LPR.. wondering if this explains it all?

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thaele

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I've had problems with breathing for a very long time now. I've gone to doctors/specialists/hospitals off and on to no avail and always felt like I was rushed out and made to feel like I'm making up my breathing issues, or that it's anxiety. Before I go any further, after a good 5 years of this issue off and on, I can tell you it is NOT anxiety. I'm the furthest thing from an anxious person.

I'm currently seeing an ENT who actually seems to believe there truely is something wrong. First of all, I have some pretty crappy allergies to dust and mold. Just a little over a year ago I started up really bad allergic reactions. Sneezing a lot, runny nose, rash/hives, eyes swelling and itching (which later found out were also hives in my eyes).. So, I do know I have some allergies to these things as I've seen an allergist as a result of my reactions and those reactions actually coincided with 1) new workplace and 2) our ceiling had leaked and it was quite obvious there was mold and I'm positive this was the major trigger for the allergies to go into high gear.

That was a year ago where the allergies started bad. The whole while (before AND after) I had difficulty breathing. I've always felt like it was in my throat, and I am erabarassed to say, my fiance often complains about my breath. It's not that I don't brush my teeth, I would brush them every time he complained because it made me so self consious about it :(

Fast forward to now.. I am seeing an ENT like I said. He suggested it could be 2 things. Because I am trying to have a baby, we only tested for one so far. I had an MRI on my sinuses, since I have chronic allergic rhenitus and it was really bad, he figures my sinuses can't be in that great of shape either. I also mentionned to him how every time I sneeze or cough, these hard thick chunks of mucous come out. My nose is almost always clear, but I still have to blow it because higher up in my nose, it's very stuffed and I can't breathe from my nose because of it.. but within my nose itself it's totally clear (hopfully that made sense). I'm just really frustrated with this.

I tried to look up some things tonight to see what I could offer up to the ENT and see what he thought. I came up with LPR. I can't spell out the whole thing however it's got to do with silent acid reflux, where you don't get heart burn. I rarely if ever get heart burn.. I think I get it like once a year?? It's really not that often at all.. but now I'm wondering if this acid thing makes sense?

Here's exactly the symptoms I have:
stuffed higher up in the nasal cavity
-constantly having to blow my nose (go through at least 1 box/week myself)
-constantly sneezing and very loudly (uncontrolable but very erabarassing)
-coughing and feeling slight tightness in throat (this feeling is hard to explain but it's like i'm almost just to say gasping and trying to catch my breath)
-wheezing (this is much more recent. Don't think I've had this much in the past? But it has been happening for a good month now or a bit more and it's mainly at night, when I'm trying to take in deep breaths through my mouth, worse when nose is stuffed.. just feels like the air catches on stuff in my throat or something..)
-thick hard chunks of mucous from throat when coughing/sneezing sometimes yellow, sometimes white, never clear
-always a bad taste in mouth. when I cough/sneeze worsens and tastes metallic like blood but no blood ever comes up
-sometimes when taking a deep breath, I can't complete the breath.. I'm not panicking or anything, it's just a feeling of not being able to take in the full breath causing me to yawn a lot as my body neeRAB that deep breath..
-thick globby feeling in back of throat.. sometimes I can cough this up and it's really big globs of mucous.. sometimes I can't get it all out and it's really annoying because it's like it's covering too much of my throat.
-constantly clearing throat.

I can't think of anything else specific to this.. if anyone here has experience with LPR or maybe even anything else that sounRAB similar to this, please reply. I am getting so frustrated with this!

About 4 years ago I was checked for asthma and did some breathing test and was told I didn't have asthma. They also tried ot give me some puffers and that didn't help. They told me "well we don't really know what's wrong with you" and sent me on my way home. I do think there is something. I don't know if my allergies are causing it or making it worse. I've tried to get my allergies controlled, and I've managed the skin and eye irritations but the stuff for my nose just doesn't work!

I'm just worried that if there is something wrong iwthin my throat, whatever it is LPR or not.. that if I do in fact get a lung/throat infection.. that it's just going to make things that much worse and can't imagine the fun that will be!

I'm going to run away before the length of this scares anyone off lol. Please give me some insight anyone.. Am just looking for any possible explanation. I'm not going to assume it's what's wrong with me.. I just want to help my ENT and hopefully speed up the process as I want a solution already. I've waited many many years to just take a nice deep breath without feeling like crap!

Thanks anyone who's made it this far!
 
I had to look up that LPR. Interesting. It makes sense. Looks like it's caused by good old fashioned GERD inflaming your esophagus and causing your sphincters to spasm. I like to always look for the least complicated answer that fits my symptoms, at least until proven otherwise, heaven forbid.

As far as the chunks you're caughing up, chronic alllergic rhinitis is hay fever. We have just been in the worst hay fever months of the year which is from about late August or early Septeraber to the first hard freeze or two. But its just about over here. If it's over where you are then your symptoms will probably be getting better real soon. The hay fever causes post nasal drip which runs down your esophagus and trachea and into your stomach and lungs. It causes inflamation in your esophagus which exacerbates your GERD or LPR, and also causes congestion in your lungs which you caugh up in the form of yellow phlegm. It also accounts for the sinus inflamation too.

Why are you so dead set against an anxiety disorder? There is no shame in it. It's a legitmate disease. Has one or more of the doctors or health care professionals you've seen suggested it? Have you ever had a panic attack and not known it? It's possible. They come in many different forms. But that's your business, and your entitled to have your own feelings toward it. Anyway, hope you feel better. Good luck, and hang in there.
 
It sounRAB like you've got a lot going on so there's probably not be one simple answer to everything.

Some of what you're describing can definitely be caused by allergies and you don't mention what you're doing to manage your mold allergies. That's probably the first thing you should focus on. Allergies can typically be manage fairly effectively with antihistamines, nasal irrigation with a neti pot or SinusRinse bottle, allergy shots and a steroid nasal spray. You should definitely do everything you can to keep your allergies under control and help minimize the congestion in your sinuses.

The wheezing could be allergic asthma (which you can develop as an adult) or it could be caused by acid reflux.

Several of your other symptoms including the bad taste, the globby feeling in your throat and the constant throat clearing are very common acid reflux symptoms. LPR can contribute to the nasal congestion as well (but that's where the corabination of allergies and acid reflux gets tricky - it's hard to know which is which).

I would definitely recommend that you talk to your ENT about LPR, or see a gastroenterologist. Usually they'll put you on Nexium (or PrilosecOTC) for several months to help you manage the LPR and give your esophagus time to heal. It can take a couple of months for things to clear up if LPR is the cause of your symptoms, so you'll have to stick with it, but it definitely sounRAB like LPR could be contributing to your symptoms.
 
I have the exact same symptoms with a few added to it. My voice has changed or I lose it for months at a time. This has been going on for 10 yrs or more. I was diagnosed with Allergies/Asthma, Esphogatis, Chronic Gastritis, GERD, and finally LPR. I never had allergies before this began and I think it all ties in together. Only in the past 5 yrs or so, gastro's seem to agree with ENT on the fact that acid can go up further and cause a lot of havock on your body. A tiny, tiny minute amt leaked into the lungs will cause breathing problems. I feel as though after I have eaten or drank anything that "something" shuts right up to my sinus. I also get choking spells and a lot of time get chunks out of my throat of green mucus. I felt like it was undigested food coming back up but could be the sinus issue. I rarely get anything out of my nose when I blow it but I have the drainage down the back of my throat 24/7. This causes a chronic cough and sniff, sniff, that drives me and everyone else crazy. I took shots for years, have had all the test, seen spec after spec, saw several surgeons (desprete for surgery) do nasal irrigations, have taken every med known to man and then some. I continue to have these symptoms and it's effected my life both professionally and socially. I know some fooRAB make me worse but then again water does some days. The most prescribed med for LPR is 40 mg of Nexium twice a day. Some say it's most important to not eat anything 3 to 4 hrs. before bedtime and this is probably true. I do not have heartburn and no problems during the night. Only while upright, which is consistant with LPR patients. I'm not good on diet although I eat healthy meals, I still indulge in chocolate and other things I shouldn't. I also eat late and go to bed. If I followed ALL the rules (maybe) I'd be better more often but that's pretty hard to do. There is no cure for LPR and some Dr's still disagree. I haven't found a Dr. that was keen on surgery for LPR either since my test do not reflect that much acid. The thing is that it's not the amt. but where it's being thrown.

