1. Community
  2. Gut, bowel and stomach
  3. Reflux Oesophagitis

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

Posted , 270 users are following.

Anxious_Alex
Anxious_Alex

Hi - I'll be as brief as possible. For almost a year I have had symptoms which have worsened, starting with throat clearing and progressing to regular spiting out of white, frothy stuff, post nasal drip, lump in throat or sharp sensation, streaming or blocked nose and hoarseness. These are all unpleasant and irritating but because I talk for a living my work is becoming badly affected so it is now making me depressed and anxious as well. I was referred to ENT, had the camera up the nose and down the throat to rule out anything sinister and was given Omeprazole and Gaviscon Advance. No advice, no explanation. I had to find it all out myself. (and I'm not confident/assertive with docs, either).

The drugs haven't helped, I'd go so far as to say the reflux significantly worsened. I had faith in the Gaviscon Advance having read how it works but that hasn't made any difference either. I have monitored everything I eat and drink and can't find anything that triggers it with the possible exception of bread, and I may be grasping at straws there. Certainly coffee, alcohol, spicy food etc don't trigger it and ginger, acidophillus, apple cider vinegar don't help. It does seem to be cyclical - I'll have a week or so of decreased symptoms then it gradally works up again to two or 3 weeks of hell. No heartburn, and the reflux is almost always upright, no problems sleeping...just the other 17 hours a day! The ENT was brusque on my return visit and said that, aside from speech therapy, there was nothing more he could do for me. This can't go on, though. At it's worst it makes me tearful and desperate at work and speech therapy isn't going to stop me spitting up into a whole toilet roll each day, or reduce the other symptoms. I'm also worried my teeth will rot and I fear for my job. Has anyone experienced this with the same pattern/lack of triggers etc? I would love to hear any positive experiences that don't just repeat the same old same old, ie, raise the bed 6 inches, dos and donts with food etc.

28 likes, 899 replies

899 Replies

Prev Next
  • Rob-747
    Rob-747

    Posted

    To Rob57133

    Hi Rob,

    I haven't tried any digestive enzymes yet, but funnily enough I did some research on them a few days ago.

    I've personally been taking probiotic tablets for around 2 years now and feel that they help. Sometimes I double or triple the dose to ensure I get enough good bugs into my stomach (as some research suggests probio tablets etc often don't provide enough).

    I'm just wondering: Are you a meat eater? Do you drink -regularly? Smoke? Do you drink fizzy drinks or eat plain yogurt? -both are very acid causing of course. According to Ayurveda, yogurt should never be eaten 'neat' but rather made into a drink called lassi by adding perhaps 4 or 5 tablespoonfuls of yogurt to water, then stir vigorously

    Also, are you often stressed or anxious, or under pressure or deadlines? (If so, see my previous post on breathing exercises and meditation).

    Finally. Do you have a hiatus hernia? if so, is it 'up' or 'down'? If its trapped 'up' then it will obviously be allowing more acid or pepsin through. The hernia can be brought 'down' simply by drinking around 3 or 4 large mugs of warm water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. A few minutes after drinking the water adopt a stance as if you are riding a small pony with your feet barely touching the ground. Your legs will obviously be slightly bent and springy at this point. Now begin to bounce a little as if riding, keep the legs bent and acting like shock absorbers. Increase the degree of bounce until you feel your stomach moving up and down with the water in it. Carry on for a minute or so (not in a violent way but as if you are riding a galloping pony over rough ground.

    I devised this trick and have used it many times in the past to 'tug' my trapped hiatus hernia downwards where it belongs. Its often accompanied by a feeling of relief in the chest cavity, and sometimes a loud burp ;-) And of course with the hernia now 'down', there is less tendency for acid and pepsin to go 'up'.

    I wouldn't recommend that this technique be done very frequently, only if the signs of a trapped hernia are present (i.e. a feeling of pressure in the chest, lots of burping, perhaps some pain or pressure under the ribcage).

