I started with this cough in the early part of January, got it checked out by the DR and was given antibiotics for pharyngitis & a chest x-ray, the x-ray came back normal and the cough subsided.
I am 35 & a smoker but now only socially, anyway so the cough subsided but I started with a shortness of breath and a tight wheeze feeling, the best way I can describe it is when I breathe in it seems the air going to my voice box and then gets stuck there, the better option for me is to breathe through my mouth as then it feels like I am getting air. I have also developed a chronic sore throat, gone back to the dr and he suggested I have acid reflux, been on PPI's for 2 weeks, the sore throat has not gone and the breathing issue neither. Went back and he gave me more antibiotics said I now have laryngitis?!
I am at my wits end, it feels so hard and painful to breathe sometimes no pain from my chest just my voice box, the pain is sharp travelling to my voice box and when I swallow I can feel the razor blades (every day is different), the pain seems to be more on the right hand side of my throat now too.
My throat is not swollen neither can I feel any lumps or bumps its the constant burn when I breathe in and the swallowing....Also I have started coughing more than usual again but seems to be when I am sleeping & I wake myself up with it.
Feels like I am not being heard and fobbed off by my DR, I requested an ENT referall and he declined said my symptoms are all linked to reflux, how long do I have to wait for this horrible feeling to go, nothing seems to be working!!!
My fear is the longer this goes on the longer I am causing damage (if it is reflux) or if this is throat or thyroid cancer no one is taking me seriously, I feel like breaking down in tears everyday when the pain starts....
Any advise please would be welcomed...
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Kayanne1980
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With reflux have you raised the head of your bed, not with pillows as this can damage your neck. Because of reflux I have cut out wheat pineapple, all citrus, tomatoes, onions, and spicy foods.
Has your doc prescribed gaviscon. Last thing at night I take the liquid form and allow it to slowly slip down my throat before swallowing.
i would have thought that 2 loads of strong antibiotics would have killed off any thrush lurking around..
Doc prescribed PPI's but I take gavison advance, seems to cool it but the sting just comes back, its the breathing that is panicking me now, thinking I might have a mass or nodule on my vocal cords or on my thyroid....
Does your doc know that it is affecting your breathing,
I cannot tell you how to approach your doc, but if you look up spasmodic dysphonia it might help you.
It mimics asthma in a lot of ways also causes sore throat and often feel as if you have a lump in your throat, as you can guess I have it. You loose your voice a lot and just croak .
I told my dr about the wheeze and he said 'yes reflux does that'.... I have no confidence in my dr right now feels like he is not really listening to me, I have even gone now the road of buying a ventolin asthma pump as the wheeze was so bad...
My throat feels raw but not on fire if that makes sense, do not loose my voice and i guess it is hoarse every now and then but then again I have always been that way for years when I smoked. Does not feel like I have a lump in my throat feels more like I have a deep cut on the right side of my throat and when ever I swallow it causes a funny sore raw feeling as you would get if you were to cut your tongue or burn your mouth severely.....
I feel emotionally drained by this and it feels like the dr is just 'guessing' with me
Says throat cancer would not cause pain such as mine plus there are no visible lumps or swelling
You could try asking for a second opinion or a referral. The latter might result in a gastroscopy but at least you would then know what's going on.
Antibiotics for pharyngitis and laryngitis would probably not deal with thrush - the more usual medication for that is an anti fungal medication such as fluconazole, which is what I'm usually put on for the oesophageal version. Antiobiotics can actually increase the likelihood of you developing thrush, as they wipe out the good bacteria (which help to protect against fungal infections) as well as the bad.
First of all stop smoking then go back to your lazy GP and speak to the Manager of the Surgery and explain why you want to be referred for further examinations. Anything that goes on for 3-4 weeks should be investigated.If the Manager is not sympathetic you can complain to the NHS or find another GP.
Yes that is what i thought he says criteria is strict to be referred to ent and i dont fit in that category?! Wtf!!! Ive been like this since Jan 4th! He pumps me with meds all the time!!
Im going to see another dr tomorrow at the same surgery if i get no further or no referall i am writing to the Manager and changing surgerys till i get my referall!! I warrant one surely. I couldnt breathe last night and he says its reflux!
I have had asthma like symptoms resulting from reflux, was put on lanzoprazole and the problem got sorted (I was on it for a month). It is true that when I had it breathing was hard at times, but there was a distinct pattern to it that was not consistent with my asthma. Typically the breathing problems began within an hour of eating and were made worse if I ate certain things - anything fatty for example (not consistent with my asthma). Moving around and doing some exercise actually helped; I'm an exercise induced asthmatic, so exercise would have made then situation worse if the breathing problems were caused by asthma.
The smoking won't be helping (whether it's asthma or reflux). Laburito1 is right, you need to stop that.
My wheezing is constant, I wake it is there, I walk up stairs I am breathless (I have been for years) suffered with croup & pneumonia .....this can mean only one thing, there is a growth or something in my larynx (it has to be, no other logical explanation) and it has grown causing my sore throat all the time.
As I said in a previous posting (and others have said as well), seek a second opinion and push for a referral. You do need to sort out what's going on.
To be fair your smoking history won't be helping you. My grandfather was a smoker, and he got breathless going upstairs as well. While you continue to smoke at all, it will be all too easy for the medics to pin the blame on that. You have to stop it completely.
Thanks for asking. Its been a rough couple of months. After 10 trips to the dr without a referral to ent i went private to a top notch ent professor. He put a scope down my throat and diagnosed silent lpr. No cancerous nodules or tumors or skin abnormalities. Phew!!!!! Just continue with PPI for 2 months and loose weight lol. He said the throat is inflamed and voicebox is pooling with acid. But nothing we cant control.
I know im so relieved. My throat is still not right though but the dr said it would take up to 6 months to heal as that part of the throat is the most sensitive. The less i think of it the less the awkward pain i get. I hope it gets better soon but my anxiety is so much better knowing it looks fine down there.
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