I've been told a lot of people with GERD end up 'breathing in' stomach acid into their lungs. I've been diagnosed as having GERD via barium swallow, and have been placed on four different PPI's -- Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix, and finally Nexium. The first three gave me terrible side effects and didn't seem to work. Nexium sort of helped but my doc ended up taking me off them because of the damn side effects (again). Life-style changes have not worked. So now I'm waiting for a follow-up with a GI consultant to see where to head from here, and my reflux has returned full-force.

One thing I have noticed a lot lately is my tendency to cough throughout the day -- not out and out coughing fits, but small-ish coughs which bring up phlegm. This has been going on daily for a while and I am certain it is not attributed to allergies. I have no other asthma-like symptoms (and I had asthma as I kid so I know what that feels like). Sometimes I feel oddly short of breath for small intervals. My question is, how does one ascertain whether or not they are inhaling their own stomach acid? Is the coughing a sign of this?

My question is, how does one ascertain whether or not they are inhaling their own stomach acid? Is the coughing a sign of this?

I have heard if we aspirate enough, it can cause bacterial pneumonia.

It seems to me, that coughing would be a reflex to prevent the acid and stomach contents from being aspirated.



Ish

This is true.