I was getting this full, congested feeling right around my voicebox--not painful, per se, but very annoying and actually quite consequential. That is, since it mimics a sort of sore throat feeling--and makes me feel "gaspy," it has a tendency to make me feel sick in general--malaise; a cold/flu-type mentality.

Anyway, that was two months ago. All of my Internet research pointed to GERD, so I decided to see whether Prilosec OTC would make a difference before going to my ENT. I had made an appt. with my ENT just when it was starting to work; the lump feeling was pretty much gone. He listened to my complaint, looked down my nostril with a scope, and said it looked a little, pink, but no tumors or anything. Then he gave me an Rx for Prilosec 40mg/day. My insurance won't cover it until I try Aciphex first, so I'm trying that as soon as I get the Rx in the mail.

Anyway, a few days went by without any Prilosec, and the lump sensation returned. And, for the first time, I noticed that my breathing sounds like I've got asthma--or a constricted esophagus. A wheeze--but not a craggly/pulmonary type wheeze like when you're sick, but rather my inhale and exhalations sounds as if the air is passing through a smaller space than before...

I resumed 40mg Prilosec OTC whilst waiting for the Aciphex Rx and things are getting better again, but now it seems like I need 60 or even 80mg a day!!

I've got no other symptoms or predisposing factors except that I'm a light smoker, and I take a drug (Ritalin) that causes marked dry mouth, which I'm sure plays some kind of role. Oh, and my diet, which I haven't made a lot of progress on in changing, still sucks, GERD-wise. That is, I eat chocolate, diet Coke, Indian foods, fast food, curry, etc.

Just thought I'd put my story out there to see if anyone else's is similar :)
Cheers,

Mackey,

I use Ritalin for ADD problems, but when I developed GERD, the Ritalin made me sicker then evern whenever I would take it. A friend of mine with Chron's Disease who takes Ritalin tipped me off on how to take it when you have a problem stomach. He told me to drink a dose of Malox or Mylanta before swallowing the Ritalin. Though it still makes my stomach a little sore, the pain is nothing like it was before I started taking the Malox. The difference is remarkable. Still, I believe the Ritalin insn't helping any, so I try to use it as infrequently as possible.