I'm seeing a lot of new LPR posters - Welcome! I'm glad you found this board. Sometimes it can be hard to find a pharma solution when so many posters haven't been successfully treated yet, so I thought I'd start a new thread about LPR treatment success.

If you have LPR, and if you've found a truly successful pharma and lifestyle regimen, please share it with us. I'd like to limit this thread to the truly successful regimens - where you feel like you're at least at 90% of your old self, under control, and have gotten your ***quality of life*** back. I'd like to help out all the newbies with our wealth of experience in the matter - especially since many LPR patient stop posting after finding a successful drug regimen.

Thank you - and let's keep bumping this thread to the top!

LPR for 4 years. A+ successful treatement for 3 1/2 years now.

I take 2 doses of Nexium, together, each morning. Each dose is 40 mg, so I take a total of 80 mg of Nexium each morning. (The doses are ineffective for me if I separate them into morning and evening - they must be together). The Nexium alone controls about 95% of my symptoms, provided that I am following a low-fat, portion-controlled diet. (But I eat everything - including some of the triggers that bother other people like garlic onions, tomatoes, milk and coffee).

The double dose of Nexium typically gets me through until about 9 PM, when I take it at 6 AM. If I have any breakthrough symptoms at night, I now take 1 dose of Zegerid, a different PPI. I use Zegerid instead of Nexium because my insurance won't pay for more Nexium. However, I have discovered that I can also substitue 2 doses of Zegereid for my morning dose of 2 Nexiums and achieve the same results.

I don't raise the head of my bed, take apple cider vinegar, or engage in any kind of naturopathic remedies. In the past (4 years ago) I tried all of the "natural alternatives" like Magnesium, Calcium, Herb Oils, Apples, etc. and suffered terribly. But I only tried the natural alternatives because no doctor had prescribed a PPI yet. I have to hand it to big pharma - they came in and saved me, as I went from an "F" to an "A" in terms of quality of life.

Side effects of the PPI regimen: I have very intense dreams every night, and a lot of nightmares. They don't really bother me, so it's a side effect I can live with. It's certainly a strange side effect!

I hope it's ok to post here, as i have a dumb question, I think I have LPR, but is there some defining sympton that says yes for sure, i have not been back to dr to discuss this yet.Also, again dumb, but what do you mean by pharma?
sorry..

Thanks
sue

Usually no one defining system, but one of more of these:
-Sensation of "lump in throat"
-Difficulty swallowing
-Chronic Cough (Severe and Unrelenting)
-Sinusitis-like symptoms that don't respond to antibiotics (post-nasal drip, stuffiness, pain)
-Asthma-like symptoms that don't respond to asthma medication
-Mystery pain in chest or back or upper arms

Most people with LPR don't list heartburn as a symptom, which is why it can often be hard to get a diagnosis of acid reflux because so many doctors only associate acid reflux with heartburn. You can get heartburn, but it' a much less common complaint, or you experience much less frequently so you don't associate it as a "symptom".

"Pharma" regimen is simply the medications that you are taking. If you have LPR, the standard therapy is 2 doses of a PPI (Proton-pump inhibitor) per day. But there are about 6 PPIs on the market so you sometimes need to experiement)>

You are so great, and know so much about this, thank you. I do have the chronic cough and you know I have had a pain that comes and goes in my chest, right side, not a pain that concerns me about heart trouble, but i assumed that i pulled muscles..interesting..I am hesitant to take 2 pills without Dr ok, but the other night I did thake the 2nd one before bed, and I swear I coughed more..I know one pill could not make it worse, so it is in my head.

I have been reading alot on this board lately -- It use to be part of the Digestive Disorders board that I usually post on -- the thing that I noticed here is no one ever mentions the diet that they are eating?

Could this be a problem with alot of folks that have acid reflux as well as LPR. Our bodies requires us to eat protein Daily to maintain muscle mass as well perform a lot of functions in the body. We don't have a storage for PROTEIN-- like we have for other important nutrients.

I know it is hard to imagine that we are not getting enough protein as well as essiential fatty acids and other nutrients to maintain muscle mass but basically LPR as well as acid refux is caused by esophagus muscles not functioning properly!

All cells in our bodies need protein as well as other nutrients to just be replaced and work right.

I use to have acid reflux problems (not LPR) but I started making sure I ate enough good quality protein 3 times daily-- not a high protein diet -- just an adequate amount. And, my acid reflux -- went away.

I have never been questioned by any Doctors that I have gone to over the years about what I ate -- except Alternative Care Doctors.
Doctors are generally not trained in nutrition. Such a shame because I believe we are what we eat.

Harry

Thought I would bump this up for the LPR people.

I started out with what I thought was a sinus infection...was on antibiotics for a week, but I couldn't stop clearing my throat. After a week of that, I went to an ENT....he had a device, a very thin wire with a camera, which he put into my nose and down my throat. He said my vocal chords were "red" and diagnosed me with "Silent Acid Reflux" (I never really had heartburn, and still don't....once in a blue moon I may have an "acidy" burp, but that's rare if I watch what I eat).

I went to my Internist...and he put me on Aciphex for 8 weeks. He said if it's an ulcer, the medicine should help...if not I will have to go for an Endoscopy.

I am very careful with my meals. I generally have Oatmeal with a few slices of bananna or strawberries for breakfast.

I found something called Teecinno...which replaced my coffee...it is not made with coffee beans and has no caffeine. It's not bad with a little cream an sugar.

I usually have a mid morning snack...an oatmeal cookie or an apple.

Lunch is usually chicken and a vegatable. Sometimes I mix in a little feta cheese for flavor. Or sometimes I mix in a little Terriyaki and Honey (which seems to agree with me).

In the afternoon I have another fruit snack, pears seem to work well for me.

For dinner I have more chicken, veggies (usually cooked/steamed string beans, peas, or broccoli florets) and brown rice.

I also have dessert...usually a small toasted corn muffin with a small glass of 1 percent milk. The cold milk always feels sooooo good going into my stomach!

I have found that I can also have a chicken pot pie...or meat loaf for dinner and that doesn't bother me either.

I haven't had any more episodes of not being able to clear my throat...but I don't feel 100 percent well either.

I have had very bad gas/bloat after eating: Sushi, Ice Cream, Black Pepper, Some Raw Veggies, Garlic.

I find that when I am stressed I get worse...especially the "lump in the throat" sensation....which scares the heck out of me.

I am going for accupuncture which I find has helped....

Sometimes I can actually feel food or cold liquids going into my stomach, and wonder if that is normal??? Does anyone else have that?

I also "burp" after I eat anything...even a small cup of fruit...it temporarily makes me feel better. My throat feels dry...and I also get a sensation of difficulty when I swallow, although the food goes down. Sometimes I also feel like there is something stuck in my throat.

I have found that many small meals help...I also chew my food at least 20 times now, and eat slowly. I read somewhere not to drink any liquids while you are eating (not sure why). I also tried "Slippery Elm Lozenges" which are supposed to heal your throat and stomach.

Hope this helps...

40mg. Protonix in the morning has helped so much I can't believe it. (Was on Prilosec but switched due to diarrhea.) I still get symptoms from: garlic, spicy things, ice cream, and chocolate. Have I stopped eating these things? Oh no. I eat them and suffer. But at least I can breath afterwards, whereas before meds I couldn't eat anything w/o some real pain. Sue