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silent reflux?

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 8/10/2011 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
What exactly is silent reflux? My dr. thinks even with symptoms my GERD isn't that bad (or surgery worthy), and that I should just be on PPI's.

When I go on PPI's I get more symptoms than when I am off them, and in general have been doing well/managed the past few months without being on any acid reducing medication.

So I don't get it. Am I safer on PPI's with symptoms than off-PPI's symptom-free, because of "silent gerd". I don't get silent GERD...if I am already established as someone who feels bad symptoms with little reflux, how could someone like me have silent gerd?
Posted 8/10/2011 5:55 PM (GMT 0)
That is exactly true for me. I am ok with ppi's for 10 days and then have all days symtoms after that. They disappear after i stop them...ppi's do not suit me at all. i just mange my symptoms without them - controlling diet etc and with maalox.

I think silient gerd means no HB, but it does have other symptoms in the throat etc..

Raj
Posted 8/10/2011 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
This sounds exactly like me. When I'm on PPI's, I feel like I'm having a bad day off PPI's but all the time.

Now that I'm off them, I can actually control it with Gaviscon and Tums, but they make no difference if I'm taking PPI's. Very strange...
Posted 8/10/2011 9:57 PM (GMT 0)
Right. Me too. But I don't get it...are we then at risk for silent GERD? or is it only silent GERD if you get other symptoms like ear/nose/throat stuff?
Posted 8/10/2011 10:06 PM (GMT 0)
Silent gerd is another name for LPR. You don't get the classic heartburn.
You have atypical symptoms:
sinus infections
ear infections
sore throats
coughing
loss of voice
asthma
dizziness
some blackout
esophageal spasms
back or shoulder pains

You're still getting damage with LPR you just don't know it. :(
Posted 8/10/2011 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
is nausea an atypical symptom too? That is what I get along with the ear/sinus infections, dizziness,upper back and shoulder pain. I get all of that but rarely the actual reflux,at least I can't feel it if I do.
Posted 8/10/2011 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
silent gerd or LPR is insidiuous, because it feel likes a sore throat...

thats how it starts... the last thing you would think about is GERD...

you dont experience heartburn... or any esophageal symptoms..


then it progress to serious throat pain, constant stuck throat feeling... etc... i would say it registers a good 8 or 9 on bad day... my personal pain scale...

-Jesse
Posted 8/11/2011 12:39 AM (GMT 0)
As others have already posted, silent GERD is LPR (laryngopharyngeal reflux). I have this. I was misdiagnosed with cold/virus for months - might have even had a couple of colds - but turned out that the main cause was LPR. My symtpoms were chronic cough, chronic throat clearing, chronic lump in throat, sore throat - VERY sore at times, some hoarseness, post nasal drip, ear irritation and generally feeling unwell. Sometimes I coughed so much I threw up, which I know now is from GERD. I have acid damage to my lower esophagus and also to my vocal chords. With silent reflux you tend to not feel much heartburn (if any) because the acid goes all the way up and does not settle in your chest for long.

When I first went on the PPIs, I noticed more actual heartburn, I read that can happen, but that has since stopped. I still get the throat stuff to a point if I am not really, really careful about my habits. I'm on high dose PPIs though, 40 mg protonix twice a day and 1 Zantac 150 at night. And I am really strict about diet, not eating 3 hours before bed and sleeping as elevated as possible.

If you think you have these issues, then you should see an EN&T Dr. to be checked for LPR.
Posted 8/11/2011 1:41 PM (GMT 0)
great. so i guess if someone doesn't have LPR symptoms, they don't have silent GERD when their heartburn goes away? makes sense to me, hope that is right. Thanks!
Posted 8/11/2011 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
Correct - if u are feeling good, u are good inside too !!
Raj
Posted 8/11/2011 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
You can have esophageal damage even if you don't feel acid coming up.  Non-acid reflux doesn't hurt (I had it).

Mock turtle posted a link to a new study http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11213/1164375-114-0.stm.  The post is at https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=2182367.

