Narrowing down the problem. ACID REFLUX

Grunge · Post by **Grunge** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:02 pm

Hey, I'm new here. I'm a guy in his mid 30's who's had BB for ever. I remember having the constant need to swallow saliva (I thought it was saliva) as a teenager, i now realize it was PND. I've also got the white coating on the tongue. I've always been overweight, at the time always eating whatever i wanted; especially SPICY foods. In my late teens, i woke up one night not able to breathe, and a burning sensation in my throat...i literally thought i was gonna die. This started to happen a lot more often but, i never looked into it. As the years went by, i began singing a lot and speaking at events. I love singing, so when i started having vocal problems i started looking into the causes. Acid Reflux was one of them. But, what i didn't realize is that Acid Reflux also causes BB. I've read up on GERD, Heartburn and something called Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) which is a stomach problem as well. It refers to the backflow of stomach contents into the larynx and pharynx (the voice box and throat). Many ppl who have LPR will NOT have heartburn; so LPR is sometimes called Silent Reflux. Guys, what happens here is that our PND (and everyone has some, others more) and Acid is not just running down, through our throats. A lot of it SITS on the voice box and irritates it. It becomes STAGNANT and therefore causes a smell. So, the problem STARTS in our stomach. I've since slimmed down a lot and eat a lot healthier. A few days ago i started taking over-the-counter Prilosec. I take it once a day. I also started taking a little Aloe Vera juice as well, since it helps with Acid Reflux. I'm doing pretty good so far. My mouth isn't as dry, and my breath doesn't feel as bad. I've read that the healing process will take TIME. I'm up for it! I'll keep you updated with my progress. If you want more info on the heartburn info i shared, please email me. My email should be here on my profile. Blessings!

-Grunge

Grunge · Post by **Grunge** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 6:44 am

Here are my findings so far. My breath is WAY better! I had my wife confirm it as well. Other than keeping a low sugar and carb diet (which I've tried many times before), and eating more veggies and drinking water, the only new changes I had made were the additions of aloe Vera and Prilosec. But, I started getting a mild headache a few days ago that only got worse every day. Yesterday, the headache was worse and along with that I was feeling weak and heavy. I did some research on Prilosec and sure enough that was the problem. Apparently, it rids your stomach of all its acids, therefore halting its ability to properly break down food and absorbing the vitamins and nutrients. I'm stopping that med and continuing the aloe Vera. I truly believe the aloe Vera has made a huge impact on my stomach in keeping the heartburn in check. I was currently taking George's 100% aloe Vera. This one is bitter free and tastes just like purified water. What surprises me is that I can taste the aloe Vera all day long! I drink a few sips of it 3 times a day. I'm out of it so I bought a different kind at a closer store. The other I had bought at a health store, so let's see how this one works for me. I'm curious in knowing if you guys have acid reflux as well. Remember, not all people who have it have the symptoms of heartburn. I'll keep you guys posted.

halitosisux · Post by **halitosisux** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 7:17 am

I've always had PND too, though I'm not sure if it's because of my deviated nasal septum, or if it's connected to silent reflux. It's something I need to focus on in due course. I have lots of reasons to believe it might be reflux.

At the moment I'm focusing my efforts in other areas, but eventually I'm going to try a few weeks of Omeprazole (Prilosec). I'll keep you informed. Please keep updating us on your progress too.

By the way, you headaches etc might be because of the actual medication, so it might be worth trying another PPI or other medications which can reduce your acid. You should definitely be combining medication with lifestyle/diet changes to maximize your chances of bringing your reflux under effective control.

Has your PND reduced?

Grunge · Post by **Grunge** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:00 pm

Hey Halitosisux, thanx for posting. I was told by an ENT that I have a deviated septum as well; it's noticeable. I wouldn't suggest getting surgery to try to fix it though. 2 friends of mine (husband and wife) got it to help reduce snoring and allergies, but it didn't do a thing for them. So, i doubt it'll help with PND (but, i could be wrong).

In my case, i'm convinced it's silent reflux (LPR) cause i've had reflux since my teens and i'm always burping, even hours after i eat.

