# Ears Blocked due to IBS?



## Guest (Oct 30, 2000)

I know it sounds crazy, but since Ive gotten IBS symptoms about a year ago(had tests to exclude cancer,ulcer, and other disease.) I've had a strange symptom.I eat my first meal of the day in the morning, and about an hour later my ears feel stopped up/ blocked. This lasts several hours and I use VICKS, antihistimines, etc to try to help. I dont have a runny/stuffy nose at all or cold when this happens. Trips to the ear/nose/throat doc resuly in him saying there is no blockage whatsoever in my ears. It feels like the beginning stage of a bad head cold and eventually passes later in the day.I keep thinking food allergy, but it seems like no matter what I eat, its that first meal of the day that does it. When I eat in the evening it does not result in this.I know Im not going crazy.. has anyone else ever heard of anything like this?


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2000)

Happens to me all the time. Very often accompanied by ringing in my ears. It's usually when I am very bloated and having trouble burping.


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## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

I haven't seen ear problems listed anywhere as a side effect of ibs. If I come across anything, though, I'll post it. Did you ear/nose/throat doc have any ideas? I'd really be interested in finding out myself.







JeanG


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

JOEY: No you are not crazy...at least not using this as a measuring stick...One of the common syptoms of delayed-hypersensitivity reactions to foods and additives is "reactive gut" (IBS symptom set). Among the many other constitutional symptoms of food or additive reactivity are some weird ones, one of which is "stuffy ears". One of the systemic effects of having the circulating immune system dumping irritating chemical mediators in the plasma. It can show up in funny places...I don't mean "funny" funny, since there is nothing funny about not being able to hear from "stuffy ears" (on the upside you cannot hear EMINEM or KIDROCK or ROB ZOMBIE with stuffy ears).Dysphonia was another one that surprised me in the literature...until I met a patient who had that as his only symptom! I felt like "Naw...now that's not possible" but took away the reactive food and his voice returned to normal. You not be aloneMNL__________________ www.leapallergy.com


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## JennT (Jul 17, 2000)

Although I do not get the "stuffy ears" from IBS, I do get a weird symptom set (stuffy nose and stuffy ears) from PMS. My doc had never seen anything like this before I showed her my journal, and said that in this case it must be the water weight gain compressing the little tubes in my ENT area. Weird, huh?------------------*JennT*


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

Eh? Speak up can't hear ya...


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## NewBreedGirl (Aug 22, 2000)

What is wrong with ROB ZOMBIE ???I never linked it to my IBS but ever since the IBS got worse my ears have been weird.I thought it to be an ear infection they gave me pills went away for a week and now pop alot and seem to always have that "water in the ear" feeling....all doctors say they see no irritation.Chewing gum makes em do it worse and itch.Wow never thought it could be IBS.


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

NEW-WORLD BREED GIRL:In and of self, nothing wrong with ROB ZOMBIE per se, but I did notice, when my ears were not stuffy, that my gut preferred the sounds of Marilyn Manson or The Misfits bombasting from my 18 year old sons room, to Rob Zombie. This was the only aurally-induced colonospasm I have ever experienced. This may be unique to me of course.I will say that 9-Inch Nails did elicit some reaction as well, so I do not mean to single RZ out. I tend to prefer really old metal bands of my youth........ALL ABOARD! AH HAH HAH HAH HAAHHHH!!!!Old World MNL


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## Guest (Nov 1, 2000)

Another interesting thread! I never made the co-relation but for the past year or so, along with IBS symptoms, I have been taking an rx for guiafan (sp?) daily to keep my ears unplugged... same symptoms, plugged ears, feeling like Im coming down with ear infection but no sign of it at the docs. If I let it go it eventually turns into a very painful ear infectn... I never suspected food allergies. Would be nice to quit taking the rx for it though if I can figure out what the food issue is!


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## Guest (Nov 1, 2000)

This is so interesting. When I was very young, I had to have "tubes" in my ears from all the ear infections, and I've had digestive irregularities all my life. I've had severe allergies through out my life but they've always manifested themselves in ear-nose-throat symptoms. Those symptoms seemed to vanish and then ibs symptoms started. Now along with typical ibs I'm constantly stuffy in the the nose and ears. I get a lot of colds and sinus infections. Unfortunately, my sinuses are not the only place I have excess mucous. Now I'm wondering if it's all related. Especially after checking out Mike's Leap link. I'm going to an allergist next week. Hey Mike, do you use the leap program yourself? Glad you guys are talking about this.Brian


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## Guest (Nov 1, 2000)

I also have to report a similar set of "ear experiences" too...for many years. I always figured it was from alergies. who knows...


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## Guest (Nov 1, 2000)

bump


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## Lyn (Feb 1, 2005)

Hey, my ears are always messed up too. Could IBS really be a reason for it? As a child I had ear infections, tubes in my ears, what have you, now they're always "stuffy" and I actually (this is gross) have to get them cleaned out for wax really often for some reason. Weird. Just another one of my endearing quirks.


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## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

Mine used to block up a lot until a doc recommended ear washes for me every six months. Apparently I have very small ear canals and so they block easier. Since I started having it done I have much less trouble.







