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LPR Diagnostic. Very anxious, scared, confused, worried, stressed

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 4/5/2014 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hello guys and gals, I am sorry I am going to vent out something here but its the only place I can do it :( Here is my story. I was in the military,and used to smoke and chew tobacco. I smoked on and off from age 16 till about when I was 21. Then one day I just quit. However, I continued to use dip (snuff) tobacco until last december.
I have had mucus issues since I can remember. But they have gotten worse where I have had constant throat clearing for about last 3 years. However, I always thought it was related to chewing tobacco and never thought about it.
Last month I went to and ENT to see how long I might have the mucus issue. I was scared I might have throat cancer since I used to smoke. He inserted a camera in my nose, and told me he did not see any tumors but saw that one part down in my throat was inflammed. He told me I had LPR. He gave me Ranitidine 300 mg tablets, and told me to buy Gavison liquid and drink that and take the pill before going to bed. I do that and that helps because now when I wake up in the morning, I don't have any mucus in my throat. I remember before this EVERY morning I woke up this so much mucus in my throat and nostrils that I had to run to the bathroom!
So I was researching this issue and saw a guy on another forum who said that like me, he was in the military and had LPR since 1989/90 and didn't see a doc till 2009. He said like me he associated it with his chewing tobacco use. He also said that two of his children seem to have same issues!
I was OK until 3 days ago when I was researching LPR and came across and article saying LPR will cause cancer :( that has freaked me out no end! I swear I keep thinking about this now every waking minute! I went to my mom and almost cried! She told me that she has had acid issues since before I was born (I am 26) and that everyone in her family has this problem. She said she has stomach ulcers and has to take acid medicine every other day with her meals. She also said her mom (my grandmother) could not eat any bananas, butter, fried food, oily food, because it gave her acid. She also told me about how one of my mom's nephews (my cousin) had such a bad acid reflux issue once that they thought he was about to die. He could only drink water and eat a little bread for a few days. And he was 20!
Basically my mother has been trying to comfort me saying we have this run in our family :( But I am so scared of cancer :( Especially since I will not be able to see a doctor for the next 5 months cuz I am not going to be in the states :((((((((
If I leave it untreated for those few months will this develop into some cancer or something bad? I am sorry for my lack of information but I have never had any health issues until this so I am freaking out :(:(
Also I would like to know here how long do most people have had this issue for? I know my doctor told me that he did not see any tumors, but I am scared that I have had it unknowingly for over 3 years so there might be some tumors in the lungs or deeper in the stomach :((
guys and gals, i am really sorry if this seems like a rant :( its just that i am so frustrated! i remember a few months ago my mother saying to me that my life has just started because I got a new job and my proposed (successfully) to my gf and now i feel like my life will end prematurely because I will get some weird cancer because of this :(
While I can not go to a doctor for the next few months, I am going to make diet changes. For example, I know eating eggs, cheese, milk, bananas, nuts always makes me get more mucus! Also I love to workout and one of my problems was that I worked out, ate and within an hour or so I was in bed! I also always ate 2-3 times a day and ate big :( now I am going for smaller portions! Also I used to eat a lot of spicy food (every day because in our home mom always made spicy food and when i was in the army i always put hot sauce on everything.)
So, again I apologize for the rant :( But there was no other way to vent out my frustration. And like the heading says, I am scared, worried, stressed out, and maybe paranoid about getting a cancer :(
Thanks for reading and all the support!
And have a great day!

Post Edited (arielortega) : 4/5/2014 9:43:41 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/6/2014 3:34 AM (GMT 0)
It's good to hear that you were checked out by an ear, nose, and throat doctor. It is also good news that he did not find anything when he did your procedure. If you feel you need a 2nd opinion, you can always schedule an appointment with another ear,nose and throat doctor.

