burning throat pain

WOW... Thank you to everyone for your posts, I am much calmer after reading them!

I was dx with Eosinophilic Esophagitis about a year ago and have been on omeprazole 20 mg daily. I guess I had convinced myself that I was "better" and it "wasn't as bad as all that" and I stopped taking my meds for a month. Well, I started getting heartburn and all the other fun symptoms again, so about two weeks ago I started back on my medication... Though I've grown careless with how I eat.

Tonight I nibbled on crackers while reading in bed before sleep and woke up with my throat on fire. I had never had this type of pain before. The pain kept crawling up my throat even though I was sitting straight up. Clear runny nose, the whole bit.

It calmed down a little and I found this forum. I don't know if eating the pickle helped or if the pain was subsiding anyway.

I definitely need to take my reflux more seriously. I suppose this isn't something that we ever "get over" hmmm? I feel like I turned 40 and started falling apart.

I had other symptoms, not throat burning until recently. Ironically, when I got the other symptoms under control (lump in throat, painful esophageal spams from reflux) the sore throat started. I took someone's advice about baking soda. It helps alittle. I already have been drinking aloe vera juice and manuka honey. Not sure what the heck is going on. I am 29 and feel 59 with this. Other than that I have been drinking cold water, chewing gum and trying to hang in there. I am not seeing my GI doctor until June. Not sure why all the sudden I have a sore throat when the last 7 years I did not. This GERD beast is tricky.

I am on a pretty restricted diet, I am not sure what else I can do. I am on medication,on a low acid, low fat, low carb diet, no dairy diet. I chew gum, take aloe and mannuka honey, drink chamomille tea, garggle with baking soda twice a day...not sure what else there is to do. If anyone has any ideas, let me know.

Hi, I am a new member and have a long history with this - but I promised myself that if I ever discovered relief, I would come back and join and share it here - that was two years ago. So, please bear with me for the story ...

I had GERD since I was 12 and started medication. I've been on every class of drug since. By the time I was in my early 30's, I had an upper endoscopy that revealed inflammation - and healed ulcers (because I was on medication). Pain and time continued ... then in my 50's, I was diagnosed with SHORT SEGMENTED Barrett's Esophagus. This meant that the cells lining my esophagus changed from epithelial, to squamous (squamous cells are in the intestines - so now my esophagus looked like my intestines). This also meant I was now pre-malignant, however, my chances of developing Long Segmented Barrett's (malignant) were not that high, but of course higher than "normal."

about two years ago, I also started to have episodes or "events" where I aspirated - usually while asleep. The burning acid entered my mouth and scalded my voice box. At first, I tried ice, cold water, even icecream ... the water made me feel like I was drowning ... it was hard to keep it down ... and breathe. The pain on a scale of one to ten was a 250. I thought I would die. It felt like someone was "branding" my vocal chords! I found the emergency room was never helpful, and GI cocktails did NOTHING but temporarily numb my tongue at best. That only made me feel worse. Usually, they just wanted to do tests, which bothered me because I was in acute PAIN!

I went through this a couple of times and finally switched GI specialists ... he understood what I was explaining above and told me a "quick fix." Upon the instant of feeling that intense acid burn, take TWO Zantac immediately, and start chewing antacids (liquid helps, but solids work better). It does take about 30-45 minutes to start working, but it's the fastest and starts to bring real relief in one hour. For someone who suffered hours, it was a Godsend.

I also discovered on my own, that rather than drink cold water for the pain - which is only a temporary solution of a few seconds - to suck on medicated menthol cough drops that helps numb the throat ... my favorite is cherry. What also happens to me is (my apologies for being graphic), a thick mucous wraps around my vocal chords - I imagine to protect them - and I can't speak. I try to clear my throat, and I cannot! It takes time, but if you use an expectorant cough medicine and cough drops, it loosens and comes up. Now is the time to drink water, to help dilute and bring it up.

Now, this may not happen to others, but I've had it happen so much now that it has progressed to this. As a result, I develop a "functional" (meaning, self-inflicted, not viral or bacterial) bronchitis from aspirating. It takes a few weeks sometimes to get rid of it and I have to cough it up to do so, just like anyone with bronchitis. But, I'm not contagious

I've just had a recent episode, and a less acute one two weeks later ... but I managed to act fast with the above and not have as a severe bronchitis this time.

