hello everyone, after developing a chronic cough over christmas, and seeing multiple doctors, i was diagnosed with LPR in the middle of May and was placed on Nexium 2X a day by an ENT. After about a month of cutting out all the suggested foods and taking Nexium i decided to go to a GI. The GI put me on Reglan 4 times a day (one before every meal, one before bed) in addition to my Nexium that i was already taking. After waiting a few weeks and still not feeling much better i scheduled and Endoscopy and also went back to the ENT. The Endoscopy came back completely normal. When i went back to see the ENT he told me to start taking Pepcid before bed at night, in addition to all of the other meds (keep in mind this is 7 pills now). He also sent me to get a test done where i eat some radioactive food and they monitor my stomach. This test also came back normal. So, i decided to just shut up and keep taking my medicine for a while after all of this. I had my 3 month follow up at the ENT 2 weeks ago and he looked at my throat and said that it looks better but its still not completely healed. He also told me at that time that i was going to either have to take medicine the rest of my life or get surgery. He didn't say that i needed the surgery but said that some people choose to have it done as opposed to having to take medicine the rest of their life... After he told me that this was going to be a life long thing i was going to have to deal with I completely freaked out. After a few days it got so bad that i through up! I just simply couldn't and still can't cope with the fact that i'm going to have this the rest of my life. What's worse is that my cough still is not completely gone and i have started to develop a small lump in my throat... So, it has now been 4 months since i was diagnosed with LPR and still have symptoms. The ENT told me that i was going to continue to get better and my symptoms were going to continue to improve. Is there anyone out there that has been through this and knows what i am going through and can provide some comfort? After 4 months did you continue to improve in your symptoms? I feel like i'm going insane. I just need someone to talk to who knows what is going on. Any words of comfort would be appreciated!

Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease

I'm not able to provide any comfort as I am going insane right along with you. I have not been officially diagnosed with LPR, but that's what I think it is from reading all the posts on this board and doing other research. I have only been to an ENT so far thinking it was some sort of issue with my sinuses or something. My symtom is mainly the cough to the point of choking and more recently throwing up. I have been on Nexium 1x day for over 30 days now but recenty was given zantac 150 to take at night also - not much improvement. I have cut everything I can think off out of my diet. I'm calling this morning to get into a gastro, but will make sure they have experience with LPR before I choose one to go to.

Did you go through the 24 ph test for your diagnosis?

i've been suffering from LPR and GERD for alomst 2 years now. absolutely nothing works for me. my GI also prescribed Reglan but i was afraid to take it after reading about it.

my bed is raised about 11 inches, i take 2 nexiums a day, and last night i took about 4 Tums extra strength, a cimetidine pill, and 3 gaviscon tablets, and it still didn't help. i dunno what to do and it's really bumming me out...

I just wanted to give an update to everyone. I have been suffering with a chronic cough for months now, on Nexium 2X day, Reglan 4X a day, and one pepcid before bed. I have slowly gotten better over the past 4 months on medication. Last week i developed a lump in my throat that i was afraid would never go away. I have also been afraid through all of this that i would never be able to sing again because everytime i have tried since my cough i couldn't sustain a note. The past 3 days my throat has been abseolutely clear, i have had no cough, and my singing voice is excellent. I think i have finally figured out that with LPR there are certain trigger foods that will affect me, its just a matter of figuring out what they are. I finally have a positive look at the situation and believe that there may be hope in actually eliminating all of my symptoms. I hope that this can provide some comfort to those of you who are suffering and don't feel like your getting any better. Just hang in there! Also, my doctor has said that there are no side effects of long term use on Nexium.

i seem to get side effects from any use of Nexium. not serious ones of course, but headache, stomach pain, bloody nose. with Protonix i get no effects and it seems to work better. so i'm hopng to switch to protonix for good.

I have also had a cough since early May. We first thought it was due to my BP meds....then switched with no improvement. Now I've developed the "lump in my throat" sensation, which is there on and off, but there most of the time it seems. I've had this problem for about the past month. I started trying to figure it out on my own on the internet, and happened upon LPR. I think this is what I have, too, as I have suffered with reflux in the past as well. I currently already take Prilosec only once daily. After reading all of these posts, I made an appointment with an ENT for tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get to the bottom of all of this annoying coughing and get some relief! It can be maddening! I am also getting to the point where I cannot sing, or even complete a sentence. My insurance company will only allow me to take Prilosec currently because it is cheaper than Protonix or the other proton pump inhibitors. I am crossing my fingers that if the doc recommends another drug for me that my insurance company will allow it.

Thanks for posting! It was like a "lightbulb" moment for me when I read your descriptions! They seemed so similar to my own!

please keep us posted of your progress

I had the same thing, only meds weren't working for me. After radically changing my diet, and losing 20 pounds in three months, I went back to my PCP and whined "look at me! I'm a wreck!" She put me on Xanax, for anxiety, which IMMEDIATELY stopped the cough. And I was coughing all day long. After that, the Prevacid finally was able to work. I quit being such a baby and had the endoscopy yesterday. It looked normal, but the dr. did a biopsy anyway for Barrett's. Anyway, my point is, the reflux had gotten so bad, that my anxiety was spiraling out of control, thinking that this was going to be a lifetime problem. Thank goodness for a PCP who recognized that! My dr yesterday told me to keep taking the Prevacid for at least six months, then start to wean myself off. I took the Xanax for about one month, and have already stopped that. Just a suggestion, anxiety can play a HUGE role

My ENT agreed that my cough was most likely due to reflux, and got approval from my insurance company for Protonix, which worked well for me before. He only tried to get approval, though, for one tablet per day, since he knew that twice daily wouldn't fly. So, I'm hopeful that I will begin to get relief again with Protonix. It is frustrating with the insurance companies, since I feel like my reflux was in check before they made be switch back to Prilosec when it went over the counter. I kind of feel like I wouldn't be in this boat had they NOT made me switch in the first place!

