Ent or Gastroenterologist?

Which do you think is the best choice for GERD?

I see Jaimie Kaufman who is an expert in LPR. A dr. who specializes in this is more likely to have the sensitive equipment required to diagnose LPR. I knew I had it which is why I cut to the chase and went straight to her. I have a battery of tests next week to see exactly what is going on.

At the very least choose a dr. who believes it exists. Many Gastro Docs don't.

If you have LPR symptoms, go to an ENT. They can look at your throat/vocal chords and see the problem. They can also order 24 hour PH studies and endoscopies just like gastro. Difference is the gastro (at least mind didn't) didn't bother looking at my throat which is the only place where I had symptoms. To the gastro there was no problem!! The ENT clearly saw a problem.

Kaufman is an Otolaryngologist. So neither.

My gi didnt even know what LPR are was until i gave him the full name of it..he said its just the same as GERD but it gets up into your throat and harder to cure...but you will get there! i would definately reccommend an ENT first..and then a GI if problems persist after awhile. If it is LPR usually double dose of ppi is reccommended so the throat can heal faster. Good luck:)

Thanks! My first visit was with and ENT, I just was unsure if a GI doc would be better.... There are things that I realise now go hand in hand with my gerd/lpr and I wish I could just rewind and start fresh with my ent. My food started getting stuck in my chest and I had a neck pain that wouldnt go away so I was sent to him. Who then noticed gerd. I was a little thrown off by this and just went with it. He sent me for a barium swallow....said my throat was red and I had some granules on it. He sent me home with predisone for the neck pain. I was then to return to him for the results. While on this prednisone all kinds of things started happening which I know now that the pred brought out my reflux terribly....When i went back to him I told him all that was going on and he put me on prilosec. Prior to any of this I have had phlegm and a clearing of my throat for years....I never mentioned it because i was just used to it and though it was just how i was made i guess. Well this leads me to believe I have had this problem for a long time without knowing it. SAddens and worries me a little. He did look in my nose and throat with this device though so he did see whatever damage was in there. I guess I juist have to trust that he is a specialist and go with what he tells me. I just keep thiking that what if in these last few weeks after he looked in there that it has gotten extrememly worse. That predisone made me feel terrible. I take prilosec twice a day right now but i still taste a nasty taste in the back of my throat sometimes and feel a prickly sensation.Having anxiety does not help, as I keep thinking the worst.

The same thing happened to me! I had phegm, cough and mucous for awhile..thought it was normal. went to an ent finally just out of curiousity and he said i had lpr...didnt say much just gave me meds. Then everything spiraled down! I think my reflux got worse...if i even had it in the first place. I finally found a good Gi who told me that my throat and larynx are sensitized..which means any food i put down my throat...or any slight touch is very painful...sometimes arent as bad as others, but you know what i mean. Apparently my brain isnt sending the right signals to my throat and its causing all of this tingling, tightness and pain. He prescribed me to zoloft for 9 weeks because apparently there is a component in that that helps desensitize your throat. Good luck...this is just my personal story...but maybe it may seem familiar to what you are going through:)