I can't take anymore-! Been up all night begging to be struck down..!

I can't face this terrible disease any longer. I want it all to end!!

I am still suffering with the exact symptoms of LPR reflux disease after 2 whole years. From shortness of breath to a sweet/minty taste, to constantly burping up liquid to constant mucus/throat clearing to burning throat - the list goes on. It hurts so much to see people live normal lives around me; I have to watch how I sleep, how I eat, even how I move and talk. LPR has had THE worst effect on my quality of life, but every time I get it tested, I either have a "good" day where symptoms lessen considerably, or I make a mistake which means the results aren't accurate. For example:

- Endoscopy/Barium: Clear but this is to be expected in LPR.
- ENT scope: NOT CLEAR; ENT says signs of damage could be LPR.
- Rapid Spit Test: Mostly negative, but then I realised my local tap water was ruining results, so the only ones that count are the positive ones.
- Upper throat pH test: Semi-Negative; I kept swallowing saliva due to how uncomfortable the probe was, thus alkalinising the results more than I should have.
- 24 hour impedance: Showed gas reflux, but I had a good day as far as symptoms went; they returned only 2 days later.


With so many negative tests I've tried to go back to a normal life, but I JUST CAN'T. Every time I do the symptoms increase tenfold, especially the foul taste and acid burping. I've been off my Gaviscon Advance medication for a good few weeks now, but I refuse to stop drinking alkaline water because I just know my reflux has gotten worse. I keep getting a sweet and sometimes minty taste and menthol feeling that dries out my throat and makes my tongue tingly/burn (went without toothpaste for days and it still happened!), my throat is blocked up with mucus and soreness, and I have even become hoarse for the first time in ages JUST LIKE IN LPR. I get indigestion, I get trouble swallowing, and it gets worse with exercise, eating and lying down flat. IT COULD ONLY BE LPR, BUT I CAN'T PROVE IT and nobody believes me. IT. IS. NOT. CAUSED. BY. ANXIETY. But it certainly has given me the worst depression and anxiety I could imagine. Nothing but LPR has ever made me want to throw myself in front of traffic just for relief from the pain it causes me.

Earlier today all I ate was bread and water. I started burping up acid-tasting stuff like no tomorrow and had to keep clearing my throat of the resulting mucus. Every time I burp, I get symptoms, guaranteed. Every time I find something that says it isn't LPR, a dozen other things tell me it must be and I'm deluding myself into thinking I'll ever be able to lead a life without suffering. I'm even getting new symptoms I didn't have before like neck/back pain, abdomen pain, tingly tongue and headaches. One search of this forum and th results say EVERYTHING IS TO DO WITH REFLUX. I just want this suffering to end, please-! I can't take a whole lifetime of this, I can barely last 2 years with it!!! Just drive a car into me or something, no more reflux, please!!!!!!!!

I don't want reflux, I want to be normal and healthy again like 2 years ago. God give me my life back and stop torturing me!!

Post Edited (Daxter) : 10/29/2014 4:39:45 AM (GMT-6)

Daxter,

Sorry to hear that you're going through all of this. Have you considered therapy? I think it's important to tackle both the physical and emotional aspects of the disease. I'm currently struggling too, but have found that therapy at least makes me have less of those dark moments.

I really hope you find physical relief soon!

Paul

Hi Daxter,
I am sorry you feel so crummy. I can completely empathize with the feeling that stepping in front of a bus might feel better than another minute of the darned pain. But don't give up hope, I was there for several years. But I did get better and have been GERD-free for years now. It was not easy, and it took me a couple of months to get better, but I was amazed at how simple it was, once I figured out what was causing it.

I don't know your history, and I typically offer advice based on what seems to be the root cause of the reflux. There is a lot of grey area when it comes to GI disorders. Believe it or not, sometimes it is as simple as discovering food allergies or intolerances. In which case, I usually recommend people stop eating all cow dairy (yoghurt, cheese, milk, etc.), peanuts, soy, and gluten (eat organic quinoa for now DO not use the gluten free products as they contain other allergens). Also, eat organic foods as many pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics severely harm an already-damaged gut.