I am trying to modify my diet somewhat....although I'm not a big coffee drinker. I am cutting out soda completely, and TRYING to cut out spicey, greasy foods, to see if that will help. I really enjoy Mexican and Italian foods, both...those are my two favorite things to eat. I really don't want to be stuck eating bland foods forever!

He wants to see me back in one month.

I'm trying to modify my diet too---but am frustrated!!! It seems the same foods can have different reactions on different days. Does anyone else notice this? If the LES muscle opens inappropriately at different times....maybe this explains the random reactions to different foods. It seems I could eat anything and if the LES decides to relax that day...I'll suffer no matter what it is. If not, I won't.

I've tried digestive enzymes and if they're helping, I can't tell. I have noticed some good things with Mylanta...it reverses the constipation from the Protonix and seems to sooth any attacks that I can feel in my throat. I have cut out all red meat, sodas, wine, chocolate, and processed sweets from the grocery store---but still drink low acid coffee from the health store every 2 days. The hell if I'm giving up my coffee. Check out the book The Acid Alkaline Diet for Optimum Health by Christopher Vasey. They have a list of foods that you would have never thought were acidifying. I was shocked!

i tried disgestive enzymes. i don't think it made a difference.

Hi everyone,

PPI's and blockers work well for many in sorting out the reflux and for others they regulate the effects. For a lot of us however they simply do not work because the LES or lower esophaegal sphincter is impaired (often along side a hiatus hernia). The meds reduce the amount of acid produced and therefore able to reflux to allow the pharynx and larynx time to heal. With a loose sphincter it does not matter how little acid you produce or what you eat it is still going to reflux anyway. I have a had a salad and mineral water and felt it reflux. If after 6 months of meds there have been no improvement you really need a 24 hr PH monitoring to quantify the reflux problem, a manometry to test esophaegal movement and an endoscopy or barium X ray to check for hiatal hernia and loose LES. This the only protocol if meds fail and there is no way round it. Surgery will be required to correct it.

For Hallen, LPR is thought to be the number one cause of sinusitus outside of an identified sinus problem. The acid reflux enters the nasal passage and causes inflammation to the linings. This slows down the cillia movement and the nasal discharge/ mucous thickens slides down and rests at the back of the throat and tongue. This results in nasal congestion, constant throat clearing and bitter taste and breath. The sensation of lump in throat is thought to be caused by inflammed vocal cords. From other threads a chronic cough seems to be one of the earlier indicators of LPR.

Worth remembering that it is the regularity of the reflux incidents that cause the damge in LPR and not the volume of the acid itself.

Hope Helps

I've had LPR for two years now :yawn: . I tried everything, everything failed. :( I'm going for a fundo on November 7th. It took me a while to mentally prepare for the fundo, but I have been clearing my throat 4000 times per day and none of the medications work. Whatever happens, I went through everything and I now feel ready for the surgery. :)

Barnett

Hi bserchuk

Please remind me what u have tried. I too am awaiting fundo in the next few months. Had the 24 hr monitoring which showed reflux happening throughout the day and night. As for the throat clearing I feel this is Post Nasal Drip. Due to the continual nature of the reflux all the way into the pharynx the acid fumes continue into the nasal cavity and sinuses causing inflammation to the membranes. This stops the mucus from flowing stagnating it in the sinuses causing a sinus infection (ever present congestion, upper jaw and facial pain, sinus headaches and of course the mucus at the back of the throat). If you do not experience any of these then the mucus must come from irritation of the vocal cords themselves. It is felt that the globus sensation is actually inflammation of the cords and not the mucus as when you clear the mucus or you have little mucus the globus can still be present. PND can be constant day and night and the drainage can carry the infection from the sinuses to the throat and the esophaegas. I am convinced this is what happens to me. I believe long standing exposure to LPR caused a form of sinusitus and with it a sinus infection which then caused an infection in my tonsil crypts (now removed) and is continuing to do so only it seems to be getting worse. The fundo will stop the LPR but do nothing to an established sinus infection. I do not want to go through the fundo to still suffer mucus, congestion, bitter taste and breath from another source so in the meantime whilst waiting for the fundo I am gonna get my sinuses checked out.

Best wishes

Dear Ginger:

Here is a list of the medications I've been on for the last two years:

Aciphex, Prilosec, Nexium, Zantac, Pepsid, Tagament, Mucinex, Cipro. :eek: There are others I've taken that I've forgotten about, but this seems to be a fairly extensive list. Recently I developed a shoulder problem that also needs surgery. :confused: It's been a really down time for me, but I hope to move forward with all this starting in November. Had a wonderful time in Scotland recently on vacation and that put me into a really nice frame of mind and spirit.

Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Best,

Barnett

I feel for you. I've been through the same thing. What works for me is Nexium 2x per day (I've tried all the other medications and they don't work as well for me). And the critical thing in managing the reflux is avoidance or foods with saturated fat, and then limited consumption of foods with unsaturated fat. Anything fried, cheese, ice cream, fatty red meat, chicken skin, etc. will make me cough cough cough. However, salad oils like olive oil and soybean oil don't seam to bother me when used for salads. Once I use it for sauteeing (which is really kind of like frying), the cough can return.

The diet is so so so boring - but eating completley low-fat really helps me. Also, avoiding soda is a good thing too - those bubbles launch the acid into your esophagous. Eating low-fat allows me to drink my coffee and have the occasional glass of wine.