I’m totally bummed that after reading your study and other comments & my score for LPR was 27 … I now think i have both .. About 4 years ago I was diagnosed with GERD & have had digestive problems for years but just figured i’d need to cut down on my love of spicy foods !! I am 79 years old now and know that it’s going to require a major adjustment in my diet.
Sorry to hear that — a score of 27 is definitely worth taking seriously, and having both GERD and LPR together is actually very common. Do mention the score to your doctor if you haven’t already, so you can get it properly assessed.
On the diet side, try not to feel too daunted. The strictest changes are usually temporary — once symptoms settle, many people reintroduce some favourites in moderation (spice included, within reason!). Small consistent changes beat a total overnight overhaul, especially when you’ve got decades of eating habits behind you. You’ve already done the hardest part, which is figuring out what’s actually going on. Best of luck!
My score was 36. I am a singer been hoarse for 2 years and coughing very badly in the morning and before bed time. I thought that I had asthma. Throat clearing all the time. Just started the Gaviscon advand UK. And I am trying to wean myself of the PPI. How long does the healing take and do I have to be on the restricted no acid diet for the rest of my life
That’s a very high score like my own before. Healing takes some time, but usually you will see a good improvement from 2 weeks to around 6 months depending on the severity. Most people see a good improvement within 1 month with the right protocol.
My RSI score was 23 – no surprise to me. My singing voice has been gone for 20 years and my speaking voice is not much better. Is it possible to regain these after a time with your method?
My score is 18. My biggest complaint is my voice has changed to being very hoarse, throat clearing and some coughing. I don’t necessarily have a sore throat. My tongue is also very coated. ENT said nothing was wrong, change my blood pressure medication, which did nothing. I’ve had gut issues for a long time and have had heartburn come and go. Have been on and off omeprazole and Famotidine for years. With my past history, I decided that my sore throat combined with my coated tongue was probably something coming up from my gut. I put myself on the low acid diet , alkaline water, licorice root , Famotidine and my gaviscone advance just came, but I can’t say as I’ve noticed my voice less horse. It’s been about a week.
A score of 18 alongside hoarseness, throat clearing, coughing, and a coated tongue does sound very consistent with reflux/LPR for a lot of people — especially when symptoms are more throat-focused than classic heartburn.
Given your long history of gut issues as well, it’s possible there’s a deeper digestive component contributing too. Things like SIBO and other gut imbalances can sometimes increase reflux symptoms and throat irritation in certain people.
One week is still very early unfortunately. Voice and throat symptoms usually take much longer to improve than heartburn because the tissue heals slowly, so consistency with the diet and Gaviscon Advance is key.
I have struggled with post nasal drip for years and recently had to have vocal cord surgery for leukoplakia growth. I also have trouble getting air in and scored 28 on the test. I suspect I have LPR considering all these factors but only notice heartburn maybe once a year. It may be the cause for the leukoplakia, but that has not been discussed. What treatment options do I have? Anything I can do without medications?
Yes, it’s definitely possible to have LPR without regular heartburn. Many people mainly get throat symptoms like post nasal drip, hoarseness, throat clearing, breathing issues, and vocal cord irritation instead.
I can’t say whether reflux caused the leukoplakia, but chronic reflux irritation is sometimes linked to vocal cord problems.
Without medication, the main things that may help are avoiding late-night eating, reducing trigger foods/drinks, smaller meals, not lying down after eating, and elevating the head of the bed. Some people also find alginates like Gaviscon Advance or Reflux Gourmet helpful.
A lot of people do improve with consistent diet and lifestyle changes over time.
scored 15 on rsi. my gp doesnt think i have lpr because my barium swallow was
normal and my vocal cords show no scarring. my ent is treating me with allergy shots. my new ent just started me on ppi’s and h-2 blockers and low fat/acid
diet. been 2 weeks no change in symptoms. what are your thoughts. desperate
for help, suffering with postnasal drip and chronic cough and throat clearing
for 6 months. thanks, john
While 15 is not a very high score it’s still a good indicator that you have LPR. I’d be quite confident that is your problem. The allergy shots haven’t helped because it’s not related to that. I would suggest a low acid diet like my Wipeout Diet plan along with taking an alginate medicine like Gaviscon advance (UK). You may be doing a low acid diet right now though I’d guess there are still things you are eating that would makes things worse and stop you from feeling better. Hence I’d recommend my diet so you can see the important differences. In addition drink alkaline water and make an alkaline water spray with water and bicarbonate of soda and spray into your throat and nose. Email me and I can explain how to do that in more detail.
Hi David,
Chronic sore throat is one of the most common symptoms of LPR, yet sore throat is not included in the RSI test. Any idea why? Sore throat is my main, ever present symptom and I have read about LPR patients whose ONLY symptom is sore throat.
