Could heart disease be causing the intense discomfort in my throat in the morning? I was a pack-and-1/2 a day smoker for a decade.  I quit in Aug. '05.  I'm 31yo, I've been doing cardio exercise for months now.  I noticed circulation probs that have become less severe since I quit smoking, but my arms still go to sleep easily while in bed. I also feel short of breath sometimes, when laying down & on the treadmill. The worst symptom is an intense "pain" or empty feeling (somewhat hard to describe) emanating from my throat in the early mornings after I urinate, it keeps me from going back to sleep. I think "angina" describes this pain, but it's in the throat--not the chest. I used to think this was a withdrawl symptom from nicotine. I used to get it back when I was a smoker; it would go away with my 1st morning cigarette. But as I weened myself off nicotine, first with nicorette gum, then cold turkey since Dec '05, the pains have gotten worse and sometimes persist into early afternoon, not every day but at least several days/week.  I also rarely get satisfying sleep.

Summarized question: What is intense discomfort in the throat in the morning a symptom of?