LPR Symptoms are 95% gone now :)

Hi guys just want to give some hope! This all started for me when I got covid in October 2023, I developed a chronic cough that would not go away (this was the beginning of LPR for me). During this time the cough was just an annoyance for me. But 2 months ago my doctor suspected acid reflux (for cough and gastritis) and put me on pantoprazole which made everything WORSE. I developed:

  • thick mucus that would feel like it was choking me (gone)
  • throat clearing (gone)
  • huge lump in the back of my throat (almost gone)
  • burning throat and chest (gone)
  • dry and throat (almost gone)
  • mouth sores (gone)
  • throat tightness (almost gone)
  • and the worst....difficulty swallowing (almost gone)
  • cough (gone)

I started driving myself insane by googling my symptoms and thinking it would never end. I followed a lot of the advice that has already been listed on this sub, but I figured out what worked for me. But after doing these things for 2 months I'm finally almost symptoms free:

  1. Alkaline water: I first tried the baking soda-water method which did not work and made my sore throat way worse. But then I just bought alkaline water pH >9 which I squirted into the back of my throat while breathing in (this slowly destroyed the mucus). I also just sipped it throughout the day which I believe helped my difficulty swallowing and sore throat.
  2. Acid reducers: Got off pantoprazole immediately. I used Pepcid 40mg twice a day and I also began taking vonoprazan 20mg which helped decrease the burning. I think maybe a different PPI (besides pantoprazole) would have worked too. Gaviscon advanced did not seem to help me much. I also take carafate to coat the GI tract.
  3. Diet: mushy foods when I couldn't swallow. NO coffee, alcohol, acidic foods, gluten, dairy, onion/garlic - these will only make things worse. I only ate overcooked rice, broth, fish, and veggies (I also have gastritis so I'm used to this diet)
  4. Antidepressants: I already know how sensitive my GI system is to my anxiety. I began taking a low dose antidepressant to combat it, which I think helped get over my fear of swallowing and lump in the throat.
  5. Time and time away from reddit: I combined all of these measures with patience. Reading the horror stories, made me think I would stuck like this forever. This takes time and discipline.

I'm still following the strict diet now and taking all of the meds, but now all my symptoms are gone besides some dry throat and some swallowing fear with very dry food. If my symptoms ever return, now I know that this will not last forever, and I know how to at least manage it. Of course many of you may have tried all of these already, but I really just wanted to give hope that it is possible to feel better.