Sore throat & painful ear mainly when sleeping. Is this reflux related?

[MoominMomma]

Hi, I have lupus & scleroderma but over the last 3 weeks I’ve been having an extremely sore throat & painful left ear but this is mainly at night time or when I’m sleeping. I suffer from dry mouth & take tablets to help this. My dr increased the dosage on an evening but this has made no difference. My throat looks ok & ear canal is clear. I have a hiatus hernia & suffer from acid reflux, so I thought it could be related although I haven’t had the usual burning sensation. My oesophagus doesn’t contract properly either so my food doesn’t always go down properly & I end up being sick.

Has anybody else had this kind of problem. I’ve seen the gp twice & felt like I’m making this up. One gp actually looked at all the medications I take & commented that I shouldn’t really be having any reflux related issues.

I feel like I’m going crazy 😳

[Hidden]

Yes I do although my ear isn’t that painful it just crackles and creaks loudly when I swallow and I cough a lot which wakes me, and my left nostril becomes congested with the ear ache during the night.

I have Sjögren’s and probable scleroderma and I think it’s the mix of reflux and post sinus drip causing a kind of simmering sinusitis for me.

[overnighthearingloss in reply to Hidden]

I get similar with the throat. Not had it with the ear. I am normally better on my left hand side and get more acid if on my RHS. I always use olbas oil around my nose at night and then clear my nostrils as the olbas starts to work.

If I take slippery elm before bed this gives more relief.

I have lupus and scleroderma and hiatus hernia.

[MoominMomma in reply to overnighthearingloss]

Thank you, I’ll look into slippery elm & give it a go. I’ll try anything if it helps.

[miccika1]

Usually it is recommending to sleep on the left side but for me any side is bad. The best for me is on the back. I also have to have my bed elevated so gravity help keep the acid down. There are many ways to elevate the bed, hope you can try that and see if it helps. What are you taking for acid reflux? Im taking baclofen which is not conventional but it was the only one that really helped. Meds that keep food moving seem to help the most.

[MoominMomma in reply to miccika1]

Thanks for all your help. I use an anti reflux pillow & 2 normal pillows to prop me up along with esomeperazol twice daily. I’m hoping that the consultant can give me answers in a fortnight when I see him.

At least I know I’m not going crazy! 😌

[miccika1 in reply to MoominMomma]

Ask if they could give you donperinone. That could help you through the night

[MoominMomma in reply to miccika1]

Thanks, I’ve tried donperidone but it seemed to stop having any effect after a while so I’m back on metachlopramide. I think it’s just something else to put on my list for when I see the consultant.

[Maureenpearl]

Hi MoominMomma,

I too suffers from my food not going down into my stomach during the time it should because my the muscles in my oesophagus are quite weak. I have to try and eat small portions and i now go to bed feeling quite hungry because I also suffer from gastric reflux.

I also have been diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis caused by the Lupus and I have dry eyes and mouth.

There have been many nights when I wake up with awful acid reflux which burns my throat and I have to swallow some Gaviscon to try and relieve the burning pain. Other times I throw up all over the bed and sheets and I can sometimes just wake up coughing as if something has gone down my windpipe. I now know that it is silent gastric reflux.

Some years ago I asked if I would be a good candidate for lung transplant and was told yes. When I eventually say I was ready to be tested for the lung transplant I was told by my consultant that he has already tried to put me forward but was told that because of the gastric reflux I couldn't have a transplant.

I have not got a Hiatus hernia. I do however sounds hoarse most days.

Hope this is of some help.

Praying a cure will be found quickly, for wisdom and funding.

God bless

Maureen

[miccika1 in reply to Maureenpearl]

Your reflux is really bad and probably hurting your lungs as stuff from the stomach goes in there. Did you discuss a surgery to tighten the lower esophageal sphincter with your doc? I know a person that did it and she says "it changed her life". I talked about it w my gastro and after back and forth we decided not to do it as i respond well to meds, but hearing your symptoms i feel you might be a good candidate for something like that.

[Maureenpearl in reply to miccika1]

No I didn't discuss surgery.

[MoominMomma]

I was told that I couldn’t have an operation on my esophagus as I have a hiatus hernia & it could make things worse.

Thanks for your replies