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I've been getting monthly allergy shots since 2012 when I moved to this area and found out I'm allergic to everything I was tested for. I missed a shot in October or November when we were having all the power outages during high wind "events". Then I missed because of the holidays and my gallbladder attacks. And it wasn't the time of year when I suffer anyway. So a few weeks ago I called the allergist and was told it had been over 12 weeks so I need to see the doctor before getting shots again. I saw him Tuesday and mentioned that I had just seen my primary doctor who prescribed a nasal spray to help get rid of post nasal drip and that I had the feeling of a lump in my throat. After lots of questions he said it's acid reflux (I guess it's no longer silent reflux since I have more symptoms). Anyway there are 2 points I'm trying to make in this post and I'm not as good a writer as Bella. So I'll just list them.
1 - allergy shots. I now need to get at least one shot a week until I reach 24 shots then can go once a month. I think somewhere in there I can get one every two weeks instead of every week. I can get 2 shots a week to reach 24. But I can't get a shot every day, have to have a day in between and the office is only open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for shots. So if I want 2 shots a week I would go get a shot on Tuesday and Thursday. I've been going in to town Monday, Wednesday and Friday to go to the gym. So I thought, well I can go to the gym after having a shot and just need to mix up the days to the gym. Was told "you can't work out at the gym within 2 hours of the shot, before or after. And no yard work the day of the shot. I learned that several years ago after breaking out with painful hives after weed whacking the day of a shot. Boy, this is a long and boring story...……..There is no way to kill 2 hours in the little town of Grass Valley. So today I am going in for a shot at 8, then meeting friends for breakfast around 8:30 or so and then going to the gym. Not sure how this is going to work. I may just get one shot a week and not bother with the gym that day.
2 - The allergist says I have several symptoms of acid reflux, including the feeling of a lump in the throat. He suggested I see a specialist. I asked him if that would be the same specialist that I want to see for gallstones and he said yes. So the specialist has his office in the same building as the allergist. After the shot on Tuesday I went to the gastroenterologist's office to see if I could make an appointment. They said I need a referral from my primary care doctor regarding the gallbladder because he needs to authorize sending the imaging results from the ultrasound. So then I went to my primary doctor's office - just a couple buildings away - to ask if my doctor would send a referral to the specialist. The receptionist said she would send a request to my doctor to see if he needed to see me first. And then unless it was an "emergency" it could take a couple weeks to get the referral done. Geez - maybe I wasted 2 hours after the shot and could have gone to the gym Tuesday after all!
Okay, now I've forgotten the reason for the post.... allergy shots, acid reflux, see specialist about both acid reflux and gallstones, and the gym. Wonder if the acid reflux and gallstones are related. Don't understand why I can't go to the gym for at least 2 hours after a shot. But my mom had a stroke and died after having an allergy shot. She had found a doctor who didn't make her wait in the office for 15 minutes after the shot before leaving and had a stroke in the car on the way home. So I don't mind waiting after having a shot and guess I shouldn't even consider working out if they are telling me not to. I think they do an endoscopy procedure for both acid reflux and to check out the gallstones or gallbladder. Hate the idea of that procedure. Don't want any tube going down my throat. Don't mind the other procedure with a camera for a colonoscopy.
Wonder how many people will read this? If like me, very few. I skip over long journal posts. But this journal is for me to try to organize my thoughts which after reading this, I realize I am not organized in my thoughts or any other aspect of my life!
Diet Calendar Entries for 27 February 2020:
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1347 kcal
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Fat: 42.19g | Prot: 62.38g | Carb: 181.92g.
Breakfast: Butter, 100% Maple Syrup, Plain French Toast, Ghirardelli premium hot cocoa mocha, Crystal Fat Free Milk. Lunch: Delimex White Meat Chicken Taquitos. Dinner: Crystal Fat Free Milk, WonderSlim Pudding/Shake - Vanilla Cream. Snacks/Other: Raspberries. more...
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2420 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Gym - 1 hour, Resting - 15 hours, Sleeping - 8 hours. more...
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 Comments
I think I am seeing gym becoming more of a priority!!! That is really good. Scary about the allergy shot. Good of you following the instructions. I have a few allergies (pollen, some foods) but I manage with nasal sprays usually
27 Feb 20 by member: liv001
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What a mess having to start over with the allergy shots. My sister had to have the shots for a long time, but finally built up enough immunity that she no longer needs them. Take care of yourself.
