Sandi, Years ago I started having acid reflux symtoms. Mine were a bit unusual, I did not experience burning. I felt like there was a constant lump in my throat. I was scared to death. I kept coughing and clearing my throat. eating would bring relief for a very short period of time. I had intermittant pain in the center of my chest. I fianlly went for a barium swallow and they diagnosed GERD. I can't remembe what they put be on back them, I think it was prilosec. Well it made me feel really weird and didn't help the symtptoms. I then began to do some research. I came accross info on digestion and enzymes. To try to make a long story short as we age we our natural reserve of enzymes. Our food now is so dead we do not replenish any reserves. GERD is becoming common in little children and infants. I started to take digestive enzymes. Ther are many types out there and some do nothing. The best ones I know of and still use is one called DigestMore by Renew Life. It took them only a week and my symtoms disappeared. It is important not to take any stomach coating meds if you are going to take these. The enzymes have to be absorbed into the stomach lining and any coating will prevent this. I also ate a very bland diet for a week. Like soups, very low fat, low acid, things like camomille tea, no caffiene. Small meals, and frequent. Don't drink liquids with meals, not really cold, or really hot. Lots of fresh spring water. I still get some mild symtoms every once in a while. I can go off the enzymes off and on. Remeber they are stored in the stomach. When the reserves get low I start to haev symtoms so I go back on the enzymes for a week or so. I usually take two capsules about twenty minutes before my biggest meal. My symtoms usually disappear in a day or two, but remeber I said they are usually bvery mild. This has worked for me without fail now for about fifteen years. The cheepest place to get the enzymes is a site called healthy Highway  http://www.healthyhighway.com there is no shipping cost for renew life products. A bottle of 90 caps is $21.24. remeber, low fat. Fat requires your stomach to produce acid to digest it.

Brandy

2/ 8/10 7:52pm

Peggy...Finally hearing of someone that experiences the same symtoms as me! Yeah, the constant lump in my throat. At the beginning of this(3 months ago), I had sever pain in my chest & back. Because of the pain I went to a doctor and he made light of these symtoms and perscribed Prilosec. After taking this med for 4 days, its side-effects were unacceptable, so started my search for more natural remedies.

 

Have done all of the obvious natural remedies, but most importantly I've changed my eating/drinking, which has pretty much subsided the pain, but I still have that nagging feeling in my throat, like always!

I have started taking enzymes, and hope all you say really works on this annoying feeling in my throat.

Hope to hear back from you, for you are the only one that I've found that has "my" same symtoms.

Brandy

Jan Gambino

2/ 9/10 8:44am

Hello Brandy,

 

I am so glad you have found someone to network with about your symptoms. If Peggy does not see your message right away, try sending her a private message. Click on her name and you will be able to send her a private, secure message through HealthCentral.

 

Also, try searching HealthCentral for lump in throat and throat pain. You are not alone. I have seen many other members discussing this painful and persistent symptom.

 

Jan

Anonymous

2/ 9/10 10:36am

Hi Peggy,

I can't thank you enough for responding.  We have very similiar symptoms.  I too have this feeling of pressure in my esophagus.......I am going to try this digestmore and I hope to get some relief......I'll let you know.  So glad to hear your feeling better and keeping it under control........

Many Thanks

Sandi

Hi, if you are suffering this much from acid reflux on a daily basis, I would really recommend that you go to a doctor to have a professional diagnosis as soon as possible and provide some proper treatment. I don't want to worry you and I sincerely hope that your case is o.k. However, a close friend had symptoms of acid reflux for a period of months and then was diagnosed with throat cancer. Thank God, he has been treated and survived, but the process was very hard and with major complications.

Sending my best wishes to you.