HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Recurring sore throat - remedies?

Support Forums
>
GERD & Acid Reflux
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/4/2021 10:46 AM (GMT -6)
Hi All,

Does anyone else get a recurring sore throat that hangs around for days? Mine is usually accompanied by burning to some degree in my upper chest (above breast area) and upper back, but not always. It seems like the usual sore throat remedies (gargling, vaporizer, hot tea, etc) don't work for me. I am on day 5 of my current episode.

This is my main symptom. I do not have the nausea some of you have, nor the spitting up of fluid. Mine are usually constant for a period of time, and they usually go away the next morning, but this soreness has been with me since Sunday evening. It will just not go away! I have no fever, cough, difficulty swallowing, etc.

Thanks,
Gary
Posted 3/5/2021 6:34 AM (GMT -6)
Gary, I suggested making an appointment with a gastro doctor when you posted this same question earlier in February.
You can try staring a GERD-friendly diet, and keep a food diary to see if you can pinpoint your trigger foods. If you are looking for additional suggestions, the Boards are very slow and so are the responses.

Sharon

Post Edited (SharonZ) : 3/5/2021 5:39:26 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 3/5/2021 7:10 AM (GMT -6)
Sharon, I am working on the appointment, actually fighting with my regular doc to get it scheduled. But until then, it would be nice to get some kind of relief from this sore throat. It could be weeks before I can get in to see the gastro doctor. I am on day #6 of this sore throat (or whatever it is). Thanks!
Posted 3/5/2021 11:34 AM (GMT -6)
Gary:

Are you sure you need to go through your regular doctor to see a specialist?

Sharon
Posted 3/5/2021 11:41 AM (GMT -6)
He finally ordered it today. Hopefully it will happen very soon. Thanks!
Posted 3/6/2021 9:28 PM (GMT -6)
Yeah, I have this with acid reflux. It improves if I change my diet a bit as it usually happens if I eat something new that doesn't agree with me or too much of something, the pain meds don't really do anything.
Posted 3/23/2021 7:34 PM (GMT -6)
I have been dealing with this on and off for a few months. I’ve seen every doc under the sun for bile/acid reflux and one prescribed a lidocaine rinse for my sore throat. I dilute it with water (otherwise it’s so thick) and gargle it. It numbs my throat completely for an hour or more. I do that on the days I’m really desperate. It’s helped tremendously while I get this reflux under control.
Posted 3/26/2021 10:24 PM (GMT -6)
Hi! I no longer have reflux after surgery, but I can offer some suggestions that might help you with throat symptoms - My main issues were in my throat as well, not so much my chest. The main two things that helped me manage my symptoms were avoiding eating/drinking -ANYTHING- at least three or four hours before bedtime, breakfast is basically my biggest meal. The less you've got in your stomach when you lay down, the better, less opportunity for anything to reach all the way to your throat while sleeping. The other solution was to constantly remove any lingering acid/pepsin enzymes in my throat with Alkaline water. The brand isn't important, so long as you can find bottles with a pH of 9 or above - LPR symptoms are primarily from pepsin, and a water with that high of a base pH denatures the chemical entirely, preventing it from reactivating in your throat. It can stick around for days in your throat, so I made sure to always drink a few daily sips around noon to allow the back of my throat to heal. It didn't remove my symptoms completely, but it definitely gave me a 40-50% improvement. I hope this helps!
Posted 3/27/2021 6:17 AM (GMT -6)
Hi garyricenc-
Sorry to hear you’re struggling. There is one prescription drug I have found helpful with an irritated esophagus. There is a generic version that is slightly more reasonable. The name brand is Carafate suspension. It’s liquid, and works my creating a protective coating on your stomach (and esophagus—but to coat and keep the coating on your esophagus, you should avoid drinking anything for at least 10 minutes to give it a chance to stick.

Acid reducing drugs are a first line of defense, but the Carafate really helps with irritation for me. If you don’t have good prescription insurance, you can try Sulcrafate tablets. Put one in a medicine cup and add water to create a slurry. Swallow/don’t drink for at least 10 minutes.

Before my Nissen fundoplication I would get terrible pain and irritation of the esophagus, and Carafate really helped get rid of pain.
Good luck and hang in there! Hope you find a great GI doctor who can help!
Take care,
Denise
Posted 3/28/2021 6:07 AM (GMT -6)
I took slippery elm powder for sore throat and heartburn. It belongs to the class of herbs called astringent herbs, which means it can stick to tissue and create a protective barrier. Alkaline water helps too, but the taste isn't good for sipping whole day.

These are merely remedies, the one thing that you can do to make a lasting difference is watching what you eat and when you eat.
Posted 3/28/2021 8:53 AM (GMT -6)
Absolutely! I began having more symptoms (I’m 11 years post-Nissen) around Christmas. I had gained weight and the extra pressure was creating some LPR symptoms, like coughing after eating.

Severe asthma was the condition that led me to getting the surgery, and it did the job. Over time things can loosen up (especially for an asthmatic, as colds and allergies can lead to some pretty severe coughing that puts strain on the wrap).

I am trying to push off the need for a redo as long as possible, so I was determined to lose weight, which I have, and thankfully those symptoms have resolved.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply