I'm a 39 year old male non-smoker, non-drinker, marathon runner who has never had any surgeries or hospitilizations.
Always healthy until November 2007. I moved items in and out of a basement storage area of a very old apartment building, later discovering that the entire area contained airborne asbestos. An Industrial Hygienist confirmed chrysotile and amosite fibers were airborne at higher than safe levels. A day or two afterward, I felt like I had come down with the flu or a virus. The symptoms persist, and include:
Sore throat
Hoarseness
Burning and tightness in chest
Irritated trachea/airway, often feels "dry," and "cold"
Burning sinuses
Sinus headache
Exercise induced asthma
Always feel very tired
Mucous in back of throat, tastes like blood, sometimes contains blood
Tender tonsils
Doc visits to date: 2 different internal medicine doctors, 2 different ENTs, a pulmonologist, an occupational therapist, an allergist, and a gastroenterologist. And to date, I have no diagnosis, and my symptoms persist. I have visited the National Jewish once for an initial consult and some initial tests, and have my second appointment scheduled for October.
Tests to date: Many blood tests (all negative, with exception of IGE level being toward the high side of normal), Barium swallow (negative), full battery of allergy tests (most of which came back 4+, I'm very allergic to many things), asthma tests w/wo albuteral (positive for exercise induced asthma), many chest x-rays (positive for hyperinflated lungs), Sinus catscan (positive for some chronic damage).
During the last 7 months, I've tried sinus rinses, Protonix, Prevacid, Symbacort, 2 different antibiotics, Singulair, Allegra, several steroid injections, various different steroidal nasal sprays. None of these medications have provided ANY relief.
I'm at my wits end. This is having a profoundly negative impact on every aspect of my life.
What else can I, or should I do?