LPR - Ingredients in Foods

Hello All,

I was recently told that I may have LPR. Taking PPIs is no problem, but following a strict diet will prove difficult because I love eating just about anything. My health comes first, so I am determined to overcome this barrier. I recently ordered the Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure book, but would like advice on certain food ingredients before receiving the text. I know that I should avoid spicy and acidic ingredients. Does absorbic acid count? Does anything with the word acid in it count?

Also, it's good to find old posts about people who have been diagnosed with LPR and have made the necessary changes to reduce the symptoms - way to go! I am inspired by your dedication to your well-being.

Oscar

Alcohol, beer in particular, has always been a huge trigger for me, instant burning. However my reflux is just ridiculous now and everything sets it off.

I would highly recommend eating small meals, and be conscious of how you sit during the day, try not to hunch over as that puts extra pressure on your stomach, I try to stay slightly reclined when sitting. Another thing which might help provided you aren't also having motility issues is not drinking when you have meals.

The one thing that has made a big difference for me is making sure I don't eat anything for 2-3 hours before I go to bed, for a while I was constantly waking up from aspirating and this cut that right out. I also try not to have liquids for about an hour beforehand as well, can be a bit hard when you have medications to take at that time.

millenialOM said...
Peabs and Jenagade, I deeply appreciate your input. Honestly, I did not expect responses this same day, but what a wonderful surprise. I just have a few concerns/questions for each of you and then for both of you.

You're very welcome.  

millenialOM said...
Peabs and Jenagade, I deeply appreciate your input. Honestly, I did not expect responses this same day, but what a wonderful surprise. I just have a few concerns/questions for each of you and then for both of you.

Peabs:
I have been instructed by an ENT to take Omeprazole (Prilosec) twice a day. I've been taking it before my first meal, but I am confused about the second time that I should take it. I usually take it before my last meal, which is 2-3 hours before I sleep. However, my penultimate meal tends to be a larger meal, so should I take my second Omeprazole during this meal instead?

With your 90 - day dairy abstinence are you also avoiding yogurt? I am asking because I know that yogurt contains helpful gut bacteria...............................

- Oscar

When it comes to medications I think it's best you ask your doctor this question.  Each PPI is uniquely different and I do not know all the nuances of your condition.  Are you able to call or email your doctor?

Yes, during my 90 day hiatus from gluten, dairy, etc. I stayed away from all dairy.  Though to be candid, I did indulge in cheese a coupe of times.  There are many reasons behind this but for me, one of my doctors felt that the protein casein that's in all dairy might have been causing inflammation in my digestive tract as well as triggering my GERD symptoms so he wanted me to stay away from it for 90 days.  I'll know a lot more when I introduce it back into my diet. 

Certain types of yogurt have helpful bacteria and if it does not trigger any GERD symptoms, then I would recommend organic, sugar free greek yogurt.  I emphasize sugar-free because many of today's commercial yogurts are loaded with sugar and you do not need it.  You'll want to find organic yogurt that's loaded with probiotics.

Fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut are also very good for you.  You can also take a probiotic supplement, though studies have shown that getting them naturally from organic sources is far superior in terms of utilization.  If you really want to go all out, just Google "how to make fermented vegetables" and you'll find videos on Youtube and plenty of websites that will show you how to do it, it's pretty easy.

millenialOM said...
Peabs and Jenagade: I put a few books under my mattress for elevation. Sleeping face-up is a tad awkward for me, so i prefer sleeping on my left shoulder in a lateral position. Has any sleeping position worked better for you than other positions?

I am at the point where I have repetitive mucous build up in my throat and post-nasal drip. Therefore, I have to constantly clear my throat, to the point where I do not want to be in public that much right now. However, I read online that I should avoid clearing my throat. If either of you suffer from this issue or know of someone who has/does, how have you or another person handled this?

- Oscar

Hey MillenialOM, that is the improper way of elevating the head of your bed.  What you want to do is place some risers underneath the head of your bed so that your entire head bed gets pushed off the ground 7 to 9 inches (or more).   In other words, your entire bed should be at an incline not just the part that is under your head.

This is why using books under your mattress or using pillows is usually not a good idea because you are putting more pressure onto your stomach.  Some people use bed wedges and if it supports and angles the entire upper body and not just the head, it could provide some relief.  However, my GI doctor has made it clear that it's much better to elevate the entire bed.  Here is an example of bed risers:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Adjustable-Bed-Risers/5148131

This picture shows the risers under all four of the bed's legs, in this instance you would only use it under the two that is under your head so that your bed goes at an angle.  If you have an adjustable bed, that could also work as well.

Regarding the mucous build up, sorry, I won't be much help there as I do not have that symptom and am not clear on how to deal with it.  I'm sure others here can provide helpful answers to that. 

