Acid reflux help

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

I am suffering with an unlovely combination of post-nasal drip (allergies) and what I think is acid reflux. I’m on prescription meds for allergies, but am waking up with a sore throat every day - usually goes after a cup of tea - and my dentist suggested it might be reflux when I was in for a checkup the other week. I’ve done some reading and that seems to fit.

Symptoms are:

Mucus-y feeling in throat
Throat feels irritated and sore in the morning
Often wake up coughing
Certain foods make me feel really burny in my chest - coked cheese and chocolate cake, for example!

Does this ring a bell with other sufferers?

I’m 48 and I suspect peri which google tells me can trigger it. I’m a healthy weight and eat a mainly vegetarian diet, very little red meat, chicken maybe once a week, bacon sandwich at the weekend.

I have a GP phone appointment booked for next month - does anyone know if they will be able to prescribe anything without seeing me? It’s a four week wait just for a telephone call. A friend who suffers from it suggested trying Gaviscon advance and I feel like my throat is much less mucus-y after a few days of taking it, but it is pretty expensive to buy over the counter.

Thanks so much for reading and any advice.

I have similar symptoms but can't tell you what I have as I'm currently in the investigation stage. Am early 30's so not peri yet.
The only difference is I am also overweight which is a contributing factor. Ive had this for years, along with blocked nose at night which causes me to snore, and am more prone to getting tonsillitis and sore throats because I'm breathing through my mouth more when I sleep.
I finally discussed with a GP last summer, was prescribed a few different antihistamine nasal sprays to try and if it didn't improve (which it didn't) they would refer me to ENT.
When I spoke to ENT they first thought it was Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (reflux without the heartburn, bit like silent reflux) causing it all so prescribed gaviscon, omeprazole, a steroid nasal spray and a antihistamine nasal spray. Mild reflux got worse instead of better (all day instead of only when I ate certain foods) and everything else stayed the same.
Had my 1st f2f appointment with ENT where they stuck a camera up my nose. They now think it's not caused by reflux but allergies and also I have a deviated septum on my right side (the side that gets blocked most). Sent me off for a CT scan of my face and blood tests for allergies. Now just waiting for my next f2f appointment to discuss the results.

Oh, and yes they will be able to prescribe without seeing you. I've had 4 telephone appointments (3 GP and 1 ENT) before my first f2f and all prescribed medication without seeing me when I was just describing my symptoms.
I use gaviscon advance. Yes it's expensive (slightly cheaper for a small 300ml bottle at boots compared to others) but push to get it on prescription, then you can get a bigger 500ml bottle for cheaper.
Also, if they give you a prescription for 4 or more medications, look at paying for 3 month prescription prepayment certificate online. Costs £30.25 for 3 months and in that 3 months you can get as many prescriptions without any further charges. There is also a yearly one if it becomes a long term thing.

Oh, and yes they will be able to prescribe without seeing you. I've had 4 telephone appointments (3 GP and 1 ENT) before my first f2f and all prescribed medication without seeing me when I was just describing my symptoms.
I use gaviscon advance. Yes it's expensive (slightly cheaper for a small 300ml bottle at boots compared to others) but push to get it on prescription, then you can get a bigger 500ml bottle for cheaper.
Also, if they give you a prescription for 4 or more medications, look at paying for 3 month prescription prepayment certificate online. Costs £30.25 for 3 months and in that 3 months you can get as many prescriptions without any further charges. There is also a yearly one if it becomes a long term thing.

Thanks so much for replying - sorry you are going through this! That is really helpful.

Allergy-wise I am on a nasal spray and a tablet, but actually when I was prescribed the tablet (years ago now) the GP suggested reflux then. I get terrible hay fever, and since WFH think I am possibly mildly allergic to our cat now I am in the house all day.

I’m in Scotland so prescriptions are actually free, regardless of your work/financial situation.

I was just about to post this . I'm 28 and having a flare up after a weekend of holiday style eating 😂😅

Yes they will be able to prescribe you a proton pump inhibitor. Omeprozple or pantaprozole.
You take it every day and it cuts down stomach acid.
They may want to do an endoscopy to find out if there is any scarring in the osophogous

I sleep using a elevated triangle shaped pillow...

changed my life 🥳

@stevalnamechanger sorry you are feeling crap.

