another f'ing specialist. ugh.

[mopinko]

been battling some asthma-like stuff, with some gerd mixed in, for a year now, trying to sort it out. pcp gave up yesterday and wants me to see a pulmonologist. still trying to sort out the sleep stuff, and wondering if this is related. when it first started i did have the sensation that it was waking me up at night. maybe i have gotten used to that, and that is still what is going on. don't really perceive it that way, but... i am scheduled for a more extensive sleep study in 2 weeks. can i have one set of junk at a time? prolly no.
the new guy is supposed to also be a sleep specialist, which i suppose is good. but i was hoping the current guy, who is a neurologist, could sort out some of the lingering nerve issues that never resolved after disc fusion.
ugh. ugh. ugh.

[w8liftinglady]

1. I feel your pain

I currently have 8 specialists...and am going to a regional teaching hospital on the 24th,since my doc has thrown his hands in the air.Here's a long distance hug :pals:

[mopinko]

2. i am reminding of the old saw that being sued is a little like being sick.

being sick is a little like being sued. court date to court date. indecipherable gobble-dee-gook. bills. everything but the pills.
my appt with the pulmonologist is not until january. i think having this shit hanging over my head all the time is as bad as my symptoms.

8 specialists! you have me beat. good luck. i will think of you while i am having my 21 hour sleep study- same day. :hug: back at you.

[MrMickeysMom]

3. I took me a while to join this group, so I had some comments...

I've been a respiratory therapist for many, many moons, most currently I'm back in the diagnostic end. You're probably better off for having at least seen a pulmonologist, who will look at the sleep study, but also look into getting a pulmonary function study.

GERD can become a trigger of asthma, if the acid contents come up and spill over from the esophagus. I imagine that you'll be put on what they call a protein pump inhibitor (Protonex, or Prilosac are trade names of the drug and the second one is over the counter). If you monitor your symptoms of asthma, it can be controlled very well, if you have a full sleep study, and they find a significant number of "hypopnea/apnea" episodes per hour, well, then you'll probably need something to keep your airway open at night like CPAP.

By this time, you've no doubt had both studies, and so I'm just telling you to hang in there. If you DO have any Obstructive Sleep Apnea, CPAP can be a life saver, you just have to know how to take care of the unit and the mask should be comfortable and cleaned daily with a good fit!

Good luck.

MMM

[mopinko]

4. update

well, the pulmonologist ordered a bunch of stuff- a chest xray that had a shadow that precipitated a ct scan :eyes:- nothing there. a repeat pulmonary function test that showed that 11 months of inhaled steroids had improved my function. it was ok on the first one, and great on this one, but still with clear signs of asthma.
got an echo cardiogram that i don't have results on yet. and the ent insisted that i see an allergist. ugh. that happens next week.
been using a cpap for a couple of months now, and don't think it is really doing anything for me. 3 sleep studies later, we still don't have a clue. taking provigil, which is a ridalin type drug. i guess it is useful for the brain fog. still tired all the time, anyway.
damn i am sick of this shit.
go back for a wrap up at the end of the month. this doctor-go-round is making me dizzy.