Severe throat and head pain when bend over what could this be?

Sounds like severe nausea (head pains) and severe sore throat (infection) you should get some antibiotics

It sounds like it might be a sinus infection, but you need to see a medical professional to know for sure and to get the medicine to treat it. You could try a local health clinic – they usually have very reasonable prices and some charge on a sliding scale. I hope you feel better soon.

But its not all the time you guys @wildpotato and @pleiades. Its been going on for over 6 months occasionally and I haven’t had a fever. My throat feels like someone is squeezing it really hard when I bend over. I have sliding fee at the local hospital I used to work at but I figure they are maybe going to want to do an Ultrasound since I have a family history of thyroid cancer. I dont think its thyroid cancer though but just a weird thing to have happening.

and its not like a sore throat… its a squeezing ache on my adams apple area

Sinus infections can fade in and out; I’ve known kids who had one for months with varying levels of severity throughout. Regardless, only a medical professional can really say what is wrong and help you fix it.

Sounds like some muscle or skeletal related, if not both. You really need to see a doctor to find out what’s going on.

Is your thyroid large? Getting a few blood tests for thyroid are very cheap. The basic one, TSH, was $15 at my doctor’s office. When a thyroid gets very large it can feel uncomfortable in your neck. The other pain I am not sure. I really think maybe your should be evaluated by a doctor.

I’ve had it checked before and all results were normal but my mom had thyroid cancer and all her results were normal too. I’ve wondered if it might be my thyroid. @JLeslie Nothin feels enlarged to the touch there but I’m no doctor.

When you swallow can you see your thyroid move? Or, feel it move if you put your hand on the front of your neck and swallow?

But, the headache is an added weird thing. Base of your skull. So you mean the back of your head where your head and neck meet? I think that could be muscular or disc related. But, to be honest that is a pure guess, I have very little medical knowledge about such things.

Any other symptoms?

Probably they would do a CT scan or something to evaluate you, and the thyroid tests maybe? Actually, a flat xray might show the disc? I’m not sure, but DrHat probably would know that, I can send him the Q. A regular xray is not very expensive. I don’t think any fouther doctors can really help diagnose it though. It really sounds like you would need to be seen in person by a doctor.

@JLeslie I gave my neck a more thorough inspection and there is an abnormality on the left side near the base of my neck in the front. But both sides look slightly swollen. The headache pain and throat pain are simultaneous when I bend over. I am still having it too, trying to avoid squatting down ( no house cleaning today)! I do have those bone spurs in my neck (showed on x-ray 5 years ago) and have noticed my arms going numb at times but thats unrelated to this specific incident and I just figured the bone spurs have gotten worse. I am also a college student and wonder if I might have contracted mono. Maybe its lymph nodes swollen that I am seeing??? I made a Dr.‘s appointment but they can’t get me in till the 9th. I hope I’m not overreacting but it makes me nervous with the family history of thyroid cancer.

This sucks! I don’t have time for this, curse my crappy family genes! I also have a heart abnormality and have to get another echocardiogram in November ($1000). Heart issues and diabetes on my dads side and Thyroid and Depression on my mom’s side.

It seems to me to be two seperate problems that happen to activate when you bend over. If you had pain shooting down your arms from bone spurs, it can also shoot up from the base of your skull up your scalp if the bone spurs are high enough up you neck.
I don’t know of anything that would cause you throat pain only when bending over, but not when swallowing or talking.
I’ve never seen anyone with this complex of symptoms before, and I don’t have good feel for what this is, but if it’s been on and off for 6 months, it’s not likely to be an emergency.
It sounds very frustrating and I wish I could give you some less nebulous advice. Feel better.

@Emmy1234 I’m confused again. I thought you have neck pain not throat pain?

Can you bend your head forward like you are putting your chin to your chest? You can be standing or sitting. Or, does it hurt too much?

Swollen lymph nodes in that area you usually feel under the jaw line, on the neck, right before the jaw ends before the ear.

Arms going numb seems like it could be from the neck problem. Numbness usually calls for a vitamin B12 blood test. I think they should do B12, TSH, and vitamin D. But, most likely the nerves are getting pinched or something similar in your neck and causing the numbness. Do you get back pain up near the shoulder?

