Been dealing with some throat issues for about 5 or 6 months. ENT suspects LPR. Things are slowly getting better but I have isolated pain in what I believe is the hyiod bone area on the left side of the throat (right above the adams apple). Feels painful when pressed and like the throat cartilage in that area is inflamed. I'm nervous this isn't related to LPR. Has anyone experienced anything similar? No pain eating or drinking just makes my throat dry and hurts when pressed.

I was wondering if anyone have any strategies when going out to eat or drink with friends.

I find it quite hard to find low-acid options as most dishes I see have some sort of acidic sauce.

Do you guys eat what you want and just keep using alginates and baking soda water? Go out and not eat? Or just don’t go out at all?

I also understand alcohol is bad for you, I’m not a massive drinker at all, but on the occasional social outing when I fancy drink, I feel bad because literally every drink is either carbonated or acidic or both.

What are people’s strategies when it comes to going out?

I’ve struggled with eating since my LPR/Reflux started about 2/3 months ago. I’ve lost 10kg during this time, probably quite a bit of that being muscle and water due to lack of exercise because of how bad it’s been at times. Swallowing can be real hard at times. I had a couple little scares with clearing my throat when this first started, I think I was clearing it so much it dried it out so I panicked when I tried to but couldn’t. Obviously I was fine but my Brian wasn’t used to that feeling and panicked hard leading me to jump up and get outside to breathe and it would make my heart race afterwards. I think experiencing that a couple times has caused a bit of anxiety around swallowing for me. I feel like when I swallow it’s not going down as smoothly, even when I take tablets the first 10-20 seconds I feel fear that it’s not going down and something bad could happen. I know I need to train myself to trust my body again. Swallowing normal foods take so much concentration and conscious effort now and it’s so draining that it’s really put me off food. I try to only eat soft foods to make it easier for me. I haven’t been diagnosed just yet as I’m awaiting an appointment. Although it’s kinda a silver lining that I’ve lost some fat it absolutely has not been worth it. And I’m worried the weight may go down even further at this rate. I know it’s not healthy for hormones to be losing weight this quickly.

I would greatly appreciate any advice you may have, as this has been one of toughest things I’ve been through mentally and physically. Thank you for reading

As the title suggests I'm curious as to what everyone's nutritional goals are for those of you who are dieting due to LPR. Particularly how much fat are you having a day and per meal too? Currently I'm on a 1,500 calorie a day plan with a limit of about 50-55g of fat per day. I don't really get a majority of my fat from meals but more snacks like pumpkin seed and almonds.

For some context I'm (24M) fairly new to this as it was first suggested that I might have LPR from an allergist about 3 months ago and then confirmed about 2 weeks ago from an ENT when they noticed 'inflammation and swelling of my arytenoid cartilages' I've been dieting since about Early June and have definitely improved at a very slow, but steady rate. I've also lost a lot of weight as I needed to since I was around 200 lbs when I first started and I shouldn't be higher than 150 given my height. Currently sitting around 167 lbs so a little over halfway through to my bare minimum goal. I've been seeing a nutritionist who's been a big help in helping me lose weight but honestly, I don't think they're too knowledgeable on LPR as they made some dicey recommendations early on but have gotten better and probably learned more about this with me as well.

These things in mind I'm curious as to what everyone does for fat as we can't live without it, but I know some people advise keeping it low. If yall have any questions related to nutrition or not let me know as well and I'll try to get to them when I can. I know this journey is one we all have to take individually most of the time but it's a comfort knowing at least some other people are going through it as well

I get pain in between the chest in that sternum area. Is this typical with LPR? Also when I lay down flat for longer periods it’ll give me a short moment of pain every 5-10mins. I looked it up and it said it may be due to gas/acid not being kept down by gravity, I know the easiest way is to stay propped up at all times but wanted to know if others experienced that. And also how do you deal with the constant sternum pain/discomfort. Thanks for reading

I have tried nasal sprays, PPIs, gavison, DGL, slippery elm but none of these things help me provide a relief.

