I’ve had this for 12 years. And sometimes it worsens when stress rises. Always phlegm and clicking sound for every swallow. I realized the less stress the more it disappears so I seize the day and have Jesus by my side

I thought I was alone....

I feel like a pill is stuck in my throat that I can't swallow or spit out.

Anyone else thought it was shortness of breath related to covid-19 ?!

Thankyou for describing this in so much detail. I have suffered with this for almost 2 years now, and no medical professional has taken the time to explain it properly to me. I now know it has been attributed to my reflux problem and weak LES. I wish someone had told me about this a long time ago, and saved me a lot of worry.

Dr. Thank you for taking the time to post this video.

Very relaxing speech .if you're scared ,that's the way a doc should speak to you.very helpful .

Thank you Dr B for this calm and clear video full of info!

Hey I just was freaking myself out over this and I had the condition for a month and a half. I did a lot of research on my own and came to the conclusion that this was what I had. Then I finally just decided to go to a doctor and found out that it’s just globus, aka anxiety/stress. Working out and drinking a lot of liquids helped out quite a lot and it eventually does go away once you find a good outlet for releasing your stress (id really recommend excercise). Point being is that I diagnosed myself when I shouldn’t have (even though everything in this video is on point) and I finally just went to a doctor to have a medical professional tell me that it’s just anxiety. My point is to not worry about this being anything serious, just work to reduce stress and see a doctor if you’re that concerned!

Good evening, l have suffered from this problem for over 20 years with no answer from my physician who says there is nothing wrong. I choke.quite often and it's scary. I am so happy l found your video with all the information on the condition. At least l know it's not all in my mind. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. 🙋🙋🙋🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

Love the way this guy talks. Slow and to the point. Breaking down and simplifying a very complicated and worrisome condition.

Gotta say this was helpful. If you stop thinking about it, it goes away, dont worry be positive and everything will work out. I get this everyonce in a while. It lasts a couple of days and then is gone for a long period. Thanks for the post!

thank you for the precise symptom description. exactly what i'm going through since a few weeks on and off, and obviously, it's stress related.

Very sorry to hear about your problem. Keep in mind that cricopharyngeus spasm (CPS) does not affect voice directly. The sensation of the “lump” can become worse with voice use, and the sense of ease and comfort in using the voice diminish, but the actual quality and capabilities of the voice should not change. (Part 1 of 2; continued in next post...)

Thank you very much for this video - once I viewed this video everything clicked, it described exactly everything I am going through. I have had upper GIs, barium swallow, CT, and other tests although I have GERD Hiatal hernia and watched my diet, sit up sleeping, and medication nothing seemed to change. This gives me comfort in knowing this information and I will share this with my physicians.

Thank you for offering such a lucid & concise explanation.

This is definitely not the greatest symptom in the middle of 2020...

My throat feels like it wouldn’t relax

This guys a genius he knows what he's talking about not like some of these other doctors.

thanks for the informative video. you are the first person i have come across who seems to 'get' the feeling that i have tried to describe to my doctor. i will mention Cricopharyngeus Spasm to him at my next appointment and see what he says about it. i can tell by your demeanor that you are a person of integrity. thank you, and keep up the good work.

I have this sometimes when I get anxiety. It also might be related to GERD as well, its really disturbing and can cause panic attacks -_-

2019 squad where you at?

If everyone could speak as clearly as this Doctor. We would not need subtitles.

WHAT A ❤-LY DOCTOR.. Reading through some of the vast amount of comments...and noticed A LOT of real interactions/answers. KUDOS!!!

I've been experiencing these symptoms for so long in my life that I thought it was a normal thing. I just happened to scroll past this video (wasn't even looking for anything related to this).

Found a video with an exercise that cured it for a while: move your neck back all the way and roll head left and right while massaging the neck. Do this for a few minutes.

I have read everything you sent Tom, thank you again for sharing. I have been having this problem for years and years so this feedback really helps.

Your welcome. I hope my experience can be of help to some. Of course this video by Dr Bastian is the most helpful. I'm very grateful to this man for making this video. As soon as I saw this video, I said to myself, finally someone who actually knows what my problem is.

I have been suffering for 2 years with this and been to many doctors. I feel with your detailed, yet simplified description I will be able to help my current doctor understand. Thank you so much!

