Natural Remedies for LPR: Effective Treatment and Relief at Home

Hi! I believe I have LPR. My GP didn't give me an examination or anything, just put me straight on PPIs. Previously I've had a GI ulcer (about 10 years ago), so I'm nervous about stomach-related probs. Also a singer so laryngyal probs are a worry too!

I've been trying probiotics, manuka, mastic gum, aloe, and a dairy and refined food-free diet but I'm still getting bad LPR symptoms.

I'm really interested to find out how the marshmallow root worked for you? Also, what you take daily during cure and if there's anything for maintainance?

Thank you so much!

Hi Becky I am the lady that posted about Marshmallow root having had the same problem for three years. Like you, I have tried many things, marshmallow does help, however the problem is still there. I use two capsules opened and mixed with a little warm water twice a day. It may help to look at some sites that explain how high histamine levels can cause problems like this and how we need to heal the gut also the candida connection, Mine own problem is fermentation in the gut. If you google excessive histamine problems it will explain how some food contain high levels of histamine whilst other are histamine producing. Some food and drinks like alcohol block diamine oxidase which breaks down histamine. Chris Kressers site is a wealth of information on gut problems. Good luck and let us know how you get on. Christine

Here's a copy/paste from Swanson Foods web-site:

7 Foods That Are High in Histamine

1. Cheese, yogurt, buttermilk and other fermented milk products
2.Fermented meats like pepperoni or bologna
3.Sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables (see a pattern here?)
4. Alcohol, specifically fermented booze like beer, ale and wine
5.Tomatoes and cherries
6.Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit)
7.The spices cinnamon, anise and nutmeg

Hi Becky, did you end up having any luck with any of the natural remedies you tried for your LPR? I too am a singer and I seem to have gotten my GERD under control with diet and exercise after going off the PPIs, but the LPR just keeps on coming back. I found a lot of similarities in our stories so I though I'd post and ask how you're doing, 4 years on. Thanks so much!

Can you explain when and how often you took each remedy please?

I know one thing. When stressed and producing cortisol the flap from the gut to the throat stays open. Eric Berg you tube.

How are you feeling now? Any new remedies or meds? What seems to work best for you?

I have been suffering with LPR for 2 years and was never diagnosed. I have thought of suicide many times. I have been to the Er 4 times and given viscous lidocaine with Maalox. I have seen a gastroenterologist twice and had 2 endoscopies done. No findings. I saw 2 different allergists and they both thought allergies not bad enough to treat after 100s of needle pokes. I have seen 4 different ent doctors. I had a radio active dye swallow test done, a video strobe test I have had flexible tubes put down my throat on 3 occasions. Just last week I saw another ent Dr. This time I took a video along with me of me throwing up copious amounts of mucus, almost chocking to death. Unable to breathe mucus all over my fingers from trying to pull it out of my throat. It has been 2 years of this. The doctor put another flexible scope down my throat but this time into the larynx. She saw the mucus in my larynx. She said I have LPR. She put me on 40 mg of Prilosec and 300 mg of ranitidine. Said come back in 2 months that was 1 week ago, no better yet. This has been hell, many times I think I won't make it through the night. That I will stop breathing. This is cruel and unusual treatment that I have been getting from these doctors for 2 years. They are doctors and should have known what I have long ago. Perhaps I will get better this time. If I remain alive long enough for this current medications begins to work. Thanks for listening.

Hello Bonnie;

Re your Reflux nightmare.

You have suffered greatly. I too had reflux and cured mine. Here is what I did and maybe something I say will help you.

First; I had never been told that Reflux can be greatly agitated by diet. I cut WAY back on acidic foods. No red meat after 1pm. No coffee.

No large meals after 5 pm. Better if only fruit after 7pm. Also I'd take three tablespoons of high quality Aloe Vera daily on an empty stomach and two tablets of DGL (licorice extract). Those last two can help chronic acidic burn problems.

Second; I found that twice a day am and pm if I'd take two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of water and add one third teaspoon of baking soda, that that drink would help the digestive process.

Third; I guessed that there might be a gastric upset similar to an ulcer...maybe bacterial or viral. So I took two tablespoons of Colloidal Silver twice daily on an empty stomach to kill such invaders assuming a gastro type infection just might be at work.

But mainly I attacked the problem on the level of diet and ACV.

I'd eat lots of vegetables and get off wheat products because you may have a gluten problem.

NO chocolate (an irritant)...NO milk.....NO carbonated drinks. NO cheeses....

And add probiotics daily....digestive enzymes.

That's what I did.

Hi Bonnie...If you want to reduce your nocturnal reflux problems then just take 1/2 to 1 tsp of sodium bicarbonate(baking soda -- Arm & Hammer brand) in a full glass of water one hour before you go to bed. Then you should have a peaceful nights sleep.

And if you want to actually cure your reflux problems then just take this remedy. All explanations are in the link.

Your problem is low stomach acid not high stomach acid. But taking Prilosec will reduce your stomach acid to zero which means that all manner of pathogens -- including bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungus -- will have a free pass to infect your intestines and create even more autoimmune hell for you. Stop taking the Prilosec!!

And if I were you I would take the FULL GERD protocol in the link above -- don't just take the pancreatin and betaine HCL. Both the iodine and the sea salt in the remedy should also help to greatly reduce your mucus problems.

Dear Bonnie: I have this problem myself. At times I feel like I am drowning in my own mucus or whatever these fluid are called. I just go through it and keep coughing up said fluids.

For temporary relief: CODEINE does work for me. But it must be used ONLY when you can not take it any more. Chronic use of CODEINE can make this problem even worse.