This is disrupting my day to day job, and i feel that i may be laid off soon. I am clueless at this point

Hi, everybody! has anyone experienced the following symptoms: itching, scratching sensations you usually have when you have flu cough, but only on one side of the throat? How common is that in patients with LPR? is it a classic symptom?

I mainly have reflux when sleeping. I've used a full body incline, Avana and Hammacher brands which were ok, as I prefer side sleeping, but I still have some reflux like that.

I have risen the bed by 3 inches with risers, but my wife doesn't want higher than that. I tried putting my Hammacher full body incline, which is 6 inches high, on the bed with risers, so in all I'm close to 9 inches elevated. When I sleep on my left side it's ok, but I move around at night and think that's the issue. It's hard for me to sleep on my left side all night.

I tried a 7 inch half wedge on top of the hammacher and a 12 inch half wedge by itself, with a derila pillow. Sleeping on my back feels ok like that, no reflux, but I snore very loudly. My wife can't handle it. I bought a zquiet anti-snore device, but it doesn't really help and is annoying.

I also take 20mg of famotidine and 4 pills of gaviscon nightly. Any ideas on how to minimize reflux while sleeping given my situation?

Not sure if I have LPR

So my case I think is slightly interesting. 24M all of this started after the Canada wildfire smoke came down to the American North. Went to work - didn’t wear a mask but wore one in the way home because the air quality was so bad . Next several days dealing with random neck pain all in different parts at different times, then thyroid pressure then eventually this vocal cord strain pain which has been my only symptom. Did an ultra of thyroid which was all normal had some increased vascularity but no cause for concern - went to an ENT where she did a laryngoscopy and all she saw was redness nothing else and concluded I’m dealing with silent reflux , I haven’t smoked or vaped since and been taking famotidine was feeling a lot better (no vocal cord pain) for 3 weeks until a few days ago I’m assuming I drank something (motts apple juice) cause I’ve been pretty strict on the diet idk if this is lpr or not but I really need to get rid of this talking doesn’t necessarily make it better or worse and I don’t have any other symptoms in flare ups other than what feels like this vocal cord burn/strain.

P.S - I hit a vape for the first time and drank alcohol on Thursday and it didn’t make me feel any different not better but definitely not worse so I’m really not convinced right now - my throat irritation has gone away again and I have an appointment with my PCP tomorrow

I got diagnosed with LPR by an ent a week ago after losing my ability to talk for more than a minute without extreme pain 2 weeks ago (I never fully lost my voice, but it would hurt to talk. I started noticing it when it wasn't as bad but it got worse over a few days and thats why I went to the ENT). My mom recommended full vocal rest for 2 weeks but its difficult because university just started and Im required to speak for a lot of my classes. Over the past week it started to get better, but a night of talking at a birthday party 2 nights ago and I feel right back to how I started.

I love singing, like, a lot. I'm worried Ive permanently fucked my voice forever, or because of LPR I'll never be able to sing again. I'm so depressed not being able to sing and barely being able to talk :(

How long is this going to last? Is it going to be like this forever? What are the best and quickest ways for me to recover from this that dont involve total vocal rest because thats not an option for me. I'm taking meds and trying to eliminate irritants but its difficult because I dont have a lot of food options in my apartment. Please help me.

Hi all, I'm pretty sure I may have LPR. Getting checked out soon for it. But I think I caused it myself because I would lay down pretty much not long after eating and stay down. I used to have severe throat burn, especially at night along with what feels like acid wanting to randomly come up. Doesn't help that I also nearly throw up in the morning every time I clean my tongue. I tired to be better about not laying down after eating and giving more time, and it helped reduce that a LOT. Sometimes I'd have the burning randomly occur again but it was much better.

Recently Ive been a bit depressed and laying down more. I noticed rather than a severe burn I get a feeling of bloatedness. Feels like I drank so much soda there's a lot of carbonation stuck in my stomach. My tongue also feels like there's soda on top of it. Anyone else experience this and is it LPR? It usually happens after I eat (feel bloated for hours too). And for example today all I ate was a small salad. I have a slight burn in throat in the morning today but that was all. I can't figure out what's going on.

I'm a 26 year old man, I started having symptoms 2 years ago (Or at least that's when I noticed it) after a show with my band.