Dr Bastian you've been a huge help thank you for everything you do.

Thank you so much for this channel. Invaluable again.

He is 100% spot on.

omg i think this is what i have because its not worse in the morning when i wake up its worse after being awake a while

Often, once people become completely sure of the diagnosis (with the help of a personal physician), then they can begin to take the choking sensation and “throw it over their shoulder,” as with the feeling of a contact lens or a pair of glasses. It seems that, for many, breaking the cycle of worry is a powerful beginning to relief. (“Drat-there’s that crazy tight muscle again..." *Shrug*) (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without input from your personal physician.)

Thank you Doctor Jason, I feel so much better that you have described what I’m going through.

Thank you, this is very helpful. Ive been to the hospital twice for this condition, but nothing really came of it. None of the nurses/doctors seem to really know. Ive been given an appointment to get an endoscopy just to make sure its not something more serious (cancer) but im extremely doubtful of that. I believe its stress related. All of the occasions I can remember this happening (maybe 5 times in my life) have been during times of extreme stress and anxiety. As well, I have tourettes syndrome, which causes nervous tics and gets worse with stress. However considering I have had tourettes my entire life and dont normally have this issue, I believe its incidental. I think stress is to blame. This video was extremely helpful, because it at least gave a more concrete medical explanation for whats happening. Usually I can only struggle to explain it to people, but this video has helpful terminology. It made me feel more relaxed, too, having a more clear answer.

Thank you very much! My anxiety is already subsiding now after getting this explanation. The anxiety was clearly making it worse. At first I thought I was having an allergic reaction. But after it coming and going I finally looked up "lump in my throat". It feels like when you need to cry and you hold it back. I of course, at these times had no reason for this feeling. Then I thought my tongue was swelling but now I can tell that it is having a has time relaxing because I'm reacting to this lump feeling. Thank you for helping with answers. If it continues I will see my doctor.

CPS might last that long; even so, symptoms fluctuate. Often the best treatment is a clear diagnosis: for many, this relieves anxiety and seems to start the process of resolution. Occasionally we suggest relaxation techniques, with help from a qualified SLP or PT. Muscle relaxation medication is another option, though I myself don't recommend this as continuous or ongoing treatment. (Please consider this informational, not medical advice. Don’t act without input from your personal physician.)

thank you..this is amazing..very helpful..most doctors won't think of these disorders..

Wow thanks for helping me identify my weird little problem that I've had for a few weeks now!

I had been experiencing these symptoms for about 2 weeks. Repeated searching online turned up very little aside from cancer. While this made me very anxious about the condition, I kept feeling like it was something else. It felt more like a muscular tension than what I would expect from a tumour. After repeated searches, my terms changed a little bit and I ended up at this video. While watching, my symptoms immediately began to become less severe. Today, about 12 hours later, my symptoms are almost gone. I was really starting to stress myself out about it which was making it worse but since watching this video I feel much less anxiety about it. Now, to get some time off from work to take a vacation and hopefully clear it up all together. Thank you for this video... it helped a lot if not completely cured me :)

You my friend are a beautiful, beautiful man. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

very useful, thank you so much Dr. Robert Bastian

I was worried that I might have throat cancer, scary thought, Dr. thank you so much!

Cricopharyngeus spasm doesn't cause pain, but a feeling of pressure or a lump in the throat. And that feeling diminishes while eating. A symptom of true pain as you describe demands careful examination by an ENT doctor--especially if any history of sustained smoking or alcohol use. If this examination turns up nothing, we consider other less common diagnoses like hyoidynia, neuralgia, etc. (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without input from your personal physician.)

I tried this and it helped me from these extremely difficult symptoms - The main cause I found is silent acid reflux. Who ever sleeps keeping extra pillows- just throw all the pillows and keep your head flat. I took 1 flat spoon of baking soda in glass of water and that really helped releasing the symptoms a bit and I took 1 ginger root in mouth for sometime slowly extracting its juice is another thing that helps. Try out these things and you may also get a relief. God bless everyone !

