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Can Acid Reflux (GERD) or LPR cause swollen lymph nodes?

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 1/19/2017 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
Hi there!

Sorry for the lengthy post. During September 2016 (4 months ago), I notice that my right Submandibular nodes (below right jaw, salivary gland) was swollen. It was painless and it is movable. I've had acid reflux since I was still in junior high school (currently 23 years old) and when I notice this lump, I instantly panicked and start searching on google (not a good idea). Since then I have went to 2 different ENT, 1 oncologist, and 2 different gastroenterologist. All of them said that it is not a concern. All of them is not concerned at all, however they also do not give me a clear explanation. One of them said that perhaps the reflux may cause irritation on my throat that then cause mini infection that I may not feel. One of them said that perhaps it is due to my past tonsilitis infection (I have suffered from 8 bouts of tonsilitis on 2016-should probably get my tonsil removed ASAP).

My acid reflux is not that bad. I seldom gets any heartburn; all that I feel is the globus / feeling like there's a lump in the base of my throat (since October 2016) and that whenever I want to burp / belch, the acid and some food contents comes back up to my throat. I also have constant post nasal drip and have to clear my throat all the time. My tongue is white but my throat and tongue seldom got burns from the acid reflux.

What drives me crazy is that 2 weeks ago I notice there's yet another lymph node pops up on the right side of my neck. It is also painless and movable, and it is roughly 1 - 1.5 cm. I am in full panic mode now and have think about bad case scenario (lymphoma, etc.).

I will go back to my gastro and oncologist doctor, but it will be around early February 2017. Can you guys please share if you have also encountered this problem with painless lymph node swelling with acid reflux / LPR?

Thanks guys!
Posted 1/19/2017 9:32 AM (GMT 0)
Hello when I had my first bout of reflux LPR last May, my supracavicular lymph node was swollen. I was scared and I went to many different doctors, I had many blood tests because I thought like you that it was lymphoma. I am 30 years old
My lymph node sometimes was itchy, moderately hard and I was feeling a burning sensation there. Luckily, it has subsided over time. But it was swollen for many months
In your case I suppose that your swollen lymph node may be from the tonsilitis infection in combination with your reflux.

May I ask you sth? Did you take any antibiotics for your infection????
Because in my case, my LPR nightmare suddenly started after finishing a strong course of antibiotics last May.
Initially I had a lump sensation in my throat, excessive burping even with empty stomach, heartburn for first time in my life etc Now my tongue is also white and I had constant excessive amount of saliva in my mouth ( it is often foamy)
Last but not least, according to my tests I have abnornally high events of weakly acid reflux and that's why I never feel burning sensation in my mouth. The white tongue is caused by pepsin ....PPI's are not for my case, I feel hopeless

I was prescribed a PPI last June and my reflux was aggravated and I had many side effects dry mouth, breathelessness, severe cough, headaches, metallic taste and loss of apetite and I stop it cold turkey and then I had an acid rebound( severe chest pain)

Mary

Post Edited (maria2016) : 1/19/2017 2:47:13 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/20/2017 2:39 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Mary,

Thank you so much for the response! I'm glad that your lymph node has subside and I hope it will never pop up again. Like you, I too have several blood test, a laryngoscopy, as well as multiple ultrasound to figure out what it was. All of the test comes back clear, but the doctors also don't have explanation of what might cause this swollen lymph nodes.

As for the antibiotics, yes! Last year of 2016, I have take around 8-10 rounds of antibiotics to get rid of my horrible tonsilitis bouts. I have tried to not take antibiotic and just take vitamin + salt water gargle to get rid of my tonsilitis, however it does not work. Thus, whenever I get a tonsilitis, the only way I can cure it is by taking antibiotics. I guess the antibiotic mess up my stomach and gut flora so much that this this LPR started?
Currently, I am taking daily dose of probiotics to try to recover the gut flora balance, but I don't even know if it works because my LPR is still quite bad. One of the doctor also said that my recurrent tonsilitis can also be caused by the regular acid that comes back up and irritate my throat wall and tonsil. Currently, I can see that my throat wall is very red, filled with bumps and have constant white mucus.

