Originally Posted by MisterV View Post
Is that the health condition where one way to resolve it is surgery with an unfortunate consequence: the inability to throw up ever again?
Yeah, there really is no surgical procedure that "fixes" LPR. Several prodecures that they have come up with in the last 20 years just do nothing at all and have already been stopped (some of the "band" devices), and a couple surgeries that they still do for severe cases have very limited results. Even after surgery, most patients need PPI treatment, which is what everyone who has LPR is trying to avoid longterm. Longterm PPI drugs have consequences.

As, you might have guessed by now, I have been suffering with LPR for about 7 years now. I shared my experience and things I have learned with Dan a month ago, including sort of diagnosing his condition before it was officially diagnosed. What he has shared has played out almost textbook, what I and others with LPR go through. for me, symptoms first surfaced as I was recovering from my first heart surgery in late 2011. Not knowing what it was I was convinced it was related to my heart surgery, but have been assured it has nothing to do with it, although, I still think there is some connection.

When you start having LPR symptoms, it is a very bad period (for me, very much complicated because I was recovering from heart surgery). It really disrupts your life and the worst part is trying to figure out what the F is going on.

Eventually you go to many doctors. LPR is only now becoming understand and initially, you will be diagnoses with regular acid reflux. LPR is not regular acid reflux and does not respond to typical acid reflux treatments. But treatment is initially down the road, first step is to figure out what you have. Most patients (including myself see numerous doctors. You go to throat doctors who tell you that it is acid reflux and send to stomach (gastro) doctors. Stomach doctors treat you for acid reflux which doesn't work, eventually figure out it is LPR, which they don't treat and send you back to a throat doctor. I bounced around between several stomach and throat doctors before I found someone who actually knew what LPR was and treated it.

By that time, I was now my own doctor, reading and researching everything I could. I actually figured out it was LPR before a doctor, and that helped me eventually get to a doctor that knew what he was doing. And a few people that I have talked to that have LPR, basically went through very similar experiences of bouncing around between doctors and doing their own research.

So moving forward, once you figure out what the issue is, you can begin to figure out how to manage it. Note the key word "manage". Different things work for different people. For me, it was at first a regiment of PPI, twice a day, controlling the acid production, while your throat really heals, which can take up to 6 months. I also used and still use a medication not available in the US (buy from Britian through amazon)at nighttime, which creates a foam barrier.

After I got my condition under control, the next concern is the PPI's that help manage it. You really don't want to take these longterm. Very negative longterm effects. I was able to slowly downgrade, replacing my PPI's with less problematic medications like Zantac, but I have to take Zantac every 4 hours. Longterm Zantac use is less concerning.

I have managed my LPR for 4-5 years now, with only an occasional flair up. And yes, foods are a part of that management. You learn what you can and can't eat, and unfortunately for almost everyone, some of your favorite foods will be on that "can't eat list".

I wish Dan the best, as he figures out his path of management and what works and doesn't for him. You (and your doctor) will figure it out Dan and can eventually get back to some sense of normalcy.