GERD and throat tightness when smoking

[ihavequestions]

so ive been smoking everyday for a while now, since about october.
it has worked quite nicely in relieving my GERD symptoms but lately it has made my throat tighten up and i believe acid to go up into my nose.
the throat tightening is like breathing through a straw and there is constant swallowing, also im not sure which came first, but i also had a crippling panic attack.
now since cannabis has helped me so much before i didnt think much of the throat tightness because i thought it might just be dry.
but this has been going on for a while and i was too stoned to think twice of it.
anyways i would like to know whether the throat tightening was because im having an anxiety attack, or if it was caused from the smoke?
i would also like to know, if smoking was the cause would vaping be a good alternative?
now i do have a history of panic attacks with cannabis but after everyday smoking ive gotten usedto it and theyve never caused any real issues, but im now also wondering if its the panic attacks causing the throat tightening and if so what i should do about it.
i would really like it if i didnt haveto stop my cannabis use because for the most part ive really enjoyed it.
sorry if this is in the wrong board im new to this site!

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

I had GERD which was irritated by smoking.. and munching... Vaporizing reduced the irritation for sure.. but what cured my GERD was going RAW . GL and have in mind that smoking is mother of many diseases .

 

[ihavequestions]

thanks for the reply
did you have the throat tightness?
because its a little more than an irritation
you can barely breathe and the constant swallowing is horrible, i almost threw up a couple times aswell
ah i dont think ill be smoking anything for a long time
im still having anxiety from the whole episode which was last night
i also think that i might have done some damage to my throat because ive been smoking and having the tightness for atleast a couple weeks now
it just hasnt been as bad until now, when i finally noticed it
anyways, if vaping is an option i would like to try it
but money is a little tight and i really dont want to drop the money for a vape if it isnt going to help

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

I believe that there are some other herbs which active ingredients's vaporization can benefit Gerd. Mint,White Sage,St John Worth,Chamomile do help from my exp.
Also there are many vape choice from many price ranges. For me there is no excuse for smoking.. The 12 $ vapo-bowl and the 32 $ Gnome... also vapocane and vapbong are better alternatives in the range 12-50 $ . If you wanna go electric you can aways get MFLB,Vapolution and others.. in the 100-120 price range . (might wanna check the sales thread on the forum i am quite sure u can get a bargain and save yourself some herb and health issues at low cost !
Btw the throat thing sux.. it is the worst that i remember from my GERD ...

 

[ihavequestions]

thanks!
yea i am semi-familiar with vapes, never tried one though
i hear good things about extreme q and da buddha for a cheaper desktop
i might go and purchase the MFLB for the portability and just to try it, because i do hear good things about it
as for right now i think a break would be good and might help my throat heal
because i have a feeling some damage was done
anyways thanks again for the help, i do appreciate it

 

[Stu]

FWIW, the MFLB may not be the best introductory vaporizer as it takes technique and patience to get good results. It's also very hard on my throat and makes me cough more (virtually all of my vaporizers induce a cough to some extent) than my other vaporizers. So considering your condition, you may want to look at other options, too.

 

[Nycdeisel]

Hey there, I have GERD also. along with a bunch of other things, but thats something that never leaves me. Quitting smoking completely helped a lot, and i hate the taste, feel, and i dont even get any effect from smoke, so it has negative appeal to me only.

I only vape now(and eat some edibles), and some vapes are more gentle then others, and I must use a water pipe or else its too dry and i can feel all the small particles going into my throat/lungs. My RockZap is the most gentle IMHO, and is a very nice vape overall, plus you can use essential oils with it which are awesome! they are very therapeutic and they smell amazing too, and are all natural so even someone like me with multiple chemicals sensitivities(perfume is a bad one for me) can tolerate them (makes a good room spray if added to a mister bottle with water, too)

Next you have to look at diet. Using different herbs(preferably organic, as with everything) like Abysmal said has helped me a lot, as well as spices, ginger is one very good spice for the stomach. dont eat artificial sweeteners, sugary foods, fried foods, sodas, anything remotely junky. Eat as much RAW and organic food as you can as well. Abysmal you mentioned this as well. You can do juicing and/or blending too. You can juice fruits and veggies, but you can also blend them with a VitaMix blender(can blend whole vegetables) they make a very different drink, so I think having both is advisable. Try to get organic produce too.

Last but certainly not least, do not even bother with any acid reflux drugs out there, whether prescription or OTC, they just do not work, and make the problem worse when you go off of them, plus many people have the problem of too little stomach acid.

RAW fermented foods with probiotic (good) bacteria I believe are key to good gut health, and like Hippocrates said, all disease begins in the gut, and he also said let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. Sounds simple but its true and a lot of people still cant believe it. Remember that the fermented foods must be raw in order to contain live bacteria, sometimes you can get lucky and find a raw organic fermented food at a specialty health food store in your area, but you would be better off just making some things yourself.

Fermented foods include: Miso, Tempeh, Sauerkraut, Kim Chi, Kefir, Yogurt, and traditionally fermented, aged, and RAW milk cheeses.

Remember to choose high quality, raw and organic products, to assure they will actually contain live bacteria. eat as many raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, just change your diet all around. Oh and do not forget the water you drink, get a full reverse osmosis system to remove all of the toxic shit in the tap water that you probably didnt know was even in there. the water you drink and food you eat will be most important, as well as eliminating smoke, you will feel a lot better. Get well soon

P.s: try not to lay down or even recline , or bend over too soon after eating, gravity will assist the acid up your esophagus causing further damage and pain. even go so far as to put some blocks or large books under the end of your mattress where your head is to help with this.

 

[Vapinghole]

I had the same issue and am taking Prilosec. Zero problems now. But I have experienced the throat tightening and panic attacks from thinking I couldn't breathe. I know how that is, for sure.

 

[Nycdeisel]

I took that drug, made it so much worse going off. Its poison anyway it also leaches calcium from your bones. Plus they dont work for most people and most people who have the reflux problem actually have too LITTLE stomach acid!