LPR and inhaling

Hi all

Try and keep this brief.

Sore burning throat for nearly 8 weeks now, dr has given PPI's that I finished last week (2 weeks worth), but before this he has given me antibiotics twice as was either coughing or complaining about a sore throat. I am a 35 year old female (smoker for 15 years) quite 2.5 months ago.

Burning acid throat all over seems to have gone however when I swallow now the right side of my throat aches like I have a tear to it, also has anyone ever had this ~ when you inhale and you have a burning f feeling that travels up your voicebox and seems to get stuck there (like you have sucked on a mint), the pain sometimes goes to the part of my throat that feels torn...

My Dr has now ordered a full blood count to check my general health which has raise alarm bells in my head
If anyone can relate and try and convince me this is not something like throat cancer......

Hi Kay:

First of all, we are not medical professionals, but many of us have suffered with GERD and/or LPR for many years. And, I'm sorry you are feeling poorly. How did you arrive with your LPR diagnosis, what tests did you have done? A full blood panel is never a bad idea, and in no way suggests that you may have cancer. The burning that you are experiencing sounds like irritation of your esophagus. Have you tried a GERD-type diet? Limit acids, caffeine, citrus, sodas, alcohol, etc.? You should probably schedule an appointment with a gastro doctor who can better address your concerns and possibly order an endoscopy.

Sharon

Kay1980

I'm sorry, but persistent sore throat is a common symptom of lot of things, dry air, allergies, reflux, etc., but I wouldn't jump to cancer as being a possibility without further testing. Sometimes, PPIs take longer than 2 weeks to work, and you need to find the right one for you. With that being said, I don't think I would do anything until I had an EGD to check for GERD or an appointment with an ENT. I would also adjust my diet, and also stress will only make your symptoms worse.

At this point, you should schedule an appointment with a gastro doctor or ENT, after you get your bloodwork results, which should come back fairly quickly.

Kay1980:

Can you take anything for your stress? And, do yourself a favor, at this point don't play Dr. Google. You'll drive yourself nuts and not accomplish anything but becoming more stressed. I know how you feel, I suffered from GERD for most of my adult life (I'm 54), before it was determined that I needed surgery. Once the bloodwork is out of the way, you can move on to getting a better idea of what's going on. Just be patient, sometimes these things don't happen overnight, but you are moving in the right direction. Have you ever used a humidifier? Stay positive!

Sharon

Nothing for stress at the moment, I am reasearching everything I can at the moment, some symptoms point to LPR and some throat cancer, I am looking up statistics, cancer of the throat at my age and driving myself loopy!

Never used a humidifier, I think what makes it worse is that this has started out as a cough and now blown into this terrible, burning, sharp swallowing pained throat with burning when I inhale meaning that if there is a mass there the air is struggling to get round......driving myself insane truly.......

Did you ever feel like there was a lump in your throat when you swallowed saliva and pain upon swallowing?
I am sitting here at work researching and thinking what is going to happen to me, I might not be here in a few months, I am due to get married in October, this will obviously now not happen, feel like crying as I am so worried!

kay1980:

While I am new here, I understand all too well what stress can do to you. It manifests itself physically more than you realize. In my 42 years I have worried myself sick, literally, on a few occasions. Most recently when I was experiencing stomach pain, burping & the compulsion to clear my throat constantly that lasted over 2 months. It resulted in not being able to swallow food without the feeling of a lump in my throat and back (if that makes any sense). I ended up in my docs office and, later, the ER as I was convinced I was having esophageal problems or a heart attack. After tests I was diagnosed with erosive gastritis due to overuse of nsaids, which was causing the indigestion and gas. My esophagus and throat were FINE as stated by my doctors after the barium swallow and endoscopy. My compulsion to constantly swallow, clear my throat, combined with the burping and googling my symptoms (I was convinced of the worst) made me have a sore throat, leading to more anxiety, of course. Do I have a health issue? Indeed. Was it made exponentially worse for a time because of worry and Googling? YES!! Oh I so understand where you are right now. Honestly. Are you sleeping properly?? Waiting for test results is always unnerving. It might sound silly, but I use an app called "Windy" to help me relax and sleep. It plays high res recordings of wind in different environments and is very soothing, especially if you are unable to take any meds to relax. I use it at night when I go to bed. My husband is away on business a lot recently, so being alone (at night especially) worrying about my health and not having him to comfort me was/is nightmarish. The app helps. Maybe give that a whirl.

Stay positive and do your best to relax your mind and body. Again, I understand where you are completely.

Abby x

Good to hear you are sleeping. Just remember, pressing and "feeling" delicate parts of your body like your neck that normally aren't palpated repeatedly will cause them to be irritated and sore. Same goes for repeated throat clearing (remember my story) and even forcing burps - it happened to me. You will feel much better after you receive your test results. I will say no more after this: it seems like you are, otherwise, healthy, correct? No severe fatigue, you said you are sleeping normally. I feel for you, truly. Just do your best to NOT investigate too much until you get your bloodwork back. Keep yourself as occupied as possible. My hope for you is that your symptoms are curable with medicine and clarity of mind.

Best,
Abby

Hi there

Thanks for your message, feels like I am headed for Doom at the moment what ever doom is...

I have taken full bloods this morning, now the waiting game begins......even feeling dizzy from the constant worry that it will come back abnormal...

Good to hear, Kay1980. Maybe now that you have this information and your mind is clear you will begin to feel better. Actually, I almost guarantee it. Take care.

Have you been tested for LPR? I had some of these very same symptoms. My tests showed that I was constantly regurgitating in my throat and lungs. I had surgery 6 months ago to fix the LPR, but I am still dealing with the issues from my throat being damaged. I see a pulmonary specialist on April 4th in hopes that they can help me. I am being told it may be permanent damage from years of this. I was a smoker too and at 37 they diagnosed me with COPD (that is the last time I smoked, I am now 40). I am now convinced it was the LPR and the misdiagnoses has caused me to have permanent damage. If I was you I would run through all the doctors that could help (an ENT, a gastroentologist, and a pulmonary doctor). Have them work together and figure it out before the damage is permanent. Good luck with everything!

Yeah, I would be happier too. I was nervous that I might have had throat or lung cancer. They kept changing my PPIs at first too. I really wish I had talked to someone other than my PCP at the beginning of this. They diagnosed me with reflux, but did not know I was actually regurgitating into my throat and lungs. they assumed it was just some acid, but mine was way more. The valve at the top of my stomach was not stopping anything from coming back up. I hope the next PPIs can get on top of it for you. Wishing you the best!