I have found, a week before my period, my indigestion acts up.

There must be a link to hormones. Does anybody else think the same?

I have the LPR all the time but the pressure and pain on the sternum I get during that time of the month. In fact it is the way this whole thing began for me. The pain in the sternum which I mentioned to the GYN during a visit. He did not think was hormone related but did send me for a sonogram and then to the Gastro dr. Soon after I started with all this reflux. :( :confused:

YES! In fact it is now part of my premenstrual symptoms. Just like sore breasts, cramping and cravings this also indicates my period is about to start.

There will be pressure on my sternum and more shortness of breath. I will also awake more in the night due to reflux. Although I am taking Nexium it is not stopping the reflux for whatever reason. It is just neutralizing the acid.

I've heard this is very common among women and my ob-gyn confirmed it for me.

I HIGHLY suspect alot of so-called GERD is really progesterone related. Progesterone is highest in the menstrual cycle when you ovulate right before period.

After struggling with this a year, I somehow heard about the possibility of hormones being related - probably to my alleged gastroparesis (GP), which was diagnosed 8 mos after the 1st GERD "attack".

I'd seen some sparse references to progesterone (prog) possibly debilitating the stomach, thus causing GP. I started to wonder about my birth-control pills, which I had taken for a year when the GERD hit suddenly. Then, after starting to self-research, my GE mentioned off-hand at an appt - right when I was leaving - that he was "starting to suspect my birth control". (I never made him explain that, which was long ago.)

I then asked my OB-GYN if I could switch to lower dosage BC, in hopes maybe it would help. I did, but while maybe my reflux itself reduced, I had long times of burning all over my gut. (SOoooo many GI problems that seem to cycle!) Meanwhile, I had read that further, it seemed prog may be involved in GP and even SPHINCTER problems because these problems are all common in PREGNANCY - when prog is higher than it ever is in menses! If you check around, you'll see there is reference to prog causing "failures" of the GI tract from the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) all through the whole intestines moving poorly.

I AM now pregnant, and almost immediately saw an increase in reflux (inner silent burping), to where I am burping almost constantly as if having an "attack" of GERD. (I suspect the "burp" is simply my LES failing intermittantly.) I'm 5 mos and it hasn't really subsided - the burping or the nausea or throat soreness, and definitely not the "gag reflex" (only during pregnancy, I hope) or the heartburn (never really had that with just GERD - got on PPIs too soon, I guess?).

Between the hormone references to GP specifically, pregnancy tie-ins generally to all the "nausea" and "heartburn" common with it, and even my GE doc quipping about my BC, and the apparent preponderence of GERD and GP problems for WOMEN, I highly suspect much might be related to the hormone prog.

Although I am taking Nexium it is not stopping the reflux for whatever reason. It is just neutralizing the acid.

PPIs don't stop actual refluxing. They only stop acid. That is why there is no true "cure", because nothing is actually fixing the real problem - bad sphincter, etc. They're only helping the symptoms.

PPIs don't stop actual refluxing. They only stop acid. That is why there is no true "cure", because nothing is actually fixing the real problem - bad sphincter, etc. They're only helping the symptoms.

Ol'line,

I do have that problem of there being 3 bad sphincters. After my pH Probe and my endoscopy they found 3 of them which were not working well. I have a tough decision to make about surgery because the success rate is not that great. Other than that do you know of anything else that would help? I might even post a new thread about it. All I know is right before my period I reflux a lot more and am even more short of breath.

Thanks for the info!!!

I have a tough decision to make about surgery because the success rate is not that great.

I wouldn't bother with it either. Now that I've been off PPIs and pregnant, I think they helped me. In fact, while I continued to "burp" frequently, it wasn't as bad as when I got pregnant. It used to be that when I was on PPIs, while I might burp, the worst that usually happened was the scratchy throat and a bit of slight nausea after a good deal of burping (which wasn't as frequent as now - now every day is "red zone"!). Now that I'm pregnant and no PPI, it seems all kinds of other things popped up - much nausea, THIS DAMNED HEAVE REFLEX, bloating big time, and real heartburn; before pregnancy, on very low PPI (every 4 days), I was getting lots of bad stomach and intestinal burns all over.

Let's just say it's possible you don't think PPIs are helping, but if you were off them, it'd be much worse.

I don't like the success rate of the fundo; that it a) actually works b) GI complications or c) other "unrelated" problems popping up from it.


Other than that do you know of anything else that would help? I might even post a new thread about it. All I know is right before my period I reflux a lot more and am even more short of breath.

I think the best we can do - especially us women - is MENTION THIS to the GE doctors. Many don't mention it at all, and there is some research saying there is no big difference in sphincter or stomach pressure with hormone pills or whatever, so I think many either don't know about it or latch onto the bit that says there is no connection. I would mention that you notice this spike in problems then, and that you've heard about problems during ovulation, on BC pills (many pills cause "nausea"), and during pregnancy, and even some menopausal women on HRT, and that it seems mostly women suffer from these disorders. What do they all have in common? Elevated progesterone, and probably estrogen, too.

I think all us women who suffer primarily under those conditions need to bring this up to doctors - we suffer at ovulation, since we took BC, when we're pregnant (which will be ignored as "a matter of course", but may be very pertinent), or since we took HRT.

Maybe someone will finally pay attention - maybe we have the true answer to GERD/gastroparesis for most people!

WOW glad l looked here!! Ive been like this too for years before my period the strenum area pain the pressure etc etc etc!!! After years of it just been treated for h pylori will some one tell me what lpr is please? Cheers all x

LPR = laryngopharyngeal reflux

It's a rather recent identification of a problem. Thus, you'll see many places insisting it is "separate" from GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and many saying it's part and parcel. I think they HAVE to be related - you have to reflux excessively to have LPR problems, but you might not enough to have "heartburn" or other chest symptoms. The throat is more sensitive than the esophagus, so takes less to "burn" it.

Thank you for that :) l dont have much heartburn at all l only ever suffered from that if l overate or ate rich foods. L do have the strernum pain this morning really bad periods due in 5 days :( does anyone know what the heck this is???? Ive really had enough :(

I have that same problem right now with the sternum pain. It feels like something is weighing down on my lungs making it difficult to breathe. And like you I am five days from the start of my period.

Progesterone might have something to do with it. But I've also noticed I get a lot of swelling which pushes up against my diaphragm making everything feel tight.

Isn't enough that we have to give birth???? :)

Hi there :) its so damm annoying!! Wjy doesnt anyone know what the heck it is??? Theres enough of us suffering from it! I did do some searches yesterday and the closest l got was fibromyalgia and chostochondritis (typo?) that seems to get worse when periods due. Will mention this all to my doc when l go next week. Good luck all x

I find this topic very interesting as I am 50 years old soon to be 51 and I am now experiencing LPR as well. I am "memopausal" and wondered if I too could be suffering from the LPR because of fluctuating hormones. Any thoughts from the older ladies with these symptoms?

I wish there was some answers :( ive just finushed treatment in the last few weeks for h pylori and just finished taking lansoprazole now my period is late and thats not me! Anyone else? ps still having the symptoms tho:mad:ugh!