But when you are drowning in your own fluids, temporary relief is worth a lot.

In conclusion: Codeine does work in the short term ONLY....Oscar

Hi, I am new to this site but just wanted to tell you that I am anxious to try your remedy as I have been dealing with LPR undiagnosed for years thinking it was all allergy/sinus related. I have had sinus infections for years and had sinus surgery in 2012. I also am a chronic ibuprofen user. Chocolate and caffeine have been my heroes for years until now. They are the culprit and part of why I got into this mess. Thanks for all the advice, I look forward to healing:)

How are you doing now? I need help, I'm going crazy.

How long did it take you to heal from LPR? I was so inspired by your determination to heal yourself. You are so lucky that you have all that time to experiment with different things.

Hey all. Diet, like others are talking is hugely important for recovery. For me, sleeping inclined it even more important. I would be a mess without doing that. I got the LINX about 1.5 years ago and it greatly helped. I had GERD and LPR. GERD is gone completely (at least the sensation of heartburn), but enough still comes up that it hits the throat. This is where inclined sleep helps, and diet is the other part of the solution. Also, High pH water helps deactivate any acid/pepsin (stomach enzyme) in your throat. This happens above about 8-8.5 pH. I use alkaline water drops, found online. Wish you all the best.

Your message is very helpful. thank you for sharing. I have just been diagnosed with LPR. My doctor had me take omeprazole and I had an allergic reaction to it. The doctor now told me to take zantac. My question to you is how long did it take for your globus to go away? This is what is most uncomfortable for me right now.

I'm interested in knowing if LINX decreased the severity of your acid reflux symptoms at all?

Has this bettered you significantly? How long does it go away for? I am in desperate need. I sneeze and have tingles in my scalp and forehead too.

All of the things you mentioned must have reached its tipping point. With me the voice is the most distressing. Now that it's been some time since your post and I have taken far too long to get to this diagnosis. What do you say to someone at the front end of this journey?

Which alkaline water drops u use I am from India and suffering from LPR for almost 4 years

It took about two years and several mis-diagnosis by ENT's to finally confirm that I have LPR. I'm taking Omeprazole in the AM and Zantec before bed. I've seen some improvement, but I don't know if it's because of the medication or my change in diet. I have stopped eating or drinking anything that is acidic. Does anyone know of a natural remedy? I'm concerned about the long term affects of Zantec and Omeprazole.

Hi Anthony...The problem you have is probably caused by low stomach acid. You are currently taking Omeprazole(Prilosec?) and Zantec which is really the direct opposite of what you should be doing to resolve your problems. Both of these drugs are proton pump inhibitors that are quite unhealthy to take. PPI's don't just lower your stomach acid a little bit -- taking them will completely stop acid production in your stomach -- this is very dangerous because one of the major reasons you have stomach acid is to kill all dangerous pathogens incoming with the food you eat. So no stomach acid means no protection and more illness for you down the line.

As I've said, the reflux problem you have is probably due to low stomach acid production in the stomach. If you want verification then you should ask your doc for the Heidelberg Test. This simple test will tell you if your stomach acid is low or not. I would urge you to take this test and get yourself off those PPI's otherwise you will be helping all sorts of pathogens into your intestines which may later result in further problems or illness for you.

Try typing this in Google search: "Reflux low stomach acid" and read what you find. It will surprise you.

If your stomach acid is low then you should also read and follow the protocol in this link to resolve your reflux problem.

Mark, be careful with the Licorice as it can cause HBP. I used to never have any probs with it until just recently and have narrowly escaped two critical episodes of HBP without stroke or heart attack, not exclusively but primarily because of Licorice. I would recommend trading it for DGL form as it cannot cause hyperelivation of Aldosterone.

You have not listed the critical Zinc/Vit-A in your protocol for healing. Baking Soda and or Sea Salt are good to take Prior to the other supplements and meals to buffer any excess acid.

I wear a Magnetic Belt over my tummy region with very good results.

Symptoms of ulcers may include stabbing pain in the tummy region, bloating, blood in stools, diarrhea or constipation, vomiting. I have long had this kinds of probs but never diagnosed w/ ulcer. It sounds like simply gastritis (which can be severe in itself).

Hope this helps and good luck.

YEA TO DIET AND PROBIOTICS,

Tim H, Thanks for the reply, I obviously do not have ulcers based on your description.

No problem with the liquorice and blood pressure issue I check it daily and mine is always spot on -low from a hectic fitness / bodybuilding and clean diet life style,

Good news to anyone interested,

My suspicions were correct in that the ibuprofen damages both the gut mucus membrane and also healthy bacteria, this is what I believe happens and my programme should fix many others with reflux issues permanently.

The ibuprofen (in my case) acts similar to antibiotics in that they destroy a fair amount of essential healthy bacteria in the gut and gi track, but ibuprofen also cause severe damage and inflammation to the stomach mucus membrane which governs the quantity and strength of stomach acid, as the membrane has been damaged it is no longer able to produce enough strong enough acid in the stomach, and this is where the problem lies because the acid strength controls the closing strength of the LES valve through the nervous system, the acid MUST be strong enough to digest food properly in order to produce a strong nerve signal to close the valve tightly after each mouthful of food has entered the stomach, if the acid is low or weak the valve will not close properly and depending on the severity this will cause acid to leak up into the throat area causing either full on heart burn, acid reflux or silent reflux the first two conditions are usually obvious but with silent reflux the cause is not always obvious as the symptoms are often little more than the feeling of a lump in the throat area near the voice box some discomfort may be felt in the ears and chest area and the voice may be week on occasion but generally the problem is not always associated with reflux.