I hope this helps you some or at least let's you know you are not alone. BTW, it has effected my sense of smell and my hearing! I ask my husband if I have bad breath and he say's no. But, it ruined the enamel on my teeth to the point that I had to get all my teeth pulled and now have 30k worth of implants. I stopped taking the Nexium because it wasn't working anymore but worry about the long term effects of this and cancer.

Many on here are frustrated with this disease and I think the only way we are going to get well is to continue posting and helping each other. We all try and think of what started it and have come to several conclusions but the main thing we need to do is figure out how to stop it. If that's possible. Good Luck and I would be most interested in what your Dr's say or recommend so please post again.

CharBerry
 
Thanks everyone for all the responses! Sorry I was away all weekend so couldn't post before now.

FMC, I'm fairly certain it isn't anxiety as they've tried to medicate me for it, it did nothing lol. I still felt the same way, and I don't panic over things. I thrive in stressful situations and love the challenge of trying to complete things with minimal time. I'm crazy like that. I also can deal with change very well.. am just very adaptable and even if I am stressed over something, give me a few minutes and I'm over it. Sure, we've all got our problems right? But, I just deal with them and see it as one hurdle to over come, then onto the next. I don't think there's a point of letting it control your life. So, I'm fairly certain that I don't have huge amounts of anxiety.
You also mentionned hay fever.. this might be true but coughing up chunks is nothing recent. I've had this for over a year now.

GC, I've tried a few things with my allergies. I've been told in regarRAB to mold and dust, allergy shots aren't very effective. My allergist mentionned it but said I probably wouldn't get much relief from them just because of the type of allergen that these are. I've tried the irrigation, have nasonex.. these do nothing. I have relief from every other allergic reaction, like my itchy eyes/skin.. but cannot find relief with my nose and sinuses. I have taken antihistamins to no avail. Am glad that my eyes have finally stopped hiving as that was incredibly scary. I think that's because I'm using my rx eye drops often enough to stave that off.

Char, thanks for your input! I do think this is a possibility but am not going to start running to my docs saying this is it. But, he has also mentionned the acid reflux idea and LPR IS acid reflux lol. I suppose it's sounding more plausible since I had no idea that you could have acid reflux and not feel it except recently I've had acid reflux (kind of like that puking feeling that goes right back down) but it didn't burn or anything.. I can just 'feel' it.. without a burn.

Anyway I've got to run.. thank you all for your replies. I really appreciate it. I think mayeb there could be more but thought this fit with my little knowledge on all this stuff.
 
Mine has come back over the holidays. My throat feels tight. I feel like I need to get a deep breath in. I get all panicky. The thing that is constant is gunk or mucus in the back of my throat. I have a tickle cough and I am constantly clearing it or trying to swallow. I am tired of this. Mine doesn't always have a burning sensation. I just feels like something is back there or tight.
I also have a bad taste or smell too. I know I get those tonsil stones that form from the drainage. I don't know if any of you know about those. :( yuck!
I think this is all flaring up from the stress in my life.
 
I think the tonsils may be related. I actually had mine removed about 3-4 years ago because of such bad infection. I always had sore throats and my tonsils were always infected. When I had them removed the ENT who did the surgery said had I not removed them, no amount of drugs would have made it better and I'd have just kept getting sick from it. I also had tons of tonsil stones and it was disgusting.. I knew something was causing my tonsils to get so bad, but the ENT I had before didn't want to look into the 'why', he just wanted to fix the end result. I mean it was worth it because my tonsils were crap and useless other then to make me sick.. but what caused them to get that way was never even looked in to and I did tell him I had way too much PND and about all my breathing difficulties and so on. He didn't even think twice on it.
 
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