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What causes Clicking or Popping in Throat when Swallowing?

Posted by mushroom @mushroom, Oct 2, 2020

I was doing some neck massages a few days ago and then afterwards whenever I swallow, I feel a clicking/popping sensation and sound when my larynx moves up upon swallow. There is no pain at the moment but the popping sensation in my throat gives me anxiety whenever I swallow. Is this the result of the cartilage rubbing on each other? Is it from the hyoid bone rubbing the thyroid cartilage? Are there exercises that can fix this?

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domy | @domy | Oct 30, 2023
In reply to @jerics "Hi everyone. I guess you could count me in as well. I've had a clicking throat..." + (show)
Profile picture for jerics @jerics

Hi everyone. I guess you could count me in as well. I've had a clicking throat for many months now. Along with other symptoms. Although the actual clicking is painless, this is associated with much pain around the throat and it's painful both emotionally and physically. The clicking seems to be on the left side of the Adams apple, as many of you say, but I could be wrong. The lump feeling, and clicking feeling, sometimes changes depending on posture or head turn - but either way, swallowing feels off and tense. I'm waiting for a CT-scan. I'll keep you updated.

I'm intrigued that so many have this problem and that doctors across many disciplines are perplexed. It seems though, when reading this thread that some ENT surgeons you mention have some experience in this and are at least able to suggest a specific treatment.

There are many things to consider here however and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I'm trying to compile a list of sorts that have helped some of you, and then I might go through it and see if anything works. I see no other option. We all share a main symtom but it might have different causes, and thus different treatment options, who knows.

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Hello. Did you get help? Perhaps you could help me too. I have had similar symptoms for many years but doctors can't figure out the cause. The constant lump feeling on my left side of adams apple and the clicking is driving me nuts. I'm so depressed and I don't know what to do

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2 replies
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jerics | @jerics | Oct 30, 2023
In reply to @domy "Hello. Did you get help? Perhaps you could help me too. I have had similar symptoms..." + (show)
Profile picture for domy @domy

Hello. Did you get help? Perhaps you could help me too. I have had similar symptoms for many years but doctors can't figure out the cause. The constant lump feeling on my left side of adams apple and the clicking is driving me nuts. I'm so depressed and I don't know what to do

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I would love to help, but I’m afraid I have no answer because I still have this problem. Fear and anxiety might be a huge factor in how painful it is perceived. Like everything else of course, but this one in particular because it’s in an area where anxiety often resides the most - the throat - hence the huge problem with globus in general. I’ve thought that this is an extreme version of globus, but I’m fed up with the guess work by now.

It’s still quite painful in periods, but I feel it everyday, more so from stress or lack of sleep. Lately I’ve been thinking of blood pressure and pulse, it it has an impact because it can exacerbate the tension and pain. I’m looking into the connection there. Still no answers. The closest explanation is muscle tension and chronic pain followed from that I guess.

Maybe the clicking is a muscle moving around or pressing against the Adam’s apple or if it’s referred muscle tension from a problematic hyoid bone?

I’m still looking for a solution or relief.

Thanks for reaching out. I hope you find some answers. Take care of your mental health, it will help.

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jerics | @jerics | Oct 30, 2023

Oh, I forgot to mention some useful things!

I try to do neck exercises every day, multiple times: https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/neck-exercises-dos-donts
And some of them are the same my physiotherapist gave me; an additional step is stretching the throat muscles by pulling or holding the skin on one side of the collar bone and vice versa, to maximize the stretching on each side of the throat.

It seems to loosen up a bit. But pain and tension is back before I know it. I’d like to believe it’s helping in some way. Either way, it’s probably never bad to strengthen your muscles, even neck muscles if you do it carefully.

I still don’t know how to treat the cause. So this is all I got for now.

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xdoll | @xdoll | Nov 9, 2023
In reply to @jammer2525 "Did this ever improve for you? I’m going through the exact same thing right now." + (show)
Profile picture for jammer2525 @jammer2525

Did this ever improve for you? I’m going through the exact same thing right now.

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what did yours end up being?

