Hi there. I have had the same thing for 6 months now.  All started from a normal cold and then a chest infection.

Had a few CBCs and all come back clear, as did infection markers.

They thought it was silent reflux and had 5 weeks of Omeprazole which did nothing.

Had the camera down throat at ENT and he said no cancer but had swollen lymph nodes and should be ok in a few weeks. This was June and it's still bad now.

Other doctors thought it was Glandular Fever, but 2 blood tests didn't confirm it. Was not strep either.

Now they think it could be my thyroid (been on Levo for 11 years now).

Got a throat ultrasound in a couple of weeks and done nothing but cry and cry for months as convinced I have cancer.  

I so hope everyone on this thread is ok now and found out what they have.

Hi debsy, how are you now? 

Thanks for replying Debsy. Sorry to hear you are feeling so depressed aswell. I'm still waiting for appointment. Sometimes I am in so much pain with my throat. I just wish I knew what is causing it. Friends are starting to think it's in my head which hurts me that they think that. I just feel I am in limbo now waiting for ENT. Its definitely affecting my quality of life. 

I HATE that, when people think you are imagining it. I have been accused of it as well, even from doctors.  Yeah because we want to pretend we are in pain hey?!  I am not sure if that referral has even gone through and if I ring up to ask, I will get snapped at and told that there are "other more important things doctors are worried about and busy with".  Hugs to you and so hope you get seen soon xx

Hi Debsy, my mother had cancer of the esophagus and died some years ago when the cancer spread. She had a sore throat for several years before she died and no doctor was able to help her. One with a liking for a natural approach suggested she eat raw garlic sandwiches which she did , I think it helped for a time. The thing is, she smoked. The nicotine and smoke will constantly irritate your throat surface and the doctors may be too polite to tell you that as long as you smoke it won't go away. Take it from me, my mother would not stop either, one excuse after another, "nerves" etc. but your throat will only be cured when you stop smoking. It's your choice. Learn from what happened to my mother, it only ends one way. Act now while you may. Stopping smoking may also help your heart. As a non-smoker when I try a nicotine chewing gum my heart races also. Could be a connection.

Hi just wanted to ask, if there any updates on the situation?

Is this for me nideba?

i have had all my checks done so just waiting for my doctors to take all my notes to their weekly MDT meeting next Wednesday and sort out my treatment plan . I can't wait to get going now I'm sick of all this waiting . I just hope cancer treatment won't be held up because of the virus that worries me a bit . X x x

Oh ok last time you said you was waiting to find out what stage the lymphoma was at. Have they told you what stage it's at yet?

Hi,
Had a sore throat on and off for a couple of years now. I do suffer from reflux so when I went to the ENT chap he said the soreness was due to reflux and I was booked in for a gastroscopy. Yesterday I had the results from that which confirmed I had stomach polyps (from the long use of omeprazole) and island of Barrets Oesaphagitis (from years of reflux). Biopsies taken, nothing sinsister, recommend another gastroscopy in three years.However, guess what he said.....your sore throat is nothing to do with reflux you should see the ENT people.
My sore throat gets worse throughout the day especially if i am at work and talk a lot.
I like to think I am in good health other than my relux, dont smoke, dont drink much, not overweight, eat a good diet etc etc
I feel the same as you, frustrated, angry and upset at the same time. If I knew what caused it at least I would have an answer and hopefully get it sorted. Noone, even family members, dont seem to appreciate how I feel.
One thing it perhaps could be related to is my sinuses as about 30 years ago I was suffereing from a post nasal drip and I had to have my nose straightened and sinuses cleared. 
Oh well, here's hoping another trip to the ENT will be fruitful, ever the optimist....lol 
 

So ENT said you had reflux, then you hadn't in your throat?? No wonder you are confused.  I could not stand omeprazole. For some reason it made my weight rocket and cause even more stomach problems than ever before.

My throat is still sore on and off but I seem to have more trouble with my sinuses and breathing and been so tight in the chest.  It could be hormones with me, but once again, nothing ever done to help and there was no HRT to even give me. 

With this virus thing ongoing for what seems forever, I worry that people including myself, will never get well or to the bottom of our problems ever. And that terrifies me.  

Best of luck and hope you get sorted soon,

How are you doing Debsy ?

I'm still suffering with my throat. Got a hospital appointment but not until July. So depressed with it all. 

Thank you for asking Micky.

Not doing well at all.  It;s not so much my actual throat  that is sore now,but it's the breathlessness and tightness in it which frightens me. Of course, I am terrified it's that virus, as so many of my symptoms match it, but not got a cough.  I do get hot flushes.  Also terrible burning smell in my nose that has worsened in the last month, and something growing inside my nose where the septum is - I had an ENT referral made but no idea when I will ever get that appointment now.

