a question about lpr

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Bentleys

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Ok my main question about Lpr is, is it true that both of your sphincters have to fail to get lpr? I have been reading on that and from what I have read is that both have to fail,wondering if that is true,thought i would ask those of you that have been through it!!! I was treated for lpr cause i had a feeling of something stuck in my throat for a while, tried ppi many of them,for 6mo and they did not help actually i got worse being on them got a burning mouth even being on them!! Ent sent me to have a ph study they found no reflux! Had barium swallow done with a ct scan nothing, had gi scope done!! Ent looked at my throat with the camera and didn't see inflamation on my vocal corRAB!!! So they sent me to a nerologist and he thought it could be anxiety, he said anxiety can cause a burning mouth syndrome and i have read that too.I do have anxiety but sometimes it is so hard to believe that anxiety can cause this,I thought that this brought on my anxiety not the other way around!! So I'm just wondering if anyone can help me!! I can't seem to help but think it is acid reflux with the burning but they can't seem to find any thing wrong, I have had blood work done,everything normal,so I hope it is anxiety cause at least i can mentally fix it!! Any information would be great thanks all so much!!! I have so many symptoms of lpr but anxiety as well so it is hard to know what is what!! :confused:
 
It does sound like it could be LPR, but with all those tests, they would have typically found something.

Have you been checked for TMJ? There is a sticky at the top of the TMJ board with a whole host of symptoms. Some of the throat symptoms:

Throat Problems:
- swallowing difficulties
- tightness of throat
- sore throat without infection
- voice fluctuations
- laryngitis
- frequent coughing or constant clearing of throat
- feeling of foreign object in throat
- tongue pain
- salivation (intense)
- pain of the hard palate in the mouth

You might consider seeing a TMJ specialist who specializes in neuromuscular dentistry. I know I found I had TMJ through ear symptoms and not actual jaw pain. By the way, if you go this route, make sure the specialist you see has a majority practice of TMJ and some years of experience. There is a good list of dentists at the top of the TMJ board.

As for the LPR, how often did you take your PPI's? For LPR most people only see results when taking them twice a day. I wouldn't necessarily say your esophageal sphincters were failing so much as weakened and allowing the acid to come up. I had LPR and it showed on all of the tests you listed.

Good luck finding a solution.
 
I'm one of these lucky people who has both LPR and TMJ, yay! I wore braces for nearly two years to try to "fix" the TMJ, and it has helped some.

With the LPR, that's more difficult to remedy. Bentleys I do know with LPR with the testing you've had, something would have shown up eventually. A swollen throat or vocal corRAB, swelling or redness near the opening of the esophagus, eroded teeth, scarring in the esophagus, or swelling of the Larynx, Sinus problems.. ect ect, all of which they found in me at some point or another in time.

If nothing was ever found in your case, then it is most likely not LPR but something else with symptoms similar to LPR as MountainReader has pointed out. I hope you find out what it is soon!
 
Hi Mountain reader, I was taking my ppi 2x a day!! I will check out tmj thank you so much!! So you think they would have found it on the tests? Its just crazy my mouth got so much worse even being on the ppi got burning in mouth throat, so my ent said it shouldn't be getting worse,and he said he thinks that as bad as the burning is that when he looked through the camera he would have seen imflamation in my thrat and he said it looked normal!! I think my anxiety has taken over!!!
 
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!! I will look into those things, do you know if it is true about those tests and with the Les sphincter no functioning properly is the way you get lpr?? They are saying it could be anxiety I do have some anxiety so this would make sence!! Like I said I got worse be ing ppi even at 5 months burning in throat mouth and tounge, I have read that anxiety can cause those symptoms ! So you think with the gi doctors test they would have seen somethjng on the the 24 hour test?? When I did the test I did everything your not suppose to do for acid reflux, drank pop beer , ate chocolate, smoked, coffee you name it I did and they did not see anything!! I int smoke any longer but I wanted to do everything that would agravate acid reflux. So do you know If a gi doctors test are more accurate? Like I said barium test with ct scan came back normal 24 hour probe normal scope showed little imfamatiom on gi scope bit they said that could be from stress as well! I do have stress in my life!! I just want to know I don't have this so I can move foward to the next !! Gi doctors told me I have a disfincyion when swallowing liquiRAB mor then soliRAB but he said that could be a spasm or stress induced. Thanks so much fo your information. Hugs
 
Hiya Bentley's,

Glad to be of help. :)Yes my ENT told me that when the UES(upper esophageal sphincter) is weak and not closing properly that it can cause LPR.

For the longest time I got told it was "just anxiety", and all in my mind, before being hospitalized with Laryngitis, Pharyngitis, and Esophagitis - all from undiagnosed LPR. I had been going to the doctors for months complaining about my throat and breathing problems!