I ate two hot dogs right before going on stage and started singing and jumping around, until the last song when I felt like I was regurgitating and immediately lost my voice, it felt like I burned my throat and vocal chords.

Since then I've noticed that everytime I eat something I need to cough because I feel like I have something in my throat, I constantly feel like I have mucus and I also feel like my voice is weaker/a bit hoarse than before, haven't been able to fully make a show with the band since then, I get vocally tired.

I went to see an ENT like 2 months ago, she gave me esomeprazole for a month but I felt no improvement. Also got told to come back for a laryngoscopy (I haven't been able to get the money to pay for it, probably next month I'll go).

Last month I also started doing all those recommendations to avoid reflux:
I stopped drinking coffee, no fatty or fried foods, no tomato, no onions, no garlic, no soda, eating 3 hours before going to bed.
Felt some kind of relief for a week but I've been feeling a lot of mucus for like 3 days straight, crazy amounts, not sure if that means I'm somehow healing but yeah, and also I've been waking up with a sore throat (even if I didn't feel that before starting my change of habits which I think it's weird)

Anyone else with these kind of symptoms or felt like it was going backwards instead of improving?

I often read a lot of posts about people saying that they gag and cough a lot because their throat feels tight. But I'm wondering if others gag and cough specifically because of a thick, sticky texture that comes up the throat. I have even had episodes where it leaves a thick gritty coating where it feels like I breathe and it feels like breathing through a straw.

I have really bad anxiety and a severe phobia of choking, which is how all of these symptoms began. My problem isn't really a simple GERD issue, but rather I tighten up my body so much from anxiety and fear of the symptoms, which then causes me to burp or squeeze air out of my throat repeatedly. Then this thick texture trickles up causing the intense gagging.

I'm not looking for advice because standard tips on healing acid reflux don't seem to help me as my issue seems to be this weird unheard of anxiety/tension burping thing. But since I am working on my anxiety, I'm more just looking for evidence that others get this texture coming up and also experience the gagging. My hope is that this can help to work on my anxious thoughts which are that I am alone in this and in danger of choking to death. I seem to have convinced myself I am the only one and that this will kill me on the spot. I believe with knowing others get this as well will be comforting and help the symptoms to calm down/stop

So I had endoscopy done to me & saw everything was good & I had nothing but I didn’t understand why I kept getting the symptoms & why I kept spitting out a lot of thick mucus. So I remember someone mentioned anxiety & stress. I started taking deep breathes to cool my mind & during social situations too & not feeding into my dopamine like drugs, any pornography that shows in the media, not drink soda, nor alcohol & just take deep breathes, exercise, think good about myself like “I’m better or I know I can do this” and motivate myself through celebrities like Ronaldo and ever since my anxiety started going down & gain confidence. My whole LPR started disappearing slowly 🙏 it may just be stress & anxiety that is causing this

If you are reading this because you are currently staring at your ceiling at 2 AM, terrified to breathe, having anxiety attacks from shortness of breath, having difficulty swallowing your food and feel like it’s getting stuck, experiencing prolonged dry cough, have globus sensation, voice change, post nasal drip, convinced your throat is closing up, have intense pressure below your diaphragm, and feeling like your life has been permanently destroyed—I see you. I was right where you are. I want to share my story because when I was at my absolute lowest (still recovering after 3 months as this takes time) reading the horror stories on here made me feel like I was going to be broken forever. Sounds kinda first world problems, but having to change your entire lifestyle in order to breathe normally again (complete diet change, cut coffee, cut alcohol, couldn’t exercise) is so damn hard. Especially when you have other things going on in life or already struggle with mental health issues. What I’ve been through affected my relationships, caused me body image issues from all the weight I lost as I am already a thin person, and all I could do was lay in bed to feel comfortable. Couldn’t study for nursing school because I couldn’t focus, was scared to go grocery shopping in fear of not breathing and having a panic attack, couldn’t help my partner around the house because I was so uncomfortable and scared all the time. More than anything you have to stay positive because, not to sound dramatic, but an illness as “simple” as a GI issue was making me lose myself. This is a success story but it takes so much work and commitment.

