My chief complaint is hoarseness and feeling like my vocal cords are always swollen. I have had my vocal cords looked at several times by ENT docs . They always say cords are red and look swollen and I was DX'd with LPR. I am back on twice daily PPI's (prilosec) but it does not seem to be helping that much. I read a post by JPT here about the role pepsin plays in all of this. I have been adding a little baking soda to my drinking water to alkalize for the last two days and this seems to help the hoarseness more than the PPI's so JPT may be on to something here. Seems like twice daily PPI's medical therapy is not of much help to most of us with LPR. I would like to talk to anyone whose chief complaint is loss of voice and frequent hoarseness from LPR and have you found anything that works or helps your condition. It is very depressing and anxiety provoking when you have to strain to talk. It makes your speech very difficult to understand sometimes and then your throat starts to hurt after short periods of talking. It seems like a vicious cycle. I also have an anxiety disorder but I don't think it is playing a major role here in my voice loss. My cords just feel dry and swollen. Help anyone or if you wish to just talk about things you have tried or thinking about trying. Thank you for reading.
Hi, I've been having EXACTLY the same problem as you. It is driving me crazy!!! I have the exact problem of my voice always feeling strained, and is causing me a great deal of anxiety and depression. My question is- did you ever find a solution to your LPR and hoarsness?
Any advice or help would be more than apreciated,
Thanks.
Thank you !! Other people appear to be experiencing the same symptoms as I am. It's so frustrating and it gets you down when you can't communicate the way you used to. I used to be a good talker and would talk to anyone but now I refrain from talking. I think people might find me a bit strange as I actually avoid talking now. It's because I feel as though speaking is an effort whereas before this I would just talk, like everyone else, without effort or thinking about it. Talking is like breathing you just do it without thinking about it. When you can't speak normally or you have to strain to speak then you start to really value the power of speech. I just dream of being able to speak normally again. I've had this for 5 years but it's became a lot more frequent over the last 3 years. I thought it could have been smoking, so I've stopped now for nearly two years - it hasn't helped. My doctor didn't even mention diet but after looking into it myself I have modified my diet and that hasn't helped either. I had 2 or 3 endoscopes and the doc even took me in to hospital and put me under anaesthetic to have a look but said everything appeared to be okay. I just don't know what to do.
Hi, I've been struggling with my voice for about a month. I was diagnosed with LPR which irritated my vocal chords. Talking was a struggle and most days I could barly say a phrase or two. I've been on a strict diet, am sleeping on a special pillow and have been seeing a speach therapist. Today I'm actually able to talk a lot more. I can't stress enough how much speach therapy has helped. I was speaking in a way that put more stress on my throat that needed. The breathing techniques and voice placement techniques are an enormous help. I've only been going a few short weeks and already I'm seeing a difference. If I try to speak the way I used to I feel the pain, but speaking how I am beeing taught to is much easier.
Originally was given acid blocker pills. However I read, that those pills do not treat the problem but the symptom. GERD is cause by low stomach acid. So those pills will not treat the cause only the symptoms. I'm currently seeing a holistic doctor and I'm confident that this is the way to go. They help you address the root of the problem. I'll let you know how it goes. Also I would have been very depressed in all this if not for my faith. I kept my trust in God and my eyes fixed on Jesus and He is blessing me and helpming through it.
Hi CoolBreeze
As strange as it may sound, you could be suffering from the effects of a food intolerance. Due to my own problems, I discovered that gluten was my biggest problem. I went on a gluten and diary free diet and many of my problems resolved themselves. Gluten causes hundreds of ailments and most people don't know about this or don't want to know. They just want a pill to make it all go away. Sometimes you notice an improvement immediately. Other times it could take a while to see if gluten is the trouble. In my experience, most times it is gluten, but diay and eggs are other known triggers. Just wish a GF diet could make my hiatus hernia disappear. lol. Good luck.
