Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#196040 04-01-2018 07:09 PM
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 1
Member
OP Offline
Member

Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 1
Hello. I am a new member here. I am yet to be diagnosed with cancer but fear that I may be in the very early stages of it. I am looking for help/advice on what to do, as my primary care and ENT have basically said they won't see me to discuss my symptoms anymore.

For the past 8 weeks I've had pretty much the same symptoms. I am early 30s, and a little overweight.

The first symptom I had was a very dry throat. Not a typical dry throat though. On a scale of 1-10 it was a 10 and happened literally over night. I was drinking nothing but soup and tea day in and day out to treat it for a week or so. I found some momentary relief from this but generally the throat remained dry. (No fever, no cough, no other symptoms)

The next week or so is when my neck pain really began getting worse. Swallowing began hurting. I would wake up barely able to move my tongue! I noticed a white spot on the inside of my cheek near my left tonsil. I also felt my left tonsil getting hard and when I pushed on it and white/yellow puss would come out. (Still no fever, no cough, no hoarse voice, no other real symptoms. Throat still dry)

The next week or so is when ear pain started. It was also tough to swallow. Then the back of my throat felt like it was pulsating and it looked discolored with some red spots. The pain eventually made it all the way to my lower neck region, which was throbbing a lot! My thyroid/Adam's apple area was very painful.

I finally was able to get into my primary care. I was prescribed 10 days of penicillin.

Took the penicillin but to no avail. Still dry throat, difficulty swallowing, etc. I went to the ENT. He felt my neck (no bumps or anything other than a "fatty tissue" that he said was benign on the back side of my lower neck). Then he looked in my throat with a light. He said the left tonsil was slightly larger than my other one (which it was for several weeks) but that it wasn't concerning.I told him I am in agony and it feels like there is something stuck in my throat when I swallow and that my throat just doesnt feel right! He dismissed me and said to relax.

Well, I couldn't relax. (I used chewing tobacco and smoked ciagrettes from about 18 until late 20s. I quit several years ago but about 2 months ago had a tin and a pack of cigarettes. I am fearful that doing that trigged something). I had him scope my throat through my nose. He looked at my vocal cords and said I do not have any ENT issues that he can diagnose. In other words, I was perfect.

That diagnosis (which was about 2 weeks ago) relaxed me a little but the pain I've been having hasn't gone away. I also had a little blood spot/blister on the back of my throat. The ENT saw it too but said it was normal and likely just a result of the veins in my throat being so tender, or something. It has since gone away.

I went back to my primary care last week for a follow up to seek answers but he also dismissed me saying I should just relax and that the pain will pass in time.

Well, it's 8 weeks since my first dry throat experience and I am going crazy not knowing what is wrong with me. Again, I dont have a fever, I dont get chills, but my throat feels like it is on fire sometimes, especially after eating. I havent touched alcohol since these symptoms began. My left tonsil definitly is harder than my right one (still), and my Adam's apple region feels wierd. About a week ago I pushed super hard on my left tonsil. More puss, to my surprise, came out!

Swallowing doesn't cause as much pain as it used to but my throat feels like there is something in it at all times. My lower neck muscles feel tender as well. When I blow my nose, sometimes my lower neck hurts.

I've felt around my neck and there are no real bumps or enlarged lymph nodes, other than a small one under my left side jaw area that feels like a pea. The other side of my neck doesn't have this. Both my primary and the ENT said the bump was normal.

I don't know what else to do. I've never had a sore throat/neck pain for this long. I dont want it to be early signs of cancer due to tobacco. What should I do? I'm going crazy drinking tea and soup every day. Should I push for blood work? A CT Scan/PET Scan? I am very new to all this.

Seems my primary care believes I have a strange case of viral tonsillitis.

As a final note: in the past several years, whenever I would use chewing tobacco, my body would take about a day or two to recover. My neck would be sore for about 24-hours. Well, all of these symptoms I am having started just days after I had a chew and smoked a cigarette. I've stopped since then, and don't want to ever use tobacco again.

Any advice would be most appreciated. My primary has said he basically will not see me if I come to him with this pain again. I am at my wits end!


- Michigan Man
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 10,507
Likes: 6
Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services
Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Offline
Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services
Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 10,507
Likes: 6
Welcome to OCF! Im sorry you are having so many issues with your health. If your physician and current ENT refuse to see you then you need to find someone who will. I suggest seeking out an ENT who specializes in treating oral cancer patients. That is NOT to say I think you have OC! That type of doctor is who would be the most experienced in seeing patients who have oral cancer and many other mouth/throat issues that arent serious.

Even though I do not have a medical background, to me it doesnt seem normal to have pus come out after pushing on a spot. If you notice something that doesnt look right in your mouth, leave it alone and get it checked out by a qualified doctor. Oral cancer (OC) does not always have symptoms appear. Often patients report nothing more serious than a scratchy throat or mild ear ache as their only sign that something isnt right. Blood tests do not diagnose OC. Only a biopsy can tell for certain what a spot is.

Im glad you are vowing to avoid using tobacco in all forms. There is NOT a safe kind of tobacco, no matter what the packaging tells you. Tobacco users are playing Russian roulette with their health. Its only a matter of time before there will be some sort of serious health concern. For every person who dies from tobacco related illnesses there are several more who survive and live their lives with permanent health problems.

One thing to keep in mind when seeing a doctor repeatedly about the same issues, they have years of schooling, clinical patient experience and should have a pretty good idea of what something is when they see it. But... doctors are human and everyone makes mistakes. If you see several doctors and they all say basically the same thing, will you still continue looking for someone to diagnose you? Ive seen a few people join our group who have gone to doctor after doctor never believing what they are told even after seeing 7+ doctors. Im NOT telling you this due to not believing what you have going on could be cancer or something serious, Im simply mentioning this in case you end up seeing several doctors and are not given a diagnosis. I hope you can get to the bottom of whatever you have thats going on.

Best wishes with everything!


Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 4
Member
Offline
Member

Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 4
This is crazy how some ents wave things off


Moderated by  Brian Hill 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Top Posters
ChristineB 10,507
davidcpa 8,311
Cheryld 5,260
EzJim 5,260
Brian Hill 4,912
Newest Members
Jina, VintageMel, rahul320, Sean916, Megm37
13,103 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums23
Topics18,166
Posts196,921
Members13,103
Most Online458
Jan 16th, 2020
OCF Awards

Great Nonprofit OCF 2023 Charity Navigator OCF Guidestar Charity OCF

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5