If you are experiencing bloating, burping, and gas, you may have a severe case of dysbiosis (an imbalance of the intestinal flora, or good bacteria and fungus in the gut). Most of us develop a mild case of this at some point, but the body can heal itself naturally so most people don't notice the imbalance except that they had a "bad spell" of being gasy, bloated, burpy, etc. However, if the case gets severe (as in my case), you may develop more intense GI disorders (and even develop food allergies as an autoimmune response). In dysbiosis, your body's inability to break down food means that you start fermenting it instead. The gases create tremendous pressure on the LES ring, forcing it open, allowing stomach acid to slosh back up into the esophagus. After a while, the esophagus becomes very raw and painful (there isn't enough good bacteria and raw material to heal the esophagus). We begin to stress about the pain, which adds a whole new level to the disorder (the body goes into fight/flight mode, and stops sending blood and oxygen to the digestive tract, which lowers the production of hydrochloric acid, so the brain misses the signal to close the LES ring and open the pylorus to pass the food along to the intestines, and the stomach churns away food which sloshes up into your throat. Meanwhile your intestines are starving for nutrition bc the food hasn't passed on, and even if it did, there is so much inflammation it can't properly absorb the nutrients, so you may feel full and hungry at the same time. Needless to say, your colon can't operate properly - constipation, diarrhea, cramps, etc.).

When this happens, your body needs help. Getting the stress under control is important, but the damage to the GI tract is already done. You need to give back some of the raw material your body uses to regain balance.

Again, I don't know the particulars of your case, but in this type of reflux, PPIs make matters worse. What should be indicated in this type of reflux is a program to:
1. Heal the GI tract (powdered L-Glutamine 2x/day, a compete B Vitamins, and perhaps a low dose of 5-HTP).
2. Flood the system with good bacteria bc the bad type has taken over (usually 15% of the flora in our gut is bad, & it's responsible for fermenting food instead of breaking it down). I like the Garden of Life Ultimate Primal Defense and slowly did a ramp up program (start with 1 and work up to taking 8 pills a day) over the course of 5 - 7 weeks. Ramping up and down takes time bc it does create gas as a byproduct.
3. Ensure elimination is working properly (introduce soluble fibers like flax seeds to the diet, and make a green smoothie with parsley to promote peristalsis. Try including simple stuff like celery, spinach, lemon, and one apple).
4. Avoid sugar and white carbs bc the bad bacteria thrives on it. Try natural plant Stevia for sweetener.
Keep the meals simple like chicken broth (I only ate chicken broth and soup for three weeks for breakfast lunch and dinner while i was on the program bc I had developed so many food sensitivities).

There is a lot of information about dysbiosis and many holistic doctors specialize in treating this type of GI disorder. If you feel the GI specialists aren't getting to the root of your problem, maybe trying a different route might be the trick.

Whatever you decide, most importantly, don't give up. The body is designed to heal itself. It is a perfect machine. Best of luck!
-Gerdo

Hi Everyone,

I also had LPR, constant burping, bloating, abdominal distention, sore throat, raw upper esophagus, etc... I found out I had delayed gastric emptying which was causing the problem. Delayed gastric emptying (gastroparesis) is when food is not breaking down quickly enough. Food sets in your stomach too long which causes acid & food to come back up the esophagus. GERD is a symptom of delayed gastric emptying.

There are many different things which can cause delayed gastric emptying including side effects from medication. There are also different levels of delayed gastric emptying. You do NOT need to be vomiting to have delayed gastric emptying. Symptoms will vary depending on how bad the delayed gastric emptying is.

signs and symptoms of delayed gastric emptying includes :

Nausea
Vomiting – severe projectile vomiting may indicate a complete obstruction
Abdominal distension
Bloating (feeling of fullness even after a small meal or few bites of food)
Early satiety
Heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux, acid reflux)
Excessive belching
Lack of appetite
Unintentional weight loss
Gastric pain – upper middle abdominal pain, left upper abdominal pain
Fluctuation in blood glucose levels – high and low blood sugar
Stomach cramps
Signs of vitamin deficiencies as a result of malabsorption
Offensive odor of the breath (halitosis) and burps (sulfur burps) as a result of bacterial overgrowth
Altered bowel movements may be noticed, particularly constipation
Dehydration, especially if there is constant vomiting

Hmm.... I once listened to a speech by a naturopath that explained how alkaline water can worsen GERD. The body absolutely needs stomach acid to digest food - more so if there is delayed gastric emptying, which is mainly controlled by hydrochloric acid and neurotransmitters (nervous system). There are many instances of patients who have healed their GERD using hydrochloric acid or adding acid back to the stomach (Metagenics has a popular product called Metagest - it takes a couple of weeks to ween off the PPIs. Might be worth reading reviews).

Another option is to try adding Digestion Enzymes to your meals. Burping is usually an indication that the liver is not breaking down fats properly (google gallbladder liver and burping). Enzymedica, Garden of Life, and Metagenics make good products.

Whatever you decide, might be worth investigating alkaline water and reflux more. I found several articles from people who attest that it can actually exacerbate reflux (http://www.growyouthful.com/tips/alkaline-water.php).

Good luck!