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My Silent Reflux LPR, Airway reflux Experience HELP !!

Posted , 23 users are following.

petekd67
petekd67

Hi All

My problem started around 12 months ago after a bad bout of chest/lung infection treated by anti biotics and i have not been right since. Im not saying it has anything to do with it but it seemed to start after that. I have daily the trying to clear my throat especially in the morning after i get up usually after i have eaten. This clearing is normally combined with a couch or tickle type cough in the morning. It usually subsides after an hour or so but  starts again anytime of day and during the afternoon usually. I also get Hoarseness sometimes in the throat the sort off feeling like you get if youve been shouting or none stop talking and you voice struggles. In addition i sometimes get a lump in the throat feeling to. When i go to bed i dont get any problems during the night its just the rest of the day. Im guessing after reading this thread/forum that its LPR silent reflux I have .

Does anyone else experience this as it really gets me down and I worry a lot. Im quite a stressful person and hate going to the doctors.

I have also just received the results from the biomed peptest which both samples tested positive one at moderate 99 ng/ml and the other at very high 250 ng/ml . Im not sure i did the test correct as i left it several weeks before doing it and didnt store the tubes in the fridge as i found out later i should have. I also did the 2 samples at the same time so am a little confused why one was 99 and the other 250 ??

Anyway is saw my GP today and explained what was going on and my peptest and she didnt seem to fully understand imho.. she as told me to take one Lansoprazole each night and if things dont improve go back in a month. I know they wont work as i have tried them before. I am drinking alkaline water but not really noticed any difference so know going to change my diet.

Has anyone got any tips , medication suggestions etc..etc.. I am desperate to get help as worried about the long term damange. Is anyone going through the same ???

Cheers Pete UK

1 like, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • meunier58121
    meunier58121 petekd67

    Posted

    I think the world on this board empathises with you, Peter.  They are all your ship mates and wish you a speedy journey.  Don't forget DGL licorice and mm-mm-good Manuka Honey; a natural restorative.  Above all, don't forget the power of your own good faith; it will rocket you towards success.  
  • jill16793
    jill16793 petekd67

    Posted

    Hi Pete,  your symptoms sound very similar to mine.  Mine started two days after Christmas, for no obvious reason, and got steadily worse throughout Jan and Feb.  My GP also prescribed Lanzoprazole, but the packet (and my pharmacist) says take it 30 -60 mins before food, preferably in the morning, so I keep mine by the bed for when I wake up.  I have found it has helped somewhat , but I'm still on it, in fact on two a day (another one before dinner) because I was worse recently.  Feeling better just now so will prob cut down to one again.  I got referred to an ENT consultant like lots of contributors to this forum, and he looked at my throat and vocal cords and confirmed swelling and redness.  Then I've recently seen a Gastro-enterologist who has done a gastroscopy (tube down to the stomach) and found a hiatus hernia.  This may or may not be responsible for my LPR.  He wasn't interested in testing me for pepsin so I got my own test and sent it off today.  Maybe you should do another one sometime and do it more accurately, and lay off the alkaline water for 48hours first.  My worst symptom just now is asthma, which I've never suffered from before, but had 4 attacks in a week.  Not sure of my next step yet, but went to see my chiropractor yesterday about an unrelated thing and when I told him why I was coughing and throat clearing he said he might be able to help, and has treated voice and swallowing problems before.  He does this by treating the nerve pathways in the neck which can affect breathing and digestion.  Like most sufferers, I'll try anything!  I'll report back if I feel significant benefit from this.  Stress definitely makes things worse, so try not to worry.  I have felt very low myself, but I find being proactive helps, so you feel you are doing all you can for yourself.  Certainly this forum, and other stuff on the internet has been extremely helpful, as the various docs don't always seem to know that much. 
  • stella19032
    stella19032 petekd67

    Posted

    Hey Pete I feel your pain. I'll share my experience in the hope it may help. Mine started after a really stressful time. Classic lump in the throat, not being able to swallow, then waking in the middle of the night choking and gagging. Docs all said there was nothing wrong with my throat and I felt as if i was going mad. I had a constant awful taste too. Tried omeprazole but it made things worse. Eventually got referred to ENT who found a unilateral patch of red. He said it was impossible for it to be LPR but I knew it was. Had such a foul taste in my mouth all the time and my throat was always sore. Anyway they referred me for an MRI of the throat, meanwhile I had a gastroscopy which showed oesophagitis ( making swallowing difficult) and gastritis. I was prescribed a double dose of Lansoprazole ( so 20mg twice per day) and also Gaviscon Advance to be taken after meals and at bedtime. The Lansoprazole didn't do it for me and my gp changed me to Esomeprazole 20mg twice per day. I also raised the head of my bed by 8 inches (made a massive difference) and cut acid causing things out of my diet. 3 months on and my oesophagus and stomach have both healed ( had another gastroscopy recently) and I feel tons better. I'm not a fan of tablet taking but in my case the Esomeprazole really worked. I'm hoping to reduce the dose by half next time I go to see the docs. LPR is hard because you can't tell your trigger foods as easily as someone with classic heartburn, but it is treatable. My throat was the first thing to heal. It may be worth going to your doc and asking to try the Esomeprazole. They are top of the heap when it comes to ppis. Least side effects for most benefit. I'm so glad I changed. Good luck with everything and any questions just let me know .
    • alfonso11933
      alfonso11933 stella19032