What this is leading to is my having surgery soon. Two doctors have recommended the Nissen Fundoplication for GERD, which would help repair the lower spincter muscles (and the hernia found on a previous upper endoscopy). There are pros and cons to the surgery, and if anyone here is in this situation, I recommend you look into it. This is major surgery if done the traditional way, but I've also heard of a new procedure using laproscopy, which only requires 1 or 2 weeks, rather than 6 weeks of healing. You're only in the hospital a day or two!

On the positive side, the new spincter muscle may prevent further episodes and a lesser need, or no need at all for medication, if successful. But, you can only eat small meals at any one time, you do lose 14 lbs. initially, and you will be unable to vomit in the future (they say things are lost the other direction)! Also, I need to check that the examining doctor will be able to look for cell changes once the lower stomach is wrapped around the top of the esophagus to form a new spincter muscle ... in other words, how can he see if there are cell changes under the wrapping ... that would be the only negative. However, some people who have had it done say they have a new lease on life, so I am considering it because the cells lining the throat are so much more susceptible to malignant changes than those lining the esophagus ... the danger is repeatedly scalding the voice box.

Lifestyle changes such as losing weight, exercise, not eating hours before bed or lying down, keeping your bed elevated at the top end, going to a dietician to find which foods are agreeable to you, etc. etc. can be tried before considering surgery. I have tried every class of drug and I'm on double adult dose with my doctor's permission, but now it looks like surgery is my only other option.

I recommend lifestyle changes and taking this seriously before it gets this far, if you can help it.

I just wanted to share.

Best,

Flying Through ...

Im quite new to this site i stumbled across it just today as waking up with this pain has been more than just a part of my life. Im 27 years old and ive been having this problem for a quite some time around 10-12 years and to this day have never had a diagnosis that helped it prevacid before bed usually helped a little but not enough to combat the problem i have acid reflux and i also have some weird disorder caused by the AR that causes my esophagus to seize up on food not allowing it to go down or up my throat for long periods of time some times hours sometimes a few moments of dis-comfort i have tried so many things and am now at my wits end i also no longer have insurance in order to seek medical help anymore idk what to do.

I am not a doctor. But I have been told that acid reflux happens because you don't have enough stomach acid and or enough digestive enzymes. When you don't have enough stomach acid and or digestive enzymes your body tries to regurgitate your food to give your food a better chance to digest with help from digestive enzymes in your mouth. I have had much relief by taking digestive enzyme supplements and adding raw apple cider vinegar (with mother) to my diet. (I put about a teaspoon or so in a gallon of spring water & keep it chilled in the refrigerator. Don't try to drink it straight - it will hurt.) Eating lots of vegetables helps your digestion because that is where you get your digestive enzymes from. If you are taking proton pump inhibitors and they aren't helping you that is probably because they are reducing your stomach acid even more - causing your body to want to regurgitate your food all the more. Hope this helps someone. I know that feeling like you swallowed glass is no fun!

I won't up tonight for the second night in a few days in desperation. Glad I found this site. I have always had GERD and have been through many, many meds over the years. Seems I have to change once my body gets use to it. I was recently diagnosed with Barrett's and have been on Dexilant which I thought was the greatest Rx since sliced bread. Till now. I read through all the threads and while I was reading ending up gargling with salt water which is all I had in the house. I just couldn't try the vinegar, even though I have the Apple Cinder one as well. Not at this point of pain. Endoscopy not scheduled again until next year so I think I'll change to another med in the meantime and watch what I eat. No Chinese food for me for a while at night anymore. Thanks for all the suggestions. I am going to try to go back to sleep. BTW, I'm a 55 YO white female with stomach issues for many years including acute gastritis attacks.

oops, also what I just recently tried that helps heal throatburn is aloe vera. I lifted something heavy the other day and have had HORRIBLE burning since, the aloe vera (100% juice with NO citric acid added) helps soothe the burning, it takes about a day to notice the difference. Let me know if it helps you!