If this seems to describe your situation you need to repair the gut and throat membrane whilst repopulating the gut with healthy bacteria, the plan above is how I did it in 3 - 4 days! Anti-acids will never fix this problem they can only make it worse as the acid is already to weak to close the LES obviously weakening the acid even more is not the answer.

So this was the cause of my acid reflux (initially) and then silent reflux (later)

My simple programme detailed above has sorted my problem in a few days! About a week has since past and all is well : - ) this was really bugging me for months so it demonstrates that a designated treatment programme is required to fix it

The only extra item I added was a few drops of aloe juice in my liquorice drink.

I intend to follow the programme for several more weeks to ensure a fully rebuilt gut environment.

It should be mentioned that my diet is and always has been spot on and healthy with lots of raw fruit and veg, if you do not eat this way you may not experience the same results as I did on this programme, remember that the healthy raw food is a major part in fixing this problem, I suspect the reflux for many is actually caused by poor diets as this alone is likely to cause inflammation and damage to the gut in much the same way as the ibuprofen did for me (and the hundreds of others on this site).

So clean up your diet and then follow the steps above and acid reflux will cease to exist.

Good luck!

Mark

Mark, it seems I have the same symptoms: feeling of lump in the throat and lots of muccus that makes me choke sometimes. Not sure how these symptoms started: lots of stress, and headaches for which I took ibuprophen at times. I exercise everyday and my diet excludes all things harmful that ever mentioned that should be avoided in case of LPR. I exercise 5 days a week, I eat fruits and vegetables, but suspect my diet is not balanced. I eat much less during the week and then I overeat on weekend. I have 1 cup of coffee and 1 cup of tea a day and 2 glasses of wine on weekend. I saw GI who suspected LPR and sent me to see ENT. ENT never did any tests but prescribed medication to try for a couple of month which I haven't taken in hopes I will find a natural remedy. Your plan seems like a solution but it needs to be designed on individual basis. I was wondering if you could provide me with more detail or suggest who is best to talk to (natural healer, etc) and how do I find one? I am planning to see certified oriental medicine doctor and acupuncturist, would he offer comparable solution? Thank you. Marina

Hi Mark, I was intrigued to find this a couple of days ago, as I've had very similar symptoms to you, just been diagnosed with LPR, after having taken Ibuprofen for a few weeks to relieve inflammation from 8 weeks of laryngitis, I'm normally (and have always been) a really healthy- rarely get ill, work out and eat very well.. I've signed up to join in the discussion, pass on anything I find useful. Hello to all - and warm wishes- Karen

Hi all, I put my plan together earlier this year as detailed above and it worked great to rid my symptoms of LPR all has been fine for many months up until recently when I decided to experiment with a new batch of colloidal silver that I make and take daily, this time I added an air blower and made what I now know to be a much more potent brew than all of my previous versions, anyhow I continued to take my little daily dose as I have done for many years with great success (no colds bugs or anything for 10 years) trouble is now this new batch is obviously much more potent and has acted as though I have been on strong antibiotics for the past few weeks and now I have the throat pain return as it did many months back, based on this outcome.

I am now treating it with The same basic remedy as suggested by Ted in the thrush section, it seems only too obvious that the silver has killed off a lot of my friendly flora and allowed thrush to populate the back of my throat (which normally has friendly bacteria living there) from experience it can take a few months to completely eliminate thrush/candida and repopulate the healthy flora, my reason for writing this is to advise if you have throat discomfort and are unsure of the cause it may be caused by thrush/ candida that has spread from an unbalanced internal terrain. I do recall having this same felling many, many years back after taking doxycycline antibiotics for a tick bite that caused Lyme disease, I treated it successfully by using H202 for several months followed by high strength probiotics for many weeks, I will follow Teds schedule and report back in a few months.

Also I see someone has commented upon the fact that anxiety etc. seems to make it feel worse, this is also the case for me at the moment, even though I am chilled, being tired or eating can niggle it, the discomfort is always reduced to nil each morning after awakening but gradually it returns as the day progresses, this is exactly how it felt many years back when I treated it as thrush/ candida.

My lessons here are twofold, 1) my new method for making strong and effective silver works like a charm! , 2) don't mess about with a healthy body! I hope this post can be helpful to some of you suffering with LPR or undiagnosed throat discomfort.

Mark, I too have used colloidal silver for many years. I see that you make it yourself as do I and have for 18 years with great success, like you. But you mentioned something I'm not familiar with. You said you used an "air blower" and I would appreciate you explaining just what and how that works. I just use 2 cups of filtered water heated to 90 degrees with ten grains of sea salt to give conductivity. In six or seven minutes after submerging silver "rods" using 27 volts I have a base which I then dilute (five dilutions at least until the silver cannot be seen with the naked eye). So what is that air blower about?

Mark, How is your reflux these days? Are you better? What helped in the end? I started with a bitter taste in my mouth almost 4 weeks ago and I've come unhinged about it. That's now lead to other upper GI issues, including heartburn and indigestion. I am now on PPI, upon docs recommendation. I think it's making things worse, but am afraid to stop and don't know how to proceed. I tried ACV, but it burned. Perhaps the tissue is still too raw. I think this came about from NSAIDS too.

I'm taking slippery elm, l-glutamine, zinc carnosine, marshamallow root, fresh aloe juice, fresh cabbage juice, and probiotics. Nothing has helped thus far.

You seem to have a great understanding of the body. Can you suggest anything else for me? Dietary and otherwise?

All the best.