    I hope these tips may be helpful to you and/or others.

    Rob-747

    • rob57133
      rob57133 Rob-747

      Posted

      Hi Rob,

      Thanks for all your suggestions. Definitely some things to try there. I do not have a hiatal hernia. Regarding diet, yes I do eat meat and drink occasionally, but I have gone through the process of trying a strict LPR diet as directed by my ENT doctor. It was a 90% vegan, no alcohol, no coffee, lo fat, etc diet that did not make any difference for me. I personally do not feel that the usual dietary recommendations to treat LPR are 100% right for everyone that suffers from it. The ebook by Thomas Lee quoted studies that made me feel even more strongly about this. I've had times where I drank coffee, ate fatty food and dairy products all in one day and had no reflux at all. I think LPR just happens to me unfortunately and I have to take steps to control the activation of the pepsin it leaves behind. You brought up an interesting point about work stress. I do have a job that involves deadlines and carries a certain amount of stress and pressure, and I am sitting at a computer most of the day. This is where I experience the highest degree of throat clearing, particularly about 2 hours after eating lunch and into the evening commute. I think there is a definite connection between stress and the occurence of LPR.

      Thanks.

      Rob 57133

    • petekd67
      petekd67 rob57133

      Posted

      Hi Rob

      My symtoms are constant throat clearing throughout the day and sometimes feel a very slight hoarseness / slightly sore throat and sometimes spirtting white bubbles and the feeling of clogged throat/chest. I've tested positive for high pepsin levels and am using alkaline water , and cutting out certain foods but it doesn't seem to work..im taking lanzaprozile and also gaviscon but symtoms remain :-( ...I'm ok in bed at night but it's the rest of the day ..many on this discusion tend to talk about normal reflux instead of LPR , silent reflux. Im now wondering if of have Hiatal Hernia as this all started after a severe chest infection 12 months ago were i was coughing so hard i thought my insides were tearing out.. Ive got to see ythe doctor this coming week but dont like to diagnose to him myself so how can i ask him ??..I'm constantly thinking about it all day and worried to which isn't helping 

      Pete

       

  • JPT
    JPT

    Posted

    Hi

    The pH required to denature Pepsin (and neutralize excess acid) in the airways is only PH 8.0.

    Tap water is PH 7.0

    This has no detrimental effect whatsoever according tp Professors Bardhan & Dettmar who are experts on Pepsin. I would recommend everyone who plans to take alkaline water on a regular basis buys a PH meter to make sure you are not going unnecessarily high.

    Regards JPT

    • Rob-747
      Rob-747 JPT

      Posted

      > This has no detrimental effect whatsoever according tp Professors Bardhan & Dettmar who are experts on Pepsin. I would recommend everyone who plans to take alkaline water on a regular basis buys a PH meter to make sure you are not going unnecessarily high. <

      hi jpt,

      i'm sure professors bardhan & dettmar are experts on pepsin, but perhaps not experts on how high ph water may affect the body and digestive system in the long-term. but i take your point that we should be using ph meters to ensure drinking water isnt too far beyond ph 8.0.  mind you, plenty folks on this forum appear to have bought ph 9 or higher water...and alkaline drops can cause very high ph depending on dosage. ]="" hi="" jpt,="" i'm="" sure="" professors="" bardhan="" &="" dettmar="" are="" experts="" on="" pepsin,="" but="" perhaps="" not="" experts="" on="" how="" high="" ph="" water="" may="" affect="" the="" body="" and="" digestive="" system="" in="" the="" long-term.="" but="" i="" take="" your="" point="" that="" we="" should="" be="" using="" ph="" meters="" to="" ensure="" drinking="" water="" isnt="" too="" far="" beyond="" ph="" 8.0. ="" mind="" you,="" plenty="" folks="" on="" this="" forum="" appear="" to="" have="" bought="" ph="" 9="" or="" higher="" water...and="" alkaline="" drops="" can="" cause="" very="" high="" ph="" depending="" on="">

      hi jpt,

      i'm sure professors bardhan & dettmar are experts on pepsin, but perhaps not experts on how high ph water may affect the body and digestive system in the long-term. but i take your point that we should be using ph meters to ensure drinking water isnt too far beyond ph 8.0.  mind you, plenty folks on this forum appear to have bought ph 9 or higher water...and alkaline drops can cause very high ph depending on dosage.>