This man seems to be have great knowledge... Dear sir I love your videos

Thank God i thought this was something more worse and i thought I was the only one this videi literally saved my life

I've had this for a couple of months. I too felt like I had a pill stuck in my throat. Mine is not that bad. I had neck surgery for the second time nine months ago and I thought it had something to do with that. I talked to my surgeon and he said throat mussels sometime does that but most of the time it goes away. I saw an ENT doctor in Montgomery Alabama. He told me he thought I had a cricopharyngeal spasm. Basically my throat mussel tightened up. He said there are were four things to try. I'm not going in depth with is explanations but here they are: (1) Leave it alone and see it if corrects itself. (2) Get a Botox injection to relax the mussel but sometimes you'll have to keep getting shots as if it does not fix all the time. (3) Stritch it with an endoscope type procedure. (4) Perform throat surgery where they where they make an incision in the throat mussel to make it relax/stitch the mussel. I just saw him last week and I haven't done anything as of yet. I am getting a routine colon scope next month and I told my gastroenterologist about my neck problem. He is from University of Alabama Birmingham and comes down to the Montgomery Clinic at Baptist South. He acted like he knew what was going on and he said he can perform a procedure to stritch my neck mussel. Of course not using the same endoscope. LOL I hope this information helps someone.

I had this when I was stressed for 2 weeks. I was preoccupied thinking of many things. When the stress went away, I never had the feeling of lump or anything. Even the chest pain went away.

Be sure to compare and contrast cricopharyngeus spasm with cricopharyngeus dysfunction. There is a video on both of these. One causes a sensation of a lump but swallowing is fine and actually makes the lump sensation go away briefly; the other causes tendency for solid food and pills to lodge in the mid-neck level and require careful chewing, liquid chaser, and dietary modification (or surgery).

My God you are my life saver and God sent from above I have been in and out to my doctor they can’t understand what’s wrong for two months I just decided to look on KZfaq in an intentional to I’d answers about this extreme discomfort and you explain exactly the way I fee I just cry now because you just answered my questions may God bless you and give you a very healthy long happy life to help us than you so so much Doctor 🙏🙏🙏

I want to cry... My family thinks I am crazy. But my throat feels swollen all the time

This come on me 8 months ago . During the day its there and when I lay down to sleep, it goes away. Sometimes the lump-pressure causes me to feel dizzy and short of breath . But like I said, it all goes away at night while sleeping . I keep praying to God for healing .

All the best in your search.

Excellent!

Sometimes it even feels nice. But some days its hell

Not eating enough can even be the cause. The underlying stress causes one to eat less. Others say it went away after expressing their emotions.

Thank you for making this video!!! 🙏🙏🙌💖

I had this problem and the doctor refered me to a specialist. The specialist was superb I did have to have it checked with a nasal camera, this is not as bad as I thought also. Confirmed this condition and im glad. But a good specialist is needed just to confirm thus and out your mind at rest. Still have the problem but it's less worry now. Great video.

I have this exact issue! I've had loads of stress, anxiety and acid reflux lately so I think it's related to that. I'm gonna work on tackling that before I go waste money at a doctor. It gives you the impression that you won't be able to breathe but my air flow has been fine, if that changes I'll go to doc.

I've been dealing with this since 2015/2016 and I was told because I have chronic sinusitis and the drainage was affecting my tonsils and the only time I noticed it happen was when I had lots of drainage from my nose to my throat. So I was given antibiotics and then it would go awayand repeat itself every so often. I finally went to an ENT and was advised to have my tonsils removed and I did and for a while I didn't feel it but today it's back. And I've searched high and low for answers but nothing really other than this and cancer (And I don't think that's the case). So I'll go back to my ENT this week and explain to him again and see what's going on. I'll keep you all in my prayers and hopefully find something to help this cause it's kind of irritating but I rather be alive and irritated.

Thanks for your comment. Physicians are cautioned and cautioned not to make diagnoses on persons you haven't met, and so that is why I point our a direction and then say consult your personal physician. What I will do, however, is to write a summary of what to do and place it as another article on the journal tab of Laryngopedia. So much to do...! :-).