27 Feb 20 by member: shirfleur 1
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Acid reflux and gallstones are related imo. Ask my mother. She’s has acid reflux for years!!! And a bad case. Along the way, thoughts of gall bladder constantly came up. Get all the tests you can. A wrong diagnosis can go bad VERY fast!!! Take good care Fritzy. I’m sure you’ll get it all figured out soon! xo
27 Feb 20 by member: wifey9707
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Thanks Liv - I'm enjoying the gym right now. Just doing the various weight machines. Can't do free weights or any of the things I see people doing in front of mirrors. My arms are really weak. I use less than half of the weight the person before me did. One of the trainers told me to use low weights and just lots of reps and build it up over time. Shirfleur - originally I was told I should build up immunity and not need the shots any more. I stopped after about 5 years and was good for a year then had to start again. I got a shot this morning and was told by the nurse they had me on an accelerated schedule to get back up to the normal monthly dose since I'd been on the shots for so long. Since I go in to town any way to go to the gym I don't mind get a shot once or twice a week for a month or two. Wifey - hopefully I'll get in to see the specialist soon and he can figure it out. I know that I have gallstones from the ultra sounds that have been done, but maybe the acid reflux is more of a problem. I was told years ago I had "silent" reflux because the only symptom I had was a chronic cough. I always wondered how they knew that was the problem. But now I have more symptoms. Thanks for the support everyone!
27 Feb 20 by member: Fritzy 22
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About the gym I think the trainers gave you good advise!
27 Feb 20 by member: liv001
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I do OMAD late night just before going to sleep for decades even i was morbidly obese and completely sedentary but i never had acid reflux. I think i am very lucky. Two weeks for a referral to get done ?!
27 Feb 20 by member: Tassos67
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I normally skip over long ones too lol but I took the time to read yours and found we have that in common lol. Hope you get things figured out!
27 Feb 20 by member: angel_face0145
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What fun the referral game, take care of yourself!
27 Feb 20 by member: dhatura
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Read it with interest and a whole lot of empathy; this referral thing gets really annoying and frustrating. I was referred to an endocrinologist because of Hashimoto's and weird test results. Then thought it made sense to see the same NP for management of Type 2 diabetes and guess what...had to get another/separate referral to the same person, from the same person so she could see me for the DM. I'm grateful to have good insurance but jumping through the hoops of insurers and health-care businesses should give both of us really strong quads eh! I personally found swallowing a camera a lot less difficult/unpleasant than I anticipated. I hope your experience is as smooth.
27 Feb 20 by member: GopherIt2
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First, you live in a beautiful place! I love that area.2nd, sorry u are going through all this. I hope it gets better! My hubby also has gallbladder problems. He eats terrible, mostly processed foods. I keep telling him it's gonna get worse if he doesn't change his diet! Good luck with your stuff!💜💜💜
27 Feb 20 by member: Diana 1234
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I read it. I'm nosy and I like to hear about other people's lives. That is CRAZY about your mom. I think I would have been so freaked out that I would have never gotten the shot for myself. I wouldn't like the procedure either but I am sure they'll sedate you and make it OK. Hope you get everything figured out.
27 Feb 20 by member: davidsprincess
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I have terrible allergies and acid reflux too. If I don’t eat regularly, the reflux gets bad. I manage it with Pepcid morning and night. I also have to avoid any acidic foods and drink, so I take Vitamin C rather than drink orange juice, absolutely no wine (not sure if you drink but thought I would throw it out there for the group). I did allergy shots twice a week for about a year and then two years once a week until I could no longer get the shots. My seasonal and environmental allergies have somewhat stabilized but my food allergies are distinct. I cannot do any cows milk dairy and I am gluten intolerant (have Celiac). I found that when I eat something I shouldn’t, my acid reflux is worse and my allergies are worse. I get terrible post nasal drip
27 Feb 20 by member: DefactoMuncher
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Sorry was trying to finish my thoughts and accidentally posted. My point is, if you eliminate the foods you shouldn’t eat, your reflux should get better. If you’re not timing your eating times properly, it could affect your reflux. Some medications can also give you reflux. My sinuses get really plugged up too if I eat things I’m not supposed to. At any rate, if you feel something may be suspect, eliminate it for a few weeks and see if your symptoms improve. Good luck, I truly hope you can get some sort of relief.
27 Feb 20 by member: DefactoMuncher
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read it feel sorry for you. I am grateful I don't have major medical problems I read your post and thought how much does that cost. I work a full-time and part-time job but have no insurance. scary
27 Feb 20 by member: deborahkerr
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I had acid reflux really bad, and aspirated in my sleep several times, but when I lost substatial weight and changed my diet it went away. Yes I read until the end. I hope you get all that asails you under control.