  • susan79492
    susan79492 Anxious_Alex

    Posted

    On month follow up on a remedy I tried:

    A month ago I said I was much improved from adhering to Dr. Koufman's advice in her book, "Dropping Acid."  I still had too much phlegm and post nasal drip so I thought I'd try 3 mg melatonin 2 hrs before bed and DGL licorice. I still followed Dr. Koufman's rules.  I do not take any PPIs and only occasionly take raniditine with a meal that has some acid in it-seldom.   The melatonin remedy was taken from a peer reviewed study I read on Pub Med.

    After one month of melatonin and DGL licorice, I have found the mucus is diminished but not totally gone.  My cough is only occasional.  

    This has been a long road, over a year and a half trying to find a solution.  It seems like this never goes away but with diligence LPR can be controlled (mine anyway). 

    So everyone, there is hope!

    Susan

    • Rob-747
      Rob-747 susan79492

      Posted

      I'm glad to hear you are progressing, Susan.

      Regarding 'too much phlegm'.  You might want to check out what Ayurveda say's about how to reduce phlegm. 

      Google: "Kapha reducing tips mapi ayurveda".

    • dolphin005
      dolphin005 susan79492

      Posted

      Hi Everyone,

      I'm just going to put this out there and see if anyone can help me at all. I'm starting to freak out and cry a lot and I am sure that isn't helping.

      I've been off and on PPIs for 4 years or so. About a week and a half ago, for the first time ever, while I was laying in bed, acid actually came up in my throat and mouth and horribly. I got up and took gaviscon and went back to bed. Same thing was happening the next day with it coming up my throat and my throat was so sore! Other than a major sore throat, I seemed okay over the weekend, so I was trying to gargle with salt water. Well, come Monday, it started happening again, so I was trying to figure out what I was eating that could cause it. It's happened all week and seems to be getting worse. 

      Very bottom of throat is sore and right below that as well, like maybe where the collarbone starts? The throat clearing, sore tongue, sometimes it's like I can choke/cough when I go to talk, sometimes trouble swallowing, hoarse voice that comes and goes.  

      I have started again with the Tecta (Pantaprazole magnesium/protonix type thing lol) and now doing it twice a day along with gaviscon and gargling warm salt water. Perhaps I am not as bad as I was earlier in the week, but hard to tell. All I know is that I am worried. Today I have only had the acid in throat feeling a couple of times, but everything else is there. My throat didn't start getting sore until later in the day today, but it is sore and the spot right below the bottom of the throat is coming and going with pain too. (In the past I have definitely had the other symptoms like constant mucus and feeling of lump in throat)

      I'm going to see a chiropractor for the first time ever on Monday and he does help sliding hernias.  

      I'm just hoping someone can tell me they have been through this, or have read where someone has. Of course when you try and look for this, the first thing you see is cancer so I freak out even more.

    • suzeq1972
      suzeq1972 dolphin005

      Posted

      Hi Dolphin.  You're right with one thing, being stressed isn't going to help (easier said than done, I know).

      I had a peptest and it was confirmed that I had pepsin in my throat (particularly high after evening meal).  Apart from changing my diet, it was using alkaline drops and alkaline water that gave me any relief.  I gargle with the drops and drink the water.  I read somewhere that high ph (above 8 I think?) Kills off the pepsin that affixes itself to the airways.  That's why you experience dryness, soreness, pain etc.

