Throat Cramps
October 16th, 2008 by RadarOccasionally when I’m moving my head I get these throat cramps just on the right side of my throat. During these cramping phases the muscle (?) that moves up and down when you swallow (have a look in the mirror and watch your throat as you swallow, you’ll know what I mean) is what cramps. This can be extremely painful and I know of nobody else who gets these. I can only describe it as a cramp. There is a large sharp pain (kind of like when you get hit in the throat) when swallowing and a slightly lesser pain when I tilt my head backwards or to the left. Again, this only happens on one side of my throat.
I was prescribed anti-histamine tablets last year for this problem and it’s only manifested itself 4 times since then, the last 2 times have been within a month of each other. Generally, tilting my head back and drinking about a litre of water helps, but not the last two times. The last two times I’ve had to wait it out, and it’s been 3 hours and 1 hour respectively.
Has anybody out there in the blogosphere heard of this before?
December 18th, 2008 at 9:42 am
I get throat cramps and always have since i can remember, but here lately they have gotten intense. I have not seen a doctor for it and my cramps come on when ever and especially dangerous when I am driving. I do not know what brings them on, I know it is not food. but you are not alone
December 20th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Thanks michael.
I went to the doctors and they told me it was a throat infection and gave me amoxycillin for it. I haven’t had it come back since, but it’s usually every month or so that they do.
August 30th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I am going through hell with this. Started in February, 2009 with a slight lump sensation when i swallowed on the left side. Not painful, but annoying. It went on for two months and then disappeared. Then it came back, this time the corotid artery was painful to touch so as there are no obvious symptoms, my doctor thinks i am imagining it. Blood tests, ultra sound – nothing shows – all normal but i am in pain.
Suddenly, again pain disappears. In the mean time I am researching what it could be. Doctor doesn’t know. After days of research and scaring myself to death on the internet to what it could be, there are several things: These can be found by doing a yahoo or google search: Neck and Tongue syndrome or more likely a Cricopharyngeal Spasm which is unknown by most doctors.
Throat infection – yes I was told that but it is not. The pain I suffer now is 8.5 out of 10 – 10 being about to pass out.
I have found a Chinese accupuncturist in London who states he is familiar with this complaint and i will be seeing him on Tuesday 1st September. He states there is no quick fix here but it can be relieved but in my case it is a chronic condition.
My life is hell. It’s so painful sometimes, I can’t even speak let alone eat or drink. The NHS system in England has failed me. My doctor is uncaring suggesting i take one paracetomol if the pain is too bad!
Of course, other peoples’ symptoms may be different but one painkiller that does help very quickly is Diclofenac 50MG. I found other painkillers such as Ibufren and paracetomol useless.
There are thousands of people suffering from this – we are invisible to doctor’s because doctors deal with symptoms that can be seen. We feel them but doctors can’t see them, so it’s a mission to find a cure without being ripped off by alternative medicine.
A very qualified accupuncturist who also has knowledge of chiropractic medicine is an area to work on but it is vital to find one who knows about Cricopharyngeal Spasm or neck tongue syndrome.
I hope this information helps all of you suffering – don’t rely on painkillers. The good news is there is a cure but it’s a long path if it’s a chronic condition. I know this because my mother had it. She no longer has it.
In reality, it is highly possible that the problem is caused by the top vertebraes of the spine. A nerve trapping giving a referred pain to the ear, jaw joint, left side of adam’s apple. The symptoms are like a cramp in the leg but they just keep there. I also experience a burning sensation in my left side of the nose and ear
October 17th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
WOW, i just started having these symptoms. Sharp cramp like pain in throat, I’m scaring myself also. I googled online, and TMJ pops up. I ususally feel a little sick after it happens. Tylenol helps a bit, but it doesn’t go away entirely.
October 17th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
TMJ sounds more of a jaw issue than a throat issue, my pain just behind the adam’s apple on the right side of my throat. It’s kind of like the muscle that moves up and down in your throat decides it wants some time off.
November 25th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
radar, does it move to behind your ear, that is what happens to me. i was fine for awhile, and now i swear i’m feeling it again, but not as intense.
March 21st, 2010 at 6:37 am
Radar, I have suffered with this for approx 20 years. Like you, I have found very little info on it, or few people who know what I’m talking about. Unfortunately, I get it on both sides of my throat, so far, never both at the same time. Sometimes it seems like the cramps dislocate my hyoid bone, and I have to ‘pop’ it back into place.
After a couple years of suffering, I had an episode that was so bad my co-workers insisted on taking me to the hospital. A muscle therapist there was able to identify that the pain is caused by a cramp in one of the muscles that controls the working of the hyoid bone (adams apple) as you breath and swallow. The muscle was still vibraiting from the cramp, that is how she was able to find it. She said it was a deep tissue muscle, therefore, the cramps were not caused by stress or tension like one might get in the large outer muscles of the throat. She could find no literature at the time that identified this as a well known syndrome or disease of any kind. She theorized that it might be caused by an electrical malfunctioning of the brain for some reason, but I have had CT’s and MRI’s and they have shown nothing abnormal. It does not appear to be hyoid bone syndrome, like Cami and Mark seem to be describing.
The therapist was able to give me some tips on how to help ease the pain, you were instincively on the right track with tilting your head back and stretching out the muscles. Deep tissue massage from the hyoid bone up to chin can also help. The big thing is to keep calm and try and breath slowly and deeply. Before I knew what was going on, I think I was hyperventalating from the pain, which depletes your oxygen, and only makes the cramp worse.
My episodes have only increased over time, I have them a number of times a week now. The intensity has descreased considerably now that I know a little about what is going on, and how to help myself. I hope your episodes have gone away. Good Luck!
May 26th, 2010 at 3:20 am
Hi; At this moment I’m having that same pain in the left side of my neck.Its been a little over 5 years since I had this pain. I was rushed to the hospital beacause they thought I was having a heartattack.I couldn’t really explain what was goin on beacuse iwas having difficullties breathing and talking.At the hospital they did all kinds of test and the only thing that they could determain it was some sort of allergie,but nothing certain. They gave me Benadril and some sort of clorosoptic in a cup.Of course the benedril made me sleepy but the combination of both helpt out with the pain.Well like I said this episode has not happen to me in 5 years,and right now I’am just waiting for my wife to bring me some Benedril and the Clorosoptic spray from the Pharmacy.This is the only thing that I know takes the pain away.