I have an endoscopy back in late 2015 and at that time it only stated that I have mild gastrisis. Around October 2016, I came back to my doctor and ask for another endoscopy, however he said that it is not necessary and he prescribed me with 2 month dose of Dexilant 60 mg PPI. Well, it didn't work and after 2 months of dosage finished, I still have this LPR. I have avoided all trigger food and alcohol, but still, I still have the feeling of liquid coming back from my throat up to my mouth after eating or even drinking water.

What scared me is perhaps the lymph node does not hurt at all and it still does not subside after 4 months or perhaps even more because I might not be aware of it when it first pop up (the submandibular gland). The one on the right side of my neck has also been there 2 weeks and it does not subside as well.. However I am also pretty sure that it does not grow..

I hope you can find quick relieve to your LPR, it is not a fun disease to have shakehead
Posted 1/20/2017 1:46 PM (GMT 0)
Thank u but unfortunately I am very disappointed about how this reflux will evovle.

Probiotics didn't help me too, a little i think
In June after an endoscopy I was also diagnosed with mild gastritis.
My lymph node gradually became normal after six months. It took time as I have severe LPR.
I was feeling an itchy and burning sensation in the right side of neck and especially above the swollen lymph node.

It is true that tonsilitis may be affected by your reflux, but in my case antibiotics prescibed after an ovarian cyst surgery. It was the strong dosage that triggers undoubtedly my reflux to become apparent.
In my case raw vegetables and raw fruits cause me foamy saliva. I also avoid chocolate and coffee.

This condition is a nightmare, no quality of life. I don;t want to live like this
Have you notice any mucus before your onset of LPR? Personally for many years I had a clear phlegm in the morning after waking up but it was sth trivial.

I would advise you to have a phmetry along with impedance test and a manometry. Did the doctor find o hiatal hernia or a loose LES during your endoscopy ?

Mary

Post Edited (maria2016) : 1/20/2017 6:50:50 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/23/2017 3:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Mary,

Thank you for the reply. Yes, this disease really does severely reduce quality of life.. however don't give up in looking for some way to relieve it. Does your lymph node ache or tender when they first pops up? Mine does not hurt at all since the first time they pop up.. However I think that the one on the side of my neck is gradually subsiding; but maybe it is just my feeling (it definitely don't grow tough).

I see, how many dose of antibiotics have you take? Had I know that antibiotics can severely cause this LPR problem to arise, I would have took my tonsils on the first place. I also avoid all kinds of food & beverages, no more caffeine (coffee and tea), no alcohol (beer especially), no more spicy food, no more acidic fruits (orange, etc.), and no more drinking lots of water in one go..

I have not notice any mucus or post nasal drip before I had this LPR. After this LPR goes crazy on September 2016, I have tons of mucus on the back of my throat and I have to clear it all the time; no fun at all.. Sometimes I also feel that I can't breathe normally after eating (feel like I can't take much air).

Thank you for the advise! Would definitely ask my doctor to do some test when I consult again. When I undergone my endoscopy back in late 2015, the doctor does not found anything unusual with the result. The only result is mild gastrisis and nothing else.. Perhaps I need to have another endoscopy as soon as possible to rule out hiatal hernia or loose LES. Do you have loose LES too?
Posted 1/23/2017 8:27 PM (GMT 0)
YES, I WAS FEELING A BURNING SENSATION THERE, PAIN AND SOME ITCHING AND I CAN;T REATH SOMETIMES AFTER EATING. IT IS SO SCARING

I WAS PRESCRIBED CECLOR 1500 mg FOR 8 DAYS APART FROM 3 DAYS I WAS HOSPITALISED. I BELIEVE THAT I ALREADY HAD LATENT SILENT REFLUX AND THE ANTIBIOTICS CAME MY REFLUX TO THE FOREFRONT AND NOW MY SYMPTOMS ARE NOTICEABLE ON A DAILY BASIS. THE DOSAGE WAS VERY STRONG. I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYONE TAKING SO MUCH mg and for so many days. THE USUAL DOSE IS 500- 750 mg per day. THESE ANTIBIOTICS WERE TOO STRONG FOR ME.