The beginning of resolution for many is a clear diagnosis. The carefully diagnosed person who is also educated fully about the disorder will understand the idea of hypertonicity of a sphincter muscle between throat and esophagus, and why, therefore, the repetitive full relaxation of this muscle during eating (to let food pass through) diminishes or abolishes the symptom, at least during the meal. The person with deep understanding of the diagnosis often seems able... (cont. in next comment)

Sometimes I have a feeling of something in my throat, or have a feeling of needing to swallow, or if I can't swallow then I feel like I can't breathe, but can't so I drink something to be able to swallow. This happens without thought sometimes just sitting there watching a movie and I have NEVER been STRESSED out or anxious about ANYTHING !

I want to ask every body who watches this video something for research purposes. Have you ever had nasal problems? Do you have problem breathing through the nose? Most prominently do you have a deviated septum? I know it sounds weird relating this to the nose but I have made a few observations since having Gerd and this feeling in particular. Some people believe that this problem is caused by trapped air in the neck. Well I got to thinking about how this air becomes trapped. Firstly I believe many of us are breathing primarily through our mouth instead of our nose (this definitely applies for me). Breathing issues, panic and anxiety can do this to you. When we are breathing through our mouth (which is not natural) the mouth and throat become dry and I believe it creates this feeling. Get back to me, especially if you have nasal issues or a deviated septum. It may show as a crooked nose on one side. It's just my theory but if I can see that others have these issues too then I believe it may hold credence. Thank you All, May god bless and protect you.

Sorry for your distress. I have seen CPS occur in three primary contexts: In some, it occurs out of the blue with no discernible explanation. In others (a fairly large group) it seems to correlate with life stress, though CPS often starts after some days or weeks of “coping” with that life stress. In a third very small group, it seems to have started after a painful swallowing episode--meat stuck transiently in the throat, for example. (continued in next post...)

Thank you Dr. Robert Bastian, I can go to sleep peacefully now, I was thinking that I had throat cancer but I still have to go see my doctor though.

I feel lump in my throat rn but i think because of stress im stressful this days i’ll try to relax more and stop thinking thank you

I've been suffering with this globus sensation in my throat for almost two years. I'm at my wits end.

Thank you for sharing you experience. It was very helpful.

You're welcome! And actually, let me re-state that final sentence: Brief, intermittent muscle relaxant medication can help, but for various reasons I rarely recommend this. (Please consider this informational, not medical advice. Don’t act without input from your personal physician.)

The video was very informative, but the advice at the end - go see your doctor about the problem - is useless. Most doctors - even ENTs - have never heard of this problem, and if you tell them that's what you think you have, they either won't listen or won't have the faintest idea how to treat it.

Thank You!!! I got the flu, and been coughing like crazy, think I may have pulled something, but I also have a history of reflux, which I read can affect the cartilage/muscle in this area. Maybe the flu and coughing cause the extra strain. Went to emerg, and doc just checked for swollen tonsils and glands, but nothing. Once he concluded I had the flu he just wanted me out of there as fast as he could. Yet I knew this was no longer just a simple viral infection. THANK YOU!!!

Thank you man, appreciate the video.

Thank you! Doctors haven't been able to help me!

I've had this condition for my entire life. Although it might sound extreme . Extreme situations call for extreme measures. I believe that to suffer when u have a solution is madness. And the fact that your practically telling me to suffer is a slap in the face.

There is a time when my throat feel so constricted that it produce a lot of saliva and cause shortness of breath. I had panic attack and will throw up to feel better

finally, good info about globus.

I’m writing this quite late at night. I dare not to go to bed, even though I have to get to work early. The sensation gets much more suffocating if I go to bed when I`m not dead tired to sleep. So for the past to months, I`ve been trying everything from love making, smoking pot, breathing exercises, to gargling salt water, reading books while I`m havind a few glas of wine, and yet nothing has helped. And the books I`ve been reading could normaly knock anyone out like you where reading phonebooks.This is affecting the quality of my life. And I don`t know what is triggering this. I am a happy person. But tonight, after watching this video, I feel that there might be hope. I feel that the doctor is exactly describing my symptoms. And that is the most important thing before a treatment. I`m so greatfull to the doctor. I’ve been so desperate lately as to seek help with quacks and people I normally resent. I`m going to show this video to my doctor and see what he will suggest.