I stopped the Prilosec today cause i was being depleted of my natural stomach acids, therefore my body wasn't breaking down and absorbing vitamins from food; so i was kinda getting malnourished...hence the headaches. I agree that i might need to continue acid meds., but i don't know if PPI's are the way to go...they are dangerous if taken long term. More dangerous that BB. I will look into trying other 'softer' meds like tums or mylanta.

I'm down to aloe vera at the moment and will continue to use it. I continue to taste it in my mouth throughout the day so, i think it's really doing the trick in controlling most of the acid in my stomach. I've been reading up on alkaline foods, compared to acidic foods so looks like i have more work to do, like cutting out chocolate

, caffeine and other things.

As for my PND, it's definitely thinned out. It still drains in the back of my throat, but it is a lot thinner, not as thick and mucousy. My spit has thinned out as well, it used to always be thick and sticky. Hadn't seen it this 'healthy' since i tried Biotene a few years ago...which only worked for about a week or so.

Forgot to mention i'm on Lisinopril 10mg for my hypertension, been on it for about 3 years, so i don't know if it worsens my breath or not, haven't looked into it.

Like i've stated, i've had horrible bad breath since i was a kid, but then again i was always had a round stomach and ate the WRONG foods, so my next step is to continue to lose weight, as i hear the more fat you have on your gut, the more it stresses out your stomach, causing more acid reflux.

I'll continue to post on my progress. Keep in touch

halitosisux · Post by **halitosisux** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 6:25 pm

You're welcome.. sorry for taking so long to reply.. thanks also for your information.
My deviated septum is noticeable too. My right nostril is always more congested than my left and is usually soggy and swollen-looking inside. Sometimes though, both my nostrils are open and clear. So the physical "obstruction" isn't entirely the structure of my septum, there's an inflammatory side to this too. And when my nostril is really badly congested, my PND will tend to thicken more, especially if it's been during the night, and I can feel it's coming from my sinuses at this point and it's very hard to clear things out.

When I was about 8 years old I can remember becoming aware of the fact that during the day, everyone else had their mouth closed and I can remember thinking eh?? how are they breathing?? That's when it dawned on me that they must be breathing through their nose, and I realised that my nose was different and not working normally. I was a constant mouth-breather. Maybe this is why I had BB in childhood. Maybe that coupled with never brushing my teeth.

I forgot to ask, what dosage of Prilosec are you on?
I have an elderly relative who takes 20mg daily and has been for years, without any directly related symptoms. Maybe you could try a lower dosage if you're taking higher than 20mg?
Reading the information leaflet on Omeprazole, it can potentially cause of number of quite serious symptoms.

Back to the deviated septum though, I also personally know some people who've had surgery to relieve PND and it didn't help at all. I guess it must depend on what's causing the PND, and whether or not the deviated septum causes the sinuses to block off for example.

It's great that you've managed to thin your mucus. I've never found anything that I can say beyond a doubt has been able to thin my mucus. I can't wait to try Omeprazole now.

Good luck with what you're doing, yes keep in touch.

Grunge · Post by **Grunge** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 8:38 pm

halitosisux wrote: I have lots of reasons to believe it might be reflux.

What makes you believe you have acid reflux? What are your symptoms? Besides the obvious symptoms, such as heartburn, hoarseness, cough and bad breath, there are also VISUAL effects.

In my case, one thing i've noticed and for years couldn't pinpoint as to why, is the fact that my teeth enamel has eroded. My teeth have lost a lot of their density and look almost transparent, per say. Acid reflux does this to your teeth, unfortunately; makes sense, though. Check your teeth, do they look and seem the way i described them. If so, you probably have acid reflux, but it not, you could still have it. That's just something i noticed on myself, i've never talked or compared stories with anyone like me before. So, again thanx for your time, i was hoping to connect with someone here.

I've suffered the same symptoms as you as far as my nostrils clogging up, sometimes one, then the other, sometimes both. My wife says i snore so, that contributes to bad breath as well. I'm looking into maybe elevating my upper body a bit with a pillow wedge to help with the snoring and acid reflux. It's been about 3 years since i last woke up at night choking on acid in my throat.

