Lump in the throat from anxiety?

[pops12]

About 3-4 weeks ago I had my first panic attack. It happened at night when I was in bed and it scared me to death. After that I started worrying a lot, I was so stressed out I couldn't even stand it. It got to the point where I was worried about every little thing that I felt. And then about a week after the panic attack I got this lump feeling in my throat. It's not a lump you can feel by touching the throat. It comes and goes depending on how I am feeling, and I do not have trouble swallowing food. But it is difficult sometimes to swallow saliva. Usually when I am really stressed out or worried the symptom gets worse.

 

[Daniel E.]

Yes, anxiety can do that. "Lump in the throat feeling" is a symptom listed under Generalized Anxiety Disorder at: Healthgrades Health Library

As you probably know, many psych meds can cause dry mouth, which may also contribute to the problem. I had a sore throat feeling when I was most anxious 10 years ago, and I don't remember if it was my own anxiety or the meds that contributed most to the sore throat sensation.

Besides dealing with the anxiety, throat spray and lozenges helped a lot.

You may find more suggestions at:

http://groups.google.com/groups?ie=UTF-8&q=lump+throat+anxiety

 

[David Baxter PhD]

One thing my mom used to do to counter the effects of medications for asthma was to keep a small glass of crushed ice / ice chips nearby and suck on a small piece of ice.

 

[Daniel E.]

The use of crushed ice sounds like a great suggestion. I would also use this as an excuse to buy (or make) popsicles. My favorite popsicles are made of fruit juice with no sugar added.