Recently diagnosed LPR, some questions

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cshartnagel

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Hi Everyone,

I have been browsing the forums for a couple days and decided to post some questions because I was recently diagnosed with LPR. I am 26 and 6 months ago my voice started getting weak, scratchy and hoarse only when I would drink alcohol. That is the way it stayed for a while until about a month ago when it started happening all the time. I decided to go to the ENT and he put a tube up my nose and checked out my voice box. He told me that I had LPR and put me on one 40mg tablet of Nexium a day. The only other symptom I have is clearing my throat, but its not all the time, just after I eat. Even then its not that bad. I have been on the Nexium for 3 weeks and havent felt any improvement. I know it takes time. I do have some questions and would really appreciate any feedback.

Up until six months ago, I had zero issues. In January, I started a biggest loser contest at work. I wasnt very overweight but I did lose 22 lbs. Now I weigh 162 and am 5'7", so thats normal. To lose the weight I started eating Chobani greek yogurt and cottage cheese Monday through Friday. I basically ate that very monday through friday since January. I also began taking Metamucil (orange, sugar free) twice a day. Could theses have triggered the LPR?

I am taking the Nexium right when I get up in the morning (5:45) before I eat breakfast, which is two egg whites. Is that the best time to be taking it?

Also, I read that apple cider vinegar helps. Has this worked for anyone?

I apologize if this was too long.
Thanks.
 
Three weeks is a long time to be taking Nexium with no noticeable improvement. It can take a month or more to get the full benefit, but you should have noticed something within about 4 days. When I started taking Prilosec for intense stomach pain, I noticed improvement about 30 hours after the first dose.

The best time to take it usually is first thing in the morning before you eat, so you are doing that right.

I'm trying not to put my personal beliefs and experiences into someone else's situation, but it really seems to me that you might not even need the Nexium. Your symptoms are relatively minor, but the first thing the Dr tries is the higher dose of the strongest medicine? Nexium can cause physical dependency, you know.

If dairy disagrees with you even slightly, it could be causing your reflux. Might be worth trying some dietary changes, just to see if things improve. Also, eat small meals, eat slow, don't rush and stand or sit up straight for a while after eating.

I believe I have had minor benefits from apple cider vinegar, but it's tough to be sure.
 
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.

I do plan on dietary changes. I am going to cut out diary for a few weeks to see if that helps. I will also be passing on any type of alcohol. I have another ENT appointment in three weeks so I hopefully have some improvement by then. I do eat small meals, about every three or four hours. I dont eat past 7 PM and I usually go to bed at 10 - 10:30. I think I eat a bit fast so I have been conscisously trying to eat slower and chew more before I swallow.

I am not aware of the physical dependencies of Nexium. Do you what they are or where I can research them further? I agree that my symptoms are minor compared to what I have read about other people, so I'm not sure I need the Nexium either. I will see if I feel any improvement over the next three weeks and go from there. I'm not sure if I should be doing anything else, like raising the head of the bed 6 inches.

Thanks again!
 
Right here there are a nuraber of people posting their experiences at trying to quit taking PPI's. That's Proton Pump Inhibitor, and Nexium is a drug in that class. Rosebloom and I both quit within the last year.

When you take that type of drug for a while and then stop suddenly, many people experience what's called rebound--symptoms worse than the ones they had before taking the drug. Patients have reported this phenomenon for years, doctors scoffed and ignored them. Then, last summer, some researchers from Copenhagen published the results of an experiment that proved we "addicts" weren't imagining things. They gave a PPI to healthy volunteers for 8 weeks, then, for some of them, replaced the drug with an identical-looking placebo and followed the volunteers for another 4 weeks. About 40% of them suffered substantial digestive symptoms after the drug was withdrawn.

If you do decide to stop the Nexium, you may need to taper down in some fashion. Some people can stop suddenly and have no problems, and after only 3 weeks you probably aren't strongly dependent yet, but you could experience rebound symptoms.
 
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