LPR/Silent Reflux - desperately in need of a miracle. Has anyone recovered from this?

Getting any form of relief is hard work but achievable with serious sacrifice. My problem now is not being able to follow the strict routine all the time because I have a young toddler. Bending down causes the acid to come up but I often have to do it to pick up my son. If you need to bend down use your knees don't bend your waist. There is a marked difference during the weekend when my husband is around to pick him up for me.

Getting a lot of rest is necessary as it seem like tiredness makes it worse. I understand you when you say you felt suicidal. That's how I felt especially when I was pregnant I used to sit there wishing someone would come and kill me. I have felt very depressed at times but my beautiful son has kept me going. I used to hack on my throat so much my son learned the behaviour and started doing it every morning. I started paying for my son to go to a childminder twice a week and that helped as I could concentrate on myself those two days. I have now stopped this because of the money situation but it gave me time to come out of the depression and re-energize to fight the condition.

Being unhappy seems to make it worse as well because my marriage was on the rocks during the time and every-time there was an issue my symptoms would spiral so if you feel low please look at getting that sorted.

Eating in time is also very important because an empty stomach also gives the same symptoms with a very full stomach. Try not to over fill your stomach eat only small portions at a time. Initially I could not take any coffee or tea without really bad symptoms but lately I have improved and a week cup of tea or coffee is alright

For you to get any hours of relief from this condition you have to abstain from many food items at the same time all the time. Some of the foods worsen reflux some increase the mucus so you have to to do it all at once.

Fat in any form is an enemy of this condition. Avoid anything fatty including nuts and fruits like avocados. All forms of sugar must be kept to the bare minimum. Dairy is a definite no no and so are soya products they increase the mucus production. I understand meat also increases the mucus production but I am not a vegan I am anaemic and I have chosen to eat the best source of iron red meat. If you can go vegan its best for you because you will reduce the thick sticky mucus production. Do not eat and fruits or drink fruit juice on an empty stomach.

If you eat bread go for the farmhouse loaves which have no added vitamins because some of those vitamins aggravate the condition. Before a dietician told me this I had realised because I take suplements and it was always worse after taking my supplement.

Spices may also make you feel a heat in your chest but if you can take black pepper or chillies they help thin the thick mucus stuck on your throut and you can spit it out and get relief for few hour.

Before going to bed take a hot shower and spit out the mucus in the shower as it gets thinned. If you listen to the advise not to deep throat it in the morning you have such a buid up in the morning which makes you unable to cope at work.

Try to keep a tooth brush, toothpaste and mouthwash with you all the time. When you go to the toilet give your mouth a quick brush and rinse with the mouth wash it will get rid of the bad smell and taste and give you confidence. You need a mint free toothpaste and mouth wash because mint aggravates the condition.

The best results for me have been going to bed empty. I eat my dinner by 6 pm and drink only water and in morning the build up is manageable I can remove it during brushing my teeth and have breakfast and be free of symptoms until mid afternoon.

After speaking to my GP I have chosen not to try the alkaline water. I feel that I am already suffering from a horrible condition I do not want to start nasty side effects with solutions that are not scientifically proven and may not work and end up worse off.

Lets keep communicating and updating each other. If anything seems to be helping me I will always tell you and you can try it out for yourself. I have found one person who suffered with this for 5 years then one day it disappeared just like the way it had started so lets not loose hope yet.

It certainly sounds like you’re having a rough time with it as well.

As you can imagine, many of the things you talk about I have already tried and/or am doing. I’m a great believer in ‘research and empower’, always looking for information and knowledge and willing to try almost anything. I find that not all the things that apply to some people are relevant for everyone and I also suspect that many people have this as a symptom of something else that has not yet been diagnosed. It’s cited as a symptom of many things, as you obviously know – from adrenal glands under-functioning, to thyroid problems, menopause, liver problems and many others. It’s also significant that drugs seem to work for some people but not many and I’m constantly scratching my head when I read forums and people are talking about managing it ok, being on PPIs for years but obviously still not well. Some of the things that you say are triggers for you don’t have any effect on me. It’s interesting that you mention spicy food because if I eat curry or chilli I do feel better. Certainly they aid breathing and I have never noticed a worsening of symptoms that I could attribute to eating those things, yet on every information page/site you look at, they are no-nos.

