Would you .......

With so-called 'silent' (laryngo-pharyngeal) reflux, my voice was just getting worse and worse until my GP sent me to the ENT department where it was properly diagnosed. I could speak for only a limited time before I lost my voice. With Gaviscon Advance, Omeprazole and Ranitidine, I now have a voice. I have never been a very good singer, but now I have some notes in my range completely missing. If I try to sing up the scale, I miss out on 'soh', but can manage some very high notes. Just as well I get free prescriptions.

It's not the usual acid reflux (Gerd).This is silent reflux (laryngeal pharyngeal reflux). It's an aerosol kind of reflux. Makes your throat sore and your ears ache. Wrecks your taste buds. Not just heartburn. PPI's (omeprazole) doesn't help, but it's all the doctors have got.

It's a bugger.

That's what I've got anyway.

Yes. There's the hoarseness as well. As anno says.

Ranitidine made my symptoms much, much worse. My GP won't prescribe Omeprazole, only Lanoprezole, but it had no positive effect.

Indinana those choking episodes sound very frightening, I do sympathise. I sometimes have coughing and retching which is horrible...

Indiana you described the symptoms my mother had. Terrible to see someone pass out because they can't swallow. My mother had her oesophagus stretched yearly, one year three times in as many months because she couldn't swallow. i think the operations did more damage.

Not long after my mother died four years ago I was horrified to find I was starting to have problems swallowing when I was eating. I was also experiencing severe heartburn and indigestion at night. I found by chance bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) which is also used in gripe water immediately gives relief for heartburn. Cucumbers, celery, greens, ginger and other alkaline food will help prevent heartburn. Food such as milk, meat, white flour and sugar will cause it. You have to change what you are eating to prevent it.

I wish I knew then what I know now, I believe I could have helped my mother. It's a big regret for me.

I'm just wondering if any GP has discussed fundoplication procedure as a treatment.

When I had some problems swallowing and felt I had a lump in my throat, my GP sent me for a gastroscopy which revealed a hiatus hernia. Still sometimes get those sensations, but at least I know what causes them.

From what I've read on the internet (forums and suchlike) Nissen fundoplication doesn't always work. I think that's why doctors leave it as a very last consideration.

I can only eat white bread these days. Wholemeal anything gives me stomach cramps. No more Shredded Wheat. Just porridge and the oatmeal-ed kind of white bread.

Yes, I think surgery is considered to be the very last resort.

From what I've read (probably on similar website articles/forums to jingl) it seems a lot of people suffer for years with LPR and GERD, and also that there is no 'one size fits all' solution. It seems to be trial and error...

Forgot to answer the OP .... yes I would tell my GP, for the reasons that Luckygirl gives.

I'm surprised that people are left to suffer for years - long term acid reflux is a serious risk factor for cancer of the oesophagus.

From cancer.org:

"People with GERD have a slightly higher risk of getting adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. This risk seems to be higher in people who have more frequent symptoms. But GERD is very common, and the vast majority of people who have it do not go on to develop esophageal cancer. "

Let's keep it in perspective.

I once listened to a radio phone in about alternative medicine and someone had been really knocked about by taking Chinese medicine, so I would never touch it myself. Which doesn't mean that I don't look at alternative approaches eg Ayurvedic medicine [which is really more diet based]. And would always tell my GP what I was taking [or not taking]. The assumption being that anything that is on our medical record is being taken. I'm very wary of Omeprazole though.

It's obvious that a lot of us have done a lot of reading on this. As I've mentioned before, it's not in the drug companies interest to find a cure for this as the drugs they are prescribing are HUGE business. None of these drugs cure the problem, they only help to alleviate the symptoms for some people.
It is estimated that at any given time, at least a third of Americans are on these drugs.
As to the operation: the Dr who did my endoscopy said this should be the last resort. He told me ( and I have read this) you can't belch after this OP.
So therefore it sets up more probs with gas in the gut.
Is anyone getting breathlessness. I've never had this before?

I am hanging my hopes on diaphragm exercises. belly breathing as here

I am a great believer in trying to help your own body by physical means if at all possible.

I do not believe there is any danger in taking 20 mgs a day of omeprazole. The main side effect seems to be weakening of bones. Well, keeping active should help that.

jings we can exchange internet articles until the cows come home. I'm not a sufferer but was just concerned for people who have long term acid reflux and so asked about fundoplication.

According to CRUK

People who have symptoms of acid reflux every week or more have around 5 times the risk of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus

cancer research uk

I have had problems with a suspected hiatus hernia for about a year but I have changed my diet considerably and prop myself up at night . I haven't needed Omeprozole for a while.

I can honestly add that since I cut down on carbs and cut out completely fruit juices and anything containing wheat my acid reflux has completely gone.

And I thought I was strange when I sometimes get toothache during the night which is alleviated by a peppermint indigestion tablet ! Thankfully it is only occasionally and I don't get much of the burning, just the toothache.

Riverwalk - perhaps not a very sensitive thing to put on a thread like this. That's all. What is the point in frightening the Bejeezuz (sp?!) out of anyone reading this?

Anya that is the one thing that could convince me about the low/no carbs diet.

petra, I don't exactly have breathlessness with mine, but perhaps you could try the breathing into the abdomen thing. It does give you a nice deep breath which is refreshing in itself.

Well let's leave everyone in blissful ignorance.

I don't think it was insensitive - just pointing out what I think would be helpful information.

Fundoplication is carried out as a last resort for the very reason that long term acid reflux can lead to cancer of the oesophagus. They wouldn't perform such a procedure to ease a bit of heartburn and indigestion.

Whenever I see "five times the risk of . . " I wonder what the risk normally is. If it is one chance in ten, then five times that would be five in ten, which is 50% - very scary, it would mean half could get it.

If it is one chance in ten thousand, then the risk would be five in ten thousand - which is 0.05% - which would mean one in 2,000, better odds!

And if the original chance is one in a million, then the risk would go down a long way. One of you mathematicians out there can have the pleasure of working it out exactly.

What is the risk in the general population of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus? For smokers v non-smokers?

How can that be helpful when there is no bloody cure anyway?!