Breathing and Gerd

Hello all. Im new here and this is my first posting. Okay here goes: 3 years ago I started having coughing problems where I would bring up lots of stuff especially at night. All day at work I was constantly coughing and my voice was very hoarse and sore most of the time. After many tests at my doctors office he said I have asthma and put me on asthma inhaled meds. The tests he took did not indicate asthma but he said the tests were sometimes faulty. The meds did nothing to help. Then as time wore on my breathing got worse and worse. I was being given stronger and stronger inhalants and they had no effect. Then I went to an ENT and had sinus surgery in Sept. of 2009. I was normal for a few months than in May of 2010 I wound up in the hospital with what was diagnosed as a pulmonary embolism. My breathing tests showed a 23 percent lung function. After 4 days I went home with many meds and was told to continue the inhalants. I lost my job due to my breathing troubles and have had nothing but problems ever since. The asthma meds have no effect. In July of this year I had a more thorough surgery on my sinuses and lo and behold, my breathing problems vanished! For 6 weeks I felt like I was 20 years old.(im 53) Than in a total of 3 days my breathing went back to being really bad and has not gotten better. Im now seeing an infectious disease specialist and he is the first doctor that mentioned Gerd. I had never heard of it before. Now Im taking Prilosec once a day and its been one week so far and as of yet nothing has changed.

How long does it take for the Gerd meds to work? If the acid has aspirated into my lungs does the healing take a long time? Any answers would help. Thank you

Irishboy

Welcome to HealingWell

I can only relate to you what I went through with my GERD experience. I was told for 12-13 years that I had asthma. I took Singular, Claritan, whatever other antihistamines that are one the market.. they did no good. I always carried a rescue inhaler. In the 4-5 weeks prior to my surgery (Nissen Fundoplication) I was put on 2 2week round of prednisone for wheezing.. the wheezing finally cleared enough to have my surgery but, after my surgery, I have had no symptoms of Asthma. I no longer carry a rescue inhaler I don't wheeze, I don't cough anymore (I coughed constantly prior to surgery) and I do not have drainage at nite anymore. No gagging and throwing up.. Just an all around great result..

I never would have dreamed that GERD could do all of that to me. But, it did.

Let us know how you are and what you are doing.. we want to be here for you!
as far as how long it takes the Prilosec.. that particular med may not work for you.. you may have to have a different on before you will actually see a change.. I had no help from Prilosec or Prevacid.. Nexium helped..It just depends on the person.. Don't give up!!

Reach for the Sunshine.. Rainbows will follow
Sandi

Post Edited (kyheart) : 10/19/2011 7:46:45 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Irish Boy,

I'm one of those members Bill was talking about...I had terrible lung problems for a very long time.  During that time my PCP and asthma docs both thought that reflux was the culprit.  I do have bad allergies, but the amount of trouble I was having indicated that it was more than an allergy issue.

Long story short, after 4 years of visiting my GI doc he finally decided that might possibly benefit from the Nissen surgery.  I had the surgery in 2009, and within 2 and a half months my lungs had improved tremendously.

I, for one, didn't do all that well on PPI's.  They helped my symptoms to some degree, but I still had breakthrough reflux, and my lungs continued to deterioriate.

I still have allergic asthma and am treated with a low dose of steroid inhaler, but my lungs are healthy today.  Yes, GERD can create havoc with your lung tissue.  My allergy/asthma doc is frustrated with GI docs because they don't understand that a very small amount of reflux can create a big problem for lungs.  He says that GI docs are only concerned with the amount of reflux that can cause esophageal damage, and aren't really aware of how reflux that they might dismiss as minimal can cause great harm to lungs.

As I recall, I was told that it takes 2 weeks for PPIs to reach full effectiveness.  One PPI dose a day doesn't seem much for someone with as severe a problem as you describe.  Perhaps they're starting with a lower dose, and will gradually increase it if needed.

Good luck!  I hope you find help soon.

Glad you've joined our forum!

Take care,

Denise

I also have asthma and Gerd. i take one Prilosec and day and it works well for me. When I was having bad acid problems in the beginning I was put on two prilosec one in morning and one at bedtime for two weeks then I decreased to one a day. Ive been on it for 15 years now and still at one pill a day. Once in a blue moon I have to take a zantac at night or during the day if the one Prilosec does not cut it. I also have Adult onset mild asthma. I use a inhaler as needed. (Needed it alot more recently must be the change is weather here) I had Gerd before the Asthma. My asthma dr feels as long as the Gerd is controled it should not effect the breathing. Somedays I wonder. Nexium cause me stomach issues but Prilosec never has. Prevacid did nothing for me. Try a different one if the Prolosec does not seem to work for you.