      It really has worked for me.  Saying that however, I had a KFC last night (only option as was at motorway services), and no amount of alkaline was going to save me!  Am still suffering from a dry mouth today :-(

      Let me know if you need anymore info on the alkaline stuff.  Meditation also helped me massively, just takes your mind off things for an hour or two xx

    • dolphin005
      dolphin005 suzeq1972

      Posted

      Hi Suzeq,

      Thanks for the response. I don't know much about the alaline drops and stuff. Was thinking about looking up the whole alkaline diet thing and I am still hoping that a chiropractor and perhaps acupuncture might be able to help. I don't know much about the peptest either.

    • daniela99184
      daniela99184 suzeq1972

      Posted

      Hi Suzeq,

      You are noughty! KFC??? I hope you are not hurting too much! I always take things with me so I can eat wherever I am and alkaline water. I know it is hard but otherwise we pay the price!

      Take care,

    • suzeq1972
      suzeq1972 dolphin005

      Posted

      Hi Dolphin.  How are you feeling today? Are you on Facebook?  If so, search for 'refluxhelp' and it will take you to a page called 'Just Passing Through'.  There's a post called '10 ways to beat LPR/Airway Reflux' (if that's what you're suffering from?).  I followed nearly all of them and got relief within days. 

      It tells you everything about the peptest and alkaline drops and water.  If you're not on Facebook, let me know and I'll email you the info.

       

    • suzeq1972
      suzeq1972 daniela99184

      Posted

      I am very naughtly daniela!!!  Although skipping meals sometimes causes me more issues than eating something like a KFC.  I actually had a latte today as well (de-caff of course!).  I haven't been brave enough to do that for a couple of months now.  I was o.k, just a bit of bubbling in the throat.  I know this isn't going to be an easy journey, but it's just learning what works and what doesn't!  I'm sure we'll all get there eventually! razz
    • daniela99184
      daniela99184 suzeq1972

      Posted

      Hi Suzeq,

      I am glad you are well! Hunger is bad, I know how it is, skipping meals, too! I was just teasing you, I feel close to all of you in the forum because I know the pain, very well!

      We all try to find ways to adjust our lives and cope with this awful illness best we can, so I am with you all the way, giving support and encouragement!

      Has been hard for me, too!

      So, take care, we are here for you always!

    • daniela99184
      daniela99184 suzeq1972

      Posted

      You could email me the info, too if you would be so very kind,Suzeq!
    • dolphin005
      dolphin005 suzeq1972

      Posted

      I am on facebook, but do you mind sending me the page or any info you have?  I can message you my email address.
    • dolphin005
      dolphin005 daniela99184

      Posted

      Has anyone ever had throat spasms or read about anyone on here who has?
    • musicchick581
      musicchick581 dolphin005

      Posted

      I've had them since last September or October. Cricopharyngeal spasms. They have subdued on a low acid diet. When I eat too many fats like I did this week and have heartburn and acid in my mouth, they come back. ENT said it's the congestion meeting with the acid. Anxiety makes them worse. Breathing through the mouth helps with them. She also said it's one of the muscles in the throat. They move in succession when you swallow. I did a lot of research on these and found a good video on youtube about it. Mine aren't painful and are different than the spasms that many people have. As far as I understand, cricopharyngeal spasms aren't painful. 
    • dolphin005
      dolphin005 musicchick581

      Posted

      Oh wow! That explains a lot! Two weeks ago for the first time ever I had the acid come up my throat and mouth and then last week this weird feeling in my throat started. Having gone through it, my mom said throat spasms, but it's freaking me out. Even though they have settled/lessened/stopped my neck still hurts. Is that common? The spasms themselves didn't seem painful, just felt really weird.
    • suzeq1972
      suzeq1972 dolphin005

      Posted

      Hi Dolphin.  Search for 'refluxhelp' on Facebook and you'll find the 'just passing through' page.  Or private message me your email and I'll send you some info from the page.

