If you have LPR you ABSOLUTELY NEED to Read this

mztx07 - I am new here as well and was diagnosed with LPR at the end of last year. I have good days and bad days. Most of them lately though have been bad and I am baffled because I have started following Dr. Koufman's low acid diet. Like you, i have virtually no symptoms in the morning but as the day goes on the post nasal drip, excess mucus, weakened voice and lump in my throat feeling gradually start to come on and by bedtime I am miserable :( What kind of gum do you chew throughout the day? I know that mint is bad for reflux sufferers so I'm curious. Regular bubble gum? Is it sugar free?

That is good to know about the gum and Xylitol. Most artificial sweeteners give me migraines so I will look in Whole Foods the next time I'm there.

When i was first diagnosed in October, my doctor gave me 40mg of Omeprazole. I tried that for 4 months and it didn't do anything so she upped me to 80mg of it in February. So, this is my 6th month of taking it twice a day and honestly I'm not really sure if it is helping.

This all started last year after some stressful family drama. I had absolutely no symptoms before then. Then all of a sudden I felt like I was carrying a tennis ball around in my throat. It scared me, so i went to an ENT, she did the scope down my throat said my vocal chords and voice box were red and inflamed, then she wrote an RX, handed me a pamphlet on LPR and sent me on my way. That was it. I read the pamphlet and didn't like what it said (no spicy foods, coffee, chocolate, etc.) all of the stuff that I was eating and loved were forbidden so I didn't pay any attention to it figuring the meds would help.... when they didn't help, I started searching other options. I found Dr. Koufman's book online and ordered it right away. I'm Italian, so all of the restrictions are particularly hard - no tomatoes, no garlic, no red meat, nothing spicy. So, needless to say, I didn't do anything with the book at first but I was getting really sick of feeling sick all the time so a few weeks ago I decided to go at it full force. I haven't had anything over ph 5 in three weeks. But, I've noticed that some things that are 5 and higher are still bothering me like bell peppers, melon and sometimes cucumbers. I also ordered some DGL licorice and have been eating those (begrudgingly) before meals. It coats your throat so it does make it feel better for a bit. I've also been trying to take one before bed as well.

You are only supposed to do ph 5 and higher for 2 weeks and then you can add in foods that are 4 and higher. I want my throat to feel better the majority of the time before I start adding in foods with a lower PH. So, I am planning to do this for about 5 weeks and then gradually start adding in more allowed foods. I'm hoping my throat will be healed in 6 months so I can get off the PPI's.

You said you were on PPI's in the beginning. Did you get rebound acid when you quit taking them? I've been hearing a lot about that lately and it scares me. But I don't want to be on the meds any longer than I have to be on them.

You've had it on and off for 10 years? How long have you gone without any symptoms?

drtinsac - do you have a link to that paper? I tried googling it, but am coming up short :(

Hah well after seeing it again, it did not actually suggest it helped with LPR but suggested it could. I have read so many papers recently I must have been confused. But it did show that the ph 8.8 water instantly deactivated pepsin.

Angela 75 - I have taken PPIs for two fairly lengthy periods of time while having LPR. I did not notice a rebound effect when stopping but I know that a lot of people do mention it. Also, I mentioned that I have been dealing with this for 10 years. In that time period, I have only had two severe episodes that dragged on for months. The rest of the time I have felt fine except for a few days here and there where I will notice my voice to become fatigued if I talk to much or too loud. Once in awhile, I will notice that one side of my throat feels irritated more than the other side, and this even switches back and forth from side to side throughout the day, but these symptoms seem to come and go and have not drug on for months as was the case with more more severe episodes. I do believe stress has something to do with it. Also, stress raises the acidity level in your body from what I have read, so it makes sense that it could produce these types of symptoms. Do you do yoga or meditation? I have really tried to incorporate some type of calming pracitice into my daily routine and I think I feel better overall when I do that. I am into running, lifting weights and biking as well, but the yoga seems to be a much more calming even though I feel like I should do the other things for cardio and strength building.

jacket923:

Did you ever have a metallic funny taste in your mouth.

That can be from PND as well as reflux.

I haven't been reading these posts for a few months and am impressed with all the new information available on LPR. I'd like to add my story to the mix.

Two months ago I was about ready to undergo testing ahead of the LINX procedure. Nothing else I tried, including high dose PPIs, had helped me. I'd experienced chronic and distracting throat soreness over two years despite altering my diet in various ways, loosing weight rapidly and following the advice of my ENT, GI and then a naturopath and acupuncturist. I called two of the LINX implant centers and asked about the success rate for LPR sufferers. The responses seemed vague and somewhat uninformed about what LPR means/is. So, before committing to surgery I decided to pursue one more "natural" approach to healing.

My choice was a "gallbladder/liver cleanse" at the Annapurna Inn in Port Townsend, WA. This was a real commitment and leap of faith. I felt so alone and in pain at this point - I had become seriously depressed.

I can't speak to the science of my healing. All I can say is that I feel SO SO much better. It took a couple of weeks after I had left the Inn and continued with the alkalizing diet before the benefits completely materialized - but my throat is very much happier now. At a recent check up, my ENT reexamined my larynx and saw only a very minor amount of swelling.

