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Asthma and GERD

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Posted 2/24/2009 1:09 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all. I'm new to this forum, but have been posting for about a week at the GERD forum. I have had asthma and allergies all my life, but over the past four years my asthma has become chronic and is not responding to treatment. Four years ago after taking Augmentin, my GERD flared up to the point that I was hospitalized for over a week. When I left the hospital, my asthma still hadn't resolved, but I couldn't stand being there any longer, and I guess I convinced my asthma doc that I was well enough to get sprung.

I read some posts in which it has been said that when asthma was not resolved by GERD medicine, that it was an indication that the GERD wasn't the cause of increased asthma problems. I'd disagree with that. I'm taking maximum doses of Protonix twice a day, and the GERD is still spilling acid/bile, whatever, into my lungs. I am so sick of coughing, that I've finally decided to bite the bullet and give surgery a try. My lungs are in terrible shape. I've been on high doses of inhaled steroids for so long that my skin has thinned, and I bruise constantly. If my skin just hits something, it tears and bleeds. Not a healthy situation.

On Friday I'm having the Nissen Fundoplication surgery in hopes that it will help my lungs. Honestly, it's not a certainty that it will work for me, but I have three doctors who know me well, who are putting their money on it. I sure hope they're right. If they are, it'll be worth it. If you have GERD and your asthma is getting worse, consider looking into that possibility. Good luck to you all!

Has anyone else experience asthma/GERD and had the surgery? If so, I'd be interested in knowing your experience.
Posted 2/24/2009 2:35 AM (GMT 0)
I don't have any experienced words of wisdom for you but I just wanted to wish you good luck on your surgery and please let us know if it indeed helps your asthma - it could be beneficial to our members.
Posted 2/24/2009 6:32 PM (GMT 0)
Will do!
Posted 2/24/2009 8:27 PM (GMT 0)
I would like to also, wish you good luck with surgery, I have mild asthma, gerd and allergies..
My gerd was way different than yours, two bleeding stomach ulcers only the kind not responsive
to antibotics, pepcid, zantac and protonic eventually helped, but I still take the protonics in the morning and
zantac 150 at night, helps, just don't know if I'll ever come off them...and I still get nighttime asthma flairs
just not as often...
keep us posted and will be wishing you well and thinking of you..
Prayers and soft Hugz....

my ulcers where tested for that h.plori but it's wasn't that so maybe yours are like that too, not all are,
I'm constantly baffle doc's as I get the untypical stuff...
Posted 2/25/2009 1:26 AM (GMT 0)
I'm glad that you got your acid under control. Protonix does work well...I found that out when I had the PH monitoring test and had to do without it for a week! I do get enough breakthrough, though, that the docs really pushed me to get the repair of my stomach valve (LES).

I'll certainly check in with your forum when enough time has passed to find out if the surgery has helped my asthma. I sure hope it does.
Best wishes to all allergy and asthma sufferers! Spring is coming...yikes! That tree pollen really gets to me. I love winter!
Posted 3/5/2009 7:06 AM (GMT 0)
When I had a surgery a few months ago, I had GERD really bad...due to my medication (my asthma meds too!). So it could be apart of medication. Make an appointment with your pulmonologist. Prednisone can cause GERD, fyi.
Posted 3/9/2009 1:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Smurfy Shadow...
Yes...prednosone is horrible on my stomach, but is an unfortunate necessity at this time. I'll be seeing my doctor tomorrow, and I'm hopeful I'll be able to start tapering. My very worst (actually hospitalized) GERD/asthma episodes have always been caused by untolerated antibiotics. The only antibiotic that my stomach seems to tolerate is amoxicillin.

I had the surgery on 2/27, and my lungs have been working on healing since then. I got some fluid on then from the general anesthesia, and my lung infection hadn't totally cleared, so I'm still on prednosone and amoxicillin. I'm taking protonix 40mg twice a day. It's not common to take that after surgery, but it's a proactive attempt to help my stomach deal with the stress of prednosone and antibiotic while my newly created LES valve heals. So far so good.

The surgery is definitely very tolerable. I expected much worse. Things have been going well so far...knock on wood!

My lungs are continuing to improve. I'll check in from time to time to let the asthma forum know if the surgery has resolved the worst of my asthma. I'm hopeful. Thanks for your response.

Best wishes to all--I had a horrible spring season last year...had to have windows closed in my classroom from April-the end of June. No air conditioning, which wasn't fun. The tree pollen came on with a vengeance, and I lost my voice if I just went into a classroom that had windows open. Hope it'll be better this year!
Posted 4/19/2009 8:49 AM (GMT 0)
dencha- I would like to hear about your progress with the nissen. I have gerd pretty bad, aggravated by a hiatal hernia. My asthma was pretty rough as a child but then it tapered off into more of a less problematic exercise induced version as i progressed into adolescence. in fact, the asthma largely disappeared all together, except for maybe using an inhaler before aggressive running or if i caught bronchitis or some virus going around. over the last 7 years, since my dramatic onset of gerd, my asthma has increasingly worsened. The last year or two have been especially troublesome for my asthma. The tough thing is that several years ago my doctors told me that I was fairly young for the degree of gerd progression that I have they recommended the nissen procedure. I am 27 now and it has become quite a hindrance for me and definite concern as my asthma seems to have blown up lately with intensity of the refluxing. My concern is that I am pretty young and have heard these procedures all can have a long term viability issue. keeping an eye on the esophyx procedure right now though. it sounds like you may have suffered from similar issue with your gerd and asthma becoming a damaging cycle, with gerd dumping gas and the asthma fire. i held off on the nissen in hopes something else would come along and because there was an issue of delayed gastric emptying and they were not quite sure how that would affect my stomach with the nissen and if they would have to fool around with more surgeries after to work it out. wasnt in the mood to be a surgery guinea pig at the time. anyways, with my asthma growing increasingly frightening something has to be done to stop the dumping into the lungs. as a singer, I already lost my performing voice due to gerd. i have really limited my life in so many others ways since the onset of these issues. cant sleep with out waking up gasping for air and have become far far far less active then i used to be(really difficult to exercise at all or play any sports when you cant breath lol). wondering how this procedure is working out for you and if you have started to take your life back from the asthma/gerd limitations. thanks. any response would be much appreciated.
Posted 4/19/2009 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
jonny5_is_alive,

Are you on any treatment for the delayed gastric emptying (gastroparesis)? If not, I would encourage you to ask your doctor for treatment, because that in and of itself may slow down or stop the GERD. Often those with gastroparesis have GERD as a symptom of the slow stomach, and when they get appropriate treatment, the GERD becomes much less of a problem.

Good luck,
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