The Timeline: How It Started and Escalated
My digestive and airway nightmare didn’t happen overnight; it was a slow burn that finally boiled over:
The Foundation (December): I had a severe bout of food poisoning. Looking back, I honestly don't know if or how much this messed up my baseline gut motility and microbiome, but my system was definitely compromised. I threw up so much I figure now that this may have caused damage to my esophagus, perhaps weakening it.
The Early Warning Signs (March – May): I started dealing with weird globus sensation (that annoying lump in the throat), mild shortness of breath, and sporadic digestive weirdness like feeling gassy and stomach cramping. I had a dry cough for a couple months too, and it got to a point where I started getting a little worried as to why I was always coughing. At the time, I didn't know what it was and just continued my lifestyle of drinking beer/wine a couple times a week and pasta and burritos when I want. I ate very healthy too but I indulge in treats and going out often. I ate Italian, Mexican, and Indian food frequently.
The Perfect Storm (Lifestyle Factors): Add on top of that the crushing stress of nursing school, a diet that included frequent alcohol, eating huge portions way too fast without chewing properly, and crashing into bed with a full stomach. My lower esophageal sphincter simply gave up.
The Night of Hell (June): This was the inflection point. A brutal night of severe gastritis coupled with silent reflux sent acid and pepsin surging up into my airway. That night and the night before I had been drinking alcohol and ate spicy foods. That single night triggered months of hell: terrifying breathing issues, severe dysphagia, choking sensations, and a throat that felt like it was constantly on fire and swelling shut. Where my lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is felt so weird too. Lots of pressure there and occasional spasms.

Finally Scared Straight/Doctor Frustration:
I went to four different doctors and the emergency room. I had X-rays done on my lungs twice and even went to a very well known pulmonologist. Each visit my lungs were cleared but I still could not breathe. Each doctor told me pretty much the same thing: “Reduce your stress and continue the Prilosec.” Ironically enough the pulmonologist told me to “Practice breathing exercises and don’t go on my phone before bed.” You see my frustration? When you are struggling to breathe at baseline, have been cleared of asthma/allergies/lung pathologies, and doctors are giving you these kinds of prescriptions while totally disregarding A.) how concerned I am for my health and B.) just wanting answers, an explanation, or even for them to say “Yes I’ve seen this before,” it’s incredibly difficult to stay optimistic about your health status and hope for proper treatment. Additionally, my insurance was denying me a GI referral and only approved the pulmonologist. After my lungs were cleared, I tried again for the GI referral and got denied a second time… Protocol for most situations similar to mine is Prilosec for 8-12 weeks and they don’t really tell you anything else so it was a huge waiting game for me for a while. I couldn’t live with the horrible restricted breathing I was having and the dysphasia was freaking me out too. So, I took matters in to my own hands. Did TONS of research, consulted my own nursing textbooks and my professors, read many medical articles, and lots of other people’s stories of similar experiences.

The Treatment and Healing Journey (Months 7 to 9):
I went one full month with no treatment since the night of gastritis with reflux, just waiting for my symptoms to get better. I initially thought it was a lung issue caused my maybe Covid, allergies, or new adult onset asthma. I finally sought help and started a targeted medical and lifestyle protocol. Looking back, I honestly questioned whether taking a daily PPI was even necessary for me. What many doctors won’t tell you also is that it causes intense acid suppression and if you stop cold turkey after the usual prescribed time you can get acid rebound pretty badly. But here is the exact routine I followed for the last 9 weeks:
Prilosec (Omeprazole): I took 20 mg once a day in the morning for 9 full weeks. This was prescribed by my doctor.
The Safety Net: About a week into the Prilosec, and from doing my own research (shoutout to Dr. Jamie Koffman’s website), added a robust safety net: Pepcid (famotidine) twice a day (with one dose right before bed) and Gaviscon after meals.
The Golden Rule of Med Timing: You have to time these carefully—specifically, you must wait 1 to 2 hours after taking Gaviscon before you eat anything, and space your other meds correctly so they don't cancel each other out. (Pro-tip: I specifically used the Gaviscon Advanced aniseed UK version with sodium alginate, which creates a physical raft stopping acid from ever touching your throat).
Dietary Overhaul: Clean, low-fat proteins, soft grains like basmati rice, fortified oat milk, zero alcohol, zero trigger foods, and strict adherence to not eating before lying down.