Thank you for your video. I can’t actually live with this. You have given me hope to get me through one more night. I haven’t been able to eat solids in 38 days I can’t live like this. If I try and eat a cough and cough and cough I’m coughing now it’s 10 pm at night I’ve coughed since 5 pm I’m exhausted I have no life I read about all the other people online you have no quality of life and can’t live with this either. Always work out my onus on my own doctors never do it’s always me but this one’s a hard one because I don’t know if it’s the three pinch nerve some bulges in my neck and cervical spine I don’t know if it’s an implant in the breast leaking I don’t know if it’s the sinus surgery I had in January of this year that went bad when I lost half the blood in my body and you can still see sinus disease in my skull on the scan and why is it when I take tablets to liquefy mucus does it get a little bit better? Please if you can help me in anyway I’m begging you I can’t live like this

I feel like wanting to have some kind of aspiration tool to aspire the wad of phlegm out of my chest and bottom end of my throat.

(Part 2 of 2; continued from previous post...) Also, herniated discs are not related. They are in the “musculoskeletal” compartment of the neck, while CPS is a disorder of the “visceral” compartment of the neck-involved with airway, swallowing, and voice. Herniated discs most often cause some pattern of pain in the back of the neck, shoulders, and arms. (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without input from your personal physician.)

Ok. Thank you for your response.

May I please ask you a favour fo tell us the remedies to treat this please

unfortunately I got some mild tinnitus on my left ear a week ago, now, the sound isn't bothersome and i forget it completely during the day, but apparantly my throat began to feel tight a couple of days later after i got tinnitus, is there a link between the fullness i feel in my ear and the contraction (i feel a pressure difference between the sorrounding air and my inner ear)

For a month now, I am feeling difficulty when I force my saliva down into the throat. However, when I eat, I don't feel like I am having a problem at all. Though I am not experiencing any pain, I started to worry if this can be life threatening. Thanks to google search, it worsened my fear. After some serious search, I landed in your video and I am very relieved now. I am having an appointment with my physician this week, just to make sure that every thing is normal.

I like the humor in your question… The importance of eating to the discussion of CPS is for its diagnostic input. I don’t really suggest eating as a therapy (though, of course, a person could divide normal caloric intake into multiple smaller meals). The main issue for most people is to get a diagnosis; once that happens, the problem often begins to resolve because worry drops away. (Consider this informational, not medical advice. Don't act without input from your personal physician.)

I also know my brother had this sensation. Turns out it was cancer, I have the sensation I have to stuff my finger in my throat to breath properly I cannot sleep breath properly yet they tell me it's acid reflux. I think more in depth testing or even machines is important. Thank you for this information it's muchly appreciated.

when i lay down on my side and swallow i feel something in my throat i get up and try i make myself swallow cause it's painful something crack in my neck and then it's gone don't feel anything later and this happen sometimes and only when i lay down on my side !!!!what is this

First of all, I’m sorry to hear of your distress. Without knowing you, let me set up a general scenario that may (or may not) speak to your situation or that of other readers. The first step: get the diagnosis certified. That seems to require a physician who understands this problem (and other pain and discomfort syndromes in the head and neck) very well. Assuming for purposes of discussion that your problem is CPS: Helping you understand the problem thoroughly... [cont. in next comment]

Thanks Dr. Robert Bastian, To Funny…I feel better just understanding what is going on ! As a working musician I thought it was my singing voice ? Thank You for your informative video Doctor and Merry Christmas to you and your family..Cheers

When i swallow my saliva there's something small ball stuck inside of my throat.. -edit because my english is bad

This is so annoying

Omg this guy is 100% thanks you very much. Great information

Thank you doctor! You were very accurate.

Mine goes away at night while sleeping and then slowly comes back after I wake up . At times, it can move upward and press against my ears and make me dizzy ...

I had a problem similar to this before and it turned out to be a sinusitis. I treated the sinus infection and it went away, but the constant feeling of lumps in my throat was horrible.

You have explained so clearly. Thank you so much.

Thanks a million for this Video. I had this for YEARS, just couldn't explain what it is, just like he is saying. Just was at the Doctor and he told me it is Globus ……… ( strange name) and its just Anxiety. It is very UNCOMFORTABLE as it is there all day, but my GP just gave me some medicine. And no one seems to understand you at all. Thank God I have learned more about it, and I wish all a happy ending to this miserable feeling. A big thanks to this Doctor.