LPR (Laryngopharyngeal Reflux) Disproven :: Still Symptoms Getting Worse
Jul 23, 2014
I just received the results of my rapid spot tests, manometry and impedance tests all at once. They're all clear, but my LPR continues and is worsening greatly. I figured out something important. My symptoms can change in a matter of minutes based on whether or not I use Gaviscon Advance. They're equally distressing, but I keep bouncing between them, I just have no idea why:
With Gaviscon Advance:
- Extremely tight throat (much less mucus)
- More burping
- Hurts/hard to swallow
Without Gaviscon Advance:
- Thick, heavy amounts of post nasal drip
- Difficulty breathing
- Tight chest
- Some difficulty swallowing (no pain)
A single gulp of alkaline water can bring in the mucus/tight chest/breathing problems on in seconds, but Gaviscon Advance sometimes takes a few uses to make things change. Why would 2 things reknowned for LPR treatment make me worse in different ways?!
Also I wake up perfectly fine in the morning, until I swallow, which kick-starts the symptoms. No clue why, especially since the evidence says I don't have reflux.
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I've been suffering from what I believe is LPR reflux for 16 months now, and I honestly can't take another day of it. I've been through everything to try and cure it from day 1. This includes all sorts of PPIs/H2 blockers, Gaviscon Advance, 3 different diets, 3 different antidepressants, alkaline water, raising the bed, vitamin d3 (1000-5000 IU a day) and more besides. Nothing works at all, and I'm not a candidate for surgery. I've had all the tests which are expected to come back negative too; the endoscopy, barium swallow, gallbladder scan, ENT throat scope all came back clear. I also have no new allergies, and my vitamin D3 levels are high enough to satisfy even the "new" research. Personally, I think the whole D3 thing is a hoax, but I digress.
I've also have a number of "Peptest" spit tests throughout the year. In total I have collected 18 samples, and only a single one has come back positive. It was the first one I ever collected, and it was only just in the "low" bracket of pepsin detected. That's just 1 positive sample in 17 though, and I've collected samples right after serious symptoms, or even when I thought I burped up vomit. RD Biomed, the ones behind the test, are questioning my self-diagnosis of LPR, but still my symptoms continue. They include:
- Constant Post-Nasal Drip. It doesn't wake me up in the night but the moment I wake up it affects me all day.
- Throat clearing, usually a result of the above.
- A burning throat sensation. There's no pattern with food, it has even happened when I drink alkaline water.
- Sinus headaches, fatigue and ear pressure.
- Nausea and constant burping.
HOW CAN THIS NOT BE LPR?! I have serious anxiety about my health, and the thought of having LPR scares me to death, to the point I have sought assisted "self-harm" to end my suffering. I refuse to live a full life with a chronic, painful, incurable illness, because it's the one thing I've ever been afraid of having. I'm just not strong enough to cope with it. In my desperation, I keep trying to prove if stress can cause all my symptoms. It does not, cannot and will not ever be the cause. I've been told to "stop deluding myself into thinking I'll ever get better" by some people, and told it's "all in my head" by others. Nobody truly believes I'm suffering at all.
Who should I believe? Will I ever recover? What kind of conditions are similar to LPR? Please help me. I want my life back.
A last, important note. I recently stopped taking Mirtazapine after hearing they have anti-acid effects. I refuse to be on drugs for life; I want to cure my illness, not mask it. Since stopping the Mirtazapine my Post Nasal Drip has significantly worsened. I'm not sure if the two are linked, but I've made sure to take another set of Peptest samples to check for LPR, and they're still all negative.
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for over a week I have been on pantoprazole 40 mg and zantac 150 at night in an effort to get acid under control. before that I was on prevacid 20mg for 3 weeks. It really seems that my symptoms are worse since I started taking the PPI?
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My 6 year old has had chronic sinusitis, recurrent pneumonia, lots of infections, tonsillectomy and adenoids removed @ 3 yr. because the tonsils were so infected. We had a scare in July where he was believed to have either a very serious infection or leukemia (due to blood work being so off and neutrophils dropping way below normal levels). We have been through the ringer with him since he was 6 months of age!!! He's had CF tests done, bone marrow biopsy, tons of chest x-rays, immunoassays etc. He's never had a CT of his sinuses but will soon. Now that he's been cleared from everything we are thinking it's laryngopharyngeal reflux, aka Silent Reflux, w/o heartburn. Anyone have a child with this that can help me? Should I push them to test him or just go along with the diagnosis w/o testing.
