Posted 6/2/2023 4:09 PM (GMT 0)
Posting this here incase it helps anyone:
-Assumptions: You already know about pepsin, what it is, and how it becomes activated with acid etc..
- Symptoms: Male, healthy, not overweight, no obvious stomach/bacterial issues, have had LPR for many years on/off, which usually is at night, a mild to severe (if untreated) sore throat, and when untreated can lead to dysphagia, and discomfort in throat, clickyness in the throat, and chalky feeling on teeth (enamel interacting with acid). Have been to ear-nose-throat and does not appear to be too much damage or obvious damage to voice box.
-Cause: Mostly likely due to pepsin enzymes that get activated with acid at night as my upper esophegeal sphincter relaxes. Likely a more relaxed upper esophogeal sphincter than most people, probably caused by eating ghost peppers or something at some point just being stupid.
- What did not help: PPI's and Diet did not help, even fasting (not eating) did not help, antacids did not help. Although I do NOT drink Coffee, sugar/sweets, or any sort of chewing gump with mint or peppermint (if so you're screwed) and do not eat chocolate. Basically this assumes you already don't eat peppermint/chocolate/coffee, especially after like 10am.
- Fix #1: Two things helped (1) What helped stop the damage was filling up a spray bottle with about 30/70 Baking soda/clean water (basically as much baking soda as you can without clogging the bottle) and spraying it into my mouth before bed and inhaling at the same time. Nose spray bottles also helped but I like the regular spray bottles as they clog less easily and really blast a mist. This helps to neutralize the pepsin. If you can get enough baking soda it will destroy the pepsin which is better....
- Fix# 2: Brushing teeth with baking soda before bed (NOT regular toothpaste with MINT). I don't swallow toothpaste, but the mint and mint fumes will get in your voice box and upper-esophogeal-sphinkter and relax it, which is not good right before bed. I still brush teeth with regular toothpaste in the morning, but it has been a game changer not using mint toothpaste before bed.
- Fix #1b: If you wake up at night, like 3am or 4am, keep the spray bottle next to your bed stand, and spray it into your mouth and inhale at the same time, to give you a second dose of pepsin neutralizing spray.
Keep doing #1 and #2 until you heal your esophagus. Hope this helps someone. Good luck.