:help:Does anyone out there know what could possibly be causing a frequent raspy, sore throat? A few months ago I went to my family doctor and had pus pockets on my throat. Antibiotics appeared to take care of them, but it keeps creeping back to haunt me. My band was too tight for months and I did my share of yak'in. I am certain these sore throat episodes have something to do with the band but I am not sure how. After I had my band unfilled some and I noticed I started yak'in up brown liquidy stuff the day I was unfilled. I mentioned it (the sore throat stuff, not the discolored liquidy brownish stuff) to my fill tech but she did not think it was band related. I think it is somehow, but she said just what I wanted to hear. My band is very loose right now because I have choose to do this for healing if thats what should be done. It's been over a month and that sore, raspy throat thing came back again. I was suppose to have a fill today and cancelled because I felt the throat stuff com'in on again. Anyone ever experience this or know what could be going on here?

Do you still have your tonsilles (sp?)? Maybe you need them out?

Thanks for your reply Berry. No tonsils and don't smoke.

Hmmm, well this is certainly a mystery! I hope you are able to figure this out!

You could have a sinus infection and don't even know you have it! If it is draining down your throat that can cause a sore throat . I would go have it looked at

Angie,

Thanks for your insight on this. Never gave that one a thought. I do know antibiotics kick it out quickly. I have also made sure the gas fireplace does not get turned on anymore (from ND) thinking it could have been linked to this somehow. We've had it on (fireplace) everyday and the throat thing started around the same time. The soreness is gone now, but I also just took 1 1/2 days of antibiotics. So I am not sure if they (antibiotics) helped or that it could be fireplace related now. It just scares me that it keeps coming back and that it is band related from being too tight and PBing (yak'in) too many times. Yikes! Could there be bacteria that was under band when it was too tight that could have caused this? That is my fear since I did yak up that unusual brownish stuff after the unfill. Obviously nobody else has experienced this from the low response on the topic. I hope your right about the sinus infection. I'd prefer to have this rather than some mysterious kind of damage I did by having my band too tight.

Thanks again Angie! You made me feel better by throwing out a possible alternate option as to what this could be. I don't have insurance so I'm avoiding going to the Dr to get checked for fear its some kind of monsterous thing or disease that will destroy my chances of getting a reasonably priced insurance instead of landing in a high premium, high risk policy or having a rider attached to it. Its high enough at the normal premiums! And lets see.... Why do we go to Mexico? Hmmmmm.......Cindyh

My youngest dau. is 5 now, she had severe reflux, it caused her to have raspiness to the point of needing speech therapy. Sometimes when the band is too tight, you have reflux a lot, your vocal cords may have been damaged from the acid. But, prilosec and the other meds are supposed to help with it. It's taken about 1/5 years for her raspiness to go away, but, she had the reflux for a few years, too.

neci916,

Thank you for your response. That is also a very good possibility. I have a question for you...Did your daughter get sore throats, pus pockets on her throat accompanied with the raspiness? Just curious....Cindyh

My DH had a serious medical issue that led to a major GI bleed this last fall, it was where his esophagus connected to his stomach that tore. Since then he had a sore throat, lots of mucus spitting up and coughing. His voice changed...and he also found he was choking on food quite often. He said it felt like his throat just got too tight as he tried to swallow. Well about a month ago, he did it with a little tiny bite of chicken, so off to the ER we went. We met up with the gastro Dr. who saved him during the GI bleed, and he had to use the scope to get the chicken out, and he said he had horrid reflux---that his esophagus was just raw looking! He never knew he had it. He coughed at night, but thought it was drainage! I have had GERD for years, and believe me, when my acid refluxed---I knew it, I woke up spitting and choking, he has never!!! They put him on a double dose of Protonix each evening, and Prilosec OTC in the morning, and he has quit coughing, quit choking, and his breath is better---his voice sounds good again. I was shocked by all the change in less than a month!

Might be something to check---we are living it---and it can be SERIOUS!!!

Time to have it checked out I think!!!

Good Luck--

Kat

Yes, I would agree that it sounds like you're having acid reflux while you sleep and that the acid is irritating your voice. I'd recommend getting it checked out with your doctor to be sure that your band isn't too tight.

I've heard that many people who had reflux prior to getting banded no longer have it afterwards, but I have noticed that if I eat too close to bedtime or sleep with my head low, it is an issue for me at night since I got the band.

Fortunately, I can usually avoid it by sleeping with my head raised up by some pillows and avoiding eating or drinking anything for a few hours before I take a snooze.

Good luck on getting this sorted out.

