About 7 weeks ago I began to get a strange sensation in my neck and couldnt bare anything near it as felt I was being strangled. The symptoms got worse and I began to get strange going-ons like ear pressure, throat pressure, a strange feeling when I swallow although that has eased a bit, and a dreadful thist and some times can drink 7 glasses water in an hour-couldnt speak without drinking water (which I don't even like). I thought at first it may be reaction to blood pressure pills I was taking as have had bad reactions to other ones but now after stopped taking them I am really no better. I thought I was getting better and today was a better day than in weeks but it has flared up again I feel a tightness in my throat but can breath ok and into my jaws and glands. I have been back and fro to dr and it was suggested that I may have anxiety. I feel that is not the case and am waiting for an appointment to go to ENT which could take a month. I am a 55 year old female and I am really worried out of my mind that it is something serious. The dryness and not being able to swallow is frightening but when it settles my mouth feels normal its just when I get this sort of pressure/swelling feeling the mouth dryness starts. I just don't know what to think and am getting rather worried and frightend as thought a few times would end up in hospital as it got so bad.

Hi taffylass

I have experienced something very similar - particularly with drinking lots of water. A few weeks ago I had quite a nasty virus, I had a lot of difficulty swallowing and it felt like my throat was closing in. I was aware of a constant pressure in my throat and nose. My GP prescribed antibiotics and it got a little better but I still had the feeling something was stuck and my throat was closing up. I then started to have an extreme thirst - really extreme, in that I was drinking full pints of water at a time and craved ice. I was having to get up to go to the loo 10 times some nights because I was drinking so much and became completely familiar with the patterns on the wallpaper in the loo I was there so much! Yet however much I drank my mouth still felt dry. My GP ran blood sugar, thyroid, complete blood count, lipids, kidney and liver function - just about everything and all came back normal. The thirst gradually disappeared but even now five weeks on my throat still feels a little weird although I'm definately on the mend. It was a hell of a virus!

Try not to worry between now and your ENT visit - I know that isnt easy because I had a four week wait before a possible biopsy and I worked myself up into a state of near hysteria. In the end it turned out all the fears, sleepless nights, tears I had cried were for nothing. I then decided I wasnt going to worry until I was categorically told there was something wrong with me!

Also anxiety does funny things to us - I had a bout of it after the birth of my daughter and I had the closed throat feeling - like I was being strangled, I was also constantly dizzy and lightheaded, and generally spaced out with numbness and tingling. I was convinced I had MS or another horrible disease! It turned out I was hyperventilating. The mind sure is a powerful thing.

Hope this helps if you need to chat PM me

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