Laryngopharyngeal Reflux

[liv4divn]

Has anyone been diagnosed with LPR?  This is a type of acid reflux that effects the throat and voice box.  Have you been treated and how, and what was the outcome?  I have been on 40mg of Prilosec for three weeks and still feel a lump in my throat.  Thanks

[gnorb]

*Raises hand* I've been diagnosed. Well, it's actually a GERD diagnosis, but when it's only mild, I only get it in my throat. Same thing you have.

I've been treated with Prevacid and Nexium. Both, when they worked, got rid of the lump in the throat feeling, but it took a while. The good thing about the lump is that it was always one of my first indications that the acid was kicking up, so I could always begin adjusting my medication, eating and exercise in order to calm things down.

If you have LPR it means you have GERD, though it may either (a) be "silent" or (b) simply not be sticking around long enough in your lower esophagus to do any real damage you can feel. In either case, you want to make sure you follow a GERD diet and do things -- like eating protein, losing weight, and working with breathing exercises -- that strengthen the LES while avoiding those things -- like caffeine, onions, and peppermint -- that weaken it.

I also believe there are some exercises you can do to strengthen the LES, but am unsure as to what exactly they are, only that they are sometimes used in therapy.

Good luck.

[liv4divn]

Hi,
Thanks so much for your input.  I was thinking the same thing about the acid just not hanging around in my esophagus long enough to cause heart burn, etc.  

My ENT put me on the Prilosec three weeks ago, and it will be five when I see him again.  He said if I still have symptoms, then he wants me to have an endoscopy.  Seeing as I will be asleep, and they will be able to give me much more accurate information about what is going on, I am all for it.

I will look up LES exercises.  Thanks again, Debbie

[steve43646]

     Debbie,
   I was recently diagnosed with LPR. I'm still wondering if there is something else going on. I'm 43 year old and I eat very healthy. I am 5'9 and weigh 140 pounds. I've never had any problems before and now all of a sudden I have these LPR symptoms every single day.
   For LPR, you usually need to take the medications twice a day for at least two months and sometimes even longer. I was taking protonix twice a day and now I've switched to Nexium twice a day. I've been doing this for 3 months and I still have the LPR. My doctor has now suggested that I take both Zantac and Nexium.
   I had an endoscopy a few weeks ago and they didn't find anything major. I still can't figure this whole thing out. I'm still wondering if I have some other serious illness that is causing this. I've had several tests in addition to the endoscopy but they still haven't found anything. I'm waiting to get more test results tomorrow.
   Keep us posted on how you are doing. I will keep you guys up to date on what's happening with me.
  

[toni862]

can you give us an update of you progress please

[liv4divn]

Hi,
The update on my LPR is this.  I took Prilosec, 40mg twice a day for three months and the lump was gone.  My doctor cut me back to once a day as according to him the textbook way of treating this is three months twice a day and then three months once a day.  Within two weeks of cutting me back to once a day, the lump was back.  He put me back on twice a day and sent me for an endoscopy.  The endosopy was last Friday, and the initial diagnosis before the biopsy results was Barrett's Esophagus (you can google this).  However, yesterday when the doctor called, he said the biopsy showed that it is only inflamation (inflammation) due to the acid entering the esophagus.  So, after all of this, I am on Prilosec twice a day, I do know that my lower and upper esphagus sphincters are not functioning properly, however, if there is an answer as to why, I do not know what it is.  I live in Breckenridge, CO and I am going to AZ to play golf and just play for the next two months.  When I get home, I am going to take the pictures I have of my esophagus from the endoscopy and go to the University of Colorado Hospital and meet with one of there digestive/acid reflux specialists and see if a teaching hospital has anything better to tell me.  I am trying just to get things to calm down again.  My throat is irritated and the lump is there most all of the time.  If anyone has anything to add to all of this, I would love to hear from you.  Thanks for listening, Debbie

[liv4divn]

Hi Steve,
I never received an e-mail notice of your post.  I posted an update, but wanted to see how you are doing and if you have any new information on your health?  Thanks, Debbie

[desirees3dolphins]

I have been diagnosed with LPR among other things, I also have the lump in my throat, it has been there since august. I have tried everything from achiphex to now Protonix, even Zegrid, twice a day, and nothing, I barely eat right now, and when I do it's broth and crackers and this is due to my other symptoms that i now have which is pain when i do eat anything other than broth and crackers.  when the lump first started i went to my ENT because I had just had my tonsils out a month prior and thought it was a scab or something, she put the little scope in my nose and all the way to my voice box and as I watched in her office you could see the larynx all red, and discolored from the rest of the tissue around, thats how she came up with LPR.  i even went as far as to add aloe vera juice and alfalfa tea per my nateral foods store, that didnt work either, but on it's defense, i was told to 86 those because of the stomach pain and nausea I am now having.  Keep with the GERD regimein, and hopefully you will see some results soon.  My problem is something else causeing problems not letting my esphogus heal.  good luck

[desirees3dolphins]

I also forgot to mention that I had trouble swollowing breads and things of that tecture, of course not a problem now since i cant eat.  and extra mucus is also a sure sign it's LPR.

[liv4divn]

Hi,
I also did the barium swallow a few months ago.  They look for swallowing problems during this x-ray, but I had none.  I am sure my throat is inflamed again, though when on the Prilosec for three months twice a day it looked much better my ENT said.  Debbie

[desirees3dolphins]

thats a good thing!  I hope i will soon be able to say that I am doing much better, I will now have another EGD done 3 months after my last.  fun, fun!!

[liv4divn]

What is EGD?  Probably something I have had done and don't recognize.  Debbie

[LClyde]

I have the same problem. Forget all the drugs the Dr.'s give you. They only are a temporary fix if at all. Though I hated to follow the diet they suggest, I did stop all coffee, and irritating foods. They I take Manuka Honey and natural alkaline drops every day. The mucus is going away, lump in my throat is gone and I don't wake up with the taste of acid in my mouth. It took able two weeks to work. For me, I think coffee was the the biggest contributor to the problem.