Hi All - My first (long) post...
I have had what I thought was 'seasonal allergies' for the past few years - sneezing and almost constant post-nasal drip which caused intense throat-clearing in the morning and sometimes during the day...
Afer starting thyroid meds last Spring (Hashimoto's hypothyroid) my 'seasonal allergies' became full time and I experienced a few episodes of heartburn, which I never had before.
This past October 2012 I started wheezing and coughing in addition to the constant drip in the back of my throat. Noticed shortness of breath several times per day. After a couple of really bad asthma-type attacks - gasping for breath - I saw an allergist who found through testing that I am 'not allergic to anything' and do not have asthma. A chest xray was clear. He asked me if I had heartburn - which I had rarely. He thought it might be a reflux problem.
He gave me Xopenex inhaler, which I now need to use morning and night for extreme shortness of breath. It helps.
Reading online, my symptoms all point to LPR. I wake up in the morning coughing, wheezing and hacking phlegm. Cough/wheeze off and on all day. Post-nasal drip 24/7. When I lay down, I hear light gurgling noises and wheezing coming from my throat. No burping or heartburn or feeling of acid reflux. I do have constant bloated stomach feeling, and occasional right-side pain.
My diet is very close to Paleo, but no dairy for the past 6 years. No sugar, low gluten (negative Celiac), no coffee, alcohol, junk food...
Taking probiotics, multi-vits plus D3, Mag, Selenium, Co-Q10, Krill Oil, DGL, and Slippery Elm lozenges.
I am thinking of trying a 14-day omeprazole to see if it helps before going to see a GI doc, which I know will trigger a flurry of tests and prescriptions...
I did the water/baking soda test and did not burp until the 5-minute mark. Tried Now Brand HCL/Pepsin as directed and had heavy burping for 2 hours after and a feeling of heartburn. Felt worse the next day - and had a sore and itchy feeling in the back of my throat. I had hopes for the HCL/Pepsin after reading so much about it on the web including Kessler. Was my reaction normal or does it indicate that I do indeed have excess acid?
Post Edited (Wheezee) : 1/16/2013 8:29:06 AM (GMT-7)