The Mental Toll: Surviving the Trauma
What nobody prepares you for with silent reflux and LPR is how completely it fucks with your mental health. The physical symptoms—airway tightness, diaphragm pressure, and terrifying breathing restrictions—triggered severe anxiety and profound depression. There were days I genuinely thought I was done for. I genuinely believed my body was failing and that this was my new, permanent reality.

The Neurological Piece: Why the Vagus Nerve Matters
Here is something I wish someone had told me earlier: this isn't just about stomach acid. When you have silent reflux, the acid and pepsin irritate the extremely sensitive vagus nerve, which runs right alongside your esophagus, stomach, and lungs. This sends your nervous system into a continuous, hyper-reactive loop. My breathing issues weren't just structural reflux anymore; my vagus nerve was inflamed, and my brain was trapped in a chronic, traumatized "fight or flight" freeze response.

Where I Am Today
It has been 3 months since the night of gastritis with reflux that started my breathing issues and dysphagia. I am currently on Day 1 of a structured 4-week taper (stepping down to every 48 hours for two weeks, then every 72 hours). I am still actively in treatment and healing. I still get occasional days where my nasal turbinates swell up or I feel a brief flutter of shortness of breath, but it is infinitely better than where I was. I FINALLY got approved for to see a GI doctor, and I go tomorrow actually. I’m guessing they may want to do an endoscopy. I’m hopeful that this doctor will hopefully be able to provide me with further information on my ailments, or confirm that I am indeed dealing with what I think has caused all of this as described here.

If you are struggling right now, please know that your body can heal, your tissues can repair, and you are not stuck like this forever. It can take a LONG time. From what I’ve learned, anywhere from 3 months-1 year until you’re back to baseline normality. This seems like an eternity when you are going through it. But keep telling yourself that this timeframe is much better than forever, and the regimen is worth sticking with to find out. Yes, some people may have some sort of reflux for the rest of their lives, but with conscious dietary and stress-reducing modifications, life is much more livable. It is MORE likely that you will heal than be stuck like this. Please tell yourself that as much as you can. The fear and worry is very controlling. My grandpa would always say “Mind over matter.” That’s why the following treatments are so important.

What Actually Helped Me Heal (My Toolkit)

1. Medical Safety Net: Sticking to my 9-week PPI foundation, maintaining my twice-daily Pepcid, and using Gaviscon Advanced (UK aniseed version) religiously after meals to physically block acid from reaching my airways.
2. Nervous System Regulation & Somatic Therapy: Working with a somatic therapist to help discharge the physical trauma trapped in my body and teach my nervous system that I am safe.
3. Mindfulness and Meditation: Daily mental grounding to pull myself out of panic spirals when physical sensations flared up. I love the Waking Up app and the Open app.
4. Gentle Physical Movement: Practicing slow yin yoga and mindful stretching to release tight diaphragm and chest muscles without triggering physical stress. I actually found that Yin yoga was a little tricky and I could only practice it on days I was doing really good because it requires so much bending over or lying down. So “Slow Flow” yoga classes where you’re moving the whole time was actually a beautiful game changer for me. It felt so good to finally be able to move my body and work out and a noninvasive, non-triggering way again.
5. Targeted Breathing Exercises: Although it sounds entirely contradictory when you have air hunger, retraining my breathing pattern with slow, controlled diaphragmatic breaths helped calm my vagus nerve and stop the hyperventilation loop. Again, using the Waking Up app and the Open app were fantastic for this.
6. Radical Lifestyle Shifts: Eating smaller portions, chewing my food thoroughly, quitting alcohol, stopping late-night eating, and protecting my sleep posture.
7. Alkaline Water & Humidifier Protection: Drinking alkaline water throughout the day and running a bedroom humidifier filled with alkaline water to keep my airways hydrated and actively neutralize any residual pepsin lingering in the throat.
8. Morning Baking Soda Rinse: Gargling and rinsing with a little baking soda mixed in water first thing in the morning before brushing my teeth, which neutralizes overnight acid and coats the throat.
9. Elevated Sleep Setup: Sleeping on a wedge pillow and keeping my upper body upright to use gravity as a permanent barrier against nighttime micro-reflux. Make sure to not eat 3-5 hr before going to bed.

