research

I've been doing some online research recently and it's not very encouraging. When I saw my doc(PA)last time, she said that I might have developed acid reflux, she'd also mentioned that my symptoms might be due to side effects from my asthma meds specifically the advair(dry powder inhaler or DPI).

I started there and found several studies. One of them was a very small study done on asthmatic patients who had all been on inhaled coticosteroids in DPI form for 6-8 months(like I have) who'd also been treated with proton pump inhibitors(like zantac) for gastroesophageal reflux. These patients all had changes in their vocal cords as well as irritation of vocal folds due to the medication.

Another study also had patients who were on dry powder inhalers as well as drug for acid reflux. They complained about hoarseness, frequent throat clearing, loss of voice, lump in throat, and throat pain(less frequently). They found significant correlation between high cortisone doses and voice problems as well as between voice problems and acid relfux.

One encouraging study I found said that deformities in the pharynx/larynx that were developed from the use of higher doses of inhalers were reversed when those drugs were stopped.

There have not been many studies done on the local complications of inhaled corticosteroids(like advair) even though it is well reported that asthmatic patients often experience hoarseness and other throat problems.

I will have to make some sort of decision about this. Maybe get an appt with my allergy/asthma doc Dr. M, cause I think he'll consider what I have to say.

My main doc(Dr. L) she's the one who wanted me to take anti-anxiety meds. I refused and so she suggested that I start exercising regularly as well as go to therapy (for my anxiety). I've been doing both. I didn't want to take the anxiety meds b/c I figured it would be a stop-gap measure only and wouldn't help me deal with the root causes behind the anxiety I was having. The therapy has helped. I'm glad I went and my therapist thinks I'm doing great and I only need to see her again if I feel the need, we've left it open. I'm fairly certain that if I talk to Dr. L about this she'll think the therapy hasn't worked. Her stance was that I'm too concerned about my health. Granted, I was more anxious about stuff, not just my health but life in general before I started going to the therapist. Still, I don't think my concerns should be dismissed. I'm not making up my symptoms. They are real. I joke about being a hypochondriac true but I'm not crazy.

The doc who thinks I have acid reflux has been the most helpful to me overall(she's the PA). So I might talk to her about it. Not sure. Need to do some more reading, I don't have the access to medical journals at home that I get at work so I'll have to wait till I'm at work so I can do some more looking.

It's high time that I thinkabout something else. They're showing Bulletproof Monk on FX now, love this movie, can't see it too many times, off to watch it again.