Hi I've been struuggling with my voice as well for about 7 weeks now.It all started when i had the flu and sore thoat i got over the flu but still have no voice i have been to doctor who looked down my thoat he told me i had swollen vocal cords and had fouwould on them it is driveing me crazie i work in high noise inviment and i need to give instruckions to people and gets frastating
Did you swollen vocal cords heal? I am fighting LPR and taking an acid supplement but am struggling to heal swollen are near vocal cords - it is causing great anxiety. Any tips?
Hey guys, if you are having problems speaking please check Muscle Tension Dysphonia. Acid reflux can be a trigger for this and there is a way to get better.
God bless you guys
Thanks for this support forum. It is a comfort to know others have similar symptoms. I have recently been diagnosed with LPR and was prescribed 20mg Omaprazole with no recommendations on my voice management . This seems to be getting worse as I am avoiding talking. However I am trying to get a referral to The Speech Therapy Dept.
Are you any nearer getting better? Although early days I am getting to the anxious stage.
hi yeah my throat has been sore and a bit of hoarse voice off and on as well for about two months although i have had reflux for about 8-10 years that never effected my throat,voice or anything else really outside of very infrequent heartburn which i am having now. no real long term improvement yet. the ppi and h2 blockers arent doing squat to stop the reflux which is what is causing my issues. in this regard they are absolutely useless medications. now they very well may reduce the acid levels but they are not effective at all for lpr related reflux.
Hello
I'm new to this forum. Doing research and came across this. I've been taking PPI's for 8 years. Pretty much kept my acid reflux in check. Since June I've had 3 episodes of some tightening of the upper area after eating. Was Mexican food. The 3rd one has had a longer effect on me. This time around, it led me to the hospital 5 days in 3 weeks. I've had 2 ENTs say all is well. Allergy panel negative. Hereditary Angioedema ruled out. Endocrinologist says my thryroid is fine.
Yet I'm having all the symptoms of LPR
Mild hoarseness
Sensation of a lump in the throat
Need to clear the throat
Chronic cough
Difficulty swallowing
I have been better for the past 2 - 3 days, until yesterday again the lump in throat and my voice.
It's getting frustrating, to the point that it's affecting my daily life.
Had endoscopy done prior to any espisodes. Poppy removed and slight irritation at entrance of stomach consistent with gastritis.
I'm aware anxiety doesn't help, but I'm getting to a point that I'm desparate.
I'm at a crossroad of uncertainty. Any additional feedback would be appreciated.
Did u ever get better with your hoarseness? I have had it now for 6 mos good days bad days. I'm so depressed I need my voice for my work. What is muscle tension dysphonia?
Hi Bianca did u find a cure to your lpr and hoarseness? How long did it take I'm going on 6 mos of good days bad days I take raniditine 2 x a day plus on antihistamines
I know this is an old post but I'm grasping at straws I need my voice for my work help!
Hi, I did but not without help. Originally I lost my voice completely. I was hardly able to talk for about 1.5 years. I went to a voice therapist, who helped me. Go to a voice therapist, not a speech therapist.
I guess I'm confused as I have lpr. I get mucousy certain times of the day even on Zantac 2x a day. And I watch my diet very closely. I would think voice therapy would aggravate the already swollen vocal chords due to lpr and or gerd. I wonder why my ent dr wouldn't have told me about this.
Most of the ent doctors I went to didn't mention it. Go and see a speech specialist. That is an ent doctor with a specialization in speech.
Hey CoolBreeze 
Did you ever find some solution for this.
I've been having to strain to talk for the last 3 years now and have been trying to figure out what the heck is causing it. Recently I'm discovering it may have something to do with acid reflux.
I'm not inclined to drink baking soda but I will if I have to. Have you found that to be very helpful or did you notice some side effects from it and discontinue its use?
I'd like to discuss these things with you because it's hard to find others experiencing similar hardships
Hey, I'm looking for help with this too.
Have you found any solutions recently?
Either way it'd be nice to connect with another peer dealing with this issue.
Same here!
I need my voice for my work too
How has your search been going?!