Question about possible reflux

Hello...

For the past year I have been gasping for air in my sleep. I have been getting 4-5 hours a night because I am unable to get to sleep because of the gasping. An ENT scoped me because I was also having a swollen feeling in my throat. He said that my vocal cords were swollen either due to reflux or allergies. He put me on nexium and zantac and said if I didn't get better to come in to be tested for allergies.

I had taken zantac in the past and tolerated it fine but the nexium gave me terrible heartburn. I couldn't lay down for three nights..had to sleep upright. I have also had shortness of breath but it has improved with thyroid treatment...though not the gasping for air.

Usually though, I am not having heartburn..(I had it again after getting off prilosec which I didn't really tolerate either.) I don't have a choking sensation generally. Though I did have a little bit at first due to mucous which for some reason isn't a big problem right now.

I don't have a cough or a feeling of a lump really in my throat. The main issue is the gasping at night/shortness of breath. Antihistamines (including zantac) help. Melatonin helps. Sleeping with the head of the bed elevated helps. And I can only sleep on the left side. Any other position worsens everything.

Last week I had an endoscopy. Felt very discouraged that the Gastroent. thinks I don't have reflux. I had hoped to have an answer and possibly surgery to fix it. He said that he didn't see damage from reflux (though I had been on an extreme diet with no acid foods, no coffee, soda, no spice, and low, lowfat. I was literally eating only a few foods....milk, plain hamburger with no seasoning, plain chicken dipped in some honey, oatmeal, banana, chamomile tea...) Also I had been on zantac for a month and prilosec for two weeks. So even though I was still gasping, if a trickle of stomach fluids was coming up it was much less acidic. He said I do have a small hiatal hernia but that he didn't think it was causing my problems.

So my question is does this sound like reflux to you guys? Does this sound familiar or not like reflux?

Thanks DennisinNY....I do know that the doc could be wrong on this. I did initially have a sleep study but it was on one of my rare good nights which was very frustrating. I have always paid attention to what I had eaten on a good night. I had eaten gluten free lasagna on the night of the sleep study. On two otther of my good nights i had eaten gluten free pepperoni pizza. So I was pretty dumbfounded when the ENT said it was likely reflux.

A question...if my vocal cords were swollen due to reflux would it be unusual for me not to have a cough? I don't have a sore throat or cough....

Post Edited (freeindeed) : 12/25/2016 4:25:05 PM (GMT-7)