Anonymous Personal Story: A diagnosis of reflux
I’m a 33 years old male from UK.
My symptoms started 4 weeks ago. Usually in the evenings for a week, arriving home some choking feelings which didn’t affect my swallowing or breathing, simply felt worrying.
A week later at work, it started as well, but I couldn’t swallow properly and felt the airway was tighter. Went to the hospital emergency, and the emergency GP told me I had throat inflammation, and he prescribed me steroid anti-inflammatory tablets.
The next day I went to private ENT who told me my pharynx and larynx were red and mostly caused by reflux, so she prescribed Famotidine. The same day evening I felt even worse, and went to emergency again: they told me to stop the steroid anti-inflammatory meds, and wait for the Famotidine to work. 2 days later I went to another private ENT (I didn’t believe the first one, as I never had problem with stomach), and he checked with fiberoscope and told he also suspect reflux. Got PPIs too, and remedies for throat redness.
Because I don’t have a cough, heartburn, or other typical GERD symptoms, just the throat discomfort and occasional choking feeling, I asked my GP to send me to a specialist (gastroenterologist or neck CT scan) to prove it. She refused and has given me 2.5 weeks of sick notes to recover while taking anti-acid medication.
So far, didn’t feel any sign of recovery, lost 11 kg (11% of original body weight), feeling weak and tired.
