Sore throat for 9 months... Help!

[styxer]

I have not seen a descriptive explanation of "sore throat" . I have had one for 4 months and has grown to the point I went to a doctor. I am to have a barium upper GI this week. my soreness involves speech, breathing, chest soreness, and swallowing growing this past couple of weeks. I had looked on the net (worrying of cancer) ... .....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricopharyngeal_spasm ..... really did fit what I was feeling for 3.5 months but got concerned again when it turned for the worse. I do not wake up with dry mouth. I do have the humidifier type cpap. I seldom fill the water.My long hose has never been cleaned or replaced. May do so now that I have read a little.

may 29:
Just went to urologist for regular mtg I've been having for prostate and bladder infection. He took a look at throat and said I've THUSH. a yeast infection caused by all the antibiotics i've been on. Still going in for barium upper GI tomorrow. The Thrush is treated with a swish and swallow liquid. As I have stopped the CPAP I have had some relief though it just may have been an added irritant.

[droberts]

Styxer that is very interesting what you say about your doctor saying you have thrush. I too have taken antibiotics regularly in the last 10 years and wonder if this is my issue as well. Did the doctor do some type of swab or were they able to tell by just looking at your throat and mouth?

I have tried both a nasal mask and a full face mask but my throat problems persist regardless of the type of mask I use.

[chunkyfrog]

I got rid of thrush by buying chewing gum for my husband, who did not have thrush,
and then chewing it after he had. Considering that we share food and kisses,
I reasoned that we probably have similar flora native to our mouths. It worked like a charm.
My doctor was a little shocked, though.

[droberts]

Just thought I would post an update as I am discovering that there are a number of people that do suffer the same symptoms as I do. The post about thrush resonated with me as I have been on quite a few anitbiotics over the last ten years. I too went to my GP and suggested this could be an issue. He looked in my mouth and said yeah that does look like thrush to me. So after 8 years of dealing with throat tightness from using CPAP I started on a course of oral thrush medication about 3 weeks ago. It is going to take a while to shift given that it has probably been there for the best part of 10 years. I have been able to use CPAP every night whilst on this course so there is obviously some relief from these lozenges.

I tried the full face mask as per others suggestions some weeks back, but this did not change anything. Exactly the same symptoms occurred. I finally feel like I am on the right track now.