Does anyone have the LPR form of acid reflux?

[CanBeGrumpy]

This is not GERD, the more commonly thought of form of acid reflux. It is LPR, or laryngpharyngeal reflux. The acid backs all the way up into the throat and affects the larynx. I apparently have this condition, with the only symptom being a constant "lump" in my throat. I do not have heartburn at all. I am on Nexium 40mg/day, and the lump feeling disappears a lot of the time, but reappears sometimes, too. This has been going on since last October (so 10 months!!--but have only been on the medication for 5 months).

Does anyone have this disorder, and how long did it take for the symptoms to go away?? I had read online that it can take 6 months to resolve once you start the proton pump inhibitor medication, but I really thought it would have healed by now. Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with this? I am wondering if it is time to look into other causes of my symptom.

Thanks!!

 

[Christine]

I don't have this form but I hear that it oftne takes higher doses of the PPI, initially, to resolve it. Something like 80 mg at first.

Anyway, have you been to this message board: www.heartburn-help.com. They have a message board specifically for LPR. It's not an overly active board but they do have a handful of very knowledgeable people on there.

 

[Dina]

I didn't have the lump in my throat, but I had reflux without the heartburn. I used to feel like there was tons of flem in my chest after eating-- so much that sometimes I started coughing flem up. After seeing an ENT with no help, I was sent for an upper gi and they could see the flap in stomach opening and all of the acid coming back up--- I never had the heartburn though. This was 10-11 years ago. I did the prilosec for a few years, and then was weaned off, and really have no problem now (had it again when I was pregnant, but it went away after baby was born).

 

[Katnmouse]

I had what they called "silent reflux" because I never felt it. It was dicovered when I went hoarse and stayed that way for weeks on end. I was initially sent to doc. to scope my larynx for pollups and in doing the scope the doc. found scarring indicating acid burns. I was put on Nexium and stayed on for a few years. I have been off of it for a couple of years now but when I have periodic churning acid it is silent no more! I actually have a burning/stinging sensation in my upper gi like a hole is being eaten through.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I have something along these lines and I take Aciphex 20 mg per day. Havent had the symptoms since I started taking it in October.

 

[Snowysmom]

My older DS has it. About an hour after he would go to sleep he would wake up unable to breathe, making a horrible noise, because his larynx was so swollen. It took going to Children's Hospital ER to get the right diagnosis. He spent 4 days in the hospital starting on Prilosec 40 mg. I refused to take him home until he could breathe through the night with no trouble. It took a few weeks to heal. He takes prilosec every night, sleeps with a wedge under his mattress to elevate it, can't eat spicy food or mint or caffeine, and should not eat 3 hours before sleeping. That was 5 years ago and he will always be on the Prilosec unless he decides to have the surgery done. But the surgery is not 100% effective.

 

[mum4jenn]

I don't have the LPR version but I do have a stricture with mine and I am on the same dosage of Nexium that you are. I have been on it for over a year. I have tried to not take it but the most I can go is every other day without the throat feeling like the food in not going down. I realize yours is different but my Dr said that eventually I would have to have surgery for it but as long as the Nexium works we will try this.

 

[maddiemom]

I am a Speech Pathologist practicing in a hospital setting and we see people frequently with the "lump in the throat" sensation. I do my swallowing study on them and of course they are fine with that. I refer back to MD to check out for reflux. It is my general understanding (please know my primary understanding is for how food/liquids go down, not back up!) that the reflux meds will reduce the amount of acid in the material that is refluxed, then reducing the swelling and irritation. Does not necessarily mean that you will never reflux again. Still need to continue to follow all other recommended anti reflux precautions as indicated by your doctor.

 

[CanBeGrumpy]

Thanks to everyone who responded! It is good to know that people have been on Nexium for a year or two at a time; I was getting worried about taking it for 6 months (actually I started with the generic omeprazole but since the symptoms didn't completely resolve, my Dr. switched me to Nexium--of course my co-pay tripled!!)

I expected a full resolution of my symptoms, but I guess the medicine can't get rid of all the acid, and I can still have some irritation. I have been trying to follow all the advice for reducing problems, like not eating within 3 hours of bed (kills me when the kids make popcorn while we watch a movie!), avoiding spicy food/chocolate/caffeine/mint, etc. but it is hard!! I miss tomatoes on my salad and chocolate!!!!!

Well, thanks to everyone that responded. I do believe that LPR is also called silent reflux (due to no heartburn), so it sounds like a lot of us have the same thing.

 

[melk]

My older DS has it. About an hour after he would go to sleep he would wake up unable to breathe, making a horrible noise, because his larynx was so swollen. It took going to Children's Hospital ER to get the right diagnosis. He spent 4 days in the hospital starting on Prilosec 40 mg. I refused to take him home until he could breathe through the night with no trouble. It took a few weeks to heal. He takes prilosec every night, sleeps with a wedge under his mattress to elevate it, can't eat spicy food or mint or caffeine, and should not eat 3 hours before sleeping. That was 5 years ago and he will always be on the Prilosec unless he decides to have the surgery done. But the surgery is not 100% effective.

I am bringing this thread up again as I am going through this exact same thing! It is so frightening to wake up at night unable to breathe. I just started omeprazole, with tums after mealtime, mylanta at bedtime, no spicy foods, sleeping with head elevated, etc. Can anyone tell me how long it usually takes for the medicine to take effect? I just dread going to sleep at night and I'm exhausted.

 

[winniedapooh]

I have been taking 40 mg. of Prilosec for over 10 years now. I stop for a few days every once in a while and feel it...yikes! I also tested postive for H Pylori a few years ago. Doc said that once you have a positive test, you always have a positive test. I can tell when that is acting up again, I get the lump in my throat thing quite a bit, and I have breakthrough heartburn--even on the medicine. I sometimes have a week or more of being hoarse. When I told Doc I was worried about taking medicine for so long, he told me that the pros of taking it this long outweighed stopping. A few years ago a client of mine's Father was dying of esophogeal (SP?) cancer...I never asked about stopping medication again.

 

[melk]

I have been taking 40 mg. of Prilosec for over 10 years now. I stop for a few days every once in a while and feel it...yikes! I also tested postive for H Pylori a few years ago. Doc said that once you have a positive test, you always have a positive test. I can tell when that is acting up again, I get the lump in my throat thing quite a bit, and I have breakthrough heartburn--even on the medicine. I sometimes have a week or more of being hoarse. When I told Doc I was worried about taking medicine for so long, he told me that the pros of taking it this long outweighed stopping. A few years ago a client of mine's Father was dying of esophogeal (SP?) cancer...I never asked about stopping medication again.

They started me on only 20mg. Tell me, do you take two pills, one in morning and one at night? That's what I'm thinking I might need b/c all day I feel pretty good, but the nights are killing me.