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GERD issues
I am 22 years old. I don't smoke or drink. Growing up I can remember having a slight hoarse voice in the morning if I ate to late at nights. But never anything too miserable. It would go away within a hour after drinking water.
March 2011 on a Wednesday. I woke up with a hoarse voice that never went away. After a few weeks I started to get slightly worried so I went to my family doctor. I went 3 times over a course of 5-6 weeks and they had no idea after giving me multiple steroids and antibiotics that did nothing. I also had no pain in the beginning my throat didn't hurt at all. My only symptom was the voice. So they sent me to a throat specialist. (Audiologist) He did a throat endoscopy and told me I have GERD. He prescribed me omeprazole 20mg once a day. I changed my diet. I stopped eating hours before I went to sleep. I have never been a soda drinker, I am not a fan of fatty foods. The fattiest thing I like to eat sometimes is chocolate.. So I gave that up. I don't eat big meals. I have always been a snacker. But I didn't seem to get that much better so back as planned in 6weeks. He told me to start taking it twice a day. my throat started to hurt and become really sore around this point. I would wake up in severe pain, and it would hurt through out the day. I would take 2- 20mg omeprazole and I would also drink baking soda mixed with water whenever I couldn't handle the constant burn anymore.. I wouldn't drink the baking soda/water at the same time as taking the omeprazole. I made sure I did that hours apart from one another.
So about 10-12 weeks later my symptoms got much worse. It wasn't working. Nothing seemed to work.
So I went back to the doctor. They did another endoscopy and my throat is more swollen than the first. It's starting to swell up even higher around where my thyroid is.
I started having chest pains and it has become hard to swallow anything.
My heart rate gets insanely high in random occasions.
I feel a knock/thump whenever I swallow.
My throat is always hurting.
I am nauseous when I eat.
It's painful to eat or drink anything; I have lost almost 30lbs because of it.
So I have had a endoscopy twice now,
I got a barium swallow done and he told me I have acid reflux. probe test done,.,Blood work....How many more test need to be done?
I haven’t heard my voice in a year now. It's to the point where I am becoming depressed and I ignore talking to people. I ignore hanging out with friends, because if I talk to much my throat becomes incredibly sore to the point where I won't be able to sleep. I can't yell or whisper. I have one tone. If I yell then I’m pretty much out for the rest of the day because my throat hurts so badly.
I am thinking about going to the Mayo Clinic. Has anyone else been through this? Do you think they will be able to help? Could it be something else?
Im desperate.
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The doctor just said to stop the drug Famotidine. I had taken 40 mg daily for a year. ( skin had started peeling then.) My acid reflux was still happening , so that is ( after a year)when Dr added 40mg a day of omeprazole. So I was for the next 6 mos taking both medications .
For the last 20 days I have not had any famotidine. But I am now taking 80mg of omeprazole a day. I think my lower arms and legs are not peeling so bad constantly . I will have to admit , I have not showered since the 20 th of may. I do diligent cleansing . Please understand that . But as far as a full shower not yet . And I have used the creams and oils etc. I have a soft raindrop shower attachment .They didn’t fix it . Thank You , Crystalena
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2 ReactionsI take famotidine and have not had skin peeling. It is listed as a side effect that could be because of allergic reaction. It also says that if skin peels as a result of an allergic reaction you should contact a doctor right away. Have you been to a dermatologist? I think you need to go to a good diagnostician and do in depth tests to see what's causing this. Did you have any skin issues before the peeling started? A rash, for example?
(Aside from that, 80 mg of Omeprazole a days sounds like a lot. Do you have a large hiatal hernia? )
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1 ReactionI tried a brief afternoon shower after 20 days with no Famotidine . As always the next morning after shower the peeling persists . See pics . Bless all of you . Crystalena
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1 ReactionI do not have a hernia. The omeprazole is to replace the Famotidine ? For GER? No rash. The peeling was present before omeprazole . The peeling started with taking Famotidine and using the Trelegy 200 inhaler . Those were prescribed for me early on . I was diagnosed with stage 4 Emphysema and put on 4 ltrs 24/7 immediately after getting out of the ER. I was also prescribed a
Home consentrator and enogen portable. The portable was useless . After a month saw a pulmonologist and he prescribed Famotidine for acid reflux. He looked at a ct - said my upper lungs were affected . I have seen him every 6 mos for 2 years now . He sees me or one of his NP see me . They take my vitals . Talk for a few minutes . One of the nurses gave me a portable oxy test. She said wow! You may not qualify for oxy machine . This is a great reading. I said “ No it is not” .. I live in the
Woods. Welcome to Northern Michigan . 💜 Crystalena
Google's AI gave the response, below, about the connection between emphysema and skin issues. I can't verify the correctness, but maybe the skin condition is related to the emphysema. Maybe you can take something to treat the inflammation. I suggest asking also a dermatologist. Best of luck!
From Google AI: Emphysema, a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), can contribute to accelerated skin aging and potentially lead to skin peeling in some individuals. While emphysema doesn't directly cause skin peeling in the sense of a direct medical consequence, the underlying conditions and associated health issues can affect skin health.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Accelerated Skin Aging:
Emphysema, particularly in smokers, is linked to accelerated skin aging due to the damaging effects of smoking and the systemic inflammation associated with the disease. Loss of skin elasticity, a natural part of aging, is further exacerbated in emphysema patients.
Skin Condition and Systemic Inflammation:
COPD, which includes emphysema, is often associated with systemic inflammation. This can impact various bodily functions, including skin health, and potentially lead to skin issues.
Skin Peeling:
While emphysema itself doesn't cause skin peeling in a direct sense, the systemic effects, including inflammation and dehydration, can contribute to skin dryness and flaking.
Subcutaneous Emphysema:
In a rare instance, subcutaneous emphysema (air trapped under the skin) can cause a crackling sensation and swelling, which might be mistaken for skin peeling in some cases. This is a distinct condition from the skin aging effects of emphysema.
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency:
This genetic condition can cause emphysema and may also have cutaneous manifestations, including recurrent ulcerative panniculitis (inflammation of subcutaneous fat) that can resemble skin peeling.
In summary, while emphysema doesn't directly cause skin peeling, the disease's effects on skin elasticity, systemic inflammation, and potentially related conditions can contribute to skin dryness, flaking, and other skin issues that might be mistaken for peeling
Thank You . You did a great job researching this . I haven’t use AI , I don’t think . Maybe I should . My primary doctor keeps recommending oils and cremes . 😕 I cannot find one that helps . I put some on after this shower . It seems the peeling spots are getting bigger . There is no clue before the shower that those areas are going to peel. I will be calling my pulmonologist . Thank you again .
I was using a cream for very dry skin that turned out to cause peeling, because it contains Urea and lactic acid (AHA). Make sure you're not using a cream that causes the peeling.
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1 ReactionI buy Tazo Organic Green Ginger Tea and I have found it helps me.
But I use it more if my stomach is upset. I have GERD, my symptoms are a burning in the back of my throat, and top of my stomach upon waking. It goes away as soon as I get up. I’m now trying to find a medication that works.
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1 ReactionI am really glad I found your story. I’m sorry you’re still having issues. I am having the exact same issues to the T. I’ve seen a heart doctor who is starting to run tests. I also did a PFT which said I have asthma even though I’ve never had any asthma before in my life. I see a pulmonologist in like a month. I have to take omeprazole for two more weeks before I can see a GI. All the heart tests so far have been good. So is my blood pressure. I’m frustrated like you but glad I’ve stumbled upon this.
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1 ReactionWelcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, @chancefield. It sounds like you're getting a thorough workup.
What symptoms are the most challenging for you right now?
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