Connect
10 year old feels like something is stuck in his throat.
My 10yr old son continually feels like something is stuck in his throat (on the sides and also in front) and feels like he has difficulty breathing at times. He says it feels like his throat is being squeezed. This has gone on now for 4 months and he has lost 9 lbs. He is 10 and only weighs 59 lbs now. It's bad enough for him that he will tell me he would just rather die. We've been seeing doctors and I'm now at a loss as to what to do next. He's had an Endoscopy (with a biopsy), a barium swallow test, an MRI on his neck, allergy testing, etc. We've seen a Speech Pathologist, a Phychologist, and got to physical therapy weekly. 1/2 of the doctors think it's all in his head but I KNOW it's not! I've read his exact complaints online posted by other people but no one seems to have found any answers. My son is typically never sick and never has been. He now BARELY eats, worries about not being able to breathe and is starting to seriously struggle with what's going on. I need some help, some ideas, etc.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the About Kids & Teens Support Group.
Connect
I have had a similar issue with my 10 year old. He has been complaining that "there is a lump in his throat, it's hard to breathe and he feels like he is going to throw up". He has never complained of issues with swallowing but I have noticed he is not eating as much as he usually does. He's a big kid though and eats alot anyway so I'm not real concerned here. He is not losing weight or anything. The doctor seems to think it's anxiety or seasonal allergies. My son is allergic to cashews and pistachios too but did not eat any/was not exposed to any in his last few complaints of throat tightness etc. I'm wondering if it's a gluten allergy, acid reflux, or anxiety. I got him tested for strep because sometimes symptoms vary a bit and he tested negative. I'm going to try Claritin, which he already usually takes in the spring and some kids tums for now and see how it goes.
Good Morning,
My daughter was 17 when she had a feeling of something caught in her throat. She would make a weird noise almost like a gag or trying to cough something out. They did an endoscopy and found nothing except the anesthesiologist and surgeon agreed she had sleep apnea. Had her tested and they said she didn’t. Fast forward two years later and she has that feeling again…
Hoping your account is still active and you see this. Is there an update, my 5yo is currently presenting similar symptoms. He refuses to eat solids because he says it hurts to swallow any food, and sometimes says he can’t swallow; but is okay with liquids. We’ve had 2 strep tests done in the past 3 weeks. I can get him to drink some high protein yogurt drinks but he swishes it around in his mouth bc of the thickness. We tried pediasure but friends have said that, it led to lots of oral issues (cavities and decay) later in life, and then he just had impacted stool which I think was just high sugar content from all the ice cream and popsicles bc it’s only food that turns into liquid to able to swallow.
It’s very frustrating. I don’t know what to do with him or how to help him. I feel like the doctors are dismissing it bc it’s normal for “picky” eaters.
@ruth24
It must be very frustrating for you and your son to try to get enough nutrition into him.
Has he seen a Pediatric Gastroenterologist? They might do an endoscopy to see if there is anything in the back of the throat or esophagus causing this feeling.
I’m so glad I stumbled onto this thread. My 8 year old choked on a strawberry in March and it’s been 2 months since he’s eaten anything solid. The week after he choked he was eating small pieces of bread and macaroni. Then he had an incident where he burped and thought the bread got stuck so he had the fear of choking back in his mind. He will now only drink pediasure, eat ice cream, and whips yogurt. We have started with OT for feeding therapy and counseling for the anxiety part. But he still tells me he feels like there’s something in his throat and he can’t breathe. I keep thinking it’s just anxiety. I’m just at a loss. Does anyone have success stories where their kids snapped out of this and eat normal again? Just reading everyone’s stories helps me know that I’m not alone in this.