@OnTheBrink1 thank you, that mirrors what my friend said. It seems nuts that a GP can just send medication without even looking at you. My surgery is so difficult to get an appointment at anyway - I once went to A&E on 111’s advice after ringing every day for a week but no appointments because I had awful tonsillitis - so I think it might be Christmas before I could see someone in person!

Has anyone got any tips on what to eat to sooth this?

Tomorrow I'm trying bananas and porridge but further suggestions welcome !

Tricky one as sleeping propped up isn't the best for your neck :(

changed my life ...

Blimey, @QueenBee52 that is a commitment to the cause! Do you have to sleep on your back? I read that you should elevate the bed at the head, but I am not sure how that would work? (Also not sure my DP would love sleeping on a slope!)

@Judystilldreamsofhorses

Blimey, *@QueenBee52* that is a commitment to the cause! Do you have to sleep on your back? I read that you should elevate the bed at the head, but I am not sure how that would work? (Also not sure my DP would love sleeping on a slope!)

sorry for the delay...

its great... very comfortable.. I used to be up several times a night with acid reflux...

this can be flipped to a deeper triangle shape but I prefer this gradual incline.. feels more natural ..

works for me ...

good luck in resolving it to suit you OP.. its a terrible thing to suffer with .. 🌸

this would only be for you... DH would need to get his own hahaaa

Hello.
Ive exactly the same symptoms. Has your GP suggested new medication?

Haven't read all the posts but the title of this thread is familiar to me.

Sorry you and anyone else here is going through this.

I had this terrible acid reflux start 3 years ago due to perimenopause. Felt like a dagger in the roof of my mouth. Doctor put me on the strongest tablets. It subsided and I got down to just Gaviscon tablets.

Now I don't eat after 8 pm and I can go for weeks without Gaviscon.

Honestly mine was horrendous, awful, awful time getting it right. But it did get right.

And the one thing that helped me enormously was drinking coke with every meal. The coke burns the acid and it works. Please try this.

Good luck x

Thank you so much for your advice. Oddly i do drink diet coke as it helped reduce the mucus- dentist wont be too pleased but hey....i will deal with that once ive got the acid in control. Peri menopause is a real menace!!!!

Try the non diet coke, honestly it saved me.

Oh, hello, this was my OP. I finally had the GP call last week and he prescribed me (sp) Ozmerapole. He also asked that I have tests for a bacteria called H Pylori. I actually got a call back on Thursday saying the tests were positive which was a bit of a shock - but apparently 40% of people have it with no symptoms.

Anyway, I have a massive regime of medicines to take starting tomorrow - I wanted to get a good probiotic to go with the antibiotics. Wish me luck!

Thank you @JudystilldreamsofhorsesJudistilldreamsofhorses for your reply - I was particularly interested in what your GP said as I have a call tomorrow - thank you and good luck with the medication!

Thankyou @Battlingongraciously - so normal coke? I will get some! Thank you for that top tip!

Yes, I buy the original coke, not diet. Honestly it helped me more than I can say. I found out by having a mcdonalds one day, just have them occasionally as a treat. I felt better after and no chest pain after eating, first time in months, figured it had to be the coke, I was right.

@Battlingongraciously fabulous, thank you - all the little tips really do help - perimenopause is such a vast topic of ailments - its incredible we get to older age!

@Battlingongraciously @Waterloo7 I found the opposite with fizzy drinks and have had to dramatically reduce my Diet Coke habit!

I hope you get help from the GP, Waterloo. I do feel like allergies muddy the water a bit. I had been doing pretty well on the mucus front, then that mini heatwave last week seemed to really flare everything up again which is a total pain.

@Judystilldreamsofhorses me too - I was doing really ok and September has knackered me. I am asking if I really do have allergies - there is the awful mix of allergies/reflux with such similar symptoms its very hard to pin one thing down. Thank you both for your information. I will come back to this post and let you know how I get on. Thanks again. x

@Judystilldreamsofhorses I was wondering how your treatment went? I hope all is well.