Hi Dr. Jeff, I have been having a strange problem for the past 6 months and I was wondering if you could offer any advice on the possibility of a cure or remedy. I'm a 21 year old male who recently took up habitual drinking this March of 08. I turned 21 last Dec and had drank on holidays but not more than a couple beers. I experimented with whiskey/rum in early 08 and I have a very high tolerance (I never throw up from it).

I started drinking about 1-2 bottles a wine a night starting in March then I graduated to buying big 5 liter boxed wines and finishing them off in a few days, very very cheap boxed wine for about $6-7 a 5 liter box. I had some stress so I began drinking Brandy around May/June. On June 5th I drank half a bottle of brandy, the next morning 5 shots, then that night I decided to experiment with Gin (I had never had gin before). After about a few glasses I was feeling fine but then after a little more I began to get short of breathesque, not short of breath per se, just the desire to sigh and take a deep breath over and over. It bothered me so I stopped drinking and went to bed.

The next day I wokeup and still had the breathing thing as well as a tickle in my throat as if I had ran for a very long distance. It is now late December of 08 and I still have this. I stopped all hard liquor and have drank a few times but not for weeks on end like I used to.

I've been to doctors and incurred over $2,000 in debt in medical bills (those are just co-pays) from having barium swallows, endoscopies, lung tests, allergy tests, blood tests, etc. All negative except for the endoscopy finding a small 3-4 cm sliding hiatal hernia which they say is too small to cause any problem as they also found no signs of irritation
down there in the esophagus.

I've had a coated tongue, coughing, burping, feeling full all the time, and that constant tickle along with some heat occasionally (NOT heartburn). They tried me on some antacids/PPI's thinking it was simple heartburn but that did nothing but make me feel worse. I've done acupuncture, homeopathy, stress reducing techniques and have even stopped eating fast food, it's not going away.

I read up online about these people with "reflux disease" and how they've had it for 20-30+ years, it freaks me out and makes me think that going on isn't worth it if I have to have these symptoms or "manage a condition" forever, but then I realized that the whole "disease" thing was part of the pharmaceutical companies way of getting people to take their pills for life. I'm pretty sure I don't have a "life-long disease" or reflux, as a top stomach surgeon who runs a hospital told me face to face that it wasn't (free consultation through family).

Nevertheless, I'd like to know what you think this is. I don't have flare ups or bouts, it's pretty much constant (with an occasional increase after eating or even drinking water), all day and night. I know it was brought on by drinking, but I am willing to do anything to get back to my former self. The euphoria of the absence of these symptoms would be far more gratifying than any type of drunken state that alcohol could give me. I am looking forward to your advice. Thank you.