Fishbone stuck like feeling in throat for 4+ months

GG_GG
GG_GG Member Posts: 1
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

First of all, thank you for opening this post. I guess you'd have seen many such posts.

Okay I've been planning to post this for a few weeks now but lazyness got the best of me. Been a smoker for say 1.6 years ( 1 year only J's and J's and cigarettes another 6 months). 

So it all started around mid December last year. I had too much of smoke and more than usual alcohol simultaneously for over a period of 1 or 2 weeks. I've been living with a constant fear of it maybe turning out to be cancer for 4 months now. 

 

Issues observed during the early phase:

 

- Constant feeling of something say like a fishbone stuck at the floor of mouth/under the jaw on the right side of throat just beside the adam's apple.

- A very minute pimple sized elevation on the right side on the floor of mouth (inside) where your tongue is joined to the floor just behind the front lower set of teeth.

- Red spot on the white line that runs across the lower teeth inside on the right cheek.

- A strange burning sensation in the insides of right cheek that would stretch from right part of lips all the way to like base of tongue restricted to the right side. Eating something or swallowing an alkaline solution seemed to reduce it. Also, seemed to happen more when I haven't eaten for long.

- Above burning sensation would also cause my face from bottom of the right eye to cheek feel numb.

- A cystic like red spot on the lower right lip.

 

(Almost 2 months later)

Issues observed during the mid phase/ Things that seemed to have gotten better: 

 

- The lump/stuck sensation still persists.

- The pimple sort of elevation below the tongue vanished and haven't come back yet.

- Red spot along the cheek lining no longer appear.

- That burning sensation reduced drastically in frequency of its occurence.

- Cystic red spot on lower right lip also resolved within a day of it's appearance and haven't returned yet.

 

 

 

(4 months as of now)

Issues observed as of now/ Things that seemed to have gotten better:

 

- Lump/stuck sensation still remains. It's intensity is exactly the way it was when it first appeared.

- The burning sensation is virtually not there anymore. In fact, I remembered about this only when I started to write this post. 

 

 

Some observations:

 

- When I wake up after sleeping, this lump/stuck feeling is almost absent for, say 5 to 10 minutes. If I don't speak much or basically keep my mouth shut, it can be extended to 15 to 20 minutes.

- Gargling with warm water plus salt relieves the feeling for some 5 - 10 minutes. Kind of making it from pointy to a blunt and less noticeable feeling.

- The intensity of it being felt depends on the way I swallow. Like if I swallow slowly/casually, it is felt less. The moment I try to involve more of my right throat muscles, it is at its full intensity.

- Is felt less when doing physical work or exercising.

- Feels like a fishbone wrapped in mucus and becomes pointy when I swallow.

- Poking the location where it is felt to be stuck reproduces that feeling without swallowing. Poking it further causes gag reflex sort of action, like I would puke. Also used to feel like sharp edged mucus buildup in the nasal cavity.

- No problem in eating or drinking whatsoever. In fact, they alleviate the problem. But will return soon minutes afterwards.

- Crying also makes this feeling less noticeable. (Going through a very tough time emotionally, stressed and anxious, sometimes depressed)

- No hoarness of voice or pain in neck/throat or weight loss. But I can feel something like swollen lymph nodes below the right ear. Maybe they have been like that forever and I am just recently noticing it? No such thing on the left side.

 

Got checked up with 2 ENT's, both did laryngoscopy with a non-flexible rod one equipment. Said they couldn't find anything unusual. Prescribed GERD medications. Medications run for almost 1 month. The lump/stuck feeling stayed like that with no improvement.

They did asked to change my routine and diet like have breakfast and cut down on spicy foods and alcohol and smoking.

Did that. Even quit alcohol and smoking. Except the breakfast part. I am a night owl and usually wake up around 10:30 to 11ish and have lunch directly.

But I have this habit of skipping breakfast for like 5 years. Didn't get any symptons of GERD.

CT scan is due anytime this week.

 

I know the symtoms seem more of a globus sensation but still somewhere in my mind, the fear of cancer still lurks. Can globus last that long?

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #2
    welcome

    GG_GG,

    I welcome you to the H&N forum. You are correct, there is something wrong with you, but what exactly and should you quit smoking, drinking and spicy foods.  Well, I don’t know.  I don’t do any of those things, but they certainly are no off limits.  Your descriptions do not match many of the typical ones we get on here daily, but you deserve to know what is going on and I would think there has to one good ENT able to wrangle that fish bone symptom in to a reasonable, curable problem. 

    As Lucy said to Charlie Brown “is it globus?”  And Charlie Brown responded ‘That’s it! “

    Best of luck.

