Red Maple

I was diagnosed with LPR in October of 2004 by an ENT, who used a scope to find reddness and irritation iof my larynx and pharynx. I spent 10 months on 2x a day of first Prevacid, and then Nexium. I did not have, and have never had other symptoms of GERD. My symptoms were major lump in the throat, excess muscuous in my throat, cough and all the typical symptoms of LPR. I do not have heartburn, and have never had heartburn. I don't know if the meds were really doing anything for me as I did not find significant relief with them. Nor did avoiding acidic foods, sleeping with my bed propped up, and all the other recommended GERD lifestyle changes have any beneficial effect on my condition. I did the all the suggested methods of reducing the stomach acids from refluxing up into my throat for many months.

To make a long story short, I had such hassels with getting the insurance company to pay for my pills, pre-approval etc. and by July of this past summer I had just HAD IT with the medical treatment I was getting. Since the PPI's weren't doing much anyway, I stopped taking them at the end of July and started on a program of treating the whole digestive system rather than isolating the problem to just reducing the stomach acid. I eat much, much more fruits and veggies, lots of whole grains and bran to keep the digestion moving. I have a fruit smoothie for breakfast everyday with a "greens supplement" from the health food store in it. I take digestive enzymes regularly, along with echineccea and garlic supplements to help my immune system to stay in top condition. (take the echineccea for only 4-5 days at the beginning of each month as it loses it effectiveness if taken constantly). I also take a probiotic each evening before bed to replace the "good bacteria" in my system that aids in digestion. I also make sure to get some exercise daily, some days more than others, but make sure to get at least 20 minutes a day.

At first I did not see much change in how I felt. But now, after several months, I feel so very much better with this regime than I did with the PPI's. And it's much less costly, except that a diet of healthy foods costs more. I am NOT a "health food freak" and am not in any way suggesting that others give up the medications prescribed by thier medical professionals. I just know I feel so much better. I want to pass my success on to others who also may benefit from my experiences. A good diet and positive health habits cannot possibly harm anyone and can complement the medical treatment one is getting from thier doctor. I can eat whatever I want, I even have a cup of coffee occasionally with a product called "Coffee Tamer" in it to reduce acids just in case. I enjoy Mexican foods, and Italian foods frequently with no further symptoms of LPR.

Maybe I just got lucky and the LPR went away on it's own, and would have done so regardless of what I did. Maybe I was misdiagnosed and a program of better health practices allowed my body to "heal" itself from whatever it was that I did have. Maybe this is just the calm before the storm and it's going to come back with a vengence someday. I really don't know. I just know that treating my body as a whole entity, rather than isolating the problem to just reducing stomach acid, has worked wonders for me. Best of luck to you too, in whatever methods you choose to relieve your symptoms!