Check out the description of Eagle Syndrome to see if any of that fits you.

@CWOTUS holy shit dr house. I never heard of that one.

@CWOTUS Very interesting. GA.

@CWOTUS did you know of that syndrome before hand? If not how did you find it?

@CWOTUS-now thats some interesting stuff. I have some of those symptoms but my face doesn’t throb.
@JLeslie- Sorry to be so confusing it is my throat hurting below where adam’s apple would be. The recently noticed swelling is where my thyroid would be its faint but palpable ( and I wouldn’t have thought to check that if you hadn’t suggested it Thanks!) I went and saw the school nurse at college today ( we are long time friends) she said it is definitely my thyroid that is swollen. So I guess I am keeping that Dr.‘s appt. next Wednesday and probably having labs. Keeping my fingers crossed that its hypothyroidism and not cancer (because my mom had thyroid cancer without any previous symptoms last year)
@drhat77 – Yes I think its 2 separate issues or whatever is going on with my thyroid is causing my lymph nodes that run behind my neck to cause the headache pain.

@Emmy1234 Let us know how it goes.

Yes, I will! I’ll know more on the 9th.@JLeslie

Regarding my earlier response, I had stumbled upon that when I was checking out some sore throat / painful swallowing / feels-like-something-stuck-there issues of my own several years ago (not eagle syndrome, but it shared a lot of the same symptoms, so it came up in whatever search I was doing), and I just remembered the name and some of the symptoms.

I also thought about temporomandibular joint problems – abbreviated as “TMJ”, a term you can search on – since that was a real problem that my wife had many years ago. It also shares some symptoms, but it didn’t seem to share enough to warrant posting it as a suggestion. But who knows? Lots of physical problems have widely differing manifestations, and some people’s feelings of pain and discomfort are different from others’, too.

@Emmy1234 one of the things that really stood out to me was the sensation of numbness in your arms, which apparently is also shared by Eagle Syndrome. Combined with the headaches, it seemed to make it a good candidate for checking out. (And the fact that you don’t exhibit all of the symptoms, such as facial throbbing, could just mean a somewhat milder than worst-case manifestation for you.

Good luck with getting it resolved, whatever it is.

@CWOTUS- Yep, never heard of Eagle Syndrome before it does seem like a candidate. I did looked up the Thyroid symptoms and I pretty much have all of them except hair loss, this one isn’t new to me I shed like a dog(for as long as I can remember). Heck its possible anything or nothing could be wrong with me.Everything from the neck up doesn’t feel normal including my brain lol. I really think my headache and arm numbness are related to the bone spurs in my neck. I think they have gotten worse over the years and its been over 5 since I’ve had that x-rayed. Plus I’m lugging around a 60 lb book bag on campus at school so maybe that aggravated that area. I wish I could go to the doc now and find out whats wrong! I hate waiting especially when it involves my health!

The good thing is thyroid blood tests take one day to come back. So, that test you can get results fast. Other blood tests not necessarily so. Some labs they can order for the results to be released all at once or as they are done. If they scan your thyroid, that they know right away also (even if they need to send it for a second revie, if there is something on there that si really obvious they will know that right away) and xrays are right away. That is unless the doctor is a jerk and makes you wait a week for everything. Hopefully that won’t be the case.

@Emmy1234 the hair loss can be as simple as losing more eyelashes or little patches of eyebrow hairs. Other top symptoms not usually listed on any med sites….

-ruffled or wavy edges of tongue
-scaly elbows and heels (dry skin patches are one of the first symptoms I get when I need my thyroid dosage altered…then eyelash loss)
-waking up tired

There’s a plethora of tiny symptoms rarely listed on any of the med sites.

@SpatzieLover, @JLeslie, @CWOTUS, @drhat77 I went to the college campus Dr. today because it is free. She confirmed that it is my Thyroid. She ordered a TSH, Free T4, T3, B12, and Vitamin D (going to get those done this evening.) On Monday I’m going for a Thyroid Ultrasound and I have an appt. with my Dr. on Wed. to go over the results.

and @SpatzieLover I have really dry heels and elbows. I usually have to go get a pedicure every couple months or use a callous shaver on my heels because they get soooo dry and calloused.

