CAN MOUTH SPLINT OR BRACES CAUSE REFLUX ESOPHAGITIS

My daughter is 18 years old.  I had a really complicated delivery with her.  She is being treated for TMJ.  She got a splint about a year ago to help with that which did help her symptoms.  About six months or so after that she started wearing the splint she started saying she felt like something was in her thoat with alot of pain. She did get choked on mozzerella sticks at one time just before this started to happen. She has been on preacid 30 mg now for 6 mos. She had no pain until just recently. She has gotten her top braces on now.  Recently, she started having throat pain again.  I was told to give her mylanta in the evenings 2 TBSP every 2 hrs with the preacid.  She still is having the throat pain maybe once a day.  Can the mouthpiece and braces with the extra salvia cause esophageal spasms or acid reflux?  Should I take her off the preacid since it does not seem to be working anymore and has been on it for 6 months? Can it cause more problems being on it so long? I skipped one day of preacid and just gave her mylanta after meals and at bedtime which seemed to help as much as the preacid does.  I have her bed propped her at the head also.  She has a long history of constipation for which she is taking Miralax 1 capuful a day which has really made a difference for her.  Could that have something to do with esophageal spasms and reflux?  I am about ready to take the mouthpiece out if that is causing her reflux but then her tmj pain may come back.  We have not had the scope run yet.  She had a bad reaction to what they put her to sleep with when she was younger for eye surgery and now I am leary about that.  She was diagnosed at birth with microencephaly which the only signs she shows is learning disabilities and speech problems.  Can she be 18 yrs old and just start having these problems with her esophagus with no reasons or was it the cheese she was choked on or the mouthpiece that has to be tightened twice a week or the braces making it worse?  Please help need an answer going crazy guessing. No certain time of day she has the pain in her throat, could be during the day time sometimes at night, in the mornings, no certain time. Thank you for your help.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

To answer your questions:
1) I am unaware of a mouthpiece leading to esophageal spasms or GERD.

2) A mouthpiece may cause complications, but I am unaware of any GI complications.  You may want to consider an oral surgery referral for further evaluation regarding mouthpiece complications.

3) I am unaware of Miralax leading to GERD or esophageal spasms.

I would suggest an upper GI series or upper endoscopy to evaluate for GERD.  An ENT evaluation can also be considered if the tests are not revealing.

The most comprehensive and definitive test would be the 24-hr pH study.  This can be done, along with an esophageal motility study, if all the aforementioned tests and evaluations are not conclusive.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.

[kevinmd]

I'll be away until Saturday, Feb. 28th.  Have a nice week.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.

[yoshi]

did anyone look at her throat??

[teresa1962]

We went to a gastro doctor and he put her on preacid but we have had any test done on her throat.

[teresa1962]

What is a 24-hr ph study?

[yoshi]

just one question for my own education-has she been to a ear.nose,throat doctor??
prevacid 30 mg-if it is not working for her,it may just say she has no gerd or acid reflux problem.
if you go to a gastro doc,he will recommend endoscopy,colonscopy etc as these are what he does best.
if you go to a gastro doc,he will prescribe nexxium,prevacid,funny they dont prescrive prilosec anymore since it goes over the counter??

[kazod]

I just wanted to make a comment that I thought it was interesting that you asked the question that you did.  I also started having stomach probs 2 months after I got my braces in.  Hope your daughter is feeling better.

[teresa1962]

What kind of stomach problems did you have with your braces?

What else could it be if it is not acid reflux?

Does the over the counter medication work as well as preacid?

[kazod]

Hello.  At first the problem was supposedly GERD.  It started off with a lot of burping and occasional nausea.  I then started suffering with severe stomach pains (in between the breast bone- sternum area) It hurt to even touch there.  It felt like I had been punched really hard. After awhile, I knew when it was coming on because I got this wierd taste in my mouth- like metal, or blood.  I was put on losec, double dose.  This did help but it took awhile. Even after my stomach started to feel better, I had to see the doc because I was getting a lot of chest pain- he said it was esophagitis. A couple months after this I had abdominal pain, fever, nausea, weight loss,etc and after a long 3 months it was diagnosed as Crohn's disease.  Of course when this happens you ask yourself a lot of questions..and for me one of them was geez, was it the metal in my mouth!  Hope that answered your question.  Take care

[Jallo]

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