I am newly diagnosed with LPR, I saw an ENT who put a scope down my throat and said that he saw some irritation. I have allergies and really bad post nasal drip also - I feel like I am choking on mucus. I took my third aciphex pill after dinner last night and have been very, very nauseated since then. My regular Dr. is not around this weekend, and the doc on call said to just stop taking it and see if the nausea goes away - I'm desperate to feel better and need some advice.

C'mon, NO ONE on here has ever taken aciphex?????

I have taken aciphex and it works well for me. My dr advised me to take it first thing in the am before breakfast. I hope this helps you out.

Thanks so much for the response - I was so terribly nauseated that I think I'm going to ask to try something else - I wonder if anything else is "easier" on the stomach.

I am also taking Aciphex, and I haven't had any problems with it. I also take it first thing in the morning. I have taken other PPIs such as Nexium and found this one to have the least side effects. You might give it another try. More than likely it is the mucous draining down into your stomach that is making you nauseated. Good luck!

Suki- I started Aciphex about two weeks ago and i haven't had any side effects from it. I take it at night a little before i go to bed so most of the meds are in me while i am sleeping for that seems to be the time i am refluxing most (waking up in the morning with sore throats). I can say sometimes i wake up without the sore throat and some days it is mild, so i believe the meds are working. As you probably know it can take atleast 6 months to feel relief from LPR, give it time and good luck!

Thanks, my Dr. switched me over to protonix and today is my third day on it. I am still having this weird burning sensation in my chest - it absolutely doesn't feel like heartburn, it feels more like LUNG-burn, it is driving me nuts. I just keep feeling like they are missing something. I wonder if a lot of people have this burning lung feeling as well.

I am also an LPR patient who is almost symptom free after 3 months. FINALLY! I was so bad I missed 6 weeks of work. I couldn't talk for the pain and swelling in my throat. I've lost 40 pounds. It was BAD! Because it waas so hard to find info on what I had, I am almost like an evangelist...posting my story everywhere. I want to help people avoid all the suffering I went through.

Here's the "my story" post:

Hi all,

I'm a newly (self diagnosed) LPRer myself. On March 4 I went to the ER with hot fire in my lungs. After a complete cardiac work up (5 days in the hospital including a cardiac cath to investigate what turned out to be a shadow of my breast tissue), a visit to a pulmonologist (and treatment for pleurisy including steroids which really did a number on my stomach), a GI (who treated me for GERD with Nexuim and Zantac) an ENT (who sent me back to the GI), and back to my family doc I decided to get on the internet and figure out what the heck is going on. As soon as I saw the first LPR post I knew what I had.

I called my family doc and got on Nexuim 40 mg twice a day. That was 3 weeks ago and already it's MUCH better. I had to fight my insurance company to get them to cover it, but they did.

I've been fighting this for two months now and so I have learned a few tricks.

Some things that have really helped me:

1. The Nexium 40 mg twice a day - the only way to go. The others aren't as good. Protonix didn't help at all. They say I will need to take this for 6 months before I even consider tapering back down.

2. Sleep with a warm mist humidifier right by your head.

3. Drink at least 5 big glasses of water per day.

4. Rest your voice. Write notes - especially in the evening.

5. Eat a GERD-friendly diet. No it's not what we have, but the principles of food choice are similar. You want to eat only low acid and low fat.

6. Try standing up or walking around after you eat. The exercise seems to help me keep stuff in my stomach and out of my throat.

7. .25 mg of Xanax helped me when my throat was really tight and constricted. Yes, it has been shown to lower LES pressure, but it works for the strangling feeling.

8. There was a study in Belgium regarding the use of Baclofen for increasing LES pressure. My doc prescribed it (cause I asked for it) but I only tried it once and refluxed it onto my already raw vocal chords so I didn't try again.

9. NO CARBONATED SODA. It really acts on the throat thing.

10. Visit a speech therapist for "vocal hygiene" (how to cough and not hurt yourself - that kind of thing). There's also an exercise that helps relax the "cramp" in the throat and helps that mucous to drain.

11. Should be #1 - PRAY. God has really been active in helping me through this. I am a better person and much stronger in my faith.

Hang in there and if your doctor isn't listening (or has no idea what you are talking about) find another one. I've never been a doctor hopper before, but this is a tough illness with few experts (except us patients )

God Bless!

I've been on aciphex since 7/26, 20mg twice per day. Haven't had side effects. Doc also has me on Gaviscon liquid(not pills) 3 times per day. I am much much better and have symptoms only if I walk too far and bend over and reach out to grab something. Then I feel the pain in my chest up to my ears might come.

Your email should inspire others. I have found Aciphex ok with no side effects and I take 20mg twice a day. I also take Gaviscon liquid (not pill) 3 times per day. Occas I still need a tums so keep them with me. I'll be scoped Wed b/c all my symptoms began around 7/12 and progressed to it's worst about 8/l with dull aching pain sternum up jaw to ears. Ckd out with ct, ekgs, labs and stress tests all normal. Hoping they find the answer Wed. and that it's a simple fix or that I'm doing the right stuff already. Thanks for the other tips for all of us. I follow bland diet too, no sode, no coffee/tea, no spicey stuff. I'm worried that too much coffee might have also helped trigger this.

maybe it is burning but all along I've just felt it was dull aching pain from my sternum area up the jaw to my ears. I'll be scoped Wed and am hoping they find out what it is. I'm sooooooo much better after a month of Aciphex and
Gaviscon Liquid (not pills) and my symptoms are positional as well so I'm careful about bending over to pk up stuff from floor etc.

Hi all -

I've been on Achiphex before and it didn't cause any nausea in me. I took it at night, because I felt like sometimes it made me a little anxious. Not bad - just a little bit for awhile. As I took it, I think my body adjusted to it, but that's probably a rare side effect. In fact, I think I'm going to start back on it again. I know that my diet has been wrong and my caffeine intake is up some - I'm sure I've been aggravating it, because I've had belching again and the "hotness" sort of under the breastbone. Tonight I belched after I drank a Starbucks latte and it really hurt! I agree with Cherobo64, though! Pray, pray and pray without ceasing. God is able to heal - it's in His word if we believe and confess it.

God bless all here.

danni