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Has anyone experienced suffering LPR on daily basis and finding out pregnant on the way? How do you handle if you are prescribed to take PPI everyday to alleviate symptoms.
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I am quite tired of my sore throat. It's not a pain like when you get a cold. It just feels like I have a bump and it feels irritated. It's mainly on my right side. This has been going on for almost a full year. I thought I had hurt my throat while singing because once I sang really loud and harshly, and that's when the pain began. But I mentioned this to three different ENT doctors, and all of them said they thought that wasn't it. The first ENT checked my throat with a little mirror, and he said I had LPR. I've read about it and I feel like he's right. Certain foods like fatty, acidic, and overly processed foods trigger these throat symptoms. Another reason why I think I do have LPR is because I burp A LOT and really loud. I always feel like burps are getting stuck in my throat and this is very painful Anyway, I don't know how to solve these problems. My throat can be unbearable sometimes. I am going to start on over-the-counter Ranitidine to see if this helps. Another thing I want to mention is that when I laugh My throat burns as well. Also when I sing or talk a lot without stopping. Any suggestions? Anyone with a similar story or diagnosis? I would like to hear anything anyone has to say about this.
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i was diagnosed with LPR in December 2013...the ent did an endoscopy of my throat and it showed arytenoid cartilage reddening...my symptoms started on November 10th 2013 after a viral infection...earlier the symptoms were very severe and i could hardly eat...i was prescribed Rabeprazole 20 mg (PPI) for 6 weeks , and called for f/u after 6 weeks...the ENT said there was not much change and i needed to continue with the PPI for 6 more weeks...
my main symptom is sore throat that is nagging me a lot...i have gone into severe depression and i m on anti depressants...sometimes i also have pain in the ears and neck...when i look in the mirror i feel my throat is all granular and red...
can someone please help me with any suggestions as to what helped your LPR symptoms especially sore throat
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I have LPR and have noticed lately that I have a sensation of blocked ears, well actually just one ear, but it alternates. I have had them checked and there's no wax of blockage. I have read on the forum that LPR can cause blocked ears but does anyone have any recommendations of how to clear them ?
I drink alkaline water, eat the correct foods, knock Gaviscon Advance back like it's going out if fashion( which does help), but I have just noticed the ear blockage.
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I was initially diagnosed with LPR for my symptoms, which were constant post nasal drip, hoarse voice, and a click when I swallowed. I have since figured out it wasn't LPR at all, and that all the protocols for LPR only make things worse.
I came here to hopefully help others who may have been told they have LPR when really, they have something else.
The symptoms of LPR are exactly the same as the symptoms of nutritional deficiencies of B vitamins, vitamin A, and iron.
In particular, a riboflavin deficiency will dry out the soft tissues of your throat so that you feel every tiny drip of what is actually normal mucus. Riboflavin is a B vitamin that is not stored in the body and you must eat it every day. Dairy products, something many of us with mucus are told to avoid, are very high in riboflavin, and one of the best sources. Stress, illness and certain chronic conditions can increase the body's requirements for riboflavin, causing deficiency symptoms, like a dry, post nasal drip in the throat. (In my case, I became deficient due to an undiscovered thyroid issue. When the thyroid is not functioning properly, you do not metabolize riboflavin.) Mild riboflavin deficiency will also cause dry, itchy or burning feeling of the eyes.
Other B vitamins which affect the throat are niacin and folate. Iron deficiency causes tongue and throat swelling and can even cause webbing of the esophagus. Vitamin A and zinc also affect the mouth, tongue and throat. Iodine is essential for the salivary glands.
Certain health issues can affect the metabolism of nutrients. You can be deficient even though you get plenty of it in your diet. Your genetics, your diet, and your current health conditions all affect your nutritional status.
Proton pump inhibitors and acid reducers can make things worse by reducing your absorption of nutrients.
