topic Re: Silent Reflux in Wellness

Silent Reflux

texassunflower — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 19:38:56 GMT

I have had allergies symptoms for a month now. Thick mucus drainage down the back of my throat, coughing, clearing my throat, and difficulty swallowing the drainage. Been to a walk in clinic, called primary care doctor for virtual visit, been to see the primary doctor twice. Given Zyrtec, Z pack, and a cortisone shot. Last visit, he suggested this might be silent reflux and gave me script for generic Protonix. I can eat food, swallow liquid, and take meds with no problem. Difficulty swallowing my own saliva is what is scaring me. Once I get whatever dried up with children's Dimetapp I am okay. I usually take a child's dose. Referred to ENT. I have no heartburn or indigestion. Needless to say, the swallowing issue is very distressing. I have to either clear my throat or cough before I can swallow whatever is dripping down my throat. Has anyone ever dealt with silent refux?

Re: Silent Reflux

fthunt — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 19:52:21 GMT

Yes - past several months - - seasonal allergies and too much A/C will do it. Our bodies manufacturer it (mucus - has another medical name) to protect against bad stuff entering our system. A/C dries out our membranes and causes an irritation, thus the need to cough to move it along.. This is NOT reflux. I buy one of the Mucinex options, over the counter tablets, which thins the mucus and allows it to drain better.

It really helps - avoid heavy duty prescriptions if possible

Re: Silent Reflux

Desertdi — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:14:18 GMT

Could also be a sinus infection causing the drainage.

Re: Silent Reflux

DianeJ2 — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:41:22 GMT

Agree with possible sinus. My ENT says Acid Reflux, drainage and sinus infection are linked. Maybe the zpack didn't clear it up?

Re: Silent Reflux

Pook — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 22:43:59 GMT

@texassunflower You could have Vocal Cord Dysfunction. I have it and have drainage, coughing and I would get hoarse, trouble swallowing, shortness of breath and eventually had acid reflux issues. Those are all are many symptoms of VCD and those who have it e can have all or only some of the symptoms. It is very hard to diagnose and I was treated for asthma and sinus issues for years.

Re: Silent Reflux

lolakimono — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 23:30:01 GMT

@texassunflower

I am a teacher, and at my previous school we had a classroom microphone amplification system. Every teacher was given a neck mic that we could strap on and the central speakers in the ceiling were wired to transmit all around the room. Despite wearing a mic, I was prone to bouts of laryngitis, which would last for weeks. I have asthma, allergies, and chronic sinus issues, to the point where I had sinus surgery to resolve the frequent infections. My allergist and ENT are in the same practice, and they have a speech pathologist. I saw her and she tested my vocal cords, which she said had ridges, an early sign of silent reflux. This was concerning to me because my father passed of esophageal cancer, and he had acid reflux. One of the "tips" she gave me was NEVER to clear my throat, because she said it's like slamming the vocal cords together, which causes more inflammation. She advised that I drink water (small sips) throughout the day to keep the throat lubricated, and to use a certain kind of cough drop if I experienced dryness. So far her tips have worked. If I do get sick, and need to take additional decongestants, one of the first problems for me will be laryngitis. It's a cycle- congested breathing, take decongestant, it dries out the throat and then I get laryngitis.

I do acupuncture and I use the neti pot when I feel congested. Avoiding dairy is another good place to start.

I hope that you find some relief.

Re: Silent Reflux

RedLipstick — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 06:06:48 GMT

I agree it can be a miserable condition with many different Dr's giving different teatment methods. I have had acid reflux for years.As soon as I think I am feeling better the allergies kick in or the asthma.

Hoping to feel better with the acid reflux subsiding but so many Rx's to take a day can even be wearing.

Does anyone have any simple ideas to help that we may not have heard of before.

I know following Dr's orders is helping but it seems all the ENT professionals have multiple opinions. Some work and some don't.

Hoping for everyone to feel better with the least amount of med's.

Re: Silent Reflux

tends2dogs — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 14:19:00 GMT

@lolakimono I am sorry to hear you have this chronic problem. May I ask what cough drops your doc recommends?

Re: Silent Reflux

lolakimono — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 15:43:17 GMT

@tends2dogs wrote:
@lolakimono I am sorry to hear you have this chronic problem. May I ask what cough drops your doc recommends?

@tends2dogs

I have had good luck with these:

The important part is that they NOT contain menthol. While it helps to decongest, it also acts as an irritant to the throat, a never ending cycle.

Re: Silent Reflux

texassunflower — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 16:12:16 GMT

@lolakimono I am a retired teacher. Every November or December when I was teaching, I would get an upper respiratory illness. Drainage, cough, sore throat, and hoarseness. I would talk all day, then not talk at night and be okay the next morning. This usually continued until Thanksgiving or December break. I could stop talking for days and my voice would come back. I have had many sinus infections and they are so nasty. I use a neti pot and gargle with salt water. The Protonix has really given me a dry mouth. So now I have trouble swallowing and little saliva. I purchased Biotene mouthwash and Act honey lemon longezes. These products are suppose to help with dry mouth. There is an Act gum that increases saliva production. What are the longezes your speech pathologist recommended? I was typing and just saw the above post. Thank you for your quick reply.