Thank you for the update @Emmy1234. Glad you had access to a doctor and she listened to your concerns.

Please keep us posted on how the tests turn out.

@Emmy1234 At least your getting some answers. It will be interesting to see if your other symptoms that you first mentioned clear up if they wind up treating your thyroid. I’ll be interested in the results.

Callouses aren’t really from dryness, they are from either shoes fitting badly or being on your feet a lot. Or, if you use your hands, they form on your hands too. If a part of your body is “rubbed” a lot from use a callous forms. Often it starts off with betting blisters, and the callous is actually what forms so you don’t get blisters. Dancers pray for calluses on their feet and never have them completely taken off, because if they do they have to go through the pain of getting them back. My friends who complain the most that their feet hurt after atanding a long time, one of the first things I ask them is if they get pedicures that remove all the dead skin. Usually the answer is yes.

However, dryness is definitely a symptom of thyroid. When my thyroid is out of whack my eyes, skin and hair are extremely dry.

@JLeslie, @SpatzieLover- all of my labs came back normal BUT so did my mom’s and her Ultrasound showed the Thyroid nodules which turned out to be cancer. So Ultrasound still on Monday and my Thyroid remains enlarged. Are there any other test that can check your thyroid? I’ve heard about an antibodies test to check for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis when other results are normal. Should I ask for this testing?

There is an antibody test. They usually do it when the other numbers are whackadoo to figure out the cause, and also because insurance requires it for coding. I don’t know if it is worth doing if the other numbers are normal? I’m thinking it might be worth it, because if your thyroid is bouncing around it is possible the antibodies would show up before your thyroid function takes a real dive, but I am not sure about it. Do you know what your TSH number was? Was it by chance lower than 1 or higher than 3.5?

The nornal range is something like .5–5.5, but my thyroid enlarges below 1.5 and around 4.0 and higher. I get very symptomatic outside of those ranges, but that’s me, it does vary a little. GP’s tend to go by the nornal lab range, while endocrinologists would be suspicious of numbers in low normal or high normal ranges.

The ultrasound will show better if your thyroid is enlarged or if there are nodules. If there is, then your next stop can be with an endocrinologist who will run more tests and interpret the tests with a different eye than the school doctor.

My thyoid felt large to a new endocrinologist I just saw because I moved to a new city, to me it was nornal. I did an ultrasound and it was normal with little nodules that he was not concerned about. So, you can’t tell everything just by feel.

@JLeslie @SpatzieLover- Well just found out my ultrasound results from an old co-worker. I have a Lesion on my Lt. thyroid lobe and 2 solid cysts on my Rt. lobe and it recommends a Biopsy. What a crappy run of luck Ive had the past year! I don’t feel too positive about it considering my mom had this thyroid cancer last year.

We’re all rooting for you. Good luck, keep us up to date. The waiting is the worst part.

Oh I know it waiting is awful it was brutal with my mom and everyone moves at the pace of a snail with this stuff. I drove myself just about crazy with my mom’s health problems. Thanks I’ll let you all know!

@drhat77 sorry forgot to post you in the above!

I wonder what “lesion” means? Cyst usually means to me nothing too serious, but I don’t know much about cysts on the thyroid? Is that the same as a nodule I wonder?

Don’t panic. When will they do the biopsy? Do you have friends and family who can be there with you? I know a lot of people who have had biopsies and they got through it fine. When my mom had it done she said it was no big deal. A girlfriend of mine seemed to experience more pain than my mom. Ask questions about what you can do to numb the area maybe? That is if you are worried about it. The doctor might do more for you in that way if he knows you are worried about it.

@JLeslie- well I think a fluid filled cyst is not bad but the report read 2 solid cystic masses and those can be cancerous. I’m not sure about the lesion either. It said an abnormal lesion and when I tried to google that it said “nodule”. The thought of a biopsy makes me cringe because I feel that when you cut into cancer it spreads but thats just my feelings about it I don’t know if thats true. I know they have to biopsy to be able to tell what it is but it still worries me. My mom just went through and is still going through this so we can be each other support system. I’ll have to make a decision about my college for next semester because I don’t want to start and then have to drop out because I’m having surgery. Its still too early to know whats going on but I should have a better idea when I see the doctor. These things never do get taken care of very quickly so I have know idea when the biopsy will be. I’ll have to see endo first I’d say.