    Matt

  • Tr_93
    Tr_93 Member Posts: 1
    #3
    Similar situation

    I’m actually have been dealing with a similar situation for ywars now. I used to have this same sharp throbbing feeling in my throat and now it has moved down to my chest and I am almost certain it is a fish bone. I’ve also gone to multiple ENTs who also say I have GERD and have gotten multiple x rays and a ct scan with nothing to be found. ive Had blood work down with no signs of cancer also checked for any embolisms or masses on my x rays and I’m healthy as a horse. My next steps to figure out what is going on is to see a specialist that will check my esophagus for any signs of a fish bone and if nothing is viable my next step is to see a cardiologist. I also am a night owl and have changed my eating habits. But lately I haven’t been able to sleep bc the pain in my chest is unbearable. I’m just wondering, how your ct scan went? Hopefully everything with you is fine now

  • Iberianprince43
    Iberianprince43 Member Posts: 2
    edited June 2019 #4
    Possible solution

    i apologize in advance for any typos. 

     

    A similar situation haunted me as well. It started as a regular day. I opened up a can of sprats and took a fork full. I noticed the bones on the fork but I was in such a hurry I didn’t give it a second thought and I pretty much ate a spoonful of bones. It hurt I felt lots of pain immediatelY. Most of the garbage went down but one bone got caught or something and it stayed in my mouth for exactly 3 months. throughtout that first day i felt the scratching. People told me to swallow bread or banana. But it wouldn’t work. I went to three emergency rooms a week later all on the same day, and none of their X-rays and radiologists could catch it. if felt like I was crazy but this thing was a real pain. I could feel it 24/7. It was causing me chest pains during the late hours of the day around bedtime. I thought for sure I would die of respiratory failure in my sleep. I noticed that when I fasted my esophagus contracted so when I swallowed the first bite of something it was painful to swallow or my first gulp of water would cause me to feel the bone lividly. But after the first bite it would get better and it was fine for the most part. My day would go by okay except for that first bite and around bedtime. So the Way I got it out is I fasted for a full 24 hours no food or water and the next day I would swallow small pieces of banana. I only had a few trys before my esophagus opened up and I would have to wait for it to contract again so after fasting in the mornings was my only shot. i didn’t get it out the first two days but on the third day it came out. Exactly 90 days after I got lodged in there. The relief is indescribable. This happened recently. two days ago. The relief is great. I coughed a bunch I feel a bit sore but there’s no bone. there were Also air bubbles that released. Three months of not breathing properly could’ve been dangerous. God bless you and god bless whomever Has this trouble. It a nasty nuance. 

  • Iberianprince43
    Iberianprince43 Member Posts: 2
    edited June 2019 #5
    Tr_93 said:

    Similar situation

    I’m actually have been dealing with a similar situation for ywars now. I used to have this same sharp throbbing feeling in my throat and now it has moved down to my chest and I am almost certain it is a fish bone. I’ve also gone to multiple ENTs who also say I have GERD and have gotten multiple x rays and a ct scan with nothing to be found. ive Had blood work down with no signs of cancer also checked for any embolisms or masses on my x rays and I’m healthy as a horse. My next steps to figure out what is going on is to see a specialist that will check my esophagus for any signs of a fish bone and if nothing is viable my next step is to see a cardiologist. I also am a night owl and have changed my eating habits. But lately I haven’t been able to sleep bc the pain in my chest is unbearable. I’m just wondering, how your ct scan went? Hopefully everything with you is fine now

    Check out my post on the

    Check out my post on the thread

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,274 Member
    #6
    Iberianprince43 said:

    Possible solution

    i apologize in advance for any typos. 

     

    A similar situation haunted me as well. It started as a regular day. I opened up a can of sprats and took a fork full. I noticed the bones on the fork but I was in such a hurry I didn’t give it a second thought and I pretty much ate a spoonful of bones. It hurt I felt lots of pain immediatelY. Most of the garbage went down but one bone got caught or something and it stayed in my mouth for exactly 3 months. throughtout that first day i felt the scratching. People told me to swallow bread or banana. But it wouldn’t work. I went to three emergency rooms a week later all on the same day, and none of their X-rays and radiologists could catch it. if felt like I was crazy but this thing was a real pain. I could feel it 24/7. It was causing me chest pains during the late hours of the day around bedtime. I thought for sure I would die of respiratory failure in my sleep. I noticed that when I fasted my esophagus contracted so when I swallowed the first bite of something it was painful to swallow or my first gulp of water would cause me to feel the bone lividly. But after the first bite it would get better and it was fine for the most part. My day would go by okay except for that first bite and around bedtime. So the Way I got it out is I fasted for a full 24 hours no food or water and the next day I would swallow small pieces of banana. I only had a few trys before my esophagus opened up and I would have to wait for it to contract again so after fasting in the mornings was my only shot. i didn’t get it out the first two days but on the third day it came out. Exactly 90 days after I got lodged in there. The relief is indescribable. This happened recently. two days ago. The relief is great. I coughed a bunch I feel a bit sore but there’s no bone. there were Also air bubbles that released. Three months of not breathing properly could’ve been dangerous. God bless you and god bless whomever Has this trouble. It a nasty nuance. 

    That Sounds Like

    A horrible feeling to deal with day after day-something caught in the throat. Certainly glad you persevered and came up with a solution to move it. This is a help and inspiration to others on here. If it doesn't feel right there is probably a reason and Never Ever Give Up.

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