GERD and LPR with Ear Pain?

So I've suffered from GERD for a decade. I'm 27. Too young I know. I've been off and on Dexilant. It works but I have bad habits. I smoke, drink, drink coffee, eat terribly but have been covering up the GERD with medication.

I am overweight. The only symptoms I ever really get are heartburn. And it comes up if I skip a dose of Dexilant. In the middle of the night.

I woke up last week in the middle of the night with heartburn and choking. Could not clear my throat was awful.

And since then my esophagus has felt weird, it seems better today but its been very sensitive. I can feel anything warm go down my throat, and my stomach has felt heavy after eating.

No blood in my stool or throwing up. But my ears hurt too. Like i have a sinus infection. And I am having stomach pain and discomfort. Not pain bad enough to take something, but just uncomfortable. It seems better today. This was Thursday.

Has anyone else experienced this where these symptoms last for days at a time and won't go away or slowly get better? I'm guessing my esophagus is inflamed from that episode and is not happy.

I called the doc he did not sound worried but I dont think he understood exactly what i meant, i think he thinks i meant "heartburn" discomfort, not the actual inflammation pain. He told me to double up my Dexilant to 60mg instead of 30.

I had an endoscopy 3 years ago, I had grade 3 esophagitus but I have been on either Nexium or Dexilant since then and only off them on short periods. But during those short periods I did have awful heartburn. He said he didnt think I needed another but I am worried. I guess if I've mostly been on medication the past few years that not much could have changed with just a few episodes of very bad reflux.

I wanted to get off because I was sick with low vitamin b, low magnesium, it was taking a lot of of my daily life.

So now I am going on a serious diet. Quit smoking, quit drinking for the moment, and am staying away from spicy foods.

any advice?/?

Actually I have had ear pain. I have severe GERD and my esophagus is in very rough shape. I have been dealing with this since November and bad esophagus issues since January of this year. Sometimes I will get this odd pain in my ear but it only lasts a couple seconds. I don't know though if its from the GERD or not. I think GERD has effected my vagus nerve as I have had experiences with feeling light headed and sick after eating a large meal(this was back when I could eat a full decent meal). I do not know if an irritated vagus nerve can cause ear pain though.

I am on dexilant and I am sure to take it every day. If I miss a day im screwed. Even on this medication I still get reflux at night and also I still have issues with feeling like I am choking on food when I eat. I am trying to just learn how to eat feeling like this. I hate food and I hate eating. My heartburn is ok however I had severe chest pain the other day from 10:00 pm until the next night and I mean I almost went to hospital it was so bad. I have no idea why that happened as I didn't eat anything spicy or late at night.

Good luck with everything. Sometimes when my esophagus is at its worst I will feel like I have something in my throat for 2-3 days which is an improvement from the every single day I was dealing with not too long ago.

Post Edited (LAWCHICK) : 5/13/2015 11:49:11 AM (GMT-6)

Yep I do, varies in intensity at times it feels like bad ear infection. I get popping and crackling sounds sometimes feels like its full of water and also some deafness that comes and goes. I get pain that travels across my face and I also feel it in my teeth. After MRI of sinuses and ears has been attributed to gerd.

Hi the popping is in my ear. Apparently acid can cause damage to the Eustachian tube and that's why you hear popping sound.... Full of useless info! The teeth pain I i was told is referred pain from sinuses, wish I'd know before having 4 healthy wisdom teeth out and still having the pain! Ha

Trotters said...
Lawchick are you scheduled for surgery or are you managing with medication?

No my dr hasn't even mentioned surgery. Right now I'm barley managing on medication.

Trotters said...
Are you in the uk? I was under the impression that if you have atypical symptoms or the medication isn't easing your symptoms then you are advised to have surgery? My doctor was happy to just keep prescribing the pills, I insisted on seeing a consultant and I don't think the are able to refuse a referal unless they have a very good reason.

Im in the US, I live in New York. I see my gastro again at the end of June, hopefully I will get his opinion on why I am not getting fully better on meds. Have you had surgery yet? If yes how did it go?