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acid reflux/GERD/LPR?

Posted , 7 users are following.

Abracadabra0
Abracadabra0

Hi everyone,

I've been getting a slightly sore throat and a hoarse voice on and off for a few months now. More recently I've also started to get a very persistent mild burning pain in the middle of my chest. Rather than coming and going like full on heartburn it just seems to be there more of the time then I get periods where I goes away but I haven't yet noticed a pattern as to why. I saw the doctor who put me on 20mg a day omeprazole for acid reflux but I'm coming up to week 3and I haven't noticed a difference yet. My questions are:

1. For people that have reflux/GERD/LPR-does this sound like what you have

2. For people who have been put on this type of tablet, how long did you find it takes to work and is this a low dose-maybe I need a higher dose

3. What time of day do people find is best to take these tablets?

I've tried cutting down caffeine, chocolate, alcohol and other foods which might cause it. I've noticed more recently that I seem to burp quite a lot and I also quite often feel like when I burp I'm going to bring a bit of sick up but I never actually do. I don't seem to find there's much difference with different types of foods (at least not quick enough that I can attribute it to that particular food) but I feel like the burning pain has definitely gotten worse since I've started feeling anxious about it. I do have health anxiety so when I worry, I REALLY worry! I've also noticed I keep getting blocked feeling ears since its been bad recently but I don't know if that's related.

Any help/input would be appreciated!

2 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • marcy98154
    marcy98154 Abracadabra0

    Posted

    Have you been checked for a hiatal hernia? It can cause some symptoms you would not expect. 
    • Abracadabra0
      Abracadabra0 marcy98154

      Posted

      Hi,

      Not yet. In my initial doctors appointment I've been put on a 2month course of omeprazole (20mg a day) so they wanted to see if that worked before they subject me to some tests. If this doesn't work though I'm not sure what their next steps will be. I'll jeep that in mind though. Thanks smile

  • joyclyn13783
    joyclyn13783 Abracadabra0

    Posted

    Hi I can relate to all those symptoms, I'm my case I have no heartburn as such but do get pain in my chest between shoulders wind pipe Oesophagus nose and ears it feels like excessive air outside my lungs. I have had all the tests available and they have said I have a weak lower Oesophagus muscle I think it's silent reflux LPR just waiting for another referral, I have even seen ENT and been to speech therapist, tried the diets gaviscon and the PPI's nothing helps. Stress does aggravate it! If you have LPR rather than GERD the Meds might not work. Have you lost your voice at all?

    I hope you get some relief from it soon

    • Abracadabra0
      Abracadabra0 joyclyn13783

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply. I do have a slight burning feeling in my chest but its more constant and mild. I wouldn't say its like heartburn where it comes and goes and I really strong pain. I also thought it was maybe LPR. I get a slight relief from things like Gaviscon but not as much as I'd expect with normal reflex. Yeah its definitely affected my voice. I don't completely lose my voice but it frequently gets hoarse voice and a little bit if a sore throat on and off. I'll see how it goes on these tablets but I'll mention this to the doctor if I have to go back. I definitely think anxiety is making it worse. Before it was on and off but since I started getting anxious its contant.

      Xx

  • emma93878
    emma93878 Abracadabra0

    Posted

    Omeprazole is a load of absolute rubbish!

    I've had GERD for 4 years, diagnosed a year ago (I'm only 17!) the omeprazole hasn't helped me at all!!! I was on a 60mg a day dosage and I was still bed ridden and seriously ill!!

    Yes it does sound a little like GERD, like me I had worse symptoms like that, with my stomach pains as well as the chest pains. I feel tired, weak and can be bed ridden for days, the sore throat is down to the acid coming up while your sleeping or while you burp, try to put a Argos magazine where your head part is on the bed just to make where your head rests a little higher so you don't have to keep getting that reflux in the back of your throat!