Many people will be reluctant to commit to a vegan diet but it - and the cleanse itself - have been absolutely worth it to me. At last it seems my body knows what to do - to heal whatever it was - a nerve, a nutritional deficit, who knows. In the past I couldn't imagine life without meat and dairy, but I'm discovering that there's an equally rich and satisfying world of delicious "alkalizing" food out there. My health has tipped in such a positive direction that I'm able to eat complex carbohydrates again without discomfort. Low sugar citrus is no longer a problem either. I'm not willing to indulge in a glass of beer or wine - the memory of discomfort related to those is still too fresh to chance it.

I hope each of us finds the answer that is right for us!

Dany, I hope my response is useful. Working through LPR seems to take a lot of effort for most of us!

I'm reluctant to suggest you take up my diet abruptly - it includes foods that are acidic going down and may cause discomfort or even exacerbate problems if you're not ready for them. I consume things like lemons, grapefruit, avocados and tomatoes regularly because, as a result of metabolism, they're actually alkalizing (healing) to the body. It would be important to find out whether any meds you are taking would interfere with this process or vice versa.

My basic meal plan is lots of water and lots of SATISFYING salads.

I try to drink a gallon water a day - with any chlorine filtered out. I add a little baking soda to the portion I drink between meals and apple cider vinegar or lemons to the water I drink near mealtime, or add those things to the meal itself.

My favorite (and admittedly a little unusual) breakfast is 3 applies cored and sliced into a blender with some cold water and a few ice cubes, a half lemon and about 3-4 T of coconut oil, some stevia and a sprinkle each of cinnamon and sea salt. I work full time and have 2 teenagers, so this goes into a juice jar and I take it with me. The combination probably sounds crazy but I've grown to love it. I have one of the more powerful blenders but any blender would probably work if you made the batches small enough.

Lunch and, in the first month, often dinner: A big salad. It's satisfying because I nearly always include a large half or more of avocado, lots of seeds (Hemp Hearts are super delicious in a salad and extremely healthy - available through Amazon) or chia, pumpkin, tamari sunflower, brewer's yeast and tomatoes - whatever non-starchy veggies that are available and fun. I use pre-washed greens and packaged sprouts (all kinds) so these salads take about five minutes to make. I excuse the expense since I no longer purchase alcohol, lattes, ice cream or other acidifying indulgences. Sometimes I add cucumber or raw grated beets. There are no rules except to consume lots of fresh, healing veggies plus seeds or soaked nuts. Make whatever combo you like - concoct and consume a delicious, colorful work of art. Your body deserves nothing less! I also eat a reasonable amount of non-GMO soybean products (tofu especially) too because they're alkalizing.

As a first step, I would search an online bookstore for "alkaline" and raw food diets and read the reviews to help select some references. At the beginning a lot of raw veggies is really important. I'm cautiously increasing the amount of cooked food these days. I also think that focusing on gallbladder/liver health helps maximize the benefits of an alkalizing/mostly vegan diet - for example colon hydrotherapy and a gallbladder/liver cleanse. Most naturopathic doctors can speak to these and how gallbladder/liver health and reflux are part of a continuum. The more effort you can devote to the transition phase the better - ideally find a naturopath, raw food chef, healing center like the Annapurna or other coach to help take care of you for a week or two and guide you through cleansing and transitioning to unfamiliar vegan foods and recipes.

If you are in a major urban area, there is probably a network of local people who can help you. In any case, let me know if you would like more specific book and recipe recommendations etc.

wow I would never be able to tolerate fresh fruits and veggies. Did you have any stomach problems? I'm also having a lot of stomach burning, nausea and fullness.

biancamcc said...
Jaquet . I think I have a nerve damage just like u too. I would like to talk to you about this. I have an app with doctor Jamie koufman next week , she suspect I have LPR caused by a nerve damage. how you are now?

I might have nerve damage.

Did the doctor stick the tube camera up your nose and down your throat?

What did she see?

Was there ant damage to the vocal cords?

Yeah, I've tried this, but I got worse reflux from the elavil. I suppose this wont help you if you have acid in your nostril/sinus constantly.

Hi this is a very interesting thread. I to Have been Diagnosed with LPR 5 days ago. I was hoarse for about 3 weeks and fatigue the first 3 days. I never ever had the heartburn no nasty taste when I wake up no burning throat, Etc. Just have the hoarseness and sometimes my throat feels cloudy like stuffy. I am so confused and don't know what to think.. And then a friend just reminded me I use to do alot of different lung excersises. and was going a little to hard with it. And He remembered me saying and i do to that i feel like i pulled something I am just trying to put everything together. So weird

Hi, luci, I am 47 years old woman and I have never had any serious health problems. There are too many complications and speculations about acid reflux. I was diagnosed with GERD two months ago (now I understand that I probably have a LPR (or silent reflux) - I don't have a heartburn AT ALL) ENT doctor checked my throat with a camera, said that I am healthy and send me back to my family doctor.
My family doctor put me on Ranitidine 4 weeks and now I am taking Pantoprazole (40 mg once a day). I'm third week now of Pantoprazole. I did some research and bought Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure. I am following dr. Kaufman's instructions and doing induction diet second week. I don't feel better.

I am desperate now and don't know who to listen to and what to do. I'm in the stress of all this treatment and also because I don't see any improvements from all my efforts.