Finally broke down and went to see a Gastro Doc

Some of what he told me may be a repeat of previous posts, but hopefully it will help someone

Doc basically said:

- Some Doctors don't believe in LPR. Many Doctors overdiagnose LPR. Just because you have red vocal chords, doesn't always mean you have LPR...red vocal chords can be caused by many different conditions including allergies and infections (strictly his opinion).

- People with "regular" Acid Reflux can just "SNIFF" a PPI and it will help clear up their symptoms. However, people with LPR have to double dose (1 PPI in AM before breakfast, 1 PPI in PM before dinner) for up to 6 months in order to see any results.

- PPI's must be taken 30-60 minutes before eating...and you MUST eat in order to activate the pill.

-He can't tell anything until he does the Endoscopy

Again...I hope this info helps at least 1 person!

What are your LPR symptoms. I get to enjoy tight throat, difficulty breathing, esophegeal spasms, vocal cord disfuntion, and sinus problems. I currently take Prilosec 20 mg in the morning and zantec at night. PPI's give be bad side effects, so I am getting off of the Prilosec tomorrow. I will attempt the 150 Zantec 2x/day method since my symptoms have improoved over the last few months.

By the way I had an endoscopy and everything checked out fine, usually the case with LPR sufferers. The LES valve worked perfectly fine. I think that most LPR sufferers must have an UES disfunction not LES.

Take care and good luck!

I have had 4 EKG's all normal. An echo cardiogram, fine. Blood work fine. Chest xrays fine. And an endoscopy done that showed a lot of damage from acid reflux. Yet still I have the palpitations (sp?). Stomach feels very gasy. Pain in the left side of chest beside the pectoral mussel i can feel my heart beat thumping in there. I usually sleep with my hand on it for some reason. Pain in the left arm and kinda tingly at times like its half asleep. Worry every time its my heart but somehow it never is yet im still scared **** less. Also get spasms in my stomach that make me almost convulse in intervals. Also get pains in the chest kind of stabby like and short lived. This sucks :(

PPI's give be bad side effects, so I am getting off of the Prilosec tomorrow.

Kevin, can you tell me what side effects, you are getting on PPI's? I am currently on them (Nexium) and im pretty sure they are causing me some problems...

My symptoms started with a Sinus Infection, or so I thought...and eventually I couldn't stop clearing my throat.

I saw an ENT, who scoped me, and said my vocal chords were cherry red...he diagnosed it as "silent" acid reflux.

I went on Aciphex 20 MG/1 x a day, for 2 weeks...I didn't like the idea of taking pills, so when I stopped clearing my throat, I stopped taking the pills.

MISTAKE...within 2 weeks, I felt like I had a grapefruit in my throat (the dreaded lump in the throat sensation) Then came the difficulty in swallowing...tight throat...esophageal spasms...bloating...gas...and the sinus problems never go away 100%.

I'm back on Aciphex 20 MG...but now I take it twice a day....I'm feeling somewhat better...never 100%. If I'm under stress my symptoms come back more so...if I eat the wrong thing that can trigger symptoms also. Although it seems like I can eat something 1 day and be fine...then at the same thing the next day and this triggers an attack.

In any event...I don't ever get heartburn...very strange disease this LPR!!!

Yeah. It sucks alright. Do you ever have difficulty taking a deep breath? I feel like my throat is constricted, exercise makes it worse. All the info I've read points to Vocal Cord Disfinction.

My side effects with PPI's, especially Nexium, include tight throat, tight chest, difficulty breathing, bloating, and fatigue. Fun stuff. I recently switched over to zantec 2x/day. I am trying to ween myself off all of the drugs.

I also have LPR... Are those really the side effects...I have a tight throat and difficulty breathing ffom the LPR so now how does one know if its fromt he meds or the illness?

JOG, my symptoms started with what I thought was a sinus infection too, my throat was really red, pusy and nasty looking and then came the chest pains, chest tighness and heavy, rib pains, pain in armpit and arm and burning in rib area. Im on my second bottle of antibiotics for my throat. I have not had any tests done for GERD or LPR yet but im taking prilosec which seems to help a little. My main problem is breathing, I cant breathe 24/7. But I DO NOT feel acid coming up in my throat! Do you have to feel it for it to be there? Does anyone else not feel anything coming up? I burp alot and sometimes when I burp, a little food comes up and sometimes the top of my throat burns when I burp. I just dont know, Im going to have to get some tests done. :confused: