Throat Pain and a Feeling of Something There ?

My symptoms started about eight months ago. It started with a feeling of something in the back of my mouth down just past the uvula on the left side. Then a sore throat started and has presisted of and on. The sore throat is more like general pain in the area rather than a common sore throat. I have had these symptoms all along for the past eight months with no change for the better or worse. I went to my GP and she sent me for a ct scan which came back normal. I first went to an Ent and he told me that my left lingual tonsil was enlarged. But he did not see anything that worried him as far as cancer. I then went for a second and third opionion from two other Ent's. They told me the same thing. I had Barium swallow done and it showed moderate acid reflux, but no abnormalities. I tried meds. for this but it did not stop my symptoms. I went to Sloan Kettering in New York City to see a Specialist in head and neck cancers. He told me that he did not see anything that concered him but to folow up locally with my Ent and to call him if symptoms presisted after a reasonable time. I have gone to my local ENT once a month for a follow up and he basically examines me and scopes me. He says my left lingual tonsil is enlarged but he does not see anything that concers him as far as cancer. I am going to have another ct scan done and i am wondering if i should have him biopsy the lingual tonsil? Is all the test i had sufficient or are there other test i should have?

You might want to see a gastroentrologist. If you have acid relux that may be causing your throat irration. Untreated acid reflux can lead to barrets esophagus and esophageal cancer. If you are having a hard time swallowing or feel as though food is getting stuck I would call my doctor right away. The gastroentrologist can scope you and do a biopsy to determine if you have a problem in your esophagus/stomach. Do not give up your search to determine what is wrong. Good luck to you in your search for answers. Please keep us updated.

a biopsy would be good. at some point though, you may have to accept that nothing untoward is happening. is there something that you need to say to someone that you haven't been?

I had this same thing happen. My left tonsil was enlarged and the right was not. I am 48 years old and had NEVER had a swollen tonsil. I had previous diagnosis of Lymphoma 4 years ago. I told my family doctor that I wanted to make sure it was not back. She sent me for a CT of the neck which showed the enlarged tonsil. I went to the ENT and told him that I had lymphoma before and wanted to make sure it was not back. He removed the tonsil and biopsied it. He was not too concerned that it was lymphoma either and did not preserve it well enough. It went to two different labs who who saw the B-cell lymphoma but it had decomposed by the time it got to the 3rd pathologist. About a month later the had to do another biopsy of the cervical note and were specifically looking for lymphoma and they found it. It is well preserved for all to see now. So yes, you do have to push doctors to do the right thing. You cannot give up until they take a biopsy of the tonsil, preserve it right, and have at least two pathologists at different facilities take a look at it. They usually send it to Mayo clinc for confirmation. If they still say it is nothing and you tonsil is still swollen I would get a second opinion. The first time I had cancer, I went to my doctor for 3 months, he ran some tests and told me there was nothing wrong with me. One day I spiked a temperature and went to the ER. They said the flu had been going around. I told them, "I have not had the flu for 3 months" now you need to find out what is wrong with me. They finally did a CT scan and found that I had a mass causing everything that I had been complaining of and did surgery right away. BE PERSISTENT until you are satisfied!

I am experiencing something similar to what you are describing. My right tonsil is enlarged significantly and far more visible than the other. There is no direct pain, but as I'm getting more worried I can feel it. I'm not sure if this is psychological or actual pain. I've seen 2 different ENT doctors and had CT Scans, but they have not been able to tell me what it is. I'm 29 years old, and have never had cancer, but yet I'm worried that it might be something. Is it possible to do a biopsy without removing the tonsil? I think the tonsil has been enlarged for almost a year now. Atleast, that's when I noticed it.

I know this is an old post and whatever was going on has probably been addressed by now but if somebody is reading this and has the same question, all I can say is get it checked and rechecked. I had a slightly enlarged right tonsil that my primary care doctor didn't even notice. No sore throat or any discomfort. An ENT thought it might be an infection but when it didn't respond to antibiotics after 2 weeks they decided to take my tonsils out. It turned out to be Squamous Cell Carcinoma that had spread to 4 lymph nodes in my neck (Stage IV). It's been a year and 3 days since I was diagnosed. I've been through radiation and chemo and am doing fine now. If I hadn't been persistent it would be a completely different story. One little tip; when I first noticed the enlargement my wife told me to touch my tonsil. She said if it was soft it was probably OK but if it was hard it was bad. It was hard. I told this to my Oncologists and they said that she was probably right.