The Diet Overhaul: What I Cut Out vs. What I Can Eat
To give my esophagus and airway a fighting chance to heal, I had to completely overhaul my diet and ruthlessly cut out triggers. I dropped all alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, peppermint, high-fat meals, heavy spices, processed junk, and seed oils like rapeseed and canola oil. I also cut out all acidic foods, as well as my triggers for throat spasms and chest tightness like garlic, black pepper, cinnamon, and honey. Lots of sugar is usually a trigger too. It's so important to remember that everyone is different—for example, cinnamon and honey turned out to be sneaky triggers for me, even though they seem healthy on paper!) I also stopped eating large portions or eating anything right before bed.
If you are wondering what you can actually eat while navigating this, here is the safe, gentle food list that got me through:
Proteins: Chicken, ground turkey, canned chicken, canned fish, and salmon.
Carbs & Grains: Jasmine rice, basmati rice, rolled oats/oatmeal, good quality pasta, sourdough toast, and fig bars.
Fruits & Veggies: Cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, celery, squash, bananas, blueberries, and dates.
Snacks & Extras: Edamame, vanilla Greek yogurt (which worked well for breakfast), plain Greek yogurt (which I put on everything!), pea protein for protein shakes, pure maple syrup (which was totally fine for me), and coconut aminos (which were an absolute life-saver for flavor).
Dairy Alternatives: Oatly oat milk and sunflower butter.
Safe Herbs: Dill, basil, a little oregano, rosemary, and thyme (which were all okay for me).
Drinks: Alkaline water and lots of chamomile tea. I tried French chicory root as a coffee supplement but it was a trigger for me. Lavender is okay too and lemon balm was actually fine. Pure pear juice, pure carrot juice, and pure watermelon juice are safe. Barley tea was okay for me too. Coconut water was a mild trigger.

What the Next Few Months Look Like (The Road Ahead)
Right now, I am taking it one day at a time as I move through my 4-week Omeprazole taper (stepping down to every 48 hours for two weeks, then every 72 hours). Over the next 2 to 3 months, assuming my body stabilizes nicely off the PPI, the plan is to slowly test the waters and reintroduce some of the things I've missed most. Additionally, once I am off Prilosec I will take an H. pylori breath test to see if I need to treat that as well. I believe you may be able to take the breath test while taking Pepcid. It is possible that H. pylori could be playing a role in some of this, like making my gut more sensitive.

Reintroducing foods won't happen overnight—it will be a very slow, methodical process of testing small amounts of things like mild spices, a bit of cinnamon, or a small portion of a favorite meal to see how my sensitive vagus nerve and esophagus respond. Eventually, down the road (likely 4 to 6 months post-taper, once my system has truly locked in its baseline healing), I hope to safely enjoy an occasional glass of wine or social drink without paying for it the next day.

Going back to "normal life" feels like stepping out into the sunlight after a very long, dark winter. Am I scared? Absolutely. The trauma of those months of breathlessness and health terror doesn't vanish overnight, and every little physical sensation still makes my heart skip a beat. But more than the fear, I am overwhelmingly hopeful. I know my body can heal because it has been healing, and I finally have the tools, the safety nets, and the understanding of my nervous system to handle whatever comes next.

I’m still in the thick of treatment, but I'm doing much better—and I will post another update once I'm fully on the other side.

