1. Community
  2. Gut, bowel and stomach
  3. Reflux Oesophagitis

I've been having tinnitus, dizziness and losing. balance when walking. Have a hiatal hernia and lpr.

Posted , 7 users are following.

alvin44382
alvin44382

Every morning upon waking up, I have this lump in my throat and white mucus coming out. then dizziness starts with ear and jaw pain. when I walk it seems I am being pulled to one side. A check with the ENT showed normal hearing and nothing wrong with my ears. I take bonamine for dizziness but doesn't seem to work. I was thinking this could be TMJ but my bites are normal with no maloçlussion. I was thinking these episodes could becused by silent reflux because of the hiatal hernia. Would be glad to find somebody out there who have been experiencing these too.

1 like, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • carol7212
    carol7212 alvin44382

    Posted

    I have a hiatal hernia also. Been diagnosed with silent reflux and had a perforated ulcer 2 yrs ago. Am taking a PPI. I have the lump in throat sensation constantly , the humming in my ears periodically which the doctor says is yet another symptom of silent reflux plus I have the dizziness almost all the time. I described the dizziness to my son as when I walk it feels like I'm walking on a slant. You say feel like your being pulled to one side which I imagine is the same feeling.

    So yes, I have experienced some of your symptoms.

    • cheryl06050
      cheryl06050 carol7212

      Posted

      Tomorrow I will be having my first endoscopy to see what is going on, but I have LPR and have the symptoms you talk about. Mine started with breathing problems, dizzy, balance is always off, and ringing in my ears. This happens because the silent acid reflux comes up and gets into the respiratory system and even into the eustachian tubes in the ears which cause the ringing and balance problems. From there it can even get into your tear ducts and cause dry eyes. 

      I had a lump in my throat with phlegm to the point of just spitting it out and not swallowing it was just too much. Sick nauseous feeling all the time until the Omeprazole started working. I couldn't even drink water without being sick and belching for days. Everything seems to be under control pretty good now, I still taste and feel acid daily but the lump has subsided for the most part. 

      Hope you find some resolution with your symptoms. 

    • alvin70124
      alvin70124 carol7212

      Posted

      tnx carol. how long have you been taking ppis? have you tried stopping them? i have tried stoppingvthem but afrer a few days i get more reflux and sore throat and ear pain that i have to double the dosage. it seems we have to take them continuously till they find a real solution for stopping acid refluxes.
    • shaq26875
      shaq26875 cheryl06050

      Posted

      Less than a year ago I was diagnosed with GERD and Barretts esophagus (also Sjogren's syndrome) but for years i have had problems with balance (intermittently) and tinnitus and ear pains (probably in my 20s) but as i was prone to respiratory infections I put it all down to that. Now in my 60s I put it down to getting 'old'. I saw 2 ENT guys 6 months ago and neither said I had LPR (camera down the nose) i was on PPI for a few months and was taken off it as my Barretts was minimal ( cant remember if my tinnitus and ear pains and sometimes jaw pains disappeared during that time) 

      ​LPR? The 2 differnt GIs who gave me endoscopies did not mention LPR.

      Do you think I should revisit the ENT and specifically ask him if i have LPR

    • carol7212
      carol7212 alvin70124

      Posted

      Hi Alvin, I've been taking PPI's for almost 4 years now. I tried stopping them but symptoms would rear their ugly head each time after 3 or 4 days. At one point my Dr. doubled my dosage but it didn't seem to make a difference. Yes it surely does look like these pills will never be out of our lives.
    • cheryl06050
      cheryl06050 shaq26875

      Posted

      I have to know what is going on with my health so if it was me I would be asking if there is a possibility of having LPR. Some Drs are not aware of LPR yet even though it is prevalent to us. I was diagnosed with Sjogren's many years ago, but now with having LPR I believe it is from this. Your symptoms sound like you have dealt with the respiratory issues which the dry eyes would fit into this category. Do you have post nasal drip? I don't know if you are using a patient portal to keep up with your Drs notes but that is sometimes helpful to see what they have reported. Let me know how it goes.
    • alvin70124
      alvin70124 carol7212

