Can Bronchitis turn to Acid Reflux?

I am confused and not sure what to think. Anyone have any ideas? I had been diagnosed with Bronchitis on Nov. 29, 2010 after 2 weeks of severe coughing and the latter part included green phlegm. Doctor then put me on the z-pack and helped but did not entirely rid me of my cough. I went back to the doctor on Dec. 5 for a follow-up and he said my lungs sounded fine and with the absence of green phlegm, I would just have to endure the cough. He said he only needed to see me again if I started back with green phlegm or I started wheezing again. The cough never went away so on Jan. 3, 2011 I went back to see the doc about it. His response was to put me back on the zpack and then after 2 weeks if cough didn't go away to return. At that point he thought it was probably acid reflux since I had just started to taste a metal taste in my mouth (previously not present).

I then went to see an ENT who immediately diagnosed it as acid reflux. I just have a hard time believing this since I had no previous history of this and it was only after many weeks (7 weeks+) that I started having the metal taste. I just keep hearing this is such a common diagnosis when they don't truly know what it is. I know when I walked into the ENT office, the only pamphlet in the exam room was for acid reflux which made me a little leery about his diagnosis.

Does anyone have any insight into this?
Kristin

[bsmsl]

Acid reflux is much more common than people realize, especially in the US.  There is a type of reflux called laryngeal-pharyngeal reflux that causes mainly respiratory symptoms and very rarely will patients with it experience the typcial heart burn.  It is common for these patients to have difficult to diagnose chronic cough, frequent sinus infection and bronchitis as the acid goes into the sinus cavities and can be aspirated.

To me it sounds like your doctor is on top of things.  Did the ENT do a scope of your sinuses and throat with a fiber optic camera?  If so, there are certain inflamation (inflammation) paterns he looked for in making the diagnosis.  I would trust the diagnosis.  I discounted the possibility of me having acid reflux problems for along time as I didn't have heart burn very often, but it turns out to be a major player in my asthma.  

Try reflux meds and see if they help.  It may take a while to find that ones that work for you, but if you find some thing that works, reflux is your issue.  You can also research life style changes for reflux to see if they help without medications.

Take care and feel better.