JeanG


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

HI BKRITTER:The answer to your question is more than "Yes I live it too". I supervised obtaining the funding of the research team for the underlying technology development, devised and setup of the medical clinic where it was developed, hired the doctors and dieticians, and hooked them together with the researchers and technologists doing the technology and coordinated the project development since 1995, making sure the research guys did not wander off too far from the primary project (give em a lab, electronics, and a paycheck and you never know where you will end up if you are not careful...atomic desalinization plants in orbiting space stations or something. Did you ever hear of Offshore Power Systems, Inc? Ah, thats off the track, see? I became involved and associated with the immunologist who invented the testing method (Mark J. Pasula, Ph.D.)because using the results of his first years of research on ME put me into Remission for the first time after 30 years of failure by everyone else who tried to treat me in evrey possible known way short of gastrectomy (which was actually proposed to me by one group of doctors who shall remain anonymous).It is from this project that I have had the opportunity to observe the diagnosis and lifestyle managment of so many people with intolerance-reactions to foods and additives. IBS is not he only functional disorder symptomologic set by which the conditions manifest themselves...fibromyalgia is another (and expalins why Fibro includes IBS and both can be relieved with the right diet); migraine and cluster headache, chronic fatigue of undetermined etiology (all other tests fail to show any abnormality and fatigue; brain-fog; and constituitonal aymptoms persist); hyperactive kids (inlc. A.D.D.) and chronic weight control problems-usually linked to aberrant eating behaviors (food cravings and binging) and symptomatic treatment of patients whose autoimmune diseases are aggravted by delayed-hypersensitivity to foods and additives (IBD and RA, for example). We even had a couple years ago the abolutiely wonderful opportunity to help a little boy with the rare disorder of cyclic vomiting syndrome identify what was causing this absolutly horrid and rare dysfunction, and restore him and his family life to normal. Kids are always what gives me the biggest kick out of helping them.These methods were also used on my son when he as little. Before the LEAP Test and protocols an earlier generation of testing identified his psychomotor seizure activities as triggered by specific food additives. Modifying his diet got him off seizure medications and gave me my kid back so to speak. He had been kicked out of kindergarte 4 time times and first grade 3 times for what they thought were "behavioral problems". It was chemical.I continue to work with the doctors (here and in Europe) and clincial dieticians seeking new ways to make it easier for patients to change their diet after testing, be able to cope with the lifstyle issues, and add adjuncts which iwll improve outcomes. Also on new developments trying to identify treatment which will stop the immune reactions befoe they start, not avoid with diet or try to interrupt with pharmacotherapy once the horse is aout of the barn. This is why I sometimes say I see promising things on the horizon for IBS related to the underlying etiology and preventing the wholer eaction in the first place. Then go eat whatever you want...every IBS patients dream...not just with LITTLE worry...or REDUCED worry...or protracted therapies and drug treatment..."immunologic prophylaxis" is the end-game.Looking for maximum benefit is why, for example, we have now added Dr. Weinstocks Stress Manegement CD's to the LEAP HomeCare program of any patient whose symptomologic prescreening and history are consistent with an anxiety-stress management componenet to their condition (www.ibstherapy.com is Dr. Weinstosks site). There are several methods that work, we simply look for which is most braodly acceptable to patients belief systems as then it is more likely to be followed. This, for example, is why aversion therapy is simply not a good idea...(before anyone says anything thats a 'yuk-yuk'...just obscure).After reviewing the clinical results obtained with the system during development Professor Jonathan Brostoff (whose book on Food Intolerance we have recommended to people here in our own patients for some time) has now joined us formally to assist with the next level of development with LEAP-related services or products..customizing it for food-related diseases in other counties and cultures, oversseing new research projects in the coming 3 years, developing more options for patients to enhance the dietary managment process and make it easier and/or faster to achieve results (we belive we have also identified a gut-directed biofeedback program tha, when combined with the patient-specific dietary plans, will speed up results noticeably and help long-term adherance. This will be examined in 2001.The bottom line if, the effect of this on my life eight years ago was far greater than anything I can describe to you. I was on the verge of simply losing my whole life to this disease, and the LEAP approach and technology-base gave me my life back. So I changed my medical-career goals to helping finish the development of this to make it easy as possible for others who suffer like I did to learn more about how to overcome the disease, what their options are, maximize their effective options, and how to make a choice what is the best way for them. This is what it is really all about...not pumping blood through MRT machines.It has been the most challenging and rewarding experience so far of my professional and personal life. So, yes, literally I live it. I even have my little wallet card just like any other patient, my lifstyle plan, and do those same things we teach others to do. I am often the first guinea pig for any new ideas...if I cannot teach myself to do it how can any doctor or dietician teach a patient what to do?have a DFDMNL_________________ www.leapallergy.com Now if I could just find a permanent solution to my perpetually horrible typing skills...look at all these edits and its STILL got typos...ACK![This message has been edited by Mike NoLomotil (edited 11-01-2000).][This message has been edited by Mike NoLomotil (edited 11-01-2000).][This message has been edited by Mike NoLomotil (edited 11-01-2000).][This message has been edited by Mike NoLomotil (edited 11-01-2000).]


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## Guest (Nov 2, 2000)

Now that's a reply. Whoa. Thanks for responding Mike.Brian


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