      Posted

      it sure is a problem and worrisome that we have to take these ppis for life. i had blood test yesterday and my magnesium calcium and hemoglobin lvels were below normal. i think ppis have some side effects on these. and i wonder why these dzziness and imbalance are on 24/7 especially mornings and late afrernoon. and non-stop tinnitus louder when lying in bed.
    • shaq26875
      shaq26875 cheryl06050

      Posted

      I was diagnosed with Sjogren's last summer (few months after diagnosed with GERD). I live in the Middle East at the moment so I am sometimes given written reports after a procedure or have to ask for them. If the consultant doesnt wirte everything up in the report but only tells me about it then it does get missed (or forgotten by me...at last endoscopy GI told me i had enlarged vein/s in my middle chest area and get it seen to but didnt mention it in report...so something I have to try and sort it out with another specilaist... maybe a pulmonologist??)

      ​I will return to GI and discuss LPR and go from there.

    • cheryl06050
      cheryl06050 shaq26875

      Posted

      That sounds like a good plan to return and ask questions about LPR. If you haven't read all of the symptoms for LPR that will also give you a heads up. My main issues are breathing and dizziness but I have had all the rest of them too. Sometimes Drs just assume things because it is routine for them but we are just learning all of this so we need more information from them on what is going on with us.  It does sound, however like you have LPR from what you are saying with your symptoms of balance, tinnitus, Sjogren's, and you were already diagnosed with GERD and Barrets. I haven't been told I have LPR yet either, my GP just wrote down "some form of GERD" and then sent me off to my GI, I expect to see it in writing from the GI Drs report but that won't happen until my follow up.  
  • Barretts
    Barretts alvin44382

    Posted

    Hi Alvin,

    Your analyis of your situation sounds spot on. A hiatus hernia exacerbates reflux by impairing the proper function of the lower oesophageal sphincter. Stomach contents can then backflow into the oesophagus and if travelling full column can breach the upper sphincter (commonly referred to as LPR or "silent reflux" ) and aspirate into the respiratory system whence it may be carried to the throat and, via the eustacian tube, to the ears.

    Excess mucous forms in the respiratory system to help expel any foreign matter and the cricopharyngeal muscle that controls the upper sphincter can tighten or spasm in an attempt to control backflow, producing the lump in the throat feeling known as globus.

    Read about it in the chapter on extra-oesophageal reflux in the free www DownWithAcid org uk book / website.

    You need to reduce your reflux by lifestyle: lose weight if necessary, avoid tight clothes, don't overfill your stomach (eat smaller portions but more frequently) , don't do any exercise after food that will put pressure on your stomach, leave at least 3 hours between your last meal and going to bed, raise the bed head by 6 to 8 inches.

    I had these reflux issues all my life until I had reflux reduction surgery (fundoplication) 8 years ago.

    All the best, Chris.

    • alvin70124
      alvin70124 Barretts

      Posted

      tnx buddy. that is so relieving. how long have you been on ppi? i gave been onbomeprazoke/ lansoprqzile for almost 3 years now. i wonder if those have something to do my rbc and hemoglobin that falls below normal levels. im also thinking of a chiropractor to manipulatw this hiatal hernia. has anyone tried this with success? hope we all could find relief from all these problems.
    • Barretts
      Barretts alvin70124

      Posted

      Since my fundoplication 8 years ago, I'm med free. But I had taken PPIs for 15 years prior to that - building to 80mg omeprazole for the last few.

      High dose over long period can induce hypochlohydria resulting in malabsorption of essential minerals; I needed supplemental iron.

      If your hiatus hernia is pf the sliding type and loose enough, it is possible that some chiropractors can manipulate it, getting the stomach back from the thorax through the hiatus hole in the diaphragm and back into the abdomen. However, it will probably just slide back again.

      I know of a few people who have had manipulation only for it to fail.

    • alvin70124
      alvin70124 Barretts

      Posted

      tnx again. my rbc and hemoglobin also fluctuates that i have to have them tested every month. i am now taking iron and b12 supplements just to be safe coz i must continue with ppi. my hiatal hernia slides i think, coz sometimes i have shortness of breath when i bend over. im having palpitations, fast heartbeat and sudden rise in bp lately. does this have something to do with my hiatal hernia?
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.