Three more weeks

Till my initial appointment! Wow this trial process is long.

In other news, they have asked me to keep taking the PPI for now. Meanwhile I only today made the connection that my crazy ravenous appetite seems to have begun when I started taking the PPI. Maybe will stop taking it now, whether they like it or not. Having bad heartburn again today.

Or maybe it was PMS... spotting today, which would be 26 days since the last one, which is pretty normal I guess. 

OH MY GOD I was thinking it seemed like a lot less than 26 days since the last one... I was counting from 3 February to 29 February, forgetting the period that started 10 days ago...

Forgive the histrionic formatting but if ever there was a reason to be histrionic this is it

The next steps

Heard from the researchers this morning, asking if “the GERD medication that was prescribed to you improved your cough partially or completely?”

Sigh. I wish.

I let them know nothing has changed; in fact this week has been terrible! Hoping to start the trial medication soon (crossing fingers I don’t end up as a “control” with a placebo.

Monday check-in

It’s a holiday Monday, and I’m grateful that I got to sleep in today after a weekend of hiking, archery, attempting a high ropes course, and sleeping on a camp mattress that was profoundly uncomfortable. Very grateful to remember I had some Aleve in the cupboard. And that I pre-booked a visit to my physiotherapist.

Also, I had spotting yesterday, and seem to have my period today, 17 days from the last one (16 if you count yesterday as the beginning). Previous was 84 days. Just a slight fluctuation. Sigh.

This has also come with an upset stomach. Or maybe that’s from all the processed food I ate over the weekend. Either way, I’m still taking the PPI, and it still doesn’t seem to be helping my cough or my digestion (TMI processed food gives me terrible gas... I wonder if it’s related to my sensitivity to propylene glycol, an ingredient found in everything from shampoo to salad dressing).

Overdue check-in

Said I was gonna do this daily, whoops...

Firstly, my physio asked me to keep track of how long it lasts when he “fixes” me, quantified as “when can you do a shoulder check on your bike.”

Last time he fixed me was Friday. Saturday was fine. Sunday was twingy. Monday I didn’t ride but tried turning while walking and it was twingy. Tuesday was definitely the “this hurts” stage. 

Secondly, the proton pump inhibitor (PPI—did I remember that right?) effect. 

So far, no change to cough.

Had one night last week which was extremely bad, up in the night with heartburn on top of coughing and indigestion. Things have settled down but I am still coughing. Also having mucous in stool, which is weird but not a problem otherwise.

Stuff about GERD and me

So the med I am taking for the cough is pantoprazole sodium, which is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) designed to reduce acid in the stomach. It usually takes 2-3 days to show results, but could take 1-7 days. To know if it’s really having an effect on GERD, you need to take it for 4-8 weeks.

So the fact that I had a coughing fit last night doesn’t really mean anything yet! Gotta be patient.  

From what I gather, the cough is caused by esophagitis which is caused by damage done from the stomach acid. So in addition to stopping the stomach acid from going where it’s not supposed to, I need to give my esophagus time to heal. 

If GERD is even the cause! We don’t even know that yet. On the one hand it seems possible; on the other hand all the lifestyle risk factors don’t really apply to me. I barely drink at all, don’t smoke, not overweight, don’t snack at bedtime, etc. The one risk factor that seems possible is caffeine, but I don’t drink a ton of coffee (although I did when I was younger!) and not after noon.

Anyway for now I guess I just have to keep track of what (if anything) changes, and see what the doctor says.