      Posted

      Stella, can we please talk..... I think I have these silent reflux but I'm going crazy with the lump and the phlem feeling think..... I don't have my appointment until next week can you confirm how tou treated yourself. Please.
    • klc78900
      klc78900 stella19032

      Posted

      how long did it take your throat to heal? I was on Omeprozole as well and it did nothing, I tried to take esomprazole and I got diarehha the first two days so I went off of it. Should I try it again?
    • Dyffryn_Ceri
      Dyffryn_Ceri stella19032

      Posted

      Hi Stella

      I have been reading your email  and have this silent reflux diagnosis back in November 2016 having had a sore throat for a few months. 

      Went through the usual hoops antibiotics nose spray etc 

      then went to see ENT consultant who diagnosed Severe LPR.

      was put on 20 mg Pantoprazole twice a day and GAviscon Advance.

      it has not really improved I'm watching my diet low alkali etc read Dr Kouffman's information.

      Been back to see my ENT consultant has now decided to try me on Esomeprazole!

      l really don't like taking pharma drugs but feel I should give these a go??

      Felt some comfort that you felt a little better from taking them!

      Also least side effects?

      It's just comforting to share with people who have this LPR problem as the majority of people have never heard of this complaint!

      i have quite a lot of stress over the last two years!!

      i'm sure that has not helped!

      I would appreciate tour thoughts!

      I do hope you are better

      CDLoti

    • lisa18322
      lisa18322 Dyffryn_Ceri

      Posted

      Hi I also suffer from GERD and LPR. I try as much as possible to do a Alkaline diet but sometimes something you eat either intentionally or by mistake when out causes the LPR again. When it's bad you're going to have to cook your own food. Drink alkaline water. I've actually lost a voice a few times due to LPR and have to sleep in a recliner until it heals. It's horrible. I hope this helped. Is anyone posting anything recently? 

    • soton74514
      soton74514 lisa18322

      Posted

      Yep, i'm here Lisa, just about to give something else a try to attempt to get rid of this terrible condition. I'll keep you posted on how I get on if you are around.

  • petekd67
    petekd67

    Posted

    Thank you Meunier and Jill, nice to know if nothing else im not the only sufferer

    Keep me posted on your outcomes

  • suzeq1972
    suzeq1972 petekd67

    Posted

    You've definitely come to the right place Pete!  Everything you describe sounds like all the symptons the majority of people are suffering from on this forum.

    The only suggestion I have that may help is to gargle with the alkaline water.  30 mins after every meal.  I find that just drinking the water doesn't quite kill off all the pepsin that can attach itself, but gargling usually does the trick.

    I too did the peptest.  It may be worth contacting biomed direct with your concerns and questions as they are probably best placed to answer?

    I think you've hit the nail on the head with the diet.  A lot of people swear by a book called dropping acid by Dr Koufman, and have found huge relief by having a more alkaline diet.

     

  • stella19032
    stella19032 petekd67

    Posted

    I agree about exploring different things but I would also like to put this in context. I tried for months to make things better without tablets. I hate taking any tablets, but when I started coughing up blood, and then found I had barretts I decided that tablets were the route I had to take. From research and experience I can tell you that acid rebound affects less than half of the people on ppis, and it's only if you are on them longer than 3 months. At one point I was on 80mg of Esomeprazole a day. I cut this by half myself and had no ill effects whatsoever. My next step is to cut the tablets out altogether now I'm healed and take them as and when I need them, relying on the Gaviscon stop any rebound. Rebound if you do get it is temporary and resolves within a few weeks whilst your body readjusts.

    I'm not an advocate of ppis by any stretch of the imagination, but just to let you know that if all else fails it isn't the end of the world, and they can actually help. Well, they have with me and I was the most anti ppi person in the world til I found out about the Barretts. 

    Maybe the first step is to get a gastro referral and get a gastroscopy then at least you'll know what you are dealing with. In the meantime, the two things that helped the most before my diagnosis were raising the head of the bed and not eating or drinking after 7pm. Simple to do but very effective. 

  • petekd67
    petekd67

    Posted

    Thanks for all the replys and ideas its very difficult to know what to do for the best.. Drives you mad !

     

    • mo04226
      mo04226 petekd67

      Posted

      If you have read many of the  threads on here you will find that diet ,diet  and more diet is the key to reducing your symptoms. Start with kourfman. then check ouy reflux MD for info on cooking and menus to try . We al have different triggers but eventually you will find your way , It takes time and lots of effort  but it works. Also ask the GP for a referal to a dietitian they can help if you are still struggling. It is a strict diet but worth it . Raise your bed up at the head around 6

      inches too it stops the acid rising when you sleep.

  • petekd67
    petekd67

    Posted

    Forgot to add I also get a feeling of something stuck feeling after eaten smack bang in the middle of My chest abut at the bottom of the chest between the rib cage right in the centre any one get this to ?
    • stella19032
      stella19032 petekd67

      Posted

      Hey Pete, that sounds like a hiatus hernia. Do you have any answers yet? 
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