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Suggest Treatment For Mild Sore Throat And Acid Reflux
Question: I have had a somewhat mild sore throat for 6 weeks. It was on & off but mostly on. In week 6 I got a head cold and took ZPAC. The sore throat is still there & is constant. The ZPAC did not help it. No lumps or enlarged nodes. The doctor said the throat on the left was red and a little inflamed but not bad. I have no issues with swallowing. Do I have throat cancer? I also took Prilosec to see if it was acid reflux but there was no change.
Brief Answer:
possible post nasal drip
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
It is understandable to be concerned about any persisting pain but the pain may be related to other causes.
Post nasal drip, reflux are more common.
Some persons have what can be called a silent post nasal drip where they are unaware of the drip but only experience the some or all of the associated symptoms such pain, cough etc.
This is treated with the use of topical steroid nasal sprays such as nasonex, nasocort, rhinocort, flonase
Pantecta was a good choice for reflux but it is important to remember it belongs in the class of medications called proton pump inhibitors. They inhibit acid production but do nothing about the acid already present. This means that the effect is not immediate.
It can actually take a few days for steady state levels of these medications to be achieved. If you took at least 1 to 2 weeks with no effect then it is unlikely this but if only a few doses were used then you can consider repeated the course.
You can consider using a short (7 to 10 days) course of a topical steroid and the pantecta to see if there is any improvement. Some persons may have both.
If you do not note any improvement then you should be assessed by an ENT doctor. Though cancer is very unlikely, unless there is a history of prolonged smoking or alcohol use, it should still be ruled out.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
possible post nasal drip
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
It is understandable to be concerned about any persisting pain but the pain may be related to other causes.
Post nasal drip, reflux are more common.
Some persons have what can be called a silent post nasal drip where they are unaware of the drip but only experience the some or all of the associated symptoms such pain, cough etc.
This is treated with the use of topical steroid nasal sprays such as nasonex, nasocort, rhinocort, flonase
Pantecta was a good choice for reflux but it is important to remember it belongs in the class of medications called proton pump inhibitors. They inhibit acid production but do nothing about the acid already present. This means that the effect is not immediate.
It can actually take a few days for steady state levels of these medications to be achieved. If you took at least 1 to 2 weeks with no effect then it is unlikely this but if only a few doses were used then you can consider repeated the course.
You can consider using a short (7 to 10 days) course of a topical steroid and the pantecta to see if there is any improvement. Some persons may have both.
If you do not note any improvement then you should be assessed by an ENT doctor. Though cancer is very unlikely, unless there is a history of prolonged smoking or alcohol use, it should still be ruled out.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I do not smoke and have never smoked. I do enjoy a glass of red wine each day. I have used the Prilosec now for 7 days but will continue its use for 14 days.
Brief Answer:
lowers level of risk
Detailed Answer:
HI
The fact that there is no history of smoking would significantly reduce any risk of cancer.
Once a day red wine would also not be harmful , a small amount of alcohol has been shown to be beneficial so the absence of this risk factor also further pushes down your level of risk.
As you mentioned, use the prilosec for an additional 7 days but if you do not have any relief then you can consider an ENT doctor who will inspect the throat and may consider further testing
Please feel free to ask anything else
lowers level of risk
Detailed Answer:
HI
The fact that there is no history of smoking would significantly reduce any risk of cancer.
Once a day red wine would also not be harmful , a small amount of alcohol has been shown to be beneficial so the absence of this risk factor also further pushes down your level of risk.
As you mentioned, use the prilosec for an additional 7 days but if you do not have any relief then you can consider an ENT doctor who will inspect the throat and may consider further testing
Please feel free to ask anything else
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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