What's your diet like? What do you drink and eat throughout the day? Do you have late dinners?

I was taking over-the-counter Prilosec 20mg - one pill a day, in the morning. But, i stopped yesterday because i was feeling crappy; i know for sure it was the Prilosec. I know everyone reacts differently to medication. Well, i reacted to Prilosec after only a week of taking it.

I keep forgetting to share what i've tried in the past to cure or at least suppress this awful condition (BB). For anyone who is looking to try or has tried, Here it goes. I've tried from brushing with biotene, therabreath, Breath Rx, tea tree oil with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide. I even started scraping/cleaning my tongue with Glycerin (the skin moisturizer), which helped for a few days. I've tried rinsing my sinuses with tea tree oil and baking soda cause i thought i had a fungus in my sinuses. I've tried rinsing with Cepacol which only left a horrible taste in my mouth, but didn't work. I've tried taking Bromelain pills, which is the stuff found in pineapples but in a higher dosage. This helped with swelling in the sinuses and dried up my PND, but stopped working and made me jittery as well. I've taken Probiotics (14 Billion bacteria) twice a day. Pretty much tried it all, but to no avail.

BUT! Nothing has helped me as much as plain ol' Aloe Vera. I really think this is it. I think i've found my way to curing myself. I now believe the ROOT of my problem is not in my mouth or throat, but my gut/stomach. Anyone who's tried everything like me, don't look into getting surgery (just yet)...Give Aloe Vera a try and stop eating spicy foods, cut down a lot on sweets, bread, caffeine and increase your alkaline foods such as green vegetables (salads). Good luck! I'll keep posting with updates as well. God bless

halitosisux · Post by **halitosisux** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 10:19 pm

Good question. I've never really properly ruled out reflux. The only medical test I've had is an endoscopy to check for helicobacter and to check the condition inside my stomach and esophagus. The result was that I was helicobacter negative and showed no signs of gastritis or GERD.

I have heartburn about once a year, usually when I've eaten something spicy or late in the evening. I had the symptoms of a stomach ulcer a few years ago, which I've now concluded it was probably caused by chewing gum all day, smoking cigarettes and stress.

My dad suffered from SEVERE reflux and stomach related problems. He suffered a perforated ulcer at one point, which nearly killed him, and a few years later had to have surgery to stop his acid production (this is before the Zantac was available). A few years ago, after all this terrible suffering, I persuaded him to get tested for helicobacter, and his result was negative. So perhaps whatever his underlying problem was, I've inherited too.

My mum suffered with PND, without any cause ever having been found. She had numerous operations on her nose to try to stop this, including surgery to straighten her septum.

I don't think I've got enamel erosion, though my teeth are quite sensitive to temperature and the inner surface is completely different to the smooth outer enamel surface. It's rough and feels like bone instead of enamel. Is that erosion do you think?

I have hoarseness and I'm always having to make throaty rasping clearouts of my larynx when I talk. I have asthma (which has diminished a lot in recent years, but was very bad while I had it).

My diet is balanced. I try not to over-eat. I don't drink alcohol, except for the odd occasion. Everything I do I try to do in moderation.

Sometimes I wake up in the night with a pool of acid in my throat, almost like im being sick, but I soon clear it and it generally won't happen again until another night.

If I think of anything else I'll let you know.

Grunge · Post by **Grunge** » Tue Apr 01, 2014 6:17 am

I recently had an H. pylori test that came back negative. Other than that, i haven't had any other kind of labs to check for bacteria. I do however wanna check my acid levels. I hear there's tests you can buy at the store that check it through the urine.

By the sound of your symptoms, it seems that you have acid reflux as well; all the symptoms are there...hoarseness, clearing your throat, teeth sensitivity to temperature (not sure if the roughness of your teeth is a result of acid), the pool of acid in your throat at night and the PND. You definitely need to look into that as it might be the cause of your BB nightmare.

I went out today and bought me some Enzyme Complex (with herbs) capsules for digestive support so, hope it helps more with the reflux.