28 Feb 20 by member: adamevegod1
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thanks tassos, angel_face, dhatura, gopherit, diana - appreciate the support! Thanks DP, I told the allergist about my mom before I started the shots. They didn't know what kind of shots my mom was getting. My allergist doesn't have a program where you can just go and get a shot when you need it. I get on a schedule and eventually at my maximum dosage I go once a month. I can go more often if I feel I need it. With my mom, she would get rapid heart beats after the shot, but she didn't like waiting to leave. My allergist has everyone wait 15-20 minutes before leaving. I never get rapid heart beats, only get itchy sometimes where I get the shot - I get one in each arm. I'm allergic to EVERYTHING but grass is the worse. Guess I would have problems in an area with Grass Valley as the biggest town! Thanks Tricialana - my reflux isn't bad, at least I rarely have symptoms other than constantly clearing my throat. No heartburn. Just the recent gallstone attacks, but I think that may be unrelated. Diet and weight loss will help all my problems get better. Thanks deborahkerr - don't feel too bad for me. I really don't feel all that bad if I avoid processed foods and fat - especially animal fat. I have insurance through ACA (Obamacare) and it's pretty good. The shots cost me about $18 and insurance pays the rest. It gets expensive if I have lots of doctor appointments $40 - $70 for co-pays. The higher amount is for seeing a specialist. I'll be 65 soon and will go on Medicare. The surgeon's office told me if I decide to have my gallbladder out it will not cost me much once I'm on Medicare, depending on what I get for supplemental coverage. CelticPhoenix - The shots consist of small amounts of what I'm allergic to. Supposedly by giving me that my system will eventually build up immunities to what I'm allergic to. The shots really help. Ask your doctor to refer you to an allergist who can test your husband to see what he's allergic to. Adameve - thanks! The allergist and my doctor have both told me that losing weight will really help me. You would think I'd be more motivated to lose the weight. I am trying, but right now, for some reason, I'm not as motivated as I was a month ago.
Someone mentioned not drinking wine. I rarely drink alcohol. Average less than one drink a month and usually not even that. I think maybe drinking Coke and diet Coke recently could be what caused the recent symptoms of acid reflux. I gave up soda several months ago, but recently bought some 2 liter bottles. They are gone now and hopefully, I won't buy any more. I really feel better when I just drink water.
28 Feb 20 by member: Fritzy 22
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Hi Fritzy. Just want to let you know about my experience with feeling like something was in my throat, felt like a lump when I swallowed. This was in October 2018. I went to my primary and she told me it was allergies and to take Zyrtec. I went home and told my husband that the dr is nuts. There’s something in my throat. That same day I made another appointment with a different dr and luckily I got in the next day. She asked me the same questions but said there’s no way she could see that far into my throat where the sensation was. She said she wanted me to see the ent to make sure everything’s ok but said she wasn’t worried as I’m not a smoker and very seldom drink. Turned out I had a small mass in my throat. Don’t want to scare you but want to stress that it’s good to go with your gut and get stuff checked out. I’m very lucky I did. I’m doing great. Had really good drs and the end of April will be my year 1 of ending chemo/radiation. I’m sure yours is probably nothing but your story really hit home with me and just want to remind people to listen to themselves. I’m thankful I did.
28 Feb 20 by member: zuzus.petals
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Zuzuz petals -thanks for sharing your story with me. I'm glad you are doing well. I went to an Ears/Nose/Throat specialist a few years ago. My allergist referred me to her and also referred me to a pulmonary specialist. I forget why exactly other than I had more going on than just horrible allergies. I remember explaining to the ENT about episodes where it felt like my throat closed up and I couldn't breather. Terrifying episodes. She said they were laryngospasms. I also remember she put a very thin tube down through my nose to look into my throat. Freaked me out. I'm sure she has my on her chart as a difficult person to examine. But she did help me with the spasms. Told me when they happen to breath out of my nose. Something you don't think about when you are panicking because your throat has closed up! She also told me to stay calm at bedtime and suggested CALM as a hot drink (magnesium citrate) and also prescribed something for anxiety if I need it. So she was very helpful. Don't know if I could just make an appointment with her, since I've seen her in the past or if I should wait for the GI specialist. Either way I'll call my doctor's office on Monday to see the status of the referral. The allergist told me, like your doctor told you, that he couldn't see down my throat far enough to where it sometimes feels like there is a lump. It feels to me like there is something swollen. I thought it was getting better after using the nasal spray my primary doctor prescribed for about a week and after 2 allergy shots. But today I am feeling the sensation again and actually feel like I may be getting a cold or something. Thanks again for sharing your information!
29 Feb 20 by member: Fritzy 22
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