My allergist is telling me that the throat congestion that my son and I have is actually reflux. Has anyone else been told this. He is wanting to put my son on reflux medicine as he is constantly clearing his throat of pflem.

I have very bad mucus at all times in my throat, it won't go down and sits in my throat all day. my ENT says it's from GERD. the acid coming back up. I put a 6 inch wedge under the head of my bed. it's helped a bit. I'm still not sure it's acid, I take 1200mgs of tagament a day. I had a 24hr. ph test last week to find out if it is acid coming up. the gastro Dr. should be calling today w/the results.

I've had PND for about 5 years now that allergy meds never did anything for. I never thought of the possibility of it being associated with GERD til now......now that I'm having heartburn and having to sleep almost sitting up to be able to breathe (I think I strained myself and either caused or worsened a hiatal hernia). I've been looking up info on GERD, etc., and am noticing all this PND talk and was so surprised! Anyway, I have a question for you.....if one's PND is caused by GERD can exposure to fragrances (perfumes, etc.) make it worse? I just assumed I was developing sensitivities to chemicals....now I wonder. Thanks for your time.

Tabby

Quoted from pamphlet dr. gave me:

"Chronic hoarseness, throat clearing, and cough, as well as a felling of a lump in the throat or difficulty swallowing, may be signs that youhave LPR (laryngopharyngeal reflux). Some people do have heartburn, too. Some people have hoarseness that comes and goes, and others have a problem with too much nose and throat drainage, that is, too much mucus or phlegm."

"Tips for reducing LPR;
Control your lifestyle and your diet!
*If you use tobacco, Quit. Smoking may make you reflux.
*Don't wear clothing that is too tight, expecially around the waist.
*Do not lie down just after eating...in fact do not eat within three hours of bedtime.
*Avoid caffeine, soda pop, and mints, if they increase your symptoms."

It still seems out of place for my 13 year old and the meds I have not noticed to be working.

I've been going to a great naturopath for serious allergy problems. - throat swellings. Also, in the last couple months I've had hoarseness. My allergist suggested I give Nexium a try..'the little blue pill' as they advertise it (for acid reflux.) Then I decided to go through a series of allergy treatments called NAET at this Naturopath because I've heard people have been having great results and allopathic medicine has not been able to help me. (If you do a search for those letters, you'll pull up the site. They use a laser now instead of acupuncture needles and I'm happy to share my experiences with anyone who is interested)
I digress. The naturopath explained to me the following: That we expend a certain amount of energy each day to produce the amount of stomach acid that we need. (sorry, i can't remember either figure.) And that the ...I think it's..the esophogeal sphincter, will only open and let acid back up IF our body is not producing ENOUGH stomach acid. So although one may feel short term relief from these 'acid reducers', in the long run it will exacerbate the allergies and cause other digestive problems. He put me on a digestive enzyme and no flush Niacin twice a day when I eat, and my hoarsness is gone. Also, the suggestion of the one poster - not eating late at night, ect. are all good.