AND THE PARADOX IS THAT I INFORMED THE SURGEON THAT I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH GASTRITIS AND HE PRESCIBED ME ANOTHER COURSE OF ANTIBIOTICS FOR 3 DAYS. I FEEL LIKE A VICTIM. I AM A VICTIM OF DOCTORS IRRESPONSIBILITY

ACCORDING TO MY MANOMETRY I HAVE A LOW NORMAL LES PRESSURE 10 ( 6-25 NORMAL RANGE)
THE TRUTH IS THAT THAT MY PLOBLEM IS THAT HAVE WEAKLY ACID REFLUX SO NEITHER SURGERY NOR MEDICATIONS CAN HELP ME.
MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT I SHOULDN'T FEEL ANY SYMPTOMS BECAUSE MY REFLUX IS NOT ACIDIC BUT HOW CAN THIS COULD BE FEASIBLE SINCE I HAVE 222 WEAKLY ACID EVENTS AND NORMAL RANGE IS UNTIL 15?????? THIS IS A HUGE NUMBER OF EVENTS
MY LIFE HAS COMPLETELY BEEN DESTROYED SINCE I TOOK SO MANY ANTIBIOTICS. I WISH I HAD IMAGINED THAT I HAVE SOME DEGREE OF SILENT REFLUX AND ANTIBIOTICS AFFECT THIS CONDITION.

I AM SO DEPRESSED I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

Post Edited (maria2016) : 1/23/2017 2:00:43 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 5/8/2018 9:13 AM (GMT 0)
Mary,

Did you ever find a solution for this? I'm currently going through the exact same thing together with the excess foamy saliva. All after antibiotics as well.

Karlo
Posted 7/23/2022 4:31 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, I know it has been some time since your post. Your situation is exactly what I have been dealing with. I found a swollen submandibular lymph node on the right side under jaw about 9 months ago. It was the size of a large grape. I got treated with antibiotics & steroids but it didn't help. I wasn't sick & I didn't have any infections. Some time passed & I finally went to the ENT. He put the scope down my throat & saw evidence of LPR (Silent Reflux) My lymph node was like yours, moveable & painless. Some times it would feel a little tender if you press firmly. The globus sensation in back of throat was from LPR. He put me on Nexium 40mg & gave me steroid nasal spray. He said if my symptoms didn't improve in 3 months, he would do a scan but he wasn't worried about it. Didn't seem to appear to be cancer from what he knew. I was also afraid of lymphoma. I had a few other things going on like extreme fatigue, feeling cold all the time, low body temperature, hair thinning & falling out, dizziness, & blurry vision. That accumulated over the previous year, not all at once. I got blood work done which revealed iron deficiency anemia, vitamin D deficiency, & vitamin b12 deficiency. That was the main causes of my symptoms. Once a couple of months went by after ENT visit, I noticed the lymph node finally began to shrink!! This is after 7 months having it at that point. The 3rd month has gone by since ENT & it's almost back to normal. I'm surprised. I didn't ever think it was going down. I don't know if the meds from ENT are doing it or getting treated for the low iron & vitamins are helping or a combination of both but something is working, finally. I even am supposed to see a hematologist for an iron transfusion. My point is, it is very possible that it's somehow related to LPR. If not, maybe deficiencies? Have you had blood work done? I had them do it all on me. I thought it was thyroid related, but my thyroid was fine. Do you have any updates or did it ever go down? I was told if it gets bigger again, to give them a call but at the size it's at and the fact it's finally decreasing, there's no alarm. It's amazing what conditions our bodies can create from spawning off something else going on within the body. Hope all is well!
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