Posted 8/11/2011 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
I think if you have any concerns about damage occuring without you feeling it, you should press for an endoscopy from GI and also a scope to check out your vocal chords from EN&T.  These are relatively easy procedures to go through and they can tell you if there is damage.
Posted 8/12/2011 1:30 PM (GMT 0)
I am pretty sure I had silent GERD for years and just passed it off as occasional heartburn, stress/anxiety, ear infections. I did not feel horrible most of the time but then again sometimes it would take me down a couple notches for days and I just thought it was something I ate usually. Thank goodness for my doctors assistant you brought this to my attention and I have bee so much better since.
Posted 8/16/2011 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
Sometimes I have feeling of tight throat and food sticking on throat or flowing back to my throat. Is it consider silent GERD/LPR? the doc just say this is acid reflux

I worry about this silent symptom might doing the damage silently on me. I've stop taking PPI as it makes no different whether I'm taking it or not. I'm taking natural herbal medicine, but the symptom still going on and off.
I'm not sure if I should continue taking PPI....
Posted 8/16/2011 7:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Everyone,

I wanted to share my story with you, please forgive me for the length of this post. One day in 2008, I was enjoying a cup of Starbucks when out of nowhere, I felt as if I had a long strand of hair stuck in my throat. I have always been an anxiety sufferer, so I naturally assumed my anxiety was causing this and ignored this symptom. A few weeks later I sat down to have dinner and began to feel as if every piece of food I was eating was getting stuck in my throat. I ran to my physician who referred me to an ENT who was quite cold. He looked in my throat and diagnosed me with "GERD & Anxiety" and sent me on my way with nothing but a piece of paper that said I should buy mylanta and mucinex. My physician was outraged by his dismissal and suggest I take prilosec OTC for 14 days, and she was right, it worked like a charm. I thought I was cured and went on vacation, boy was I wrong. A few days into vacation, I found that I could not swallow at all, that I had thick, gummy mucus, and water brash. In addition, I had a violent cough and had to persistently clear my throat with no relief. I was so scared and felt as if I was really in hell. When I returned home, I was prescribed prevacid and after three months of treatment, I decided to stop taking it and convinced myself that I was free of this illness (sounds crazy right?). Well, for the next 2 years I was completely symptom free until about a month ago. I also just found out that I have H. Pylori and I'm wondering if that could be behind all this? Either way, if I beat it before, I could do it again and so could all of you. I know how devastating this condition could be and feel for each and every one of you.

Does anyone have any success stories they could share?
Posted 8/16/2011 7:52 PM (GMT 0)
Also, I just recently quit smoking after 8 years. I am wondering if the stress of the withdrawal could have made my stomach produce more acid, thus resulting in the return of my LPR? Also, if I was symptom free for two years, is it safe to say that I don't have a problem with my LES or UES?

Thanks guys.
Posted 11/15/2014 9:35 PM (GMT 0)
Well this thread seems to be a few years old but I still need to put in my two cents. I learned more here than I have in all the searching and reading I've done I am shocked that my allergic asthma and allergies or misdiagnosed with silent Gerd all these years. I will definitely start on a PPI till I can get this under control even my shoulders are killing me. I have all the classic allergy symptoms in your pill head pain fluid building up knife see some your nose and throat doctor said take Mucinex that is my go to now I know it's something I need to do not just have around. I guess I've been misdiagnosed for a very long time I finally decided to go to an allergist, one morning in June I woke up and I could not breathe my airway was completely blocked I really thought I was going to die I was making peace with our Lord Jesus to take me to heaven that's how serious it got. Thankfully finally passed before I past out. I will say one bright thing that I read maybe you don't know about and I don't know if it's true but calcium does tighten up the LES valve whatever that is. So I will be starting calcium slowly. Best of luck to everybody who would've thought the fluid in my head and my ears and my nose and my shoulder pain or all cause to silent Gerd. I don't see anything that says fatigue but I have it so bad for so many years I wonder if it's related?
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