The best advice that I can give you at this time is that adhering to a strict diet won't be easy.  It took me many months and several trips to the ER to finally get it through my thick skull that I just didn't need to change my diet, I needed to change my mindset and perception of what food really is. 

Once I made my health a top priority I slowly began to eat to live, instead of living to eat.  Even so, it was not easy giving up the foods that I loved and switching to an all organic, healthy live style that placed a lot of emphasis on organic vegetables and certain fruits.   The problem with today's foods in commercial markets is that they are loaded with sugars, fats, and food additives, many of which have not been tested on humans for safety.  I am convinced that many processed foods and their additives are a major cause of digestive distress because we are seeing digestive problems in record numbers, something we didn't see 30, 40, 50 years ago.

I've given up all processed foods.  I won't even eat deli meat or any canned or frozen foods.  I'm on my 2nd month of recovery and I'm finally starting to see the fruits of my labor.  I use my Vitamix blender to blend many of my foods so that they can go down easily and make for absorption too (not all my meals but I do it at least once a day).  

It may sound extreme to some people, but I realize that it took me years to damage my esophagus and my stomach lining and I believe that my extreme symptoms and pain needed an extreme solution.  But if you really think about it, eating healthy and nutrient-dense foods shouldn't be extreme, it should be the norm.   And now that I eat this way, it's become a habit and it's no longer difficult. 

I just wish I had made this switch a long time ago because then I wouldn't be suffering as badly as I have been.  But at least I'm on the way to healing and that gives me hope.

Good luck to you.

millenialOM said...


Jenagade: I've been sober for ~ 2 months now and I do not intend to go back to drinking anytime soon. Alcohol can be great, but these past two months have allowed me to find other healthy pleasures.

If I understand correctly, you are saying that eating food without any accompanying liquids has helped you?

Peabs and Jenagade: I put a few books under my mattress for elevation. Sleeping face-up is a tad awkward for me, so i prefer sleeping on my left shoulder in a lateral position. Has any sleeping position worked better for you than other positions?

I am at the point where I have repetitive mucous build up in my throat and post-nasal drip. Therefore, I have to constantly clear my throat, to the point where I do not want to be in public that much right now. However, I read online that I should avoid clearing my throat. If either of you suffer from this issue or know of someone who has/does, how have you or another person handled this?

- Oscar

Hi Oscar,

I wish I could say that not drinking with meals has helped, but my regurgitation has gotten way out of control to the point that even a small drink by itself will regurgitate. When I first started experiencing regurgitation though it helped immensely and its something which is easy enough to try, the worst thing that can happen is that there is no difference so give it a go.

As for the mucous, I wish I had a solution for that I really do, post-nasal drip is just a fact of life for me right now. I have noticed that when the mucous is particular thick, drinking things like tea or fizzy drinks makes it a lot worse because it drys my mouth out. Orange juice seems to break it up a bit, but if orange juice affects your reflux obviously don't do it, I don't have any problems with orange juice so its somewhat of a relief even if only momentary. Another thing, again only a short term fix, is to use an oral gel used for dry mouths, I always have some on hand because I get a really dry mouth from one of my medications and while it doesn't remove the mucous but it thins it out which makes it a bit more tolerable.

With the PPI's, I think there may have been a semantic breakdown with which meal dinner is. Like ssjgogo said you should take it 30 mins before your last meal of the day. Also my GP has said not to take them within 2 hours of eating so the way I take mine is to have the first dose at 7am, then breakfast around 8am, then I make sure I don't eat anything from about 3pm onwards, take the second dose at 5pm and we usually have dinner(last meal) around 6pm though I'll sometimes have something for dessert a bit later on, but make sure I don't have anything after 9pm because I aspirate in my sleep if I have anything within 2 or so hours of going to bed.

Cutting out alcohol was a good idea, as well as being a potential trigger it can mess with how your medication is metabolised because, as far as I am aware, PPI's are metabolised by your liver, and it is entirely possible for your liver to be damaged if it is having to process too much, and much easier than you'd think as I found out earlier this year :S.

Any dairy is likely to make the mucous worse so avoid youghurt and cheese too maybe. I don't know that soy milk will be any better, I find its as bad as normal milk but maybe it will be different for you.

You're right, acidic food and drinks are advised against for GERD, but everyone is affected by different things and I have never had a problem with acidic drinks which is why the orange juice is ok for me. Cranberry juice on the other hand I can't tolerate, not sure if its the sugar levels or what.

Yeah I have always been surprised that OJ is fine there's a brand here which seems almost like it's diluted it something like it's not at all acidy tasting like some of the pulpy ones so maybe that's why I can tolerate it

You can try using calici blend, it neutralizes the acids in food without giving it any taste. I use it sometimes but others swear by it. Google it, it will come up.