A few days after doing some leg work and ab crunches in the gym in the middle of January 2008, I noticed a slight tightness at the bottom of my neck and a small inflammation sensation in the back of my throat when I swallowed. I didn't really think anything of it just yet. It could very well be caused by doing abs without warming up first. I thought that it was likely that I strained my neck. The inflammation felt like something you get when you have a cold or sore throat. There was no trouble swallowing (no noticeable obstruction or strain), but it felt like something was pushing at the back of my throat afterwards.
A few more days had passed and I felt increased discomfort which was starting to get me discouraged. The inflammation seemed to be getting worse and the tightness in my throat was becoming very localized - the bottom of my throat, below my Adam's Apple (it felt like someone gave me a direct blow to the neck). Although I wasn't getting food stuck in my throat when I swallowed, I was thinking that maybe my throat troubles could me attributed to my GERD. The feeling I was having was definitely different than what I had in the past (past - straining when I swallowed; currently - can swallow but felt inflammation afterwards). It seemed a little odd that that would be the case since I have been on Nexium and Omeprazole for the past 4 years. If there was a narrowing in my esophagus, the treatment is usually the exact medication that I have been taking. I'm not sure if it was my nervousness, uncertainty, or what, but the inflammation/swallowing was getting worse and I was at the point that I felt the need to get it checked out. I waited about 2 weeks after I initially felt the discomfort before going to the doctor but conditions did not improve. I was afraid of what might happen if things got worse, so I made and appointment with Dr. B on Weds, January 30th.
It usually takes weeks to get an appointment with him, but I learned the buzz words to use when I call the receptionist (trouble swallowing, history of GERD, etc) and shockingly I was able to come in and see him only a couple hours after I called. I told him that I had trouble swallowing, localized pain in my throat, inflammation, etc. and he said that he wanted to perform an endoscopy to check out if anything was wrong. This was exactly what I was hoping to hear. Things did not seem to get any better and I was starting to get nervous. Dr. B also looked down my throat and recommended that I see an ENT to get a throat examination just in case (which was also good news to me). I went to the receptionist to schedule an endoscopy and initially she tells me that his first opening is at the end of the month. I'm thinking to myself - what? - I'm having throat and swallowing troubles and they want me to wait 3 to 4 weeks? Luckily, in the same breath, the receptionist saw a cancellation for that weekend so I was able to come in an get the endoscopy only 3 days later on Saturday, February 2nd. I was hoping that there would be something tangible to see to explain my discomfort and then treat it.
Fortunately/unfortunately, my doctor did not see anything wrong with my esophagus - no obstruction, no inflammation, nothing. While I was glad that he did not find anything wrong, something still felt "off" with my throat. I know my body pretty well and something did not seem right. Unfortunately, by finding nothing in the endoscopy, my doctor would not be able to recommend any form of treatment to help my situation. In a somewhat nonchalant way, he told me that he didn't find anything wrong and that it was probably something minor that was causing the inflammation or possibly stress. He told me it was globus - a term that I found that meant that the muscles of the esophagus contract or spasm uncontrollably, and it feels like there is something in your throat when there is nothing. This seemed like his way of telling me that it was probably in my head and there was nothing wrong. Now that my primary doctor found nothing, I was hoping that the ENT doctor would be able to help me out.
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