I so hope you can get your appointment -  I am hoping this lockdown will not be in place in July but I am very doubtful it can be now.

Sending lots of hugs to you, I feel really depressed too xxx 

Thank you for asking Micky.

Not doing well at all.  It;s not so much my actual throat  that is sore now,but it's the breathlessness and tightness in it which frightens me. Of course, I am terrified it's that virus, as so many of my symptoms match it, but not got a cough.  I do get hot flushes.  Also terrible burning smell in my nose that has worsened in the last month, and something growing inside my nose where the septum is - I had an ENT referral made but no idea when I will ever get that appointment now.

I so hope you can get your appointment -  I am hoping this lockdown will not be in place in July but I am very doubtful it can be now.

Sending lots of hugs to you, I feel really depressed too xxx 

Hi Debsy, sorry to hear you're not doing to well. Its horrible when suffering with health issues. I know what your saying about the virus. It is such a worry. I hope you can get seen yourself with all the symptoms you are suffering with. This virus situation has just put everything on hold. Big hug to you. Take care x 

Thank you so much. I cannot even keep calm. My anxiety is absolutely out of control and the constant noise from next door and their horrible kid does my head in on a daily basis. Just constant screaming, banging, yelling.  I just feel beyond despair and having problems with my breathing and feel so exhausted xx

Hey everyone, I just came across this thread and I'm relieved but also sad to see that many of you are experiencing these symptoms, it is strange to take some comfort in that.

I have a sore throat from around December, it wasn't intense pain but I knew it was there. I had a really bad virus infection in January and had the worst cough I've ever had. Thankfully the virus ran its a course (as far as I'm aware it was nothing to do with COVID-19, but who can be sure?) At the end of January, I actually felt my sore throat was gone and I was feeling pretty healthy again. The past month however the niggling sore throat feeling came back and then last week it went to a whole new level of feeling like it was on fire.

I had a diagnosis of GERD a few years ago which has given me some issues so suspected it could be something related to that? However, I did call the doctor last week and describe my symptoms, back of my mouth looks quite raw and my right tonsil looks slightly enlarged and was giving some antibiotics which will be done this week. Doesn't seem to make an impact so far. I don't feel the pain when I'm eating or drinking, and have even tried taking a spoon of honey to help. I find talking a lot will set it off even more and trying to occupy my mind can help sometimes but I really don't think it's anxiety. The doctor wants to test for Glandular Fever if I still have symptoms after the antibiotics. 

I really resonate with you Debsy about somebody thinking it's all in your head, it's so dishearting when you are actually suffering from something on a day to day basis and you're told it's just in your head.

I know this post doesn't really offer much, but I felt compelled to reply. Obviously, with our current situation, it's going to be hard to investigate this further and I'm staying positive in thinking it's not something sinister but when you do have something impacting your daily life and you just don't have any answers it can really leave you feeling helpless. 

I'll be checking back on this thread every once and a while to keep you updated - and I just want you to know you are not alone if you are reading this.

Sounds like me last year - my doctors wasted MONTHS saying it was silent reflux and gave me omeprazole that did nothing but cause weight gain and stomach problems. Then they said I had glandular fever - despite 2 blood tests saying negative but was told "you can still have it if the tests are negative" which seemed ludicrous to me.  Was referred to ENT and had the camera down throat and there was no reflux or even any sign I had had it. I was given a throat spray but that was useless.  Just no idea why they cannot diagnose anything for us.  Mine all started with a normal cold March 2019 and has never fully gone away, but led to lots of other amounting ailments and pain.  So hope you can get help better than I got.

Looks like I'm not the only one suffering from this. I've been suffering from this for 15ish months to be exact. Start from December 2018. One day woke up from a nagging sore throat. No fever/colds. Went to the GP and they gave me antibiotics and it never worked, tired GERD tablets for 4/5weeks and didn't make a difference. Then went to the ENT put a camera down my nose and they found that one tonsil was bigger than the other.  They said I am going to need a tonsilectomy. I went with the surgery. 4/5 weeks after the surgery I went back as an outpatient for a check up and I still complained of the nagging sore throat. The ENT specialist just looked at my throat and said to 'Give it more time to heal'. Few months later before xmas 2019, went back to the GP and complained of a sore throat again. My GP tried to pull the anxiety card on me but booked for a bloodtest for Vitamin deficiency (I think) and Unereactive Thyroid. Results came back clear. So I went back to my GP and they refered me to the ENT which WAS due this april but due to COVID, it got canceled.

I can drink fine but when I eat solid foods I can feel something small scraping at the back of my throat. Due to this, alot of the times I do not feeling like speaking or going out because of the discomfort I am experiencing. I'm starting to feel very down and depressed because I have a feeling the doctor wont find anything and say its in my head. Will I have to live with this for the rest of my life? I know its not really anxiety because I went on holiday for 2 weeks and I was still in pain/discomfort.