      Hope you're doing ok! :-)

       

    • daniela99184
      daniela99184 dolphin005

      Posted

      Hi, 

      I have those spasms, mine is called nutcraker oesophagus spasms (NE). Very painful! I went to a EN and had all the tests and I go to a speech therapist. Very good way to learn how to help youself and ease the pain.

      Try to yawn and swallow deliberately, as many times a day you can, make the muscles work in there. No cold drinks, just warm! Chew well and eat slowly. Stress and anxiety are the main triggers and when the spasm meets the acid, they do a painful tango together! Learn how to breathe using your diaphgram. My spasms are really painful, in the chest area and throat.

    • musicchick581
      musicchick581 dolphin005

      Posted

      I don't know how common it is. The gastroenterologist freaked out because he had never seen them before. The ENT told me it what it actually was and was calm and relaxed and thought I was making them worse with anxiety. She thought I was being ridiculous with the anxiety over them but agreed that not being able to breathe is scary. Go to youtube and google cricopharyngeal spasms. This video was good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkejK6eiHeo by Dr. Robert Bastian.
    • dolphin005
      dolphin005 daniela99184

      Posted

      I don't know what these are, but my mom thinks spasms as she has been through it before. It's crazy how alone going through this can make someone feel. It's scary when one thing after another happens. All of this started after a bad reflux episode a couple of weeks ago and I have been dealing with crap ever since. It seems to happen after I eat and sometimes in between. I don't get it.
    • dolphin005
      dolphin005 musicchick581

      Posted

      My doctor won't send me back to the ENT and since it has been 4 years since I have seen the ENT, I need another referral. I am going to start chiropractic treatment for the first time ever on Tuesday, so I am hoping he can fix a lot of this, especially if this is all stemming from a sliding hernia getting worse.
    • dolphin005
      dolphin005 musicchick581

      Posted

      Out of curiousity to either of you, does the skin on the outside of your neck sometimes get itchy after one of these spasms? I am scared and feel like I am losing it here.  I hesitate to go to the doctor because I don't want to hear "I don't know". That is so frustrating.
    • musicchick581
      musicchick581 dolphin005

      Posted

      Chiropractor hasn't fixed mine. Good luck! Low acid diet has helped to reduce them and the intensity. Mine all started after severe prolonged stress and after food poisoning episode last summer.
    • daniela99184
      daniela99184 dolphin005

      Posted

      Hi,

      There are spasms in your oesophagus! Anxiety and stress, also emotions can trigger them. Try to see a speech therapist, they can help you! Eat slowly, do not rush and chew well. I hope you are keeping a diet for your acid reflux. Meditate, find ways to calm youself down. Well, the proccess of swallowing is very complex!

      Do not be scared, learn to deal with it and do that exercise I suggested, yawn and swallow deliberately!

      A speech therapist can teach you what to do to.

      Take care, 

    • daniela99184
      daniela99184 dolphin005

      Posted

      No, no itch! Ask to be reffered to a speech therapist so you can learn how to deal with the spasms. An alkaline diet and drinking only alkaline water, will help you.
    • dolphin005
      dolphin005 musicchick581

      Posted

      I am about to watch the video now.  I am wondering if the spasms and itching that follows is happening from a food intolerance. I am trying to think back to see if something was introduced in the last two weeks. 
    • dolphin005
      dolphin005 daniela99184

      Posted

      I am in the process of looking up the alkaline info as well - Just overwhelming is all smile
    • daniela99184
      daniela99184 dolphin005

      Posted

      Hi,

      The itching can be an allergic reaction, something you ate or even medicine, herbal pill. The spasms have no connection with the itching. The spasms in the oesophagus are usually a consequence of another illenes, more serious one, neurological. I for instance, suffer from an underactive thyroid gland and I get these spasms because of that. Magnesium is very important in this instance, so make sure you are taking it.

Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.