I am on strict instructions from my dentist to stop brushing my teeth so frequently but to rinse the acid from my mouth with water only through the day and brush only twice a day. I also have to use repair and protect toothpaste as a cream, applied to my teeth and gums morning and night

I also understand what you mean about stress and unhappiness. I’ve had a very difficult couple of years but have no way of knowing if that’s contributed as the reflux began a year ago.

Rest is probably an issue for me. I don’t sleep well. If I do manage to sleep early for a change, I’ll wake up in the middle of the night. But I think the lack of sleep & reflux are self-perpetuating problems and a chicken/egg situation.

I’m curious that you say you benefit from not eating after 6pm yet during the day you can’t have an empty stomach. Why do you think that is? I have tried alternate day fasting (well, 2 days out of 5) and am giving it another go now. Sometimes I find it causes bad reflux but today, for example, I haven’t eaten since 10.30am and that was just 2 peaches. The reflux has been less severe today and I drank milk last night, too. However, out of desperation I started taking Ranitidine (Zantac) two days ago so it’s possible that it might be having some effect. I’m taking at a dosage a doctor would prescribe and it may be of some benefit. It’s certainly not having the negative effect that Omeprazole did. PPIs are supposed to be the bees knees in drug treatment for this but I decided it was worth trying the Ranitidine. At least when I return to the GP I can ensure I don’t waste time being prescribed a long course of something I’ve already tried.

I’m trying the alkaline water, too. If nothing else, the science about the pepsin seems plausible so if it stops the pepsin causing any more tissue damage and maybe protects my mouth and teeth as well, it’s worth a try.

You sound like you’ve had some very low moments and I really do feel for you. As you say, let’s keep in touch here. I am about to try something called D-limonene as well. Probably more expense with no outcome but if I don’t try I won’t know.

You asked a question about the night time empty stomach. The symptoms for an empty stomach are the same for both night and day but at night I don't feel it because I will be asleep. If I have disturbed sleep and I wake up its usually just the same. The difference is if my stomach is empty the re-flux is not so bad when I lie down so I don't wake up in the night coughing with a tickle in my throat I wake up in the morning with a bitter taste and bit of congestion which I clean out whilst brushing my teeth and get on. When I used to sleep with a fuller stomach coughing an spluttering woke me up and in the morning I had so much mucus stuck in my throat I would need an hour to clear it out.

Its nearly 3 years now since this problem started and now I am managing to get some normal hours in between. The strict eating regime had enabled me to loose a stone even though that was not the intention I think it is helping to make things slightly better.

Ranitidine for me only worked for two weeks and then after that it was ineffective.

JPT my doctor did not scare me he just told me that he had no information on that in his medical journals and I should ask the specialist when I see him if he knows anything about it. As personal advice he said that whatever I choose to do I must always let him know and we discuss it because some things may interfere with prescribed treatments and if there are any side effect he would not be able to detect them in a treatment which is not in medical journals

Losec once daily but the biggest thing with him is that we do not let him drink until

20minutes after he has eaten because as he enhales small amounts of liquids go back into his lungs.. He does not have milk because of the reflux action sending the milk in dribs

and drabs into his lungs. His appetite is VERY good and he is very active.

I am not sure if this will help with your condition but it is what we do and seems to be very

successful.

Alex,

I have been suffering from reflux for many years. It improved after I got treated for the hechilobacter infection. However lately I needed to take nexiun as the reflux come back. I got very sick with my lungs last week. I am still sick. I had a CT my lungs have been affected by the silent aspiration. I was lucky enough To be seen by a respiratory especialist today. He diagnosed the reflux was due to loose muscles in the stomach. Esophagus and the hiatus hernia which is only mild. He said is the menopause. Lack of hormones. The stomach is distended. I am having high amounts of different anti acids today. The only solution to prevent further silent aspiration is surgery. Other wise my lung will get more damage. Ill keep you post about the outcome.

I came across this newspaper article which has surprised me. If this is a cure to this problem why has the NHS not taken this on board. Cost probably.

I have also done some research and found some Private Hospitals that do the operation for around £9000.

Anyway take a look: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1382934/Acid-reflux-cure-My-heartburn-cured-magnetic-bracelet-stomach.html

I was sent to the ENT but the doctor there didn't find anything wrong with my vocal cords, but did say that they were red. I don't know if he just thought I was faking, which might have something to do with me being fourteen.

Do any 0f you think that this could be LPR?