AboutTina Expertise I can help on all aspects of the condition, treatment, support. I cannot diagnose but only give my personal expertise, and refer you to others who can help. I am in touch with doctors, therapists, and professionals on a regular basis. I can help with disability issues pertaining to lymphedema or cancer.
Experience 13 year cancer survivor, Lymphland Support group owner, Owner of Lymphland.com website, writer for Butterfly Gazette, forums coordinator for ELymphNotes online lymphedema magazine, patient and advocate for 10 years, Yahoo answers advanced level answerer.
Organizations Lymphland Support Group Owner, Lymphland.com website owner, National Lymphedema Network member, American Society of Lymphology member, ELymphNotes forums coordinator and writer, member of many online support groups. Rainbow Bridge Pet Loss Grief Counselor, former bank loan rep, pharmacy ass't
Education/Credentials college graduate, volunteer in pet loss grief counselling.
Expert: Tina Date: 12/12/2007 Subject: mucus and cough with eating anything
Question QUESTION: i am 31 female, have chronic lyme disease, Postural Orthostatic Hypotension, and low blood volume and my first question is i get terrible thick mucus thru nose and throat whenever i eat anything and then i cough alot and even get aspiration at times, i get terrible pressure headaches and adrenaline rush type symptoms when i try to eat even a little food, no sugar, low carb, and no caffeine, if you can offer any input or reasons as to why any of this happens i would so so appreciate it since so many doctors have not been able to help me, i am bedridden and cannot travel at all, i use oxygen alot which helps alot of my symptoms,
Radha
ANSWER: Dear Radha, My first question would be have you been tested for any stomach issues such as acid reflux? And secondly have you ever been tested for or had food allergies? Being bedridden, sometimes the acids of the stomach and food can back up and cause sinus problems and cough, same with food allergies. I would keep a food journal, what you eat, what times, and the after effects and see if there is any kind of a pattern. The headaches could be sinus or the result of an allergy and also the adrenaline rush type symptoms are sometimes common with allergies, a surge of adrenaline as the result of a reaction. It could be too the position of when you are eating from laying flat to a more sitting or reclined position that makes your blood pressure drop or rise.
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QUESTION: i definately do not have acid reflux and i am always completely erect, sitting up in bed while i eat and i get the exact same symptoms no matter what i eat, just from such a small amount and was tested for allergies and no allergies, the headaches are not sinus, they are crushing pressure on both sides of head and i also get very very cold as i eat, and too hyper, breathing too fast like i have been running and too much mucus in throat and nose, and inhaling oxygen does help to calm me down some, but the whole episode eventually goes away after awhile and i couldnt eat at all without taking beta blockers to keep the tachycardia down to a minimum, please any other ideas?
Radha
ANSWER: Hi again Radha,
Have you ever seen an endocrinologist? They deal with various endocrine system problems and might have an answer for you. It could be a combination of problems, it could be many things happening, pituitary problems, anxiety, even the congestion in your throat, many people with oxygen get thrush and it can go systematic wide as well. I would suggest a referral to one and more in depth tests for fungal problems, more blood work, more in depth work. Just the hypotension and the little carbs you do eat can cause crashes and rises of your blood sugar and the cold, hyper symptoms. A blood sugar diabetes test would be good too, you drink sugars every so often and they measure your levels. But you need to have some closure as to what's happening with the symptoms and I think an endocrinologist would be the best bet.
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QUESTION: thanks so so much for your detailed reply, so are there any medicines or treatments for the hypotension or hypoglycemia or low blood volume that you think might help? i have already tried midodrine, florinef, and eat a ton of salt, inhaling oxygen is the only thing that helps alittle for various symptoms, thanks again
Radha
Answer Hi Radha,
First I would have to ask how you got diagnosed to begin with for the hypotension? Was it from medications? from the lyme disease? or exposure to something else? In talking to some of my friends (they are doctors) it sounds like more of a Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, has anyone ever mentioned that?
This is a link to some information for you to read. http://potsplace.com/pots_an_overview.htm, there is a section on what helps and one on what to avoid. The digestive problems coupled with the orthostatic problems and breathing seems to lean towards this, but again I'm not a doctor so I can't diagnose or anything, but it is something your going to want to read and check into and talk to your doctor about.
