Possible permanent epiglottic damage from allergies or bacteria

Hi everyone!

I'm suffering for 12 months now with a problem which is destroying my life in all senses. I've suffered more in the past 12 months than in the rest of my life all together. I'm 41.

This is how my epiglottis looks like (attached image).

Based on this image, I received a theory of a diagnosis which I can't confirm. On the internet there is not literature that suggests this has ever happened to another person before and other doctors that checked my throat have not theorised this diagnosis.

The diagnosis is: while I was eating lobster, a spike of the lobster's mandible injured my throat close to the epiglottis. Through the means of an allergic reaction of bacteria infection (possibly pseudomonas aeruginosa) the immune system had an exaggerated response and attacked its own tissues, deforming the cartilage of the epiglottis, shrinking it in the left side.

As you can see in the photo the epiglottis is smaller in the left (inverted) side.

I was told this is a permanent damage and nothing can be done to treat it or reduce my symptoms. I will have to deal with the terrible symptoms for the rest of my life.

I can get into further details but I don't want to leave a very large post. I can share more details after I get some answers to this first post.

My symptoms can be described like this: when I swallow it feels like the structures of my throat don't match as they used to. Something from one part of the throat does not fit in the other part and that makes me feel a terrible discomfort as well as a soft pain. But as it happens every time and as I even feel the discomfort when I’m static (not swallowing) I can't stop thinking about it. It's always present, although it's worse some days than other days. It is always discomfortable, but some days this sensation of irritation is added and it is even harder to deal with it.

My questions:

- Do you think that an allergen or bacteria from the lobster could have provoked such reaction with damage to the epiglottis cartilage?

- If that was to happen, how painful would it be? Very painful, as with excruciating pain and fever associated, that demanded intake of painkillers? Or could it be a “silent” damage, with just moderate pain?

- In the other attached photo, there is a cyst very close to the epiglottis, exactly in the side (left) where I feel the symptoms. Could it be the origin of the symptoms?

After 9 months of desperation, I had to start taking antidepressants (30mg of mirtazapine). It’s the first time in my life that I take this medication, but even with this, I very anxious and sad about this situation that is destroying my life. Any help would be very important to me.

Thanks and kind regards,

Anthony.