Carob as a substitute for chocolate

Thanks Purdie01  I am all right I think with skimmed milk which I have used for years.  Not sure about cheese as yet.  Am not gluten intolerant either.  I have briefly looked at on Amazon and see that they do sell it so will look into but not just yet as it is early days have only been on omeprazole for 3 weeks.  I have just received a copy of The dropping acid cookbook so will have to look at that as well.  My main sympton is the throat mucus.  Do you find that if you eat something that is a trigger for you it immediately causes extra mucous.  I find that mine is worse in the morning and after eating.  Depending on what I eat but always some after meals.

I followed the dropping the acid cookbook for 3 months strictly and now follow it 5 days a week in moderation.  PPI meds did nothing for me.  I also drink alkaline water.  I have mucus in my throat all the time from when I wake up until I go to bed.  It's the only symptom that is severe now, everything else has decreased significantly but I can't seem to get rid of the mucus issue.  Eating healthily helps prevent it getting any worse and light exercise like pilates and swimming + using steam room seems to aid for a short while but no relief  long term

What other symptoms did you have.  My throat was sore but that seems to have improved voice sometimes a bit hoarse. I sing in a rock and pop choir and have not been able to go.  I go back to my gp on Monday I have neck spine and knee arthritis.  I have developed a pain in the back and  to the front not sure if it is the arthritis playing up because of not lying flat in bed or whether is is part of the LPR.  You read such scary information about cancer and so on but my gp up to now and not wanted to send me for any tests.  Did you have any?  I also suffer from anxiety and I am sure she thinks everything is caused by it.  True it does not help but I need to get a diagnosis although the thought of tests sends my anxiety sky high.  I find this condition very frightening and there seems to be a lot of conflicting advice about diet.  My gp just said avoid citrus fruit, juice and tomatoes.  I agree with you about the mucus I hate going out because you sometimes have to hold it all in if you know what I mean.  Seeing you have had it for nearly 3 years does not fill me with much hope. I have ordered some alkaline water which I thought was the key to cure but obviously not.  I am worried if I have all this mucus in the throat then my throat etc must being damaged by the acid.  Is that right?  I don't want to stay on PPIs for ever I have enough medication to take already. Sitting here at the computer the pain between my shoulders blades does feel a bit like indigestion, like when you have eaten something too fast.  The mucus today is not so bad though.  Any ideas?

I find my condition manageable these days.  Yes there is still a lot of mucus but it doesn't bother me anywhere as much as it used to.  I used to have a permanent lump in my throat, throat spasms, severe post nasal drip (still get a little in the mornings but otherwise it's gone), constant throat clearing which has now stopped, coughing, hoarseness and difficulties breathing.  All I am left with is a dry feeling throat and too much mucus, providing it doesn't get worse again I've resigned to the fact this may be something I have to live with which isn't ideal but if I keep busy it doesn't bother me so much.

As to your arthritis, I suffer from fibromyalgia and arthritis and stopped the PPIs (Omeprazole) when they weren't helping much as they made my arthritis much worse.  PPIs deplete magnesium and calcium which is essential for people with autoimmune disorders and pain can become worse on these meds which it did with me.  I'd suggest if you are staying on PPIs that you take magnesium and calcium supplements which may help the arthritis.  My GP and hospital consultant are no help.  It's taken 2.5 years to have 2 endoscopies and a barium swallow on the NHS and they didn't find anything specific.  I told my consultant my symptoms pointed towards LPR but he just asked me what that was and when I explained it he just said it didn't exist and they kept fobbing me off with more PPIs but I stopped using them after 1.5 years when no improvement to my symptoms but an increase in negative symptoms with my autoimmune disorders.  Have you tried DGL liqourice? I find this helps a little with the mucus temporarily or chewing gum although I find mint flavour irritates throat.  The alkaline water with the reflux diet does help me but it took around 6 months to notice a significant difference. I don't get indigestion/heartburn so I don't think it's GERD but Drs in my area seem to treat all these type of things as if that's the only answer.  I am on waiting list for mamotery 24hr probe test and if this doesn't show anything then they have told me I have to accept that it's all in my head.  Yes anxiety has a part as it's not nice living with these symptoms 24/7 for years with no-one listening to your concerns but it didn't start with anxiety for me it became a problem after a severe sinus infection. 

Hi Purdue,

I have a problem with my laptop so using my kindle for this

Just a thought you don't happen to take amlodipine for blood pressure.

The reason I ask it that 7 years ago I was put on this drug and a few

Weeks after I developed some sort of virus bad throat felt ill for weeks.

But it left me with postnatal drip and coughing up mucus but it became

Mild so lived with it. I got a bad cold at the Christmas followed by sinus

Infection. I have always believed that the tablets caused this. So I think

This I might have Been something to do with my recent problems. My go

Is considering changing it