I'm still trying to rid my tongue of the white coating, though. Traditional Chinese medicine says that the color of your tongue says a lot about your health. There are times when the coating is yellow, meaning chronic problems. Nothing's been able to clear the coat recently. Hope it clears out on its own if i keep eating healthy and drinking the Aloe.

Grunge · Post by **Grunge** » Tue Apr 01, 2014 1:50 pm

Another thing I'd like to add for those who love their milk, but can't drink it cause it leaves a metallic or bitter taste in your mouth and so just worsens your breath - replace it with almond milk. It not only tastes great, it has twice the calcium than regular cow juice. I recommend 'Almond Breeze' milk over 'Silk' milk, though, but i know we're all different in our likes, so give them both a try. I have it with cereal almost every day.

I know that drinking water throughout the day doesn't help much with our bad breath, but it does help keep our mouth refreshed and our bodies hydrated. Water contains oxygen, so that helps with all the bacteria in our mouth.

If you know for sure that the problem isn't coming from your mouth or sinuses, then it's definitely coming from your gut. Start to NARROW DOWN your problem. If mouthwashes and certain toothpastes haven't helped, then stop buying more of other brands. Move on to treating the sinuses. If that doesn't work, move on to the gut.

I believe what we eat affects our bodies in so many ways. Were we born with this illness, or did we develop it with our eating and lifestyle habits? We may never know, but it's certainly worth a try to change our lifestyles; from smoking, drinking, to looking at the side effects of certain prescribed meds we're taking for other illnesses.

Maybe all we need is good ol' fashioned exercise. Or a vacation from all the stress at home and work. But, we should definitely think twice before considering risking more damage to ourselves through surgery or desperate measures, like consuming things we have no knowledge about. The cure could be easier than we think.

Grunge · Post by **Grunge** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 6:02 pm

What do you call having BB, dry mouth and PND every single day of your life since you were a teenager, trying everything you know to help it, and finally eliminating it; not having symptoms for 1 week and half???

It's only been 1 week and a half since my symptoms disappeared, but i think we'd call this being CURED, so to speak - i say this because although the symptoms have stopped, i may still have something wrong with me, therefore i'm having to depend on a remedy to suppress it.

This remedy is something dirt cheap, and you can buy it at a local drug or grocery store. The remedy, MY remedy? ALOE VERA.

Apparently, my stomach either cannot digest food on it's own, or my lower esophageal sphincter (LES) cannot close properly, therefore causing stomach acids to come back up to the esophagus.

I read that Aloe Vera helps with these problems, so i gave it a try. All i do is drink a few sips of it in the morning, afternoon and before bed. That's it. Years and years of symptoms and embarrassment, completely gone! I'm excited guys, and i want you to try it for yourself. Your stomach may not be your problem, but it might be for many of us who have tried EVERYTHING.

I still have the white coating on the tongue, can't make it go away, so i'm gonna try oil pulling with coconut oil. I believe i've developed a fungus on my tongue due to all the acid and bateria throughout the years. So, the problem is my stomach, not mouth.

I'd like for you guys to try it. Go out there and buy some AV and please, PLEASE let me know if it worked for you. You can find it for $10 or less. Good luck!

halitosisux · Post by **halitosisux** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 10:19 pm

Good luck! By the way, cells of mucous membrane can apparently turn into keratin (the main stuff that hair and nails are made of) as a protection mechanism. Acid reflux can can (apparently) trigger this thickening up of dead cells for protection against the acid, including on the tongue surface. That might be what your coating is, especially if it doesn't smell too bad. Sometimes a coating is fungal or bacterial plaque. Usually when there's fungal overgrowth in the mouth, it doesn't just affect the tongue. Search for oral thrush in Google images to see some examples.

Maybe the best thing for your tongue now is to leave it completely alone.

Grunge · Post by **Grunge** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:48 am

You're right, i'll leave it alone for now, since it doesn't smell bad. After all, I am still in the healing process, so anything - good - can happen within the next month or so. I'd take fresh breath over a clean, pink tongue anytime! Thanx for the words of wisdom, H. Sux