To David from Greenville,

Sorry for the late reply but I only check on here every now and then!

I only ever use distilled water when making colloidal silver, I did try making it with tap water many years back and each batch would turn a grey or ugly looking brown colour, I also used to use a little salt and warm the water, but soon learned that this too would produce a murky coloured (impure) batch I soon determined that the impurities in the water and salt were causing this so moved over to using distilled water instead, for many years I carried on heating the water and have been happy with my slightly yellowish looking blend it has always worked as intended, With regards the air blower I had been browsing on line for some time and kept reading about better mixes occurring from agitated water, I determined a small fish tank air blower left bubbling into the mix would be ideal and cheap to try this method, I no longer heat the water and now run my little silver generator for around 60 -75 mins (instead of 30 -40 mins without the blower) previously the mix would have turned yellow the longer it was left forming, obviously due to larger silver particles forming and scattering light through the mix, but now with the blower bubbling in the water it stays 100% clear and can be left running for longer, when I analysed the final mix I determined that the blower was keeping the silver particles from globing together and thereby producing a much smaller particle and a more powerful mix I now believe my brew to be as good as if not better than most expensive commercial products and for this reason I now use it in far less quantities, Incidentally this information and the basic instructions are now available on line if you decided to search for more information on how to put it all together, Hopefully this will help you

To Cora from Providence

I no longer suffer with LPR or any of the related issues linked to it, I personally would never take a PPI or NSAID unless it was a life of death situation, they are not the answer to good health in my opinion, certainly not long term, I believe your symptoms will fade away over time, as I mentioned in my original post the NSAIDS really do mess the body up and this takes time to repair, I do not eat anything processed or non-organic ever and this probably helps speed up healing (along with my protocol above) I also think a couple of spoonful's of organic honey daily can help reduce the symptoms, this issue caused from NSAID damage does take a little time to fix but just like a broken bone, week by week the body will repair the damage done and get you back where you should be, patience is essential, if you had a broken arm you would relax and not fret over it whilst healing for 6 weeks or so, learn to relax, maybe obtain a hypnotherapist relaxation CD this will probably help you far more than the drugs you are using, focus on other non-related issues rather than fret and worry about the LPR etc. , the more we fret and worry about these ailments the more anxious we become and anxiety definitely slows or prevents our healing, think about those who suffer from IBS and other similar digestive track issues, these are often caused by nothing more than anxiety, just relax and be patient and your symptoms will no doubt slowly fade away as the body repairs the damage done. Good luck

Mark, Thank you for your response. You're right about being patient. It's so important, but very difficult for me right now. I'm starting a daily routine of meditation and exercise this week. These are two things that have always been difficult for me to commit to, although I truly understand their importance in healing the mind and body.

I did stop the PPIs about 3 weeks ago. It helped a lot with the indigestion, but I'm still experiencing heartburn and occasional bitter taste. I never had reflux symptoms other than the taste before starting the meds.

I did have an endoscopy done. It showed mild gastritis, that is healing. My esophagus is fine. Now I think stress is my biggest issue, and maybe low stomach acid. ??

Did you ever supplement with HCl or ACV? I'm leary because of irritated tissue, but I wonder if it could help. I'm currently taking DGL, Slippery Elm, Marshmallow, and Manuka honey 3X/day.

I think there's progress, but it is slow. I just started a gluten-free, dairy-free diet this week, but I don't think gluten is an issue for me. Do you abstain from gluten?

I find it difficult to figure out what to eat to satisfy the sort-of burning hunger I get throughout the day. Bread and oatmeal always seem to make me feel better. Meat and fats are the worst offenders right now. This is tough, because I'm used to a low-carb lifestyle.

I actually think the liver and gallbladder are involved now, especially gallbladder. Over the past 3 weeks, I've developed pain between my shoulder blades. It improves with magnesium oil and massage, but acts up when I eat something with high fat or meat.

You mentioned doing a liver cleanse. I don't want to do anything too harsh, but need to do something. Do you have suggestions? Sorry to keep asking so much of you, but you seem very knowledgeable. Lastly, did you find the colloidal silver to be neccesary for healing this issue?

Thanks so very much!

Hi Mark, yours is a story that offers great hope for me. I have been suffering post nasal drip and throat clearing for several months now. The throat clearing usually gets worse after eating and many times produces clear phlegm. All signs of LPR. I also burp more often then usual and sometimes I feel my throat tighten up after eating some different foods. I was hoping to get a few details on how you went with your method. I can't take this suffering anymore. Recently I have been changing my diet but about a week ago I have had this feeling in the bottom of my throat. Started when I added cayenne to my food. Never had a problem though before my symptoms. Up till now I still have a sense of oddity in my throat but it seems to be subsiding. Whats also weird is that a few weeks ago I also started producing less saliva. I don't know if this is associated with LPR. I am desperate and have no money or insurance. Could you tell me more details on the program you took? Like how strong your probitics were, and what digestive enzymes you used? I would like to follow exactly what you did. I strongly believe in giving it a good chance. Thank you in advance.

For a quick overview to those who seem to be struggling with this annoying ailment (LPR)

My remedy was mostly based around my diet which if you have read all my posts you will notice how much I mention this, I cannot stress how important it is to fix your diet to heal properly, sure we can all get by on a substandard diet but healing requires more than this.