    Don't always think food is the problem, for me My GERD isn't resulted from food, I could eat nothing for the rest of my life and still get these serious pains, even though the gp says to change your diet I do recommend not putting any weight on it might cause the GERD pains to come back quicker, but the pains arent always resulted by food, for me they come and go as they please, without any foods starting them off, but it might be different for you, see how you go and with the pains as well! Always keep a record of the foods that do start your GERD of If you think it is related to food.

    Don't stress, it doesn't help, you do need to try and relax, and sit with a hot water bottle (that's always helped me) not moving for a while that might help! I'm sorry to say but for the 2 years of taking a really high dosagde of omeprazole they have never worked for me!

    If you need any more help I'm

    Always here!!! Especially for those in the same pain as me!!

    • 1diamond_owl
      1diamond_owl emma93878

      Posted

      thanks for this post.I totally agree with you. There's no exact science that would pinpoint the exact diagnosis for what we have. we buy this medicines and the manufacturer gets all the money and and these drs are so easy in prescribing them not really undergoing special training as to side effects. grrr.this is something like a permanent condition never heard of someone who said i used to have gerd or lpr.

    • Abracadabra0
      Abracadabra0 emma93878

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. I'll give these a go for 2 months - 7 ish weeks left but go back to the doctors if I'm not getting much luck. I'm not over weight (a uk size 10) but having.said that, just before I got this I did put on about 3/4 of a stone so maybe getting back to my usual weight will help. I also seem to have m.glands come up when my reflux symptoms get bad. Does anyone else get this? I guess if your body feels like its being attacked its responding to protect itself or maybe because my throat/oesophagus is sore its pretty open to any colds and coughs that come along! I do find that even when ihavent eaten yet I seem to get chest pain start within 5minutes of getting up so maybe I'm getting it at night even though I don't realise. I'll have to try buying those wedges to sit me up in bed or something and see if that helps. Xx

  • Wannaflbttr1
    Wannaflbttr1 Abracadabra0

    Posted

    You could be me!!!  I am still awaiting my upper endoscopy, but have been told that my symptoms, which are very similar to yours, are either GERD or LPR.  I tried omeprazole and it gave me GI problems(diarrhea) so I switched to Zantac 150mg 2x/day.  That has hepled a lot. If I stretch the time any longer than 12 hours between the 2 doses, i notice the symptoms returning.   I had a cardiac workup to make sure it was not my heart and that came back negative. (after an alarming false positive which sent my anxiety overt the edge!).  Please be advised that you should wean off of the PPI's slowly, dont just stop suddenly.  I would also have them check for low acid(you would need to  be off the omeprazole before this) as it can cause some of the same symptoms as too much acid.  I hate being on a PPI that reduces my acid to nothing.  stomach acid is there for a reason, just too much or too little is the problem!  Looking forward to recovering my health and trying to stay positive ,which is half the battle.  I am NOT letting this interfere with my life!!  (at least trying really hard)  Good luck and let us know how you make out!

    • Abracadabra0
      Abracadabra0 Wannaflbttr1

      Posted

      Thanks so much for your post. I really wish you weren't going through this but its good to know I'm not completely alone in this. I've just started to notice a little difference at week 3on omeprazole but I want to leave it a bit longer before I get too excited in case I'm just having a good few days. The doctor wanted me to try omeprazole for 2months but then said to stop taking it and see if the symptoms come back (assuming they do properly go away). I'm interested that you say about not coming off them too suddenly. Maybe with my last couple of weeks I should gradually start spacing them out a bit so its not a shock when I stop. Other than the PPI's (whether I have to continue on them or not) I'm definitely trying to make some changes to my diet and lifestyle hoping I can ease off the medicines. I'm just contemplating whether to buy a wedge pillow for bed. I don't seem to wake in the night with this but I often wake up in the morning with mile burning and I've been more tired since this started so maybe its just causing a restless sleep. Best of luck with your tests. I hope you get some real relief soon. Xx

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