If you want to try some vitamins to see if they will help, start with the water soluble B vitamins. I recommend taking coenzymated sublinguals which melt under your tongue, so that you don't have to worry about whether you are digesting and metabolizing them properly.
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Is there a connection between gall bladder removal and reflux getting worse? I suffered from acid reflux before my surgery 6 weeks ago but boy am I ever suffering now...what could cause this?? My surgeon said it takes 8 months for the body to get used to life without a gb...I didn't like what he had to say and offered no explanation as to why..has anyone experienced this and how long did it take to resolve itself because at this point I find it hard to believe that this will resolve itself.
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I noticed around 6 years ago that I was getting heartburn on a daily basis, I didn't really know what it was at that time and soldiered for another few months before seeking medical attention.
The culprit at this time was regular ground black pepper so I cut this out.
For a while I hadn't had any problems until I came to Australia and changed my diet which now consists of nuts - Almonds, Walnuts and Peanut Butter and Oatmeal.
Over the last several weeks I have noticed my heartburn getting more worse and aggressive. Just seconds after eating peanut butter I get the symptoms and some 20-30 minutes after eating porridge or most cereals now I get the symptoms.
This change has only just happened to me and I do not wish to medicate, I would rather prevent. I do not want to see a doctor about this until I get healthcare insurance, then I will be happy to pursue medical treatment.
For now I would like to get information from people, preferably ones who are triggered by the same foods to see what I can do for my diet as it seems absurd to cut out cereals, wholegrains and peanuts.
Additional notes: I drink a lot of water, I rarely drink coffee or tea - if I do it is 1-3 cups a day, I drink alcohol a couple of times in a month, I exercise regularly, I keep my sugar low, I eat spicy foods which do not seem to affect my symptoms, I stay away from heavily processed carb or starchy foods, I only eat bananas as fruit and eat vegetables if I have them or they are served to me.
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I have been on omeprazole for 2 months for acid reflux and I have got worse in that time - I'm sure it must be the tablets that are making it worse. My doctor's advice was to increase the dose from 20mg to 40mg.
Has anyone else had this happen to them? I'm waiting for an endoscopy so I might find out what's going on eventually!
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Will try to make this brief, first I do take 1mg Xanax er daily for anxiety and panic attacks. 2 months ago I had a vaginal ultrasound done that showed some change in one of my ovaries. Was rescheduled for second ultrasound in 2 months. My older sister passed away 10 years ago from ovarian cancer, so of course waiting 2 months really stressed me out. I woke up one morning and felt horrible chest pain and thought I was having a heart attack. My husband rushed me to the hospital where they ran a stress test, CT Scan, and chest X Ray and everything came back fine. They decided it was acid reflux brought on by worrying about the Ultra Sound and prescribed pantoprazole, took for 2 weeks and felt awful, could not eat because I was so nauseated all the time and made anxiety worse. Switched me to omeprazole and still feeling bad, I have quit taking both and am trying to wean myself off of everything but taking OTC Zantac once a day. Now the acid reflux is back but mainly in my chest and shoulders, if that is possible. Not sure what to do. Am going to see a GI doctor. Never had acid reflux before this and medicine seems to have made it worse. Is this Possible.
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I've never ever had heartburn, or throat irritations (that weren't from a cold) in my life, and suddenly in January I started getting a lump in my throat feeling, that felt better as I ate, but came back when I was done. I was also noticing a dull chest pain on my left, but i figured it could had been from working out. It wasn't a big deal at the time, and I saw my GP about it. She couldn't really help me, other than refer me to an ENT.
A day after I saw the GP, I ate some instant ramen and got my first episode of heartburn/acid reflux. I went back to the GP shortly after, letting her know about the heartburn and she put me on 150mg of Zantac. Over the next few weeks, it didn't help much (neither did the constant Tums), and I had several more episodes of heartburn/reflux. It was always the same, I'd have the episode, the next few days I'd feel sore in my esophagus, and I'd almost get to the point of feeling better, then I'd eat/do something that would make me flare up again. It snowballed to last weekend, when I woke up on Sunday, drank some water, and just had the most acrid backwash. I panicked and went to the ER, where they put me on 20mg of Prilosec.