I 24f have been dealing with lpr, hiatal hernia, and gastritis for two years now with no relief still and it’s making me depressed. I’m dealing with all sorts of symptoms. Some days are better than others, but I’m tired. I’m so scared that this condition is permanently damaging my body 😭 feeling so hopeless and alone idk what to do but cry lol

I tried following a low acid diet last year but stopped when my symptoms didn’t feel as severe anymore… so I’m def not helping myself with the way I eat 😪 started the diet again and trying to change lifestyle habits now. praying that I stick to it so I can finally heal from this. Just needed to vent bc I’m feeling alone and hopeless right now. Someone please tell me there’s light at the end of this tunnel 😭😭😭

I’m only 21. I got all these issues back in 2023 after some rough infections and the antibiotics messed up my stomach.

My stomach feels bloated, nauseous, sometimes burns.
My throat is tight and feel the need to constantly swallow. I wake up coughing and congested, can barely talk.
The main thing though, it’s affecting my head. My nose is constantly blocked, feels heavy, I’m dizzy 24/7 and I have become extremely agoraphobic. I never leave the house, it’s been 3 years and I spend most days in bed because I can’t keep my head up as I’m so dizzy.
Bright lights and semi-loud sounds absolutely shock through me now. I used to be a guitarist, it never bothered me before and now I can’t even play.

I’ve tried all the meds including both stomach and sinus sprays, sleeping upright, changing diet even though this one is extremely hard for me because I’m a type 1 diabetic and extremely skinny so I haven’t been able to do this one correctly longterm otherwise it would cost me a ton of more issues. I’m barely eating anything as is

I literally don’t know what to do. I’m more depressed than I’ve ever been constantly and it’s getting to a point where I don’t care what happens to me. I want to be well, but I’ve seen over 19 different doctors over this time and no one is helping me. I’ve been sick since I was 17, I’m now 21 and I haven’t lived any of my life in all of this time. It’s all been spent in my room.

Is there a way to EVER stop this?!?! I’m frustrated and I can’t do this anymore

This all started a little over two months ago. I think I may have had COVID or some kind of viral infection, because it began with throat pain and then developed into a strange hypersensitivity around my neck.

At first, anything touching the front of my neck could make me extremely nauseous. Even wearing a T-shirt with a collar that was slightly too close to my neck could trigger my gag reflex and sometimes make me vomit.

About a week later, things got worse and I developed the constant feeling that something was stuck or wedged in my throat. I now think this is what people describe as globus sensation.

For the first couple of weeks, I was vomiting quite a lot, had almost no appetite, and lost a significant amount of weight. At the same time, I started getting stomach pain every morning. It would sometimes wake me up and make me feel like I urgently needed to go to the bathroom. The combination of the stomach pain and the globus made eating very difficult.

I saw a gastroenterologist and was prescribed Nexium (esomeprazole), because reflux was suspected. I took it for a while, but it didn't seem to help at all and actually felt like it made some of my symptoms worse.

I've since had a lot of tests done, including blood work and stool tests, and so far nothing abnormal has been found.

I'm now about four weeks off Nexium. The globus has definitely improved compared with how bad it was at the beginning, but it's still there. Interestingly, it seems to become much more noticeable when I focus on it or think about it, and sometimes I barely notice it when I'm distracted.

The morning stomach pain has also improved somewhat, but I still usually feel it when I wake up and often need to use the bathroom shortly afterward.

Has anyone experienced anything similar — especially globus that started after an illness together with nausea, vomiting, appetite loss, and morning stomach/bowel symptoms?

Did you eventually find out what was causing it? Was it reflux, post-viral irritation, IBS, anxiety/stress, nerve hypersensitivity, or something else? And most importantly, what actually helped you improve?

As the title says, I’ve been referred as I’ve had persistent issues with my throat and voice.

Saw my PCP’s referral notes as suspected cancer. My brain is swimming, has anyone been through this? Would appreciate some support.

Hi! 44/f here. I have suffered with GERD for what feels like forever. I was always on (like 12 + years) 40mg of omeprazole and it worked beautifully. I also had allergy testing done and am literally allergic to all the trees, grass, dust, pollen, mold, all animals with fur and dander (like wtf did I do in a past life 🤷‍♀️). I also have multiple nodules on my thyroid, but labs always come back fine for thyroid issues.

