So I've had a lingering cough for almost 2-3 years now and finally got around to seeing a doctor about it. I suspect it may be GI related. I haven't really noticed much rhyme or reason behind the cough - I thought it was happening after I'd drink coffee, but it also happens at other times as well.
The doctor's prescribed course of action was that I begin taking Zantac regularly and if that eliminates the cough, then we could deduce that the trigger is acid reflux. At that point, I could either take medication long term, or make lifestyle modifications.
At my pressing, she agreed to conduct an endoscopy. My thinking was that I didn't feel comfortable with just a trial and error method and wanted someone to actually take a look at what was going on inside. She said though that while the endoscopy could detect other maladies, it would not show any signs of acid reflux. After confirming with billing, it appears my portion for the endoscopy would be over $700, after insurance. I don't think this is worth it, at the moment.
What would you all recommend that I do? While I understand Zantac is relatively harmless, I regret how I handled my colitis diagnosis 12 years ago. I was told the medication I was being prescribed was also harmless, and upon taking it, my condition immediately exacerbated eventually becoming acute within a year. I have no trust in doctors and I want to think things through better this time around rather than just blindly following the prescribed course of action.
