Chronic Bad Breath

[tinkerbell000]

Thanks for responding...well im am sure that i have lpr bc my symptoms are feels like a lump in my throat, ear popping, mucus, bb, white coating on the tongue, large taste buds in teh back, sour taste in my mouth, sometimes burning in my throat,I used to have tonsil stones but i had my tonsils out, i also have ibs. Now i am taking Nexium to lower the acid in my stomach. So if the acid is lowered then the ph in my mouth should become more basic instead of acidic. Therefore my bb should decrease right? How else can i lower the ph in my mouth to take away this bb? My ENT put a tube through my nose and then it went into my throat and he said everything was very red and he told me i had gerd/lpr. Would he be able to tell from there if i have a hernia or whatever? Thanks again...i just want to get rid of this problem

[ginger65]

Hi tinkerbell

To find out about a hiatus hernia you will need to have an Endoscopy. This will show any fixed or sliding hiatus hernia, any esophaegal lesions or strictures (unlikely in LPR as acid is too weak to damage esophaegal lining and passes through it quickly in any event). They will also take a culture for H Pylori often associated with stomach ulcers and reflux. Unless there is something very apparently wrong with your LES it is unlikely that the endoscopy will pick up on how weak it is. A tip for the endoscopy is to take sedation and not the spray option...it is a nightmare experience.

There is a protocol here in the UK before surgery is considered for reflux which is 3-4 months PPI (5-6 months US)..no change....Endoscopy....and finally 24 hour PH monitoring. This provides the most conclusive evidence of reflux. For 24 hours you have a thin tube placed through the nose. A receptor is placed in the esophaegus just above the LES and an other is placed just below the UES. This will measure the volume and frequency of acid reflux incidents as you go about your normal daily routine. If you feel an incident occur you can press the computer attached to it. You will also keep a diary of times you eat, what you eat, when you lie down and when you go to bed. After the test it is then removed. In the US many use a third receptor in the voice box to confirm acid activity right into the throat. Another part of the procedure is to test your esophaegal motility by using the same sensors the doctor asks you to drink and swallow some water so they can measure the effectiveness of your esophaegal muscle waves. If it is slow it rules out corrective surgery.
The link between the hiatus hernia and the reflux is believed to be down to the pressure the hernia puts on the sphincter valve making it weaker over time. Others put the weakness down to alcohol use or anti-depressant use. The valve should open to let food in and close to prevent reflux. Everyone gets reflux but this is usually due to overeating or hurryied eating (eg heartburn) where a normal valve cannot cope with the pressure. In LPR there is little or no heartburn and the reflux is not dictated by what, how and when you eat. During my 24 hours monitoring I hardly ever noticed a reflux incident yet the computer report showed many of these day and night even when I drank water. It was because I had become so accustomed to them that I did not notice them anymore.

Hope helps

[Jon powell]

Nexium takes a while to work, I believe up to 8 weeks.

I havea question about tonsil stones. Those little stinkers!! I've had them for a good part of my life, I'd say since in my teens. It seems though I am getting them more frequently. Is this common? Does it just keep getting worse? I need a referral to a doc and if I ask about the tonsil stones what if he says it's no big deal and they are harmless?
Thanks.

[tinkerbell000]

Jon,
Yes mine got worse, but my tonsils were also HUGE...so i had them out.

Ginger,
I rarely have heartburn, however, when the doc scoped me he said everything was inflammed and red...so i am assuming i have lpr. Sometimes i will have (i dont know if it is a burning per say) but a strange feeling alittle below my rib cage...like my upper abdomen. I dont know if that is heart burn or what. My doc wants to keep me on nexium for 1 month or so and then he said he might try a differ PPI. I also have ibs...i wonder if that has anything to do with why i have lpr or visa vera. Honestly i just want the bb to go away...i hate it.

[victim00]

hi ginger, thanks for the explanation, yes i do have the symptoms as stated and i believe that my saliva is in acidic form too. im taking gastro medicine for a few mths now but the b.b still exists. will ur surgery helps in getting rid of the b.b?