 I'm 21y/o never smoked and only drink on special occasions.

Your story sounds almost exactly like mine. Had mine now since March 2019.  Started as the normal cold, then once more turned into an infection - chest this time.  The 2 lots of antibiotics made me worse and I still to this day blame the Doxycyclin I was given as then things just started to fall to pieces bit by bit - the sore throat:  like you I was told it was reflux and given those horrible Omeprazole things which did nothing but cause weight gain.

Had ENT appointment and told there was NEVER any reflux but I had a lymph node and it did not look cancerous and to have some throat spray. Didn't work.  Had another ENT appointment in November to look more at the vocal chords: nothing wrong. Had a thyroid scan:  nothing wrong. 

I was told I have anxiety as well (Which is true and its got a LOT worse as I am always worried about never being well and having no energy), and my Dr stupidly [prescribed me a course of sertraline - I had to get up to an emergency clinic 6 days after on a Saturday night as the pupil in my left eye went large and was told to stop immediately.  I have an eye condition called Pigmentary dispersion and should NEVER be given any sort of SSRI/SNRI pill as could cause glaucoma.  My Dr seemed to not believe me and there was "no record" of me attending this emergency.

More problems started to happen throughout last year, chest pains (which I went up A&E a number of times about as I could not breathe either), constocondritis (where my ribs were in AGONY), blocked sinuses. 

I was eventually referred for a echocardiogram and that confirmed the ectopic beats and I had to suggest could it be hormones (as I am 48 and had 2 missed periods in Nov/Dec). Could not get HRT patches or even pills as there was a national shortage.  Never heard about them again.  I was meant to have another ENT referral for the lump I have growing on my septum on the right inside of my nose - but thanks to this bloody virus taking over the world, I doubt I will ever get seen and I worry if that's cancer too.  I have had awful smells in my nose (either burnt plastic, bonfire or really sweet perfume) for about 4 years and it's got a LOT worse in the last year. 

I can understand why you feel so hopeless and worry that your doctor will think you are imagining it - that's all I ever get accused of.  I do smoke (I know I shouldn't!) and rarely drink. I feel so sorry for you, being only 21 as well.  I so hope you can get your problems sorted and thank you so much for the friend request too, which I accepted xx

Hi Debsy,

I'm in a similar situation - apart from what now seems chronic sore throat, feeling like things stick to it, phlegm I can get rid off  and difficulty swallowing (esp on the right side) - I also suffer with breathlessness, lightheadedness and have on & off chest pain.... These last symptoms seem to be the same as coved 19. In fact 4 gps have suggested to me I am suffering with post viral fatigue....that could be corona, but not necessarily....

I have other symptoms bloated stomach & pain/weight under left side of ribs & I'm referred an upper endoscopy & CT scan

Hi BPkr - sounds so similar, and yes I do panic about the symptoms matching that "plague" (as I call it) but how would most of us know we have it/had it without any tests, or reliable ones at that? 

I have had Chronic Fatigue for 10 years nearly, but my doctors dismiss it and never help me.  I also have a constantly bloated stomach and digestive issues, which they all tried to write off as reflux, but ENT said I had no evidence of suffering it when he examined me.  But still there wasn't a name for what I have.  It could be hormone changes with me, but surprise surprise, there is a shortage of HRT so cannot even give it a trial. 

My doctors haven't even called me in all this chaos - they know I have anxiety and all these issues going on, as well as being overdue for thyroid blood tests and the ENT appointment for the blockage in my nostril, but everything is now seemingly permanently on hold while this plague rages on and on.  I feel like giving up, as feel this will never be over and I will never get seen to, and it affects my already damaged mental health not knowing what the hell to do anymore.  

I so hope you will get seen soon for your referrals. Best of luck.

Yes, you are not alone - the mental health issues are off the chart for me as well. I think many of us end up feeling trapped, powerless and alone. Weird times.  Some days are excruciatingly painful - mentally I mean, nevermind the physical issues. Today, I found out I had more energy to walk - so I walked and walked. I might pay for this with exhaustion later, but it helped. I'm also taking valerian  - it helps with anxiety & I much prefer it to antidepressants or beta blockers that doc gave me. What things help you with the anxiety? 

I do some form of exercise each day, from a gruelling 3 hour workout in my room on a Mon/Tues, which takes longer for me as I ache and try to break it up with small easy jobs, an hours' walk every other Weds, do sit ups every day.  I sadly find that it does not really help me mentally. Music is the best thing for me, and been listening to a lot of it lately, but do that anyhow!  Trouble is, it brings back memories of happier and healthier times, so can be a bit of a double edged sword!