Since we know GERD/LPR are caused by a weak LES/UES, what can weaken these? Any good resources on this? Thanks!

Hi Skylar,

I haven't found any good resources that are really definitive - and my 2 doctors (Upenn and Yale) also told me that they don't know why this happens. They did say that being a smoker or overweight puts you at a higher risk. There is also a relationship between a class of antidepressants (forgot the name of them- it's an older, pre-prozac class but they are still used today) and loss of spinchter pressure.

But from this board, it seems that nearly everyone has an opinion about why they now have reflux.

I am very suspicious about drugs like Xanax (a Benzo) which is a very strong muscle relaxer in addition to being an anti-anxiety drug. I also have questions about beta-blockers (my best friend, ironically, developed LRP after having been on a beta-blocker for 15 years - but I think she was also taking Zoloft too). Smoking, chemical exposure and anxiety may be culprits as well.