coughing

this isn't really a chiari question but this forum is so active i thought i'd post here instead.
for anyone that had gerd or acid reflux, after i eat i cough for at least a few minutes.
it occasionally starts as a dry cough, but i have the cough because of all the (what im guessing is) phlegm in my throat. i usually have the cough no matter how small the meal is or what i eat, but the bigger/greasier the meal the worse it is.

having chiari, all the coughing gives me a horrible headache. a lot of the time the cough gets strong enough that i gag.
think this is this gerd or acid reflux?
is it fixable? im not inclined to take antacids because of how bad they are for you.

[selmaS]

  HI...it is both, but inter related....let me try to explain......there r many related conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, many with it also have a hiatal hernia and with that u will have GERD...EDS is a Chiari related condition....so in that way it is inter related.

That said, I would cough all the time and had post nasal drip which is sinus related and that can be affected from the overcrowding of chiari...post nasal drip can also cause GERD.

And ne laughing I did would lead to coughing and gagging....and I am not sure if it was mucus related or just chiari related.

  Do follow tips to modify ur diet and life style...elevate the head of ur bed etc.... to help with these issues. And a swallow study is usually done to rule out ne other possible condition or issue.

   U can go to a GI dr to make sure 1- that u have too much acid, having too little can cause many of the same symptoms and u can not tell with out testing which it is.

With diet and lifestyle modification u can help....but do get checked.

    We do have a GERD forum if u would like more info from the Health Pages there-http://www.medhelp.org/forums/GERD-Acid-Reflux/show/333?controller=forums&action=show&id=333&camp=msc

  If u have ne other questions ..please ask here too : )

     "selma"

[thrice3]

thanks selma. i've had a swallow study and it was normal. she knew i only needed the study because the chiari institute required it so she didn't pay much attention and didn't look at my stomach.
I forgot to add that i burp a lot more than the normal person. just drinking water can cause big belches.
I do tend to always have stuff in the back of my throat that i notice when i swallow. idk if that's post nasal drip or what but it's always there. i clear my throat a lot too
i eat fresh light foods usually to prevent it from being bad afterward.
thanks for your response. i might look into seeing a GI dr since it's aggravating my chiari.

[roktta06]

Selma you state that Chiari and EDS are related conditions...always? Can it develop over time or either you have it or not? I have read what EDS is and I really do not related to any symptom except that I feel my head a little unstable.... (sometimes)  not always. That is it.... my NS told me it could be from the  Milwaukee brace I worn for my scoliosis during my growing years. .... but anyhow ... How do I know if I do have EDS or not?

Thanks  

[selmaS]

  Sounds like PND to me....I went to a GI  and was put on PPI's and that was yrs b4 I ever got my chiari dx....but I am much better post op even with the hiatal hernia...I only take H2 blockers if I am going to eat foods that I know will trigger a flare up but for the most part I am not on meds I just watch my diet.

   It is best to make sure that u do not have ne damage due to the acids and how much acids r really affecting u.

    Keep me posted

       "selma"

[nichold]

Since we are talking about coughing. I had a few questions of my own. I have had issues coughing for the past 4-5 years. I caught constantly. Sometimes it makes my headache worse but sometimes I don't have a headache so it doesn't bother me. I do have sinus disease as per my MRI. So that explains the post nasal drip.  I always have problems coughing whenever I am near or around water. For example I cough so much in the shower that sometimes it will make me throw up or gag. If it rains or snows outside I cough more than if it is not moist outside. Sometimes when I cough, my throat - chest area feels like a fluttering butterfly very briefly but it almost takes my breath away. I have had my heart checked multiple times and it is good and strong. No real concerns in that area.  Doctors really have no clue as to what it is. I went to a NL for the first time yesterday and he brushed it off along with anything that has to do with the things that concern me. 3 weeks ago, I  went to the Dr. because my face was going numb on the left side and have had a daily HA since before Thanksgiving. However my headaches have not been severe only on a handful of occasions. Most of the time it is a mild headache but lasts throughout the day and then I do something and it’s like a quick stabbing feeling enough to let me know that I have a headache. My Dr. ordered an MRI because I have a history of a TIA and Walla…. They found a 4-5mm CM. So I am just heading down the Chiari road… trying to figure myself out. Any comments on coughing would be greatly appreciated.

Nichol

[thrice3]

i have the chest thing too. i had a test done and they said my heart was fine. it is the strangest feeling. i get the butterfly/tickle in my chest and then a cough is forced out of me.
i can understand coughing in the shower since it can loosen whats in your throat and nose, but coughing around rain and snow is strange. i've never heard of that. is it a dry cough or a productive cough?

[nichold]

Most of the time it is a dry cough.