Kat,

Oh my!! Just what I didn't want to hear!! Sorry about your (husand?) Sounds like he's doing ok now. Well, now that you mentioned it, I do recall spitting up a little mucus (like in infection) as well as the brownish liquidy stuff after my unfill. I do not cough anymore, but did. Never coughed at night. Voice definately changed and I am most certain there was significant inflamation. I can eat just about anything & everything now even if my band still has some fill in it. It's just the reoccuring sorness/raspiness of the throat?

I am curious. Did your husband take antibiotics also?...Cindyh

Cindy-

I know you are nervous, but I strongly encourage you to go to the doctor. We can all speculate here and give advice, but you really should see a doctor to put your mind at ease. Don't wait too long because you don't want to do damage.

Hi Cindy---yes my husband---DH (Dear, Darling, Damned---depends on the mood---Husband!). His problems began a year ago---his mitral valve in his heart failed. The Dr. scheduled him for open heart surgery to repair/replace the valve, and one of the tests they did prior to the open heart was an angiogram--to see if he had an artery problems to address during the surgery. He didn't, but developed a blood clot at the site of the angiogram catheter insertion. So he was put on blood thinners. He took them for 2 months, finally the clot resolved, and he had his heart surgery. It was a lot more involved surgery than they anticipated, they actually reduced the overall size of his heart! He recovered wonderfully. He had to stay on the blood thinner for several months due to an implanted plastic piece in his heart. About 2 months out he got bronchitis, he was put on Avelox antibiotics, which made him sick to his stomach---nd on the 3rd day of the 5 day regime of the antibiotics, he threw up---and it caused a very serious tear of the esophagus, where it joins the stomach. They told me he likely would not live through it! He was bleeding to death, because he was on all the blood thinners! Through several experimental procedures, they saved him, and he recovered again. Though he said he just felt tired all the time, and he had constant cold like symptoms. We chalked the fatigue up to the massive blood loss. We kept worrying that in all the transfusions he got something because he coughed, and his throat was sore, and he spit ugly brown like mucus up all the time. About 3 months ago, he began choking on food, he said it felt like his throat just closed off. I have done the heimlich on him 3 times! The last time was about a month ago, and the little bite of chicken actually moved down past the trachea so he could breath, he just could not swallow! Teh Dr. that saved him during the bleed come in to the ER to see him, and had to use the scope to remove the chicken. He was shocked at how horrible his esophagus looked, said he had massive reflux damage! That the brown tinge to the mucus was possibly dried blood from the esophageal erosions! So now he does not take any antibiotics, he takes a Prilosec OTC in the morning, and a Protonix at night. He is well rested, not coughing, his breath is much improved!!! He said he actually feels good for the first time since October when all this happen. He did have a voice change---like I say he had common cold symptoms.

Do you ever wake up with a nasty taste in your mouth?

The Prilosec OTC he takes we buy at Sams Club because it is cheaper, but it is over the counter----Walmart sells it. I doubt it would hurt you to try it---but I would be talking seriously to the Dr.s and make them take me serious! I finally come to the conclusion I pay them, not the other way around, they need to work with me!

Keep us posted----I can tell you are worried, and I think you are right to be that way. If you need to talk, you let me know, I'll PM you my #.

Kat

Ohhhh dear! I am glad to hear your husband is doing ok. He sure went through a lot!! Hopefully he will keep doing well now!

I have never had acid reflux in my life. I still don't. No change when I sleep or wake up anymore with the exception that I had a lot of flem for about 3 weeks after my unfill. (Gone now)The mucus lasted just a few days (very little) and the brownish stuff right after a got home from the unfill. Just those crazy sore throats that come back to haunt me yet.

I think I will try the over-the-counter Prilosec to start with. I would like to see what this will do if anything. Thanks so much for sharing your story. I guess at this point I will not throw out the fact that this could be more serious than I was hoping....Cindyh

This is really weird, I have had a sore raspy throat also. However before my lap band I had BAD REFLUX.. but now it actually seems like I have none.At least I don't have the terrible burn in my chest!!! My DR changed my BP meds and it is better... but I really do live with a soare throat almost everyday! I also have a chronic dry cough but my BP meds were known to cause that?? So is it the meds or the band?? Not sure at this point.

dpingl,

Hmmmm. That is interesting that someone else is experiencing this. Have you ever had to get antibiotics for your sore throat? If you get enough of them, it certainly kicks it out quickly. But the problem is that they are reoccuring. It also feels like my throat & toungue are hot sometimes when the sore, raspy throat stuff rears its ugly head. Do you ever experience this? I'm baffled if it is not some kind of damage caused by the band being too tight for too long. Was your band too tight for a period of time? Just trying to figure this out and hope to god it not what kat817 mentioned above. If you ever discover the cause, rhyme or reason for this, let me know. Thanks for sharing that. I was feeling all alone in bandland!!...Cindyh