First few days were terrible nausea, migraine, chest pain and tense/twitchy muscles. Those went away, but now I always have the acrid backwash at night (I did get a wedge to keep my upper body slanted up), lots of throat gurgling/burps when I eat, and little-moderate acrid/stingy taste afterwards. It also feels as if my throat tenses on and off, and sometimes "clicks" when I dry swallow.
I'm having some other weird little side effects too, but I'm bothered that this reflux seems so constant now. I've already worked on cleaning up my diet, quit coffee, don't smoke, no fatty/greasy/sugary foods in the past week since starting Prilosec. Both parents have acid reflux, and my mother has GERD (a side effect of migraine meds). I'm not sure if this is made worse by Prilosec, or if I just suddenly have severe acid reflux no matter what I eat, and this is life now.
I'm seeing a gastroenterologist next week, but I'm afraid she's just going to up my dose and send me off. I want to get off all medication, and deal with this by diet change. I guess I'm asking if anyone has gone through something similar. In retrospect, I wonder if all the bad foods I was eating over the holidays set things off. In retrospect I was having a lot of "solid burps" through december, but no irritation till January.
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I am currently a 21 year old part time student and full time worker, my symptoms started off with Raynaud's and have progressed. I feel like every time i go to one doctor i just get referred to a different one. I am miserable, and i can't afford to go to all these different doctors. I don't know where i should go next. A few years ago i was tested for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and my thyroid has been tested all have come back negative.
My symptoms are:
Numbness, tingling, burning in fingers and toes
Toes turn red when hot or at night and burn, blue when cold, purple in the shower
Cold hands and Feet, Stiff Fingers
Clammy Hands
Legs, arms, feet, and hands fall asleep very often
Stinging in legs, legs sensitive to touch, sometimes I will have the same sensation in arms but not as often
Runny Nose every day especially in morning
Dizziness/ out of it feeling, (happens randomly), always dropping/breaking things (may just be clumsiness or sweaty hands)
Weakness, Especially in legs
Stiffness in legs
Knee Pain
Odd Sensation in right knee
Face gets flushed often
Nose turns red all the time, if I'm cold, if I'm hot, if I drink, doesnt hurt but is embarrassing
Right lymph node swells randomly
Abnormal stools/ mucus in stools
Diarrhea was getting it very often, recently its been better
Stomach bloats after eating, Stomach pains and cramping after eating certain foods
Cannot get comfortable in any temperature I am always to hot or to cold, mainly have trouble staying warm except for at night
Always Feel like I havent gotten enough sleep, I have the most energy in the morning
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The other day (Sunday) I did something stupid and had a few beers (about 2 pints). Yesterday and today I noticed my symptoms have gotten a bit worse. Does alcohol make anemia symptoms worse?
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Recently I have been diagnosed with a daily type of migraine which causes imbalance, dizziness and visual blurring although I don't always have a headache. The doctor put me on nortriptyline 10mg once a day at night. I'm on my second day and my dizziness and visual symptoms have gotten far worse? Is this normal and does it go away after a while? Feeling rather panicky as I struggle to even go to the shop. Nothing feels real. Any advice out there?
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When i drink..sometimes urethra burns..irritation vulva etc..anyone else?
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My son had a colonoscopy and told may have Colitis..he was prescribed a month's supply of Salofalk enemas and took first one last night...but today he has had to poop about 7 times with some blood ...the frequency of the pooping is now more than it was before using the Salofalk and I'm wondering has anyone else experienced this...he is only 18 and afraid to leave the house..It is not diarrhea but it's just he needs to go so often...I am afraid he will loose a lot of weight...If this is normal using this product I can relax...can someone please reassure me
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why do I keep burping and sometimes it relieves symptoms
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I am a 22 year old male. Along with my other issues I also suffer from the above. My endoscopy showed (Mild G1 reflux oesophagitis and minor duodenitis. Some bile reflux in stomach). I am currently taking Esomeprazole 40 mg per day which I believe is not helping. Everyone has said how my voice sounds much deeper and different than before, and the top of my throat is always itching. My teeth feel really bad, I know over time Acid can make them really bad. I have had several appointments cancelled by the Gastroenterologist at my local hospital and I am due to see him in September. I have tried all remedies etc but nothing seems to help.
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