# Feisty: reflux & sinuses



## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Feisty, I read this which you wrote on the Guai thread recently:


> quote:My Allergist told me that because I have Barrett's Esophagitis, one body part calls to another and I will always have a sinus drainage problem. The stomach acid washes up into the esophagus and so the esophagus sends the message to the brain that it needs mucus to wash the acid away! Amazing what the body will do to try to help itself, huh?


and I was stunned! I had never known there could be a connection between acid reflux and sinus issues. Please can you tell me more, if you know more? My 3rd relapse of M.E. started in April 2000, and shortly after came lots of heartburn and acid reflux, and then sinus problems. I've seen an ENT who says the structure of my nose and sinuses is normal, and that the constant sinus problems are from perennial allergic rhinitis (I already have hayfever), and to use a steroid nasal spray every day of the year. I'm doing so, and get some improvement in the sinus problems, but not enough. I still get a lot of congestion, with resulting pain, vertigo and nausea. I'm due to see the ENT in a few months, but my appointment keeps getting changed and postponed. Thanks in advance if you can offer any more info or advice.


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Hi Susan







I'm afraid I don't have a whole lot to add to that. It was the first time I had heard it too.The Allergist nicknamed me "wet head"! LOL. I want to ask the Gastro Doc more about that, but I'm not due for an appointment for a while yet.I'm wondering if some other BB that has Acid Reflux members would have any knowledge about this?When I think back, I've had sinus drainage forever and it was always blaimed on allergies---I'm allergic to Maple trees, asperilligus molds, and ragweed---those are the big ones!I take Claritin every morning. I gave up on the nasal sprays---they don't do anything for me. I can use Sudafed when the drainage gets real bad, but I tend to stay away from that whenever possible due to the "C". It dries me up too much and then I have poopin' problems. LOLI've also has stomach acid problems for a long time and whenever I had mentioned it to any Doc, they told me it was "nerves" and I needed to relax. LOL. We're talking about 20 years here, or more and nothing was done to check into it.When I had my Endo 2 years ago to check for Celiac Sprue, the Gastro found Barrett's Esophagitis. And Barrett's is known to lead to cancer of the esophagus. When I think of all those years when I could have been on something to prevent it from getting to the point where esophageal damage has been done, I could spit nails! I am suppose to be on a Proton-inhibitor for the rest of my life to keep the acid content down. I've been taking Prevacid for that. I was taking it only once in the evening, but lately, I've had so much "indigestion symptoms and sour burps" that I've had to up the dose to twice a day. It seems I can't even bend over without sour burps coming up. Yuck!I hope someone out there knows a little bit more about the connection between sinus drainage and stomach acid problems.Does anyone?Thanks!


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## Mio (Dec 19, 1999)

I have had problem with reflux for many years. A couple of years ago I got problem with my lungs and a doctor said it was asthma. I saw a Asthma/Allergy specialist but he said it was my reflux causing my lung problems. He said that my stomach acid went down in to my lungs and caused trouble with breathing and pain in my back. It sounded totally weird, but after Losec (which I still take) and steroid nasal spray I got much better. So, maybe there is a connection here...I also have problems with my siuses, but my doctor told me that thatï¿½s very normal with FM.







/Mio


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Thanks for your replies - interesting. Feisty, do you think there's a connection between your allergies and FM, or are they separate problems? Mio, I wonder why sinus probs are common with Fibro? I think they are with CFS too. Maybe to do with the dysfunctioning immune system? I get that reflux in my airways too, and the pain in the back. I saw my GP on Friday, she's given me Zoton/Lansoprazole to try out everyday for a month to see if it gets rid of the reflux symptoms. I hope it works, and that it reduces the sinus probs too - if that happens, then I'll make the link between the two in my own mind, rather than blaming the sinus problems on the CFS. Maybe it's both!







lol. Anyway Fesity, you've given me hope that this is something I don't have to blame on the CFS. It was pointed out to me that this post should probably be on the Reflux forum. You'd think I would have spotted that as moderator, wouldn't you. I guess I really didn't make clear what I think of as a connection between my acid reflux and sinus symptoms, and the CFS (it's all a bit uncertain in my own mind to be honest!). Sorry about that. If this thread ends up being just about relux then I'll move it over to the GERD forum.