@Emmy1234 Oh. Cyst never sounds cancerous to me, I always think tumor when I think cancer. But, I am not a doctor, I really don’t know for sure. I guess if they want to do a biopsy they want to be sure it isn’t cancer. Here is what is interesting, if it is cancer (God forbid) it begs the question why is this happening to you and your mom at the same time? That is like a cluster to me. Were you both exposed to some sort of chemical or radiation? A girlfriend of mine and I both had our thyroids crash a couple months after I visited her. My thyroid had been tested regularly and a month before I went to see her my regular check up had a nice normal thyroid number.

I have no idea why this is happening now. I wondered initially if I had exposed myself to my mom after she had her radiation thyroid pill but I would think that would just kill the gland not cause cysts. Maybe I just have really bad genes. I don’t know what we both would have been exposed to. I have a gut feeling that when they do a biopsy it is going to be bad. @JLeslie

@Emmy1234 You might both share some genes that predisposes you, but your mom is 20 years older than you more or less and you are getting it at the same time, that’s what is weird. If everything was equal you shouldn’t have cancer yet, know what I mean? People who have breast cancer in their familu, usually ifnthe women get it in their 40’s their daughters don’t get it in their 20’s.

I really really think it will not be cancer. I do think you have to go through with checking it and keep an eye on it, but I think it won’t be cancer. I’m glad you will be going to see an endocrinologist. Let us know how it is going. Sucks to deal with this so young. My college roomate went throught the same thing. Biopsy and the whole bit. It wasn’t cancer. Her thyroid always looks enlarged, even when she has everything regulated with medication.

I do hope you feel better soon!
Pain in your throat can cause head and neck pain. So the headache might be secondary to the problem in your throat. You could have anything from muscle or nerve pressure to Barrett’s or GERD. The latter sounds like a reasonable cause since we’re just guessing. It’s symptoms include pain near/in esophagus, tightening of the throat and neck pain. Neck pain could then lead to headache. I imagine a doctor would also blame stress for these occurrences since you’ve likely had an anxious hear with your mom’s fight against cancer! (Yay for her win!! ) I would say to physician that you understand but how can it only happen when bending over if caused by stress/anxiety. There are just so many things that can cause the throat pain you describe. Since I believe the headaches are secondary to throat I’d personally start there if I were in this situation and had
limited medical access. I’d also start with the least expensive care plan. If you must see a doctor outside of your hospital I’d ask for a private pay discount. I have never been turned down when I’ve asked a doctor for that- ask the doctor not the receptionist. I would also recommend a pain diary where you describe what you ate that day, sinus pressure/pain, weight and all circumstances before and after the pain occuring. I would not highly recommend this in oridnary situations but with your limited medical care, if me I’d start a regime of OTC Prilosec. It identifies 80–90% of GERD sufferers. Keep in mind that some GERD sufferers are asymptomatic, the older one is the higher the probability.
I understand your fear of your thyroid and I would certainly tell your doctor of that. Give him a clear history. If extended then I highly suggest you make a chronological list of events and hand it to him when you start discussing your history. Most doctors greatly appreciate it and actually glean more from conversation that way.
As a chronically ill person with many secondary issues from my systemic lupus diagnosis I have great empathy for anyone living with ongoing pain. Whether it’s everyday or only when certain movements occur. Anything that takes a bit of your well lived life away is hard but needs to be met with optimism and determination!!
Also I have learned, in the hardest
way that doctors are trusted
advisors, not god.

I apologize, I edited my remarks and they still posted as I originally wrote them.
My most important retraction was my thoughts on taking OTC Prilosec to see if it helped. After further consideration I decided that was not prudent or well thought out advice because you don’t want to mask your symptoms before seeing your doctor.
I also shortened my “novel”. I apologize that it was so long. A great vice I cannot seem to stop.

I do hope you are well soon!!

