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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Suggest Treatment For Post Nasal Drip And Tonsil Stones

Hi Doctor, over 2 months ago I started having serious anxiety and panic attacks, which caused my neck to stiffen up. I ended up becoming so health conscious over my health as a result of the anxiety and started stupidly scanning my entire body for lymph nodes, and found a small (1 cm sized) movable one in the left supraclavicular fossa, this freaked me out so much (However, I do remember getting a vaccination 4 years ago which caused this area to swell at the time). I then came down with a sinus infection and began to have aches in both my left and right supraclavicular fossa (Maybe from the constant poking and prodding or maybe from the stiff neck and anxiety). I have also been lifting heavy weights at the gym which can make the area hurt sometimes or become stiff and uncomfortable. I used to experience shooting pains down the left side of my neck around 5 years ago (but do not get this anymore). And I have always got aches in my left clavicle my entire life when lying in odd positions for too long. I have found that the aches are worse in my left side now, but will start to feel better after a few days. Then I ll sleep with a low pillow and wake up with the aches again. (Which is making me think it could be a strain of some sort). Just to be safe, I visited a doctor who felt my neck and said she feels nothing to be concerned about. And also got a second opinion from a specialist in Ear, Nose and Throat who really dug around in my neck and said the palpable lymph node is nothing to be worried about. I m wondering what you think these aches could be on my left supraclavicular fossa? And how they could be treated? (I should mention, it also sometimes radiates an ache into my traps and upper pectoral.) I think it may be muscular, a tendon injury or ligament. As I may be susceptible to tendon injuries as my groin is very weak (Hurts after every game of football I play) and I once suffered from a 6 month hip tendon injury. Also as the aches only really started after I suffered anxiety attacks. Maybe useful to know, I also suffer from post nasal drip and tonsil stones. (Which the ENT told me is not a big deal, and said the tonsils themselves look healthy enough, and that I could have them out if I wanted, but did not say it was by any means necessary) Sorry for the long question, just figured it would help if you knew it all!
Thu, 27 Feb 2025
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Anesthesiologist 's  Response
Hello,

Your symptoms are due to your anxiety. as you have been examined by experts and confirmed to be normal, you don't need to worry about any lymph nodes or infection. Mostly the pain above the clavicle or supraclavicular fossa may be due to the following:
1) Neck stiffness
2) Anxiety leading to muscle spasms in neck
3) Any unnoticed trauma

As your ENT examined your tonsils and reported to be normal, you can relax. post nasal drip will reduce eventually. For pain in the left supraclavicular fossa, you can do the following:
1) You can take an NSAID like tab. Ibuprofen for 1-2 days once daily
2) You can control anxiety attacks by using anti anxiety drugs with the suggestion of a psychiatrist
3) You can also practise mind relaxation techniques like meditation and pranayama

Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Pallavi M., Anesthesiologist
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Suggest Treatment For Post Nasal Drip And Tonsil Stones

Hello, Your symptoms are due to your anxiety. as you have been examined by experts and confirmed to be normal, you don t need to worry about any lymph nodes or infection. Mostly the pain above the clavicle or supraclavicular fossa may be due to the following: 1) Neck stiffness 2) Anxiety leading to muscle spasms in neck 3) Any unnoticed trauma As your ENT examined your tonsils and reported to be normal, you can relax. post nasal drip will reduce eventually. For pain in the left supraclavicular fossa, you can do the following: 1) You can take an NSAID like tab. Ibuprofen for 1-2 days once daily 2) You can control anxiety attacks by using anti anxiety drugs with the suggestion of a psychiatrist 3) You can also practise mind relaxation techniques like meditation and pranayama Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Pallavi M., Anesthesiologist