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Susan,It probably wouldn't hurt to post it on the Reflux forum, too, but I don't think it's necessary to move it from the Fibro and CFS forum. After all, most of us suffer from a whole lot more than just Fibro and CFS and all of these things concern some of us anyway.Quite frankly, by having to move certain posts to different forums, some things are missed by someone else who is looking for info.I always appreciated the "homey" atmosphere and the "closeness" that most of us had here on the Fibro and CFS forum. We use to be able to post about anything. Now, it seems like if we want to talk about anything else, we can't post it on this forum that we think of as "home".Does anyone else feel like this?I guess I don't understand the stricter regulations about posts. Have I missed something somewhere along the way?


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## Mio (Dec 19, 1999)

Susan,my doc told me that the micro circulation is disturbed. I donï¿½t know if that s true, or if it has to do with the immune system. Hope your meds will help you, i know how painful it is to have GERD./Mio


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Sigh.









> quote:Quite frankly, by having to move certain posts to different forums, some things are missed by someone else who is looking for info.


And by having a post about A on a forum about B (where there is no reference to B in the post), means that the poster probably misses out on lots of info that could be gleamed from people that read the A forum and don't visit the B forum.


> quote:I guess I don't understand the stricter regulations about posts. Have I missed something somewhere along the way?


I don't think there are stricter regulations







Perhaps it is that there are more forums now? The introduction of more forums means more specialisation. What's the point of having 28 different forums if we don't use them? When I volunteered to be moderator I was sent this info as a guideline, it may help you understand the way the BB is moderated: http://www.infopop.com/support/ubbclassic/...UBBclassic.html I was also asked to make sure everyone stays on topic.


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Sorry Susan,I didn't mean to confuse you, etc.I was just thinking out loud and decided to put it into words for a change---maybe I shouldn't do that?What I was trying to say is that some of us "oldies" (I guess that's what you would call us--LOL) were so use to just going to the Fibro forum and talking about everything and anything. And it was because we have Fibro or CFS that we automatically did that. We found is easier and less time consuming and stressful for us. And most of use have other concerns as well, like IBS, GERD, etc.So then there is the question.....even though we have Fibro/CFS and we are having other problems as well, are we suppose to posts the other issues on the other forums pertaining to that specific topic? And not pose those questions at all on the Fibro forum? Even though others with Fibro/CFS may also suffer from these issues? We got to know each other quite well and formed friendships, etc. and it was so much easier to go back to "our favorite spot" to check in and to check on the others. Apparently when Jeff created more forums at the request of others, new guidelines took shape also. But.....some of us wish it was like before and I guess it can't be.What I have noticed is that there is hardly anyone posting anymore on some of the forums---everyone is going to The Meeting Place and they are discussing their issues there. They will only frequent one of the other forums if they want specific medical info about a condition.I've been going to The Meeting Place more and more because there we can talk about everything and anything and still get help, ideas, voice our worries and concerns, etc. I guess this is the "habit" we need to form and use the Fibro/CFS Forum for only that issue.I apologize for making you upset and/or confused. Not my intention. I was just wondering about things.


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Mio, what is micro circulation? It sounds interesting.Feisty, it's ok to wonder about things! You didn't make me upset, I was/am just confused and exasperated, which is probably as bad. I didn't realise that people didn't know about the on-topic/off-topic thing. About where to post, I think you summed it up well. individual forums for individual topics/conditions etc, Meeting Place for stuff that's not relevant to other forums, such as 'does anyone remember the title of the film with so-and-so in it?' etc. Of course, there may be overlap with a post about IBS/whatever also being very much about Fibro or CFS, in which case it's fine here. Well anyway, that's the assumption I'm working on and that seems to be about right from what I can gather.


> quote:I guess this is the "habit" we need to form and use the Fibro/CFS Forum for only that issue


People are, really. There are just one or two posts ocasionally that would be better for poster and forum in a more relevant forum; no bigee. Yes, change can be hard to adpat to, but it can bring benefits. I joined in '99 and things have changed even in that space of time, for the better I believe.All for now. Got to try and match up curtains with windows and scratch head about whether I can stretch them to make them fit!!


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## Mio (Dec 19, 1999)

Susan, I think my doctor meant that the circulation of blood in capillaries are disturbed. But I canï¿½t remember more...Fibro fog...







I tried to search about it on google, but I couldnï¿½t find anything. I will ask more next time I talk to her. /Mio


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Thanks Mio


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