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ruffo3 | @ruffo3 | Nov 30, 2023
In reply to @alexandratiuleanu "Hello everyone . I am a singer and I deal with this click for 4 weeks..." + (show)
Profile picture for alexandratiuleanu @alexandratiuleanu

Hello everyone . I am a singer and I deal with this click for 4 weeks now. I am desperate, i feel pain and inflamation , i feel like nothing can touch my neck and this clicking is driving me crazy. Went to 2 ent , abdominal echography , nech echo etc . Nothing wrong. Nothing wrong but I can’t sing, I can’t even speak!! Will i sing again? 😭 please tell me yes
I cry all over the time i feel no one understands me because they tell me it’s just anxiety

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Alex my son is a singer and has the same issue. I'm wondering if you got it resolved? Praying for you. Not fun.

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ruffo3 | @ruffo3 | Nov 30, 2023
In reply to @jerics "Hi everyone. I guess you could count me in as well. I've had a clicking throat..." + (show)
Profile picture for jerics @jerics

Hi everyone. I guess you could count me in as well. I've had a clicking throat for many months now. Along with other symptoms. Although the actual clicking is painless, this is associated with much pain around the throat and it's painful both emotionally and physically. The clicking seems to be on the left side of the Adams apple, as many of you say, but I could be wrong. The lump feeling, and clicking feeling, sometimes changes depending on posture or head turn - but either way, swallowing feels off and tense. I'm waiting for a CT-scan. I'll keep you updated.

I'm intrigued that so many have this problem and that doctors across many disciplines are perplexed. It seems though, when reading this thread that some ENT surgeons you mention have some experience in this and are at least able to suggest a specific treatment.

There are many things to consider here however and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I'm trying to compile a list of sorts that have helped some of you, and then I might go through it and see if anything works. I see no other option. We all share a main symtom but it might have different causes, and thus different treatment options, who knows.

Jump to this post

hello, did you discover anything? help please. thank you

REPLY
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ruffo3 | @ruffo3 | Nov 30, 2023
In reply to @dream108 "Thanks! I also agree with you. For folks following along on this thread, I went to..." + (show)
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Thanks! I also agree with you. For folks following along on this thread, I went to the ENT yesterday and he acknowledged the clicking sound. He confirmed it is hyoid bone that is rubbing on the thyroid cartilage. He did a nasal endoscopy and everything was clear, except for excess thick mucus. He wants to try steroids and muscle relaxer medication but I'm not so sure this will work so still thinking it over. I asked if I can get imaging done instead he said first try medication then imaging if it still persists in the next 4-6 weeks. For anyone who wants to connect on this feel free to send me a message and we can discuss ideas. Thanks!

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what did you find out?

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ruffo3 | @ruffo3 | Nov 30, 2023
In reply to @domy "Hello. Did you get help? Perhaps you could help me too. I have had similar symptoms..." + (show)
Profile picture for domy @domy

Hello. Did you get help? Perhaps you could help me too. I have had similar symptoms for many years but doctors can't figure out the cause. The constant lump feeling on my left side of adams apple and the clicking is driving me nuts. I'm so depressed and I don't know what to do

Jump to this post

what did you find out? looking for help

REPLY
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rockysolomon995 | @rockysolomon995 | Dec 5, 2023

I have been following this thread for a little over a year and have documented my journey so far. Like most of you I have been to countless doctors and finally ended up at Stanford Medical where I met the extraordinary
Dr. Damrose. He found out what was causing my click in my throat. After a CT scan he noticed my right side thyroid cartilage looked abnormal but there was no way of knowing unless they went in there. On July 7th I finally had the surgery to correct the clicking in my throat. After surgery he came in and told me that the thyroid cartilage was almost bent 90 degrees which was causing all the issues. He doesn't know how this might have happened. I could've been born with it, it could have been from past neck trauma I had as a teenager. The surgery lasted about 45 mins to an hour. After surgery I was discharged and was on my way home. Recovery was pretty simple just a little bit of a sore neck and sore throat. All the literature I have read, is that the only way to correct this problem is by surgery. My doctor was amazing he never pressured me to get the surgery, he said its up to me and whenever I was ready he would be glad to do it. The scar is a little bigger than I thought but they did such a great job you can't really see the scar anymore they hid it in one of my neck folds. Like most of you I had no pain associated with the click, just the constant annoyance. I was worried there would be long term complications form this surgery, but he said there is nothing to worry about in the coming future. He assured me the surgery is a very simple surgery and not very complex. I go back in May for my final follow up to make sure everything is healing right.

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2 replies
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ilikecake123 | @ilikecake123 | Dec 26, 2023

I am also suffering with throat clicking, and am yet to see a doctor that understands
I've been on all sorts of medications to try to fix it, but nothing has changed. Has anyone on here had a CT scan done?

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