To be completely honest I only really suffered with this ailment for a short period and for the reasons already stated, I hardly remember the episode to date, but I will try to explain what I did to remedy my LPR

• I always eat a huge amount of fresh enzyme and nutrient rich food daily but whilst treating the LPR I increased this even more, everything I ate/ eat is organic.
• I upped my intake of Kiwi fruit to around 6 -8 daily I eat the skin as well, this is very rich in nutrients, just trim each end and eat them!
• Papaya fruit, around ½ -1 whole prepared fruit daily
• Pineapple 1/4 -1/2 daily
• The 3 fruits above are all a very rich natural sources of enzymes used daily by our bodies, essential for good health. I only ate fruit/veg for my source of enzymes, no capsules were taken
• Other raw fruit and veg by the bucket load, literally! Apples, pears, blackberries, strawberries, oranges, peaches, etc. , if it grew like it I ate it
• Veg, some raw some cooked, cabbage carrots, potatoes, kale, parsnips etc. , if it grew like it I ate it.
• Salads, celery, tomatoes, cucumber etc. , as long as it grew like it I ate it
• Also plenty of essential oils daily, Hemp oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil etc. Along with lots of oily fish
• I also took high strength probiotics, 50 million per capsule 8 -10 caps per day. (search on line)

Please remember, I do not, have not, did not and will never consume anything man made, my lifelong philosophy is that if was made in a plant leave it alone, if it grew on a plant eat it, simple really, so - I do not drink- fizzy pop s?*T, alcohol (processed sugar cr*&p), candy bars, biscuits, cheaply made crappy cereal bars etc. Etc. , I think you get the point! , I rarely eat bread , oats pasta etc. , but as my wife loves baking I do occasionally- just to show her how much I appreciate her efforts have to indulge in a homemade perfectly sourced ingredients, slice of bread or spicy bun (but I only eat these on a predetermined higher carb day) I would never eat a shop bought loaf of bread.

The only things I added to my diet as detailed in my original post were, slippery elm, liquorice and the honey this is all it took to repair my damage. But as I keep saying my diet was probably responsible for most of my healing, you only have to look at it to realise just how much good stuff is in there.

Fix your diets, maintain this for a minimum of 6 months (or for life ideally) and you should expect your symptoms to fade away

Mark.

Oh by the way my post further up states that I did not think I had ulcers, unfortunately the ibuprofen did give me ulcers, very nasty ones, they came on with a vengeance, ruined our holiday and lasted for months! , I could not eat much and lost a lot of weight, I did not take any drugs for them instead I tried a few natural remedies and finally fixed them with cayenne pepper, all has been well now for around 8 months or so! Moral here stay well away from the drugs!

To John from Rolling Meadows and anyone else still searching for answers for throat clearing and post nasal drip you might want to read the post on this site under Cyst, scroll down to multiple remedies and read the whole post especially part 3 dated 01/20/2008 by Robert from Naples, much of his post has very useful information that may be helpful to treat your condition, maybe earth clinic will want to put Part Three: Chronic Sinusitis into this section (LPR) Good luck and God bless everyone gets well.

Mark from Newton Abbot!! Please help me :( I can't take this anymore more and can't live my life like this no more and have put major events in my life on hold bc of this misery. I had surgery.. And was on strong antibiotics for 1 week. Took midrolpack for a week. Took vicodin once or twice. And took Ibuprofen for like a week or something forgot. But omg I am choking when I wake up in morning and my whole esophagus hurt and hurt when laugh. And my voice started to hurt. Anyhow doctors are pointless and just gave me aciphex took it for week. Made it worse I almost choked with acid and pain eating an apple. Anyhow for a month I took dgl pills, slippery elm tea 1x daily. Aloe shots here and there. Lots of vege drinks. And on an acid reflux diet. The alkaline and acidic diet is driving me crazy bc its hard to know if certain fruits will do more damage than heal. I feel a bit better since naturally healing myself. It's been a month but im not 100% healed and very uncomfortable throughout the day :(

Reading your post gave me hope. Thank you soo much for sharing, you have no idea.

How many months did you take the DGL Liquorice for? Also the slippery elm? 1-2 months? Anylonger wouldnt that be a lil too much.

Also im eating lots of homemade yogurt and want to try kefir milk in smoothie for the good bacteria. Or am I just irratating my throat. Did you have diary?

Im taking probiotics and heard should take for 2 weeks, But you took it longer? Is it safe. How many months you recommend?

You eat pineapple and kiwi, isn't that acidic. Did you follow the alkaline diet. Its really frustrating me. Is it necessary?

How many months it took for you to 100% lose all this annoying nightmare throat and espohagis symtoms to go away and eat freely what you want without any problems or anxiety??

It's almost impossible for the body to heal from any kind of injury without adequate levels of Zinc. Zinc, among other minerals, is severely deficient in the modern western diet. For this situation I would recommend zinc 50-100 mg daily w/ 10,000 iu Vit-A. Also Zinc Lozenges will help immediately.

Timh, you should research herbs. We are deficient in minerals because our food does not contain them. Our food also has additives which deplete minerals from our bodies. We are eating too much processed foods that have no nutritional value. When you cook vegetables they lose most of their nutritional value. Most of the nutrition we get from meat is actually from the grasses or food that they eat.

Pasteurized milk because it has been heated does not contain the minerals we need. Then calcium is added in but it is inorganic so your body cannot use it. That is why people are getting osteoporosis (lack of calcium) even though they drink milk.

I too thought like you that zinc (or any minerals) in any form would be good but there is a difference between organic (from plants) and inorganic (non organic). Non organic means that it has been heated so that the body cannot assimilate it or that it is basically dead and also the body cannot assimilate it.

Minerals are better taken in the natural form also because they are in the correct ratios. On the mineral wheel if you look at it, too much of one mineral will deplete the body of other minerals. I can't refer you to any websites unfortunately but if you search yourself (even youtube) there is a lot of information about herbs.

