Hoarse voice for 14 months (and other symptoms) hope I'm not alone

Alrighty, well saw the ENT because someone canceled thankfully and I'm going to get a CT scan which is obviously scary. A part of me hopes there's nothing at all and another hopes there's something, but it's nothing malignant/bad and can just be fixed easily and they know exactly what to do.

I'm sure it'll be weeks before I am able to get it with how slow things are here like that and how busy imaging places are, but I'll hope it's quick and for the best.

Starting to think I've been dealing with silent reflux this whole time, that has been doing damage for over a year and now turned into something not so silent. Hoping it's not an ulcer or a hernia.

Not sure what happened, but this past week out of nowhere, I suddenly got very bad normal acid reflux symptoms. Constant acid taste in throat/mouth, off and on pain in the middle of my stomach (sometimes burning/gnawing, sometimes sharp) above my belly button (this pain also exists even before waking up in the morning so it's not just food related), lower back pain, and increased burping.

Nothing I've taken for it seems to help and I've already limited my diet quiet a lot (I completely cut out stuff like caffeine which is massive for me) as well as avoiding stuff like fried foods, cheese, tomatoes, etc. to no avail.

I don't know how quickly I'll be able to see my doctor and then get referred possibly for another endoscopy, but wondering if I should push for it to be asap since these symptoms arrived from nowhere and are 24/7 with no relief, or whether this could just be a small flare up of sorts and I should give it more time.

Glad you are getting all these tests. I would definitely push for another endoscopy. And get another Endoscopist if the first one didn't yield anything or only vague results. Another look by another doctor IS A GOOD THING. A good doctor that does your endoscopy should follow up with you about your results and keep in touch with you if anything is found. My husband had an endoscopy because of reflux in March 2023. They were vague. Maybe pre-Barretts. Take some meds for acid reflux. Thats it. Huge bill and nothing else. Then 4 months later he had another endoscopy (different doctor) because--he was diagnosed with throat cancer 2 months after the first endoscopy and he needed a stomach tube (because the treatment for the throat cancer is tough). New endoscopy revealed H Pylori in the stomach and the beginnings of Barrett's syndrome on the esophagus, both of which can lead to cancer if not treated. Luckily, we were able to treat both, while he was going through the throat cancert treatments and eating through his tube. This doctor's office kept up with him and and reviewed his case, did another endoscopy 3 months later to check up. I cannot tell you how much peace I have gotten now that we have this doctor on our side.

And update: My husband is now cancer free, almost gained all the weight back AND has no more acid reflux.

What did your ENT doc say? Did your Catscan come back clear?

So glad to hear your husband is doing okay. I'm still waiting to be called for the CT scan and now I have an appointment with my doctor in a week to then push for an endoscopy. I wish I could just jump straight to that because I know I need one, but they need me to come in first. So frustrating since that's just more time feeling terrible. In the meantime I'm trying everything I can. Started pepcid and gaviscon, have aloe vera juice coming, stopped drinking coffee, caffeine, any fried foods, butter, spices, etc. Eating so bland and it sucks but just hoping that there will be some change.

Whats really strange is that either the sour taste in my mouth is there and I barely get the phlegm in throat/throat clearing constantly OR there's no sour taste and I'm constantly clearing throat. Just want some relief. Already missing out on just normal foods and my normal morning coffee and all that. So frustrated and so tired of hurting. The small stomach pains suck and the lower back pain is not fun either.

Hello!

I have been struggeling with the same thing for 4 years. I have tried everything I can think of. I have seen multiple ENT´s, changed my diet, seen a few vocal therapists, checked my stomach at gastro, tried acid refluc medication and nothing has worked. I am out of ideas at this point and the doctors do not take me seriously. I have discomfort when swallowing a sore throat and especially my soft palet. I also have lost some of my vocal range because of the constant feeling of swelling. Did u ever figure out what was wrong?

@tjackson6
I’m not a physician but if you tried to get answers from ENT’s and haven’t yet seen a pulmogist or respirologist, it might be worth having a lung CT scan done to rule out something causing lower respiratory issues which can cause some of your symptoms.
All the best.

In lieu of omeprazole, I take Gaviscon Advance -- it's NOT the Gaviscon available in the U.S. Different formulation. It's an alginate (made from algae), a natural ingredient that forms what they call a "raft" at the top of the stomach, keeping the contents from upflowing to the esophagus when you're horizontal at night. You can easily order via Amazon, and it comes from the U.K. Comes in liquid and tablets. Try both. On the pricey side but worth a try. Good luck...
https://www.amazon.com/A2Z-STORE-Gaviscon-Chewable-Peppermint/dp/B09VT3747K/ref=sr_1_15?crid=1CXREYTTWTNXP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BJzWLF0SRiMbawYWKzP_kom3swF8c2Gah86S9_M4KIWeompKP_Mv7ypOasvOXHp5EbCUVPu_DjhM5MbWUQ5IKTcK2mMfiSzeI1gO3T6o79ePKP4eG0I7Lla7RsTykoGw80CBz6bvgG3MGUPJOOgc-vSTHDNOml0A8pIpe3I0_KwXpiAAKtTOpOIjNrYt3EE7fWhyLgWcqrqL_DaHRtom2CH6ED8vOlg4o_LgOrxy81d4WaNGX6JvVr17lQHpV1GvtACCqxy_B_44forjlfdARqQV_-E9VEu9qhZoKHlQY--txlIerZwu0Ma6PMrz1I4muFZhFLtb_yQ3eMbw82NYV5Xc5BN5oUwSZK44T97TQHwEwyGGKGtUP3oR6lmDqKp_TOjyVHMJfBPBl0HtvH9AHHNKHS1NKOoD3hTGJMWCKOL9xlOoibCLbXjyyw40V9FQ.q4LtnPwP4qWVQUGn4FLCGt9E7i96mGUn9hP6Pd00gaU&dib_tag=se&keywords=Gaviscon+Advance+liquid&qid=1743367798&sprefix=gaviscon+advance+liquid%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-15

How do you go about doing that? Do I just find a pulmonologist and make an appointment and ask him for a lung CT scan?

@celia16 Your own doctor or another physician would refer you to a pulmonologist. Other countries call that specialist, a respirologist. You could ask your own family physician for a CT scan of your lungs.

We do need to be good advocates for ourselves because diagnosis can be tricky. That said, don’t read too much on Google. The testing will help determine if there is anything that needs further attention.
You can be tested for allergies too.
If you have an ongoing cough and mucus, I wouldn’t hesitate to request a CT scan and referral.

I’ll try to get the referral, but I don’t have a cough. Just intermittent phlegm, drainage, nasal congestion. I work out almost daily and am never short of breath, do cardio, stairstepper, elliptical, treadmill, etc. and get regular checkups…..but, I’ll explain why I’m asking.