Re: Silent Reflux

Growing — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 02:24:29 GMT

My reflux is due to a physical defect at the opening of my stomach. There are many other meds for reflux if the side effects of protonix are not tolerable. I have a hiatal hernia and this causes my reflux. Every reflux med has a side effect for me. My current one is Prilosec OTC from any store. Either sleepiness or fatigue (the Prilosec) or insomnia (all the others). I'd probably want a gastro doc to do an endoscopy and check the tissue in my stomach and throat. I'd insist on another reflux med if this one was giving me such side effects that my life was miserable. Are you also on allergy meds because this could be what is drying you out. I am using slippery elm right now because a medication I am recently starting is giving me burning in my throat and one of the listed side effects is reflux. I am using slippery elm which is healing to the entire digestive system. I think I will not be continuing this med as the burning is not good. Back to the doctor for me. I hope you find answers and help soon.

Re: Silent Reflux

Growing — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 02:33:04 GMT

Also, I looked up protonix on rxlist dot com and dry mouth is not a listed side effect but insomnia is! That doesn't mean it won't cause this in you. Doctors have told me reflux drugs do not cause sleepiness or insomnia but the drug manufacturers list one or the other in the side effects list. I wonder if the dimetapp is drying you out? Try the plain mucinex without the decongestant or antihistamine and see if the drying out mouth gets better. Rinse your nose with a netti pot or one of those machines available on amazon to rinse the nose. I use a HIPPA filte air cleaner in my room at night. Look on consumer reports to find a good one as some of them don't work - even the name brand ones. Allergy drugs dry me out, I take a half does or quarter dose. And only every other day. Again, I hope this resolves quickly for you. Sounds miserable.

Re: Silent Reflux

OhioAngel — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 12:27:06 GMT

I think only a dr could tell you what the issue is for sure. I have allergies and reflux and at times it is hard to tell which one is acting up! I stay on the Nexium and it helps me so much in dealing with reflux plus being careful what I eat. I try to not have alot of dairy especially milk, that leads to alot of sinus congestion and mucus and draining in my throat. Yuck.

Re: Silent Reflux

goldensrbest — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 18:41:00 GMT

My 85 yr old mom,has been having these symptoms, for 4 months, x rays of nose ,and other test,this sounds very much what she has,i had never heard of this,was glad to see this post.

Re: Silent Reflux

Growing — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 02:59:52 GMT

How are you feeling now?

Re: Silent Reflux

Zhills — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 19:41:11 GMT

Sipping warm honey & lemon in water will help keep the mucus thinned out of your throat. Dilute it rather than try to dry it up.

Re: Silent Reflux

texassunflower — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 22:01:19 GMT

I saw the ENT and he told me to come off anything that was drying out my mouth. It took three days for the Protonix to leave my system. I have taken allergy medication most of my adult life. I switched Zrytec and now take it at night. The swallowing issue has gotten much better. I still cough and clear my throat repeatedly in the morning. Sometimes it's an all day affair. I really don't know where to go from here. I have three symptoms of silent reflux but ENT did a nasal scope and looked at my nose, throat, and vocal cords. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I assume silent reflux would irrate my vocal cords. I am going to try another PPI for a week. I know several people who take them and no one has complained about a dry mouth. ENT said I might try Mucinex to see if that would help. He really didn't have any suggestions. I think either an allergist or gastroenterologist will be next appointment. I guess it will depend on if another PPI helps with my symptoms. Thank you @Growing for asking and welcome to the boards.

Re: Silent Reflux

Catbelly — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 12:23:34 GMT

I have similar issues. I few years ago I ended up in the ER 3x with "pneumonia". It ended up being aspirate pneumonia from me coughing in my sleep then inhaling into my lungs - all from acid reflux. Had a swallow test done and the flap from the esophogus to the stomach doesn't completely close resulting in acid backing up.

Besides my regular meds I started sleeping on a wedge pillow and no issues since. The voice is sometimes still an issue and usually have increased "hoarseness" if I have too many fluids with citric acid.

Re: Silent Reflux

wagirl — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 14:51:23 GMT

.@Pook ---my DD has what you have too!!!! Word for word----she has gone thru so many drs over this problem and really nothing can be done for it----she struggles with thick mucus that she is ALWAYS trying to clear from her throat. I bet it took her 10 years to finally go get tested for. she doesn't eat anything dairy thinking that helps but not sure it does. Are you doing something for yours?

Re: Silent Reflux

Pook — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 17:28:29 GMT

@wagirl wrote:
.@Pook ---my DD has what you have too!!!! Word for word----she has gone thru so many drs over this problem and really nothing can be done for it----she struggles with thick mucus that she is ALWAYS trying to clear from her throat. I bet it took her 10 years to finally go get tested for. she doesn't eat anything dairy thinking that helps but not sure it does. Are you doing something for yours?

I was treated for asthma for 15 years and all the inhalers and taking the highest dosage of Advair. All those just inflamed my vocal chords causing shortness of breath that kept me from doing some things. Finally since I could get no answers as to why the asthma treatments weren't helping I went to an asthma specialist who diagnosed me and sent me to a voice clinic. I was put on a 9 month double dose of Prilosec which calmed everything down and given exercises to open up my vocal chords when breathing is bad. Keeping the acid reflux controlled stops the post nasal mucous and keeps the vocal chords relaxed. I watch what I eat for the reflux and every few months can go on prilosec for a month or two. I also got a Navage to keep my sinuses clear and use it a couple times a week. I still have shortness of breath at times but the exercises help and keeping a sugar free menthol cough drop in my mouth helps keep me breathing better when doing strenuous things.