@Debbie: The single best method of replacing or providing the mineral deficient diet is Ionic Trace Minerals which is sold in dry encapsulated or tab form and liquid form; I personally use both. Contains 72 of the major and trace minerals mined from Great Salt Lake in Utah.

Usagirl from Los Angeles, I am really sorry to hear how you are suffering, I am not sure exactly how much more I can do, in my attempt to help, my previous posts covers my personal experiences and remedies but things may be different in your case, but my initial thoughts based on your post are, are you saying that you had surgery on your throat or elsewhere?

If you had surgery on your throat then naturally things will take a while to settle down again, just try to stick to a sensible and healthy clean diet that will assist the body in healing, this is going to take a little while

If you had surgery elsewhere (not on your throat) and the drugs and antibiotics were used because if this then it seems clear that your natural flora in both your gut and in your oesophagus has been disturbed if this is the case this need re-establishing in order to stop the candida or thrush that appears to have proliferated in your throat area, this has happened to me before, it took me quite some time to learn exactly what the cause was, the pain was very extreme after a long course of antibiotcs for lyme disease, my remedy was to use an oxygen based product based around H202, the one I like is mentioned elsewhere on this site (under candida I believe) and is produced by a company called Phoenix Nutritionals ltd ( or ‘'bird rising from the ashes + nutritionals'' if EC delete the name! ) it needs to be taken for around 8 -12 weeks with breaks for intense probiotic rebuilding to achieve the desired results, my advice would be to contact the company, Dr whiting- from memory, and explain your circumstances for a better assessment of your condition.

In the meantime try to learn to relax and focus your attention on other aspects of your life safe in the knowledge that this is just a small problem and a blip in your health situation, it will get better, just relax best you can, check out some relaxation video on you tube and start to reduce your anxiety, this will be a very big help in many ways.

God bless you get well swiftly

To Mark from Newton Abbot. Hi Mark, I saw your recommendation for Laryngeal reflux posted 1-16-12. Tried it twice a day for 4 days. 5th day didn't feel like my body could take it. Borderlining diarrhea. Not normal for me. The only symptom I have is the laryngeal reflux that comes up. Had it almost 5 years. I do also have IBS. Getting ready to do a manometry & PH study. I am willing to do the surgery if absolutely necessary but would love to find an alternative. Do you have any other suggestions? Have definitely followed the diet recommended. Also, do you have any thoughts on Castor Oil packs? Been reading about this & wondering if it could help?

Thanks, Lynn

Hello Mark,

The whole thread has been very informative. Thanks. But a bit confusing cause we talking about many diseases besides reflux. I have a lot of throat mucus (too much) . I believe that I need friendly bacteria which are all destroyed whilst on antibiotics ( 3 courses after an operation) please correct me if I am wrong So basically I should be having?

1) lots enzyme contain fruits. 2) probiotics . 3) honey. 4) fresh vegetables. Avoid all artificial foods. Shelf cooked foods.

Should I stop having milk ? which is also described by many as bad for mucus. And what else would you suggest ? And what about carbohydrates and protein which is necessary for the body. I am quite a vegetarian. And sometimes eat chicken and fish but have gone off realising that all our meat comes from China. And we don't know how it's produced. What do u suggest?

God bless you!!! You are better than any doctor. Regards Anupa.

Same here with the ibuprofen. I had a sinus infection which turned into a cough. It affected my lower back (pain and stiffness) I started taking large doses of ibuprofen for the back pain and once the cold was over I noticed that I was having a dry cough that was accompanied with throat mucus, which I have never experienced before. After much reading I concluded that it was LPR probably due to the ibuprofen. I'm following some of the recommendations on this site. Coconut oil, baking soda gargling, digestive digestives enzymes and licorice root. Will give up coffee, chocolate and dairy for a while.

Hi Mark. All I can say is thank you so much. I too was adamant my PND was not allergies or sinus problems as I never had a stuffy nose or blocked sinuses. My Dr didn't believe me that ibuprofen would be the cause. She prescribed so many pills, sprays, liquids to dry me up, just made it worse. In desperation I trolled the internet looking for validation. I have always been a clean eater and regular exerciser so changing my diet to just fruit, veges, eggs, fish and chicken with a probiotic, enzyme tablets was not a hard ask, and another item which no one has mentioned Kawakawa tea, my symptons have almost gone, I am hoping another week and I will be symptom free. Anyone wanting to know about the tea should google it, it is from the kawakawa tree, also known as the pepper tree. NZ Maori have used it for many years for digestive problems, coughs, bronchial and mucus problems. My first cup and that night my throat was not tight and swollen and not so much thick mucus. Anything that helps has got to be a good thing, right? Karen.

Did you have an inflammed throat from the acid? That is what I have and it is causing the lump in throat sensation for 2 months! I am a vegetarin and can no longer eat salads or raw veggies everything has to be cooked. I am miserable depressed always are great fresh organic foods and this all happened after a upper endoscopy to find nothing! I am about to give up!

Hi Mark, I don't know if you still following this thread. I was diagnosed with helico, gastritis and bleeding in stomach through Endoscopy. I took antibiotics in Sep 2016. Went through a horrible period of anxiety panic attacks after thst..felt bit better in nov 2016 and now in December 2016 anxiety is back..unable to sleep...have LPR...fumes like hot air comes in my nose...some very stubborn thick phlegm stuck in throat which doesn't go away. Breathing feel tight difficult..post nasal drip. I started seeing naturopath couple months ago ... she got me on probiotics...gastro aid...zinc etc...she thinks phlegm in throat is my body detoxing cleansing itself...I drink 3 l water a day... anyway I m.miserable...very bad anxiety keep thinking about my health...my stuffy tight throat..my breathing..I am miserable. Please help! I hope you are out there reading this post and will get back to me soon. Thank you.

