I have to wipe my eye. Also, I did wake up today with some clear discharge in my eye and had a quick sharp pain in that eye once in the last 24 hrs but nothing since.

6. On and off vibrating feeling in my chest. It’s a weird “motor” feeling in my chest which may be anxiety-related, don’t know.

7. My shoulder blades ache.

8. I keep getting an on and off dull ache in my chest on the left side and on/off raw/sore feeling in throat that comes and goes and feels sensitive to air.

9. On and off dull pain in head near my temple. I don’t have anymore spasms in my neck so the pressure/tension headache I was having has subsided.

9. Throughout the day, I feel the need to belch before I swallow.

That’s pretty much it. I do work on my computer and spend 8 hours or so sitting here. I have bad posture and have been under a lot of stress this past month and my anxiety has increased ever since having these problems.

In the past 3 weeks I’ve had 2 EKG’s that came back normal. I had a simple blood test done that came back normal. All doctors said they didn’t feel any swollen lymph nodes in my neck. The E.N.T. did not do a scope of my throat but he said he doesn’t think there is anything major going on with me. My GP felt the same but it’s been 3 weeks now and I’m still going through all of the above.

I’m super scared that I may have Head & Neck cancer, esophageal cancer, throat cancer, MS, or rheumatoid arthritis. When I asked the E.N.T and GP about this they both shrugged it off and told me “no” you do not have that but haven’t done any x-rays or tests to rule them out.

Has anyone experienced these symptoms or have any feedback you can offer?

PS. I did have a chest x-ray one year ago and all was normal along with a heart x-ray that came back normal. Also, I don’t drink or smoke.
Well, I went to see a different GP yesterday who did a thorough physical that took almost 2 hours. GP concluded that all is “normal” despite my pain. No swollen lymph nodes or anything. Blood work is normal. He thinks it’s all anxiety related (no surprise there) and he even had a second doctor check me out to confirm.

He prescribed Zoloft and has me starting with a slow dose and gradually building up. I was crying the whole time during the appt. I kept thinking “they think I’m a head case” and even though they told me I don’t have signs of MS, head & neck cancer, etc, I’m still not convinced. I guess I won’t be until I have x-rays, MRI, ct scan showing that I’m fine.

Also, an online diagnostic test suggested I may have Fibromyalgia. When the nurse asked me what’s wrong today and I told her, first thing she said was “sounds like Fibromyalgia.” The GP doesn’t seem 100% convinced that it is but said IF it is Fibro, this is the same path he would go down with regard to me taking zoloft.

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