Annoyed LPR? No info. Alternatives? - Acid Reflux / GERD Message Board

Bilbobeth · 06-04-2006, 07:50 AM

I have just been reading some of the old threads and finally come to the conclusion I have LPR. I had a barium that was ok. An ENT doc put a scope down my throat to my vocal cords. He said he could see acid and a lot of muscous. I was told I had acid reflux. Endoscopy also ok. I get very little heartburn if any. My main problem is this ball of mucous in the base of my throat that is there constantly night and day. It has made me afraid to eat because of the choking sensations. Its not so much while I am eating (sloppy diet, not much chewing) its just after I have eaten. The mucous is 5 times worse and sits there I think with the food for ages after. The stress it puts on you after you have eaten is awful and it makes me feel frightned and anxious.

No one has suggested LPR to me but I really do beleive thats what I have. I am in the UK. I am on valium and it interacts with the PPI's I am supposed to take so I have had to stop them. They also give me a very dizzy sensation and headiness and nausea. Need the valium and will take ages to wean off.
Is there an alternative to meds for the mucous? I need to find a way to get the mucous under control but need to stay on valium for a while. Also is LPR curable? Is it something you have for life? Is it better to treat than GERD?

Many thanks

Maxibear · 06-04-2006, 08:08 AM

Bilbobeth,

Unfortunately for all of us here, LPR is for life. In most circumstances, it is controllable to various degrees with 2 doses of a PPI each day.

Are you certain you need to stay on the Valium? There is some thought that Valium and its fellow benzos like Xanax can actually make LPR worse - because they have muscle-relaxing properties.

Prior to being diagnosed with LPR (main symptom was chronic cough), I was put on Xanax - the doctors thought the cough was psychosomatic. It tooks a year to sort out the LPR condition and get off the Xanax - which actually required 3 days in a detox facility. However, as I am financially fortunate, I had checked myself into one of the best facilities in the county that was experimenting with using depakote to get people off of benzos. The depakote made the detox almost painless. I went in expecting the worst, and was shocked by the ease of the detox.

Bilbobeth · 06-04-2006, 08:14 AM

Hi
Thanks for quick reply. Valium has terrible side effects when coming off. I know cos I been on and off it for over two decades. If you take quite a lot they even liken it to coming off heroin. It has to be extremely gradual which is what I have started. I am doing 0.5mg about every 10-14 days. I am taking up to 9 or 10 mg a day so you can see its going to be a while. I was on depakote a while back (mood stabiliser?). Maybe I should ask about it but I know they will still want me to come off valiium very slowly.

Thanks for reply

taape · 06-04-2006, 10:33 AM

Canyou take Entex - I forget the class of medication but it makes you cough up flem and they give it to people with chronic respiratory problems.

LovesTeaching · 06-04-2006, 10:51 AM

Entex is a decongestant, which is actually a stimulant (opposite of Valium). It can increase anxiety and cause insomnia, rapid heartbeat, etc. I took it years ago but needed to stop due to my anxiety.

This thread has been very interesting for me to read. I have been treated for GERD for at least 15 years, and I'm pretty sure (based on symptoms) that I have LPR, too. I'm on a heavy-duty dose of Ativan (Benzo) for my anxiety disorder, and no doc has ever suggested to me that the Ativan could be a problem. I'm going to bring this up to my G.I doc on Thursday when I call for the results of my biopsies.

Thanks for all of the very useful info.