Bella, how about starting with h2o2 inhalations?

If you use DGL ..deglycyrrhizinated licorice it will not harm blood pressure. My Naturapath just told me this yesterday.

Thanks for your information. Since my acid is going up to my throat causing lots of irritation is it still ok to eat the fruit/vegetables that are acidic? I noticed when I ate strawberries and peaches it irritated my throat. All organic as well. What's your take on that? I have gastritis as well and the reflux and I'm wondering if it's due to taking ibprofen allot in my life from migraines etc. but I know I have to heal my gut but not sure about the acidic foods?? Thanks!

Yeah... Don't eat them if it is worsening your symptoms. But if it is just fresh fruit you are eating that is acidic maybe just drink water with a bit of baking soda (not baking powder) in it with the fruit to balance the acid. Like a pink of soda per glass of water per fruit meal.

Ok thanks! I will try that.

I have this horrible disease.

One thing I do for acid reflux is eat an apple before I go to bed, that really helps.

I would like to add a follow up............had a bad episode of silent reflux today that had me bloated and gasping for air this morning. Thought I was going to have to go to ER it was so bad. I have struggled with it all day and eaten practically nothing. I read where one of the readers took activated charcoal...OMG within 15 minutes I belched many times and I can breathe again.

Hi
I'm interested in nebulising hydrogen peroxide for lpr I'm really struggling so will try anything, how has it helped you? xx

8 to 9 years later, I am replying to this post. I have LPR, and what is working for me is eliminating the foods that cause my Acid Reflux, drinking my water (usually 48 ounces but trying to get up to 64 a day)and not eating for at least 4 hours before I lie down at night.

For "attacks" of the dreaded phlegm, I will take about 5 sips of a tsp of baking soda in just a few ounces of water. I will also do a sinus irrigation with sea-salt and warm water.

I can't say I am 100% sure my LPR is caused from food/reflux except an upper-GI indicated I was indeed, refluxing. Had to gag down that barium drink and let them take pictures. Thing is, there isn't enough medical care in my area, so my doc is just running in circles trying to help as many people as possible. I prefer natural remedies so I get online to find out what I can do for myself.

If anyone else deals with similar, I'll be around to talk with you. Not that I have the answers, but at least we know we aren't alone in our struggles with health issues. My quality of life is improving with everything I've found in natural remedies. Also eliminating those things that may be effecting me. I have to do a lot of trial and error stuff but it's worth it. Sometimes I can then eat some of those things in moderation, and be fine too though;) Denise

Hi Denise...The root cause of your Laryngopharyngal Reflux (LR) problem is probably low stomach acid. To test if this is the case, your should try taking 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar(or any vinegar) just before you eat your meals. If your LR disappears then the cause of your LR is lack of stomach acid in your stomach. Taking ACV will just treat the symptoms of LR but it will not cure it. All ACV does is increase the gastric acidity to proper levels again. This prevents LR from occurring.

The Oesophageal Sphincter(OS) at the top of your stomach should always be closed when you eat. Whenever food comes down the oesophagus the OS automatically opens. That's the way it should work. But the opening and closing of the OS is hormonally regulated by the pH of your stomach acid. So if your gastric acid is at the correct acid pH then the OS operates correctly with no reflux. But if the stomach acid is lacking or the pH is too high(too alkaline) then the OS will remain open -- causing the OS problem.

To cure your LR problem try taking the protocol shown here.

To help generate proper levels stomach acid on a daily basis you should always use sea salt with your food. I use alot of sea salt with every meal. I'm 68 y o and my blood pressure has been rock steady at 110/70 for the last 12 years(ever since I started using sea salt). Supplementing sea salt or magnesium chloride helps the stomach epithelial cells generate the correct amount of stomach acid(hydrochloric acid) every day.

Alot of people nowadays are avoiding salt because drugs research has decreed that it's bad for the heart and blood. I'm afraid that's bunk. Sea salt(not refined salt) is essential for proper digestion, proper functioning of your immune system and much more.

A while back, I remember reading an article about the history of trading in pre-biblical times. In Ethiopa, the camel traders would trade sea salt or rock salt for it's equivalent weight in gold. These traders really knew the true value of natural salt.

In the 1800s there were no refrigerators -- so how did people preserve their food?? They preserved fish, meat and vegetables in sea salt, sea salt/vinegar solutions and as jerky using herbs/sea salt. And during this period, did people have logarithmic levels of heart disease, high blood pressure etc?? No they didn't -- they were very healthy people.

Hi Momo.

I just went through all lot of your symptoms so this will be very helpful.

1. Buy some HCI tablets and start by taking 1 at the first meal then 2 at the second meal and continue until you feel a burn in your stomach then back down to the previous amount for the next meal. You are trying to determine if you have too much or too little acid in your stomach because you cannot go forward until you determine the correct problem. If you have too little acid the PPI's would not work as they reduce your your stomach acid when you actually need more acid henceforth the HCI tablets? ACV does the same thing except it is harder to control the dose. There are no side effects testing the HCI tablet's but the are many with the PPI's.