@astronut12 I now have an appointment with an endocrinologist because my thyroid is enlarged and I have a lesion and 2 cysts. The ultrasound recommended a biopsy. My appt. is not until Dec. 5th so I’ve got a long time to worry and wait. I do take OTC Prilosec already because I have heartburn quite frequently. I’ve noticed here lately there is a pull strained muscle sensation on the front of my throat I guess its from the swelling. Thanks for your perspective and kind words. Keeping my fingers crossed that everything will come back okay!

Dec 5th?! That seems unacceptable to me. Did your mom wait that long?

@JLeslie- Yes my mom had to wait a while too. My sister threw a fit on them and they got her in a little sooner but I think it was still a month. I don’t want to wait that long and it’s probably going to be long because they scheduled it during finals at school. I’m going to have to reschedule.

I say throw your own fit, especially with your family history. Making you wait with your family history is just mean. I am so tired of doctors not being sympathetic to what waiting does to people. I winder if they are actually that booked up. Is it with an endocrinologist? Or, an oncologist?

Throwing a fit for the doctor’s I work for does nothing but make them resent the patient.

Talk to the person that will be making your appointment and explain that you really need to see the doctor as soon as possible and why. Gaining this person’s sympathy and understanding is key to getting in quicker.

I would definitely try what @chyna said first.

Oh I’m not the type to throw fits but my sister is. I’m just going to see what they can do nicely. I was just saying thats the only reason my mothers was moved up and what my sister did worked in her instance. I am grateful that my sister put her foot down for my mom. My mother had to wait 5 months to have cancer removed so I think irritation was warranted in that situation. @chyna & @JLeslie

Its an endocrinologist @JLeslie I don’t know if its cancer yet I still have to have a biopsy. I worked in healthcare for 10 years and the patients are just a number! Not that I feel that way but to most Dr. they just want a paycheck not to help someone. Working with them one on one has made me develop a distaste for them!

@Emmy1234 For sure throwing a fit gets action sometimes. I just think it is best to start with calm and rational and hope that works. Sometimes people perceive calm as though things aren’t very urgent. Doctor’s offices can be horrible! I am always surprised when I am treated with respect and the staff actually seems to be able to think on their own and have some customer service abilities. It does happen, I am just surprised when it does.

@Emmy1234 I was writing and didn’t see your last answer. Then you know what I mean how unsympathetic medical professionals are to patients. It has caused me many many many tears. But, this is not about me. Did you make the appointment with the endocrinologist, or did your doctor call that doctor to get the appointment?

My primary referred me and they had the appointment scheduled and sent me a letter in the mail. I’m just going to have to try to get it sooner or later (after finals). If it is cancer, thyroid types are usually slow growing. I don’t think it will spread before I get to my endo that would probably take year(s). My mother’s endo has her in tears every time she sees her and mom is switching soon. I loathe that endo doc. @JLeslie

@Emmy1234 That’s awful. My worst anxiety is from doctors and their staff.

@JLeslie @drhat77 @SpatzieLover @CWOTUS Went to endocrinologist for 1st appt. He did an ultrasound and said 2 cyst are of no concern but the lesion on the lt thyroid has increased in size from 1 x.7 cm to 1.2 cm. Biopsy is scheduled Jan 24th. He said if it is cancerous they will take the whole thyroid : / I thought they left part of it sometimes if not diseased. He also said do you have sleep apnea or snore….Apparently I have a fat neck lol. He also said the muscles in the front of my neck were very tight when he was palpating the thyroid ??? don’t know what that means if it means anything.

Thanks for the update. My knowledge of thyroid is pretty general. I think the decision to take some or all the thyroid depends on where the lesion is, and what the biopsy looks like. I don’t know what the financial repercussions are like but if you don’t want to have your whole thyroid out think about a second opinion.

Part of me says get it over with so I don’t have to spend money and go through surgery twice if it is cancerous and then part of me says keep the side without the lesion so I don’t have to take meds the rest of my life! @drhat77

I would always get a second opinion on something you cannot stop or reverse.

@Emmy1234 Please update when you can.

@SpatzieLover- sorry haven’t been on in a long time. I had my biopsy it was negative. I have to go every 6months to have my nodules monitored and do blood work. My first appointment is coming up in a few days.

I’m happy to hear it was negative!