You can also schedule an appointment with a gastroenterologist who can perform an endoscopy procedure which will check the esophagus and stomach.
Posted 4/6/2014 4:20 AM (GMT 0)
I am so sorry you are so freaked out. I am not adoctor but I do not believe that in just a few months this coukd turn to cancer..and it is not correct th a t LPR WILL cause cancer but left untreated it COULD cause cancer in your throat( will and could are twodifferent things)..and your ENT did not find any cancer.. and from what I have learned it takes many, many years to develop into throat cancer..relax and keep following your doctors orders...there are so many wise people on this board, I am new here and they have helped me a great deal
Posted 4/6/2014 8:26 AM (GMT 0)
tnfilmgal and CAGU, thank y'all so much for the support! When I went to the ENT (i could schedule a direct ENT appointment with Kaiser instead of having to go through my regular doc first), I wanted to check for
1. Why I am getting so much mucus (In my family, my mom, my sister, and my mom's family all have acid reflux,stomach ulcer, and mucus issues)
2. I smoked in my teenage years until I was about 21 so I wanted to see if I had developed cancer.
The ENT told me he did not see any tumors and I do trust his opinion. I am just paranoid that this will turn into cancer one day and I am scared to death of that scenario :( I was reading on another board that someone treated it with vitamin D3 supplements because D3 deficiency makes the immune system more vulnerable. I will look into getting tests for vitamin deficiency. Ever since I was a child I have had mucus issues but in last couple of years it has gotten more chronic :(
And hopefully also get an opinion from a gastroenterologist as well but it wont be until a few more months because I am not going to be overseas until July.
Hopefully we all can get over this issue :(
Reading about how some people have had it for over 8, 10 years kinda gave me hope to go ahead and get it fixed. But still since I found out about that it could lead to cancer, not a minute goes by when I am not thinking about it :(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
again, thank y'all so much for the help :) means a lot to me!
Posted 4/6/2014 5:09 PM (GMT 0)
Hello arielortega,

There is a very good book out there written by Dr. Jamie Koufman called Dropping Acid, The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure. Her book explains so many things about LPR. I think you would find it helpful. She also gives suggestions about lifestyle changes (like raising the head of your bed). I went on the diet and it did help. It's a pretty easy read too. Another book is Fast Tract Digestion by Norman Robilliard, Ph.D. A little different approach but some have had success following his diet system. He has written several books. I have the book for Heartburn but he has also written one for IBS. You can read comments about both books on Amazon. I've found that the more knowledge I have, the less anxiety I have. I've been diagnosed with GERD and LPR. I also have lots and lots of mucus. I've come to believe that the mucus is the body's way of trying to deal with the acid. It's hard to think of mucus as your friend when you are struggling with it though. If you keep reading this forum, you will find lots of great advice. It's helped me very much. Not only the advice but the support of others. It means a lot to me too.
Posted 4/6/2014 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
hey there corgislover,
I really appreciate your advice :) I am trying to make lifestyle changes, especially when it comes to diet :) Sometimes, when I try to swallow I can feel that my spit is stuck in my throat and if I pull my skin on the throat, it goes down no problem. That makes me wonder if I have some nerve damage issues. Because sometimes I twitch on the right or left side of my throat. I know that is from using chewing tobacco for a long time. I know a guy who once accidentally swallowed spit from chewing tobacco and to this day every 5-10 seconds he twitches his throat as if he has something stuck in there. I just recently gave up snuff tobacco (in december) so I will continue a healthy diet and hopefully in time I can recover from those issues.
Thanks again, and like you said reading up on these forums helps with my anxiety! I have to admit I am just paranoid about the whole cancer thing because as a kid, I remember seeing a very young person die. And I asked my older cousin why did he die (because I thought young people were not supposed to die). And she told me he had cancer. And since then its just something that scares the hell out of me lol So when I read that LPR can lead to cancer, for at least 2 days I went into no talking to anyone, not eating on time, not exercising, not being able to socialize, thinking it might be STD related , and constantly thinking about having my life cut short :((
Once I get back in July/Sep, I will also try to see a GI and ENT again. Basically my mother and her mother and my sister all have thyroid, stomach ulcers and gastric issues.
So I do feel much better now in the mornings after taking the Ranitidine and the liquid gavison. I remember just a few months ago, when I used to use snuff tobacco, there were times when I woke up in the morning with sooooooo much mucus that I had to run to the bathroom. Ever since I quit dipping tobacco, I never had that much mucus in the morning, and with the ranitidine and gavison, I have no mucus issue in the morning. Another thing that I notice is that since I stopped dipping tobacco, I barely get the tonsil sloths. I dont think I have had them for at least 2 months now. Before, every weak I had to dig in there for some huge tonsil sloths.
I will definitely check out those books because I know for a long time that I needed diet and behavioral changes. and your's and everyone else's support means so much to me! I really thought at first I had some rare disease which was going to give me some rare untreatable cancer. Now I see I am not the only one suffering from this, and some people on here who have been fighting this for so long, it gives me hope :)
I hope everyone here will find the solution. I was thinking about trying the digestive enzymes, but first I will make diet changes and go from there :)
Thanks again to everyone.
Posted 4/6/2014 6:22 PM (GMT 0)
arielortega,