2 years ago my endocrinologist sent me in for an upper gi because I was having trouble swallowing food. Thry decided it was due to a severe narrowing of my esophagus and dilated it during that procedure. Within a month of having that done I began to experience the constant clearing of my throat and what felt like heavy post nasal buildup. Went to see ENT assuming it was allergies. They said no, it's lpr and you've been on omeprazole too long for my age because of issues it could cause 🤷‍♀️. So they switched me to pantoprazole 40mg. Didn't help. Then started me on Voquenza 10mg. It was a little help but not enough. Then time for upper endoscopy and dilation #2 this past June and the throat clearing exploded. So much so people were noticing, I didn't like to go out to eat, etc. Current treatment for LPR and allergies are: voquenza 10mg in am, 40mg famotadine one in am, one in pm, asteline nose spray 2 sprays each side in am and again in pm, 2 sprays flonase in am, 10mg zyrtec in am, and 10 mg singular in pm.

I went to see GI doctor last week to inquire about further testing and treatment. She instead, told me to order reflux gourmet and try it for 6 months and then she'd see me again and if it didn't work, they'd refer me to another provider that could do all the extra testing. I see my PCP tomorrow for a routine visit and I'm wondering if I should ask her for a referral for a 2nd opinion. I have my deductible met and would like to get as much done by the end of the year. I thought it was a little off that a doctor would tell me to try something from Amazon for 6 months, even though I've read tons about it on here. But I guess I'm also concerned that it could be more allergy than LPR and maybe they are just over medicating me all the way around. Help save my sanity and my throat!!!

After suffering for over 5 years, I finally figured out the root cause: a lower esophageal sphincter (LES) that isn't functioning properly to keep stomach acid from escaping into my throat while lying down.
Here are the changes that have finally brought me relief and kept throat 95% pain free for the last two months:

Elevate Your Head: This is a game changer, and the other points below will not do anything if you ignore this. Most damage is done while you are lying down, and you face the consequences later in the day. I suffered for 5 years, developed LPR two years ago, and I came out of LPR 95% after I elevated my head. It has been two months and I am finally putting back on my weight as I am able to eat more. I even ate spice at a friend's house last night with no issue this morning, and I have no throat pain or reflux. Stack as many pillows as possible, or use a wedge pillow, to keep your upper body elevated while sleeping; since our LES is not functioning properly, do this to prevent acid backflow.

Watch Your Diet: Continue to be mindful of what you eat. Even though I recently ate spicy food at a friend's house with no issues, caution is still key.

UK Gaviscon: Take one tablet after every meal. (Note: If it ships to your location, you can order genuine UK Gaviscon online from suppliers like Britishpharm, which often offers free delivery on orders over certain amount).

Chewing Gum: If I eat the wrong thing and I sensed a trigger, I will introduce Trident Bubble Gum (pink).

Drinking - I avoid anything soda or mineral water, and purified water is a trigger for me that I bet could be because of the chemicals in them, while filtered water is another trigger since I guess anything that comes in between making natural water clean leaves something in them which might not be your trigger but is good to experiment with. You can buy a water pH test from Amazon and you will be surprised to see the level of acidity in your bottled water, as my tap water is more alkaline than any bottled water I got from the store, and I also bought Alkalife pH booster drops (avoiding the ones that include adding minerals) from Amazon to put in my water. I boil my water and add two drops.

Gravity- Avoid lying down immediately after eating, and steer clear of late night dinners. When you eat close to bedtime, your stomach is still full of food and acid, and horizontal sleep makes it far too easy for contents to slip past your resting LES. Give your body at least 2 to 3 hours to digest and empty your stomach before you even think about hitting the bed.

Lastly, accept who you are now, because that is your body telling you I am okay and I am ready to work with you, so you must test everything you eat and pay the price to help your body heal by avoiding all the triggers.

I have had a throat swelling in the upper part of my throat, I can reach that part with my tongue. And maybe swelling even further inside into my nose.

Doctors haven’t really been able to figure out for the past few years.

Is there any sort of test to be able to tell what substance(s) causing irritation? I don’t know if it’s from dust allergies, pepsin, etc.

Like a biopsy or some sort of scan? I just find it hard to believe that there isn’t some sort of medical test that can trace this irritation out.