I had enough and went to the local university hospital where I live, the doctor looked down my throat with a scope and told me it was LPR caused by acid reflux. At that time, my throat was still very swollen.

If you haven't already try to visit an ENT who specializes in LPR or a Larynologist who can scope you and take a closer look. Have they done the scope through your nose and down your throat yet?

The 24 hour probe can come back normal yet you still have LPR.
 
Yes they have looked with that camera down into my throat , just last week when my throat was on fire mouth burning and he said it looked normal that was my ent,and he said that with the symptoms I had with my throat burning as bad as it was he would have seen something!? He said if there is no acid getting past your Les sphincter then it can't be getting in to your throat, he said all my symptoms sound like lpr but they can't find anything and he said you should have not gotten worse when you are in 2 ppis a day and a Zantac?! What I have read and been told is that both of your sphincters have to not be functioning propaly meaning your Les sphincter and ues sphincter? My ent said if there is no acid coming up from your Les sphincter then it can't get up to your ues sphincter it still has to come from your stomach so if your Les shows no acid coming how does it get to your throat, I thought that makes since, so do you think that it's not lpr for me?
 
Yes both the UES and LES have to be malfunctioning. I'm not a doctor, but I do know that it only takes the tiniest bit of acid to negatively effect your throat and surrounding tissues. You can feel the impact of that acid without showing any physical signs, but I would think that eventually something would show up like redness, swelling, or irritation if it's been going on long enough.

So I can't really tell you if it is LPR or not, I can only assure you that eventually with LPR, some form of physical confirmation will show up.
 
I just know from my personal experiences. The only other test I can think of that you could ask for is a dual probe pH test where they put the probe above your LES, but also a second probe above your UES. They could also do a single probe above your UES to see if acid is reaching your throat.

Personally, I had irritation showing with my ENT assessments. I also had reflux show on my Modified Barium Swallow & Esophagram. My Manometry showed my LES wasn't closing properly and I had a severe score on my 24 hr pH. I ended up having surgery and last spring had another Barium Swallow that confirmed the surgery was holding and there wasn't any refluxing.

The only other thing I can think of would be to see if you had any unknown allergies playing into this.

As for the TMJ, I had ear problems (ear pain, stuffiness, ringing and inability to pop my ear) that became pretty bad and my ENT, PCP and Audiologists all said they couldn't find anything wrong (other than some hearing loss). When I came across the TMJ info online, I asked my dentist and he wasn't sure. I then went to 2 TMJ specialists who did assessments and said my disks had slipped and my jaw was pushed back into my ear causing my problems. I would have thought any one of them would have at least mentioned it as a possibility. Ironically, I have a good PT for this who said she could tell right away that I had TMJ problems.

You may not have any TMJ problems, but it is certainly something to look into.

You may also try reading up on Vocal Cord Dysfunction also. It seems to have some overlapping symptoms as well.
 
Thank you so much for your response!! I know your not a doctor but I just figured you would know alot since you have it sorry if I upset you, is it common with lpr to have a burning mouth?? I think most of this is anxiety because I would have not gotten worse on the ppis after being on them for 5 months, i know anxiety can do alot of werid things. Thanks soo much for your help
 
Hi mountain reader thanks for talking!! My ent said that i my probe that he did about my ue ssphincter said it had a little acid, then he sent me to the gi doctor and the did the probe all the way down to les, they said I had no reflux, I asked my ent doctor why his prob came back with some and the gi doctor did not! He said the gi doctor is a more accurate test, and sometimes it will show a false postive test
, He said that if there is no acid coming past your les sphincter there is no way it is getting past you ues sphincter? Is that true? I will ask him about the dual probe!! and Tmj thanks!!Oh also i didn't mean to say sphinters fail they become weak, but donsn't it still mean that they aren't working?
 
Oh no, you didn't upset me! :) I usually post that little disclaimer when posting on Medical boarRAB, because I don't want to get in trouble or anything for dispensing advice, so I have to 'remind the powers that be' that I know I'm not a doctor and I'm only speaking from personal experience.

As for anxiety, oh yes, it can produce a whole host of physical symptoms that feel very real so it's a possibility. You can ask your doctor or therapist about giving you something to help you relax, or what I find helps is learning relaxation techniques. See if it makes any difference in y our symptoms.

When I suffered from severe anxiety attacks, I noticed that my throat would get very tight and sometimes hurt, or my mouth would get dry, but I never noticed any burning.
 
Your so sweet, I'm taking something and talking with a counsler and I have been told that anxiety can cause burning mouth syndrome and it can effect your whole mouth and throat, and like I said that started happening even when I was on 2 ppi a day and a Zantac! So it makes since that it could be anxiety, but it makes me worry about lpr even after all those tests not showing anything with lpr, cause it's not better but I'm sure it takes time for the symptoms to go away!! Thanks for talking!!:)
 
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