Of course you are afraid - everyone has fears and worries re be dx with a disease however, I can honestly say I am not a health-worry and when I was diagnosed with cancer I was devastated.

Not all cases of esophageal cancer can be prevented, but the risk of developing this disease can be greatly reduced by avoiding certain risk factors. Avoiding tobacco and alcohol is one of the best ways of limiting your risk of esophageal cancer.

Eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight are also important. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables may help protect against esophageal cancer. You are changing your life style and being more careful about what you eat so you are on your way to doing the best things to prevent cancer.

Being your own best advocate and getting regular yearly check ups as well as seeing your Dr. when problems arise are all good things to do.

Posted 4/6/2014 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
Hey there skitt, thank you for the reply :)
May I ask what cancer you were diagnosed with? I just saw facebook of a close friend whose Sergeant just died of cancer and I am just scared to death of this thing :(
But I actually quit smoking just because I was tired of smelling like ciggerretes lol And I quit snuff tobacco because my fiance finally gave me the motivation to quit. I always used to say I will do it next year until this december my fiance said I must quit or she will cry :'( so that was it lol
I would like to know how long does it take to get my throat normal from past tobacco use?
I was reading some posts on here about LPR being a nerve issue and I think I will seriously look into that. The reason being that a lot of time when I did the snuff tobacco, the juice went inside my throat. And that is where my "twitching" of the throat started! And to this day I keep twitching sides of my throat from time to time. Also when I was using dip tobacco, I could not swallow spit and that made my throat so hoarse and dry :(
So once I am back to states in July, I might see a neurologist and get their opinion.
As far as mucus, my whole family minus my dad has mucus issues! Thats one reason I never got it looked into cuz I thought it was from tobacco use and heredity. I remember clearing my throat and my mom saying just like my cousins I keep clearing my throat.
So I guess my biggest anxiety has been
(i) that I thought of myself as a fit, young and super healthy man! and now all of a sudden I realize that I am not :( and even bigger
(ii) fear that this will get worse and become a cancer and I will not be able to enjoy life with the very special woman I plan to marry next year :((((((((
But as I said before, coming on these forums has helped me so much. Knowing that I am not the only one with this issue (even though in my family we all have some type of chronic mucus issue). So I will soldier on I guess and I hope for the best :)
Also, as to your last advice, as I mentioned, my very first thing I asked ENT was to look for cancer. And he said he did not see any tumors. I guess from now on I will regularly go and get that checked.
Thanks sooo much :)
p.s. I was talking to my fiance and telling her how anxious and nervous I was that this will develop into cancer, and she was telling me how my problem is "over googling". lol she said that she had some health issue and when she read online they said it could lead to cancer, and when she tries to see her mom's symptoms on google all of them say it can lead to cancer lol so I don't try to bother her too much about it because its not only me, but she also has a paranoid older sister to deal with who, at every little issue, thinks she is about to die and her baby will grow up without a mother. lol so i told her last night i will try not bothering her too much with this issue lol
Also got a call from my best friend who ever since he moved to GA has had constant mucus issues. He called me saying my mom told him I was freaking out over cancer. He told me how he has to carry an empty water bottle around just to spit in it and told me to stop being paranoid about cancer.lol

PSS I just read this article and again it makes me believe that it might not simply be a reflux issue as I first thought. My past and some present behavior might be the one causing this.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/778052

Post Edited (arielortega) : 4/6/2014 8:29:15 PM (GMT-6)

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