I am a 44 year old woman in very good health. I found this message board about 6 months ago when I first had symptoms of LPR, mainly a lump in the throat feeling. I went my doctor who prescribed prilosec otc which I took twice a day for several months. It wasn't helping very much and she was going to try another proton pump inhibitor. I did not want to take this medication if there were more natural options because it inhibits absorption of vitamin B, calcium, and other nutrients. I did try the DGL licorice, slippery elm, further modified my already healthy diet, etc, but none of this helped much either.

I had an endoscopy done which showed some “signs of refux” but was otherwise clear.

I spoke to one of my MD colleagues who recommended acupuncture and the Chinese herbs prescribed by a Doctor of Oriental medicine (DOM). I had used acupuncture on and off for years from a licensed acupuncturist and found it very helpful for a variety of minor conditions but had never gone to a DOM for the herbs.

Through the recommendation of friends, I found one of the best DOM’s in the area. I have been receiving acupuncture and taking the herbs he prescribed for 6 weeks and I am virtually symptom free. I noticed dramatic improvement within the first week and it has been steadily improving since then. I stopped taking the prilosec when I began this treatment.

If you are not familiar with Chinese Medicine, it is based on balancing the flow of energy called chi in the body and treats the whole person. This is done through the use of acupuncture and herbs. The acupuncture is not painful. Because it treats the whole body, the treatments and herbs are individualized and will vary from person to person.

Some medical insurance companies now cover acupuncture.

After reading all of the distress people were suffering from LPR on this message board I wanted to share my success with this treatment.