Giant lump at the very top of my throat. Help or advice?

@jlharsh thank you, I’ll post an update after my ENT appt on Monday but i’m afraid I will still need to see the gastro doc to have my questions fully answered but for now hopefully i’ll get some answers on Monday 🤞🏼

Get an endoscopy. I just got one due to similar problems and found out I have a hernia which contributes to symptoms. The procedure ruled out autoimmune issues. I plan additional procedures to understand why this problem seems to be getting worse dedpite dietary changes, etc. a gastroenterologist can help you understand your situation better.

@eloise999, when you say you were having similar problems, what symptoms were you experiencing? Did you also have symptoms that seemed to be high in your throat?

I’m also curious about the dietary changes you mentioned. Were there particular foods that seemed to make your symptoms better or worse, and what changes have you tried?

You mentioned that the hernia contributes to your symptoms, but that you’re having additional procedures because things are still getting worse. What symptoms do you and your doctors think the hernia may be contributing to, and what are they still trying to understand?

@jlharsh yes. I get a congestion in my upper throat. Sometimes feel like choking and throw up. Pressure in chest, etc. eating mostly vegetables helps me. Smaller portions, avoiding fried food and fatty food. I do not eat a lot of sweets. Avoid soda and sweet drinks. Mint, caffeine. I think these are typical trigger foods for GERD.

See about getting an esophogram swallow test—easy test. Could be zenker or Killian-Jamison diverticulum.

@bree I also have a lump, but not feel-like, this really is a lump caused by a lesion that was removed but won't heal (surgery and biopsy was mid-July) and while I'm waiting for the next another-option, I've developed a second one. As for the cough, YES!!! I know what you mean. It feels like something is caught in my throat, but a normal cough to clear the throat doesn't work; I have to deep cough (hack) which really hurts because of the mouth wound. What comes up is remarkably thick. I can roll it around and it becomes a ball - I always do this to see if the cough was productive or was it just regular saliva. So far no doctor will address this, since the ENT doesn't seem to care. btw 2 different ENTs cluldn't find the leasion but my dentist did. It's so far back on the roof of my mouth, soft palate, that it's only visible with a dental mirror. You might want to see a dentist if it's the same lump. The original thing was a hard lump that hurt swallowing, coughing, etc but post-surgery it's so irritated that the area around it is swollen and the surgery site is bigger that the thing that was removed. I hope you find the right doctor, because it's all a real problem - sometimes I feel like I'm choking when nothing happens when I try the deep cough.

@brcc, you mentioned having an ENT appointment. What did you find out?

@eloise999, it sounds like you’ve identified quite a few things that help you manage the symptoms. Where are you in figuring out what is causing them? Have you had any testing or evaluation for the throat and chest symptoms?

@bruizersmom, you’ve been dealing with a lot since that surgery in July. When you say you’re waiting for the next option, what have you been told so far about the biopsy results and why the area hasn’t healed? Has anyone evaluated the second lesion yet?

Janell @jlharsh, no one has looked at the second lesion yet and it looks like the hospital's surgeon will be the first to do so. Option (1) Remove and biopsy, result, negative. (2) Get oral paste and oral lidocaine gel to cover the site and lessen pain. Result: things continued to get worse so oral surgeon (OS) sent me to dentist for number three. (3) Have a mouth guard made by my dentist which will cover the area and better allow for healing. Result: Only able to tolerate for 2 hours on day one, and the time dropped to minutes quickly. Now it"s impossible to use because of my gag reflex and panic. (4) "If that doesn't work, we'll have to consider more surgery, this time in a hospital so you can get the site sutured and we'll do another biopsy in case we need to do anything else"
And now I'm waiting to hear from Scheduling at the hospital. The 2 docs in OS called this a non-healing lesion, and explained the slow healing (no healing) was because of my age (77) but when I went back twice for pain and worsening results, I was only given a visual exam .. .. I should have told them to touch it, because twice I was told that it looks 'just the same as before'.
Atthis point I really don't expect the surgery planned, primarily because I'm now looking at 2 areas to be sutured which will be a HUGE problem for them - and for me. I think when the hospital gets a peek, they might just send me elsewhere, but no clue where.