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What Causes Severe Coughing After Having Food With Normal Barium Swallow X-ray Report?
Question: hello!
I am a 26 year old female. no previous health issues than just an elbow surgery for the radial head replacement. I've been working with Cyanide directly in the lab for the past year. I started coughing after each time I eat about 4-5 months ago, no matter what the material in the food are, breakfast, lunch and dinner. sometimes the cough is so sever, it causes me to through up. every time I have to control my cough so I don't through up. I am 5' 6" and I weight 106 pounds and had no changes during the past 10 years in my weight. I had heartburn and GI refluxes in the past two weeks which were controlled by over the counter reflux drugs. I've seen an ENT specialist who ordered a swallow X-ray which was clear and said I should take the over the counter pills for three months and if no change, it should be a neurological problem. The coughs are going on for over 5 months and I feel worse by the day. I feel so full after each time I eat, at the same time, I am kinda hungry too! I feel so full like an obese person who has a hard time breathing after eating a large meal, even when it's a light meal like breakfast. What would be your diagnosis? I would really appreciate a physician's opinion who actually cares!
I am a 26 year old female. no previous health issues than just an elbow surgery for the radial head replacement. I've been working with Cyanide directly in the lab for the past year. I started coughing after each time I eat about 4-5 months ago, no matter what the material in the food are, breakfast, lunch and dinner. sometimes the cough is so sever, it causes me to through up. every time I have to control my cough so I don't through up. I am 5' 6" and I weight 106 pounds and had no changes during the past 10 years in my weight. I had heartburn and GI refluxes in the past two weeks which were controlled by over the counter reflux drugs. I've seen an ENT specialist who ordered a swallow X-ray which was clear and said I should take the over the counter pills for three months and if no change, it should be a neurological problem. The coughs are going on for over 5 months and I feel worse by the day. I feel so full after each time I eat, at the same time, I am kinda hungry too! I feel so full like an obese person who has a hard time breathing after eating a large meal, even when it's a light meal like breakfast. What would be your diagnosis? I would really appreciate a physician's opinion who actually cares!
Brief Answer:
?? GERD can easily cause your symptoms
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. I completely understand how this can be frustrating ma'am, and I hope I can provide you with as much information as possible.
I would like to start by emphasising on the barium swallow x-ray report that was advised to you which returned a normal result. This means, that the structural anatomy within your gastrointestinal tract is normal. Now that this is established I would like to point out the conditions that are still possible even after a normal structural report is in.
1. Acid reflux: This was earlier diagnosed and I would like to point out symptoms of this condition for your better understanding, they are:
+Chest pain
+Difficulty swallowing
+Sore throat
+Hoarseness of voice
+Burning sensation in the chest region
+Dry cough (episodes can get from bad to worse)
+Feeling of a lump in the throat
+Loss of appetite
+Regurgitation of food or fluid into the mouth
As is discussed above, these are all symptoms of a condition called gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) which is a more serious form of acid reflux.
2. Anxiety or panic: Your doctor suspected something psychological, I do not rule this out but have placed this later on in my list of possibilities because I wish to adequately treat the acid reflux which could easily be causing your symptoms. Only after a doctor is sure the GERD is well controlled, and even after that your symptoms still prevail we can consider a psychological problem
So please do discuss with your doctor to provide an elaborate treatment regimen for GERD and only once we are sure the GERD is well under control and your symptoms appear, we can consider other possibilities. I would recommend the following tests to confirm GERD first, they are:
+24-hour acid monitoring
+Endoscopic examination to check on your GIT (gastrointestinal tract) and especially on your upper oesophageal sphincter which can suffer signs of wear and tear due to episodes of vomiting (at times it may require repair)
Treatment of GERD includes:
+Proton pump inhibitors
+H-2 receptor blockers
+Antacids
I hope you find my response both helpful and informative ma'am. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you.
Best wishes.
?? GERD can easily cause your symptoms
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. I completely understand how this can be frustrating ma'am, and I hope I can provide you with as much information as possible.
I would like to start by emphasising on the barium swallow x-ray report that was advised to you which returned a normal result. This means, that the structural anatomy within your gastrointestinal tract is normal. Now that this is established I would like to point out the conditions that are still possible even after a normal structural report is in.
1. Acid reflux: This was earlier diagnosed and I would like to point out symptoms of this condition for your better understanding, they are:
+Chest pain
+Difficulty swallowing
+Sore throat
+Hoarseness of voice
+Burning sensation in the chest region
+Dry cough (episodes can get from bad to worse)
+Feeling of a lump in the throat
+Loss of appetite
+Regurgitation of food or fluid into the mouth
As is discussed above, these are all symptoms of a condition called gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) which is a more serious form of acid reflux.
2. Anxiety or panic: Your doctor suspected something psychological, I do not rule this out but have placed this later on in my list of possibilities because I wish to adequately treat the acid reflux which could easily be causing your symptoms. Only after a doctor is sure the GERD is well controlled, and even after that your symptoms still prevail we can consider a psychological problem
So please do discuss with your doctor to provide an elaborate treatment regimen for GERD and only once we are sure the GERD is well under control and your symptoms appear, we can consider other possibilities. I would recommend the following tests to confirm GERD first, they are:
+24-hour acid monitoring
+Endoscopic examination to check on your GIT (gastrointestinal tract) and especially on your upper oesophageal sphincter which can suffer signs of wear and tear due to episodes of vomiting (at times it may require repair)
Treatment of GERD includes:
+Proton pump inhibitors
+H-2 receptor blockers
+Antacids
I hope you find my response both helpful and informative ma'am. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you.
Best wishes.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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