2. Since you were in India there is a very good chance that you may have picked up a bacteria like H.Pylori which causes the reflux. We all have H.pylori but they only represent a problem when there is an overgrowth which means your system was probably in a weakened condition to begin with so you have to do 2 things: strengthen your immune system and kill the overgrowth of bacteria. In my case it felt like my head was full all the time. It is because sometimes the reflux backs up into your lungs which causes the tightness in your chest & that scary feeling of not being able to breathe then eventually it moves up into your head. I ended up on an inhaler to open my bronchial airways when they got constricted. Japanese mint oil does the same. As soon as you start to feel constricted put a couple of drops on the back of your hand and lick them off as they are really strong! I also had that horrible lump in my throat that made me panic when I could not swallow sometimes.

My protocol that has been working for 4 days now is:

1. Lugol's 5% iodine: start at 3 drops in water on an empty stomach 3 times a day & work your way up to 8 drops or any lesser dose that makes you feel well. Most of our thyroids are working less than necessary so this will generate the metabolism you need to fight this thing. Do not take with anything else. Must be 3 hrs. after a meal or 1 hr. before a meal &/or drinks of any kind.

2. Sangre de Grado (also called Dragon's Blood). I bought the Rainforest Pharmacy brand on line. See the benefits at http://www.rain-tree.com/sangre.htm#.UpIaoRB5mSM. 15 drops in water on an empty stomach 2 x day. This will kill those nasty bacteria.

3. Natural Factors makes a tincture that has Echinacea and goldenseal http://www.naturalfactors.com/caen/products/detail/2668/echinamide-anti-cold-echinacea-and38-goldenseal-tincture that will strengthen your lungs. 1 ml 3 x day again on an empty stomach. I combined this with the Sangre de grado but NOT the Lugol's.

3.Really small meals and lots of them until you get this under control especially at night time and no acidic food or drinks especially anything containing sugar which is acid forming. Fruit & vege's are alkaline and everything else is acid forming except for fats which are neutral. If you find that too difficult try to eat or drink any of the bad stuff before lunch so that you are not refluxing at night.

4. Buy some saliva PH strips and test your saliva constantly to make sure your PH is in the normal range: 7.2 to 7.4 most of the time. You cannot be too acidic (below 7) or too alkaline (above 7.4). If you find you are consistently very acidic inbetween meals take 1/2 tsp of baking soda with just a tiny pinch of Xylitol sugar in a 1/2 cup of water to neautralize your stomach acid. You must mix the baking soda very well! I use a handheld friother. Take this mixture again just before bed on an empty stomach so that you can avoid the acid reflux at night. Your stomach needs to be acidic before/during meals to digest your food then alkaline from an hour to 3 hours afterwards depending on what you are digesting. The sugar which is antibacterial allows the baking soda inside the cells.

5. You may have a hiatal hernia from the reflux. Find a good chiropractor and have him pull it down once then do it on your own afterwards. Perhaps there is something on Youtube. You must have excellent posture to prevent squishing your stomach with your diaphragm which also causes the reflux especially after a meal.

Please let me know how you make out as it took me so long to find my protocol. Everyone told me what to do but all of it is pointless until you do the testing to determine the issue first.

Best wishes.

Dear All,

Had infection somewhere in the larynx first week of January, on medication for 10 days, right after, I got all these symptoms.

I'm recently having all the symptoms of LPR/GERd/airway reflux. I am on my first day of Nexium...for 5 days. hopefully it will work. I'm also inspired to follow Mark from Newton Abbots' diet program. started yesterday with probiotics and enzymes but will put on hold from today for 5 days to give way to Nexium. I will just have real papaya as supplement.

Also, considering peptest, marshmallow roots, slippery elm, manuka honey but difficult to find here in Qatar, will just buy from amazon.

Please let me know for any updates of progress.

Regarding pH strips; I am a Vegan and I notice that my pH always show up as dark green - too alkaline; I take first am urine sample and second urine sample as well as sample after first meal.

I juice very a.m. and alternate with fruit/green leafy smoothies. Am I too alkaline and thus causing LPR?

Catherine, it does sound like it.

Thank you for sharing, sounds like you are on the right track! I'll try what you are doing with the HCL pills during dinner. Some things I'm using: diatomaceous earth, apple cider vinegar, N-acetyl cysteine, and glutamine powder. I am eating way less, but feeling good. Very low carb, but I read that jasmine white rice is OK, yay!

Just to add.. the blog is 'vitamin D3 helping my LPR symptoms. (26 pages). And the bone supplement also contains K2.

Hi All,

I was reading through some older posts on this forum and noticed one guy who had severe LPR symptoms saying that eats lots of yogurt to combat it. In my experience, and according to the ancient healthcare system Ayurveda, yoghurt shouldn't be taken on its own as it is acidic to the body. Instead yoghurt is best best mixed with water to create the cooling drink called Lassi (that you'll probably know from Indian restaurants). I usually add around 4 tablespoons of live yoghurt to a glass of water then stir vigorously. Lovely and healing ;)

Also, since stress can cause LPR symptoms to flare up, I recommend and practice Transcendental Meditation (TM) twice a day and wouldnt be without it. TM was recently rated as the most effective stress management technique by the American Heart Association. (Google 'Transcendental Meditation - American Heart Association')

I will remember that about making lovely Lassi. :) And I agree, meditation is very healing, thanks for the reminder.

I recently was diagnosed with LPR and advised to take Zantac every morning and night. How do I find out if I have high or low stomach acid? I have implemented all recommended dietary changes and am taking DGL. Should I use organic apple cider vinegar each morning? Should I take the Zantac? Should I elevate the head of my bed? I have read differing statements regarding this. Many thanks, Josie

What do u mean 1000mg? Do you mean 1,000 iu?