Beasely, hope you are feeling better.  After reading your posting, I realized it was similar to what I am going thru.  My symptons started in Sept of 2005.  I would get this pain in my throat, so bad that I broke into a cold sweat, and felt like passing out. My white blood cell count was rising steadily.   I started with my GP, sending me to an ENT.  He scoped into my throat and took a biopsy of the mass.  It turned out to be lingual tonsil tissue.  Month after month I went back, he scoped my throat, no changes.  He tested me for allergies, nothing significant.  He recommended that I have them removed, and he set me up with an oral surgeon.  I went for a second opinion before doing this.  At the office of the second ENT, he never even looked in my throat, referred me to a neurologist.  He did MRI and CT, this showed nothing neurological causing the pain in my throat.  The tests did however show enlarged lymph nodes, generalized. (neck, armpit, chest, abdomen).  So from there I went to an oncologist.  He cannot figure out what is wrong with me.  So many blood tests, so many office visits, I even had a bone marrow aspiration.  I am so tired of going to doctors and explaining this senario.  My GP told me not to give up, keep bugging the doctors until they find out what is wrong.   This week I have an appointment with a surgeon for biopsy of lymph node in my armpit, only because that is the easiest to get to.  And I have an appointment with a ENT that specializes in removal of lingual tonsils.  It really scares me with the lymphoma issue.  (My onconogist did mention that it could be early lymphoma).

Joy,

I am very happy to see that a message I wrote a year ago is still doing some good. It is great that you are taking responsibility for your own health and making the doctors get to the bottom of your problem. Yes, I get tired of going to this doctor and that doctor, but I want to continue life for my family. Please let me know what they diagnose with your axillary node biopsy. Hang in there and keep pushing. There are fast growing lymphomss and slow growing lymphomas. I had a combination of both.

 

On 11/7/2006 Defjoeb wrote:

I know this is an old post and whatever was going on has probably been addressed by now but if somebody is reading this and has the same question, all I can say is get it checked and rechecked. I had a slightly enlarged right tonsil that my primary care doctor didn't even notice. No sore throat or any discomfort. An ENT thought it might be an infection but when it didn't respond to antibiotics after 2 weeks they decided to take my tonsils out. It turned out to be Squamous Cell Carcinoma that had spread to 4 lymph nodes in my neck (Stage IV). It's been a year and 3 days since I was diagnosed. I've been through radiation and chemo and am doing fine now. If I hadn't been persistent it would be a completely different story. One little tip; when I first noticed the enlargement my wife told me to touch my tonsil. She said if it was soft it was probably OK but if it was hard it was bad. It was hard. I told this to my Oncologists and they said that she was probably right.

I have a quick question for you concerning your diagnosis, did any of the doctors who you saw prior to being diagnosed tell you that your lymph nodes are swollen? I ask because I am going through something eerily similar to the symptoms and 'treatments' tht you went through previously and all the doctors keep telling me that the lymph nodes in my neck are okay. any thoughts? anyhting would be helpful at this point.

Thanks!

With me it started when I yell or sang. maybe a month ago. I noticed this sore spot in my throat (left side, bellow apple). Then after some time it would go away and came back also if I had some alcohol. I also noticed that I can located it on the left side of my neck by touching around and going really deep. Now I have kind a pain on the left side of my neck radiating behind my left ear. Went to see GP, nothing found , just touched my neck and looked in to my throat and said that is 98% nothing scheduled ENT but in the month from now. I can swallow normally and cold and hot is not bothering me. The pain seem to be getting worse, mostly at night, now always outside.  My symptoms seem to beeen lighter than with other people now it seems to be getting worse. I saw somewhere that is a cancer when the pain is light. Any answers?