Well there are other questions that are tied to it basically, such as hoarseness, coughing, lump in throat etc. That’s the main reason I would say. Of course the test is not perfect but just a general good indicator. If you think you have LPR and sore throat is your only symptom it is still possible.
Hi David,
I’m so glad to have come across your site. My score was 35 so it confirms I’ve been fighting LPR. My ENT subscribed a PPI but I didn’t take it.
I have been drinking alkaline water and adding 1/2 baking soda to c if water using mist in both nose & mouth before bed. I try to eat 3 hrs before bed. Still cough & clear throat in early morning. It takes me about 2 hrs to get cough to stop. When I eat my stomach doesn’t feel great so I take Graviscon which helps. How do I know if I have Sibo or just LPR?
Thank you for all your advice.
Tywanna
Hi Tywanna, thanks so much for the kind words — really glad the site’s helped, and well done for getting some clarity on what you’ve been fighting.
On SIBO vs LPR: symptoms alone won’t separate them cleanly, and the two can overlap. SIBO tends to show up lower down — bloating, gas, changes in bowel habits — whereas your early-morning cough and throat-clearing are textbook LPR. A breath test is the only way to actually confirm SIBO if the gut symptoms are a big part of the picture.
One clue in what you’ve written: the fact Gaviscon settles you points toward active reflux, since it works by forming a raft over your stomach contents. That fits the LPR side. And the alkaline misting is smart — it helps neutralise pepsin sitting on your throat and nose overnight.
That morning cough is usually overnight reflux while you’re lying flat. You’re already doing the big things right, especially the 3-hour gap. If you haven’t tried it, raising the head of your bed a few inches made a real difference for me.
Hope those mornings ease up soon.
David
I’m totally bummed that after reading your study and other comments & my score for LPR was 27 … I now think i have both .. About 4 years ago I was diagnosed with GERD & have had digestive problems for years but just figured i’d need to cut down on my love of spicy foods !! I am 79 years old now and know that it’s going to require a major adjustment in my diet.
Sorry to hear that — a score of 27 is definitely worth taking seriously, and having both GERD and LPR together is actually very common. Do mention the score to your doctor if you haven’t already, so you can get it properly assessed.
On the diet side, try not to feel too daunted. The strictest changes are usually temporary — once symptoms settle, many people reintroduce some favourites in moderation (spice included, within reason!). Small consistent changes beat a total overnight overhaul, especially when you’ve got decades of eating habits behind you. You’ve already done the hardest part, which is figuring out what’s actually going on. Best of luck!
My score was 36. I am a singer been hoarse for 2 years and coughing very badly in the morning and before bed time. I thought that I had asthma. Throat clearing all the time. Just started the Gaviscon advand UK. And I am trying to wean myself of the PPI. How long does the healing take and do I have to be on the restricted no acid diet for the rest of my life
That’s a very high score like my own before. Healing takes some time, but usually you will see a good improvement from 2 weeks to around 6 months depending on the severity. Most people see a good improvement within 1 month with the right protocol.
My RSI score was 23 – no surprise to me. My singing voice has been gone for 20 years and my speaking voice is not much better. Is it possible to regain these after a time with your method?
Yeah definitely it can help a lot, just you need to be consistent.
My score is 18. My biggest complaint is my voice has changed to being very hoarse, throat clearing and some coughing. I don’t necessarily have a sore throat. My tongue is also very coated. ENT said nothing was wrong, change my blood pressure medication, which did nothing. I’ve had gut issues for a long time and have had heartburn come and go. Have been on and off omeprazole and Famotidine for years. With my past history, I decided that my sore throat combined with my coated tongue was probably something coming up from my gut. I put myself on the low acid diet , alkaline water, licorice root , Famotidine and my gaviscone advance just came, but I can’t say as I’ve noticed my voice less horse. It’s been about a week.
A score of 18 alongside hoarseness, throat clearing, coughing, and a coated tongue does sound very consistent with reflux/LPR for a lot of people — especially when symptoms are more throat-focused than classic heartburn.
Given your long history of gut issues as well, it’s possible there’s a deeper digestive component contributing too. Things like SIBO and other gut imbalances can sometimes increase reflux symptoms and throat irritation in certain people.
One week is still very early unfortunately. Voice and throat symptoms usually take much longer to improve than heartburn because the tissue heals slowly, so consistency with the diet and Gaviscon Advance is key.
I have struggled with post nasal drip for years and recently had to have vocal cord surgery for leukoplakia growth. I also have trouble getting air in and scored 28 on the test. I suspect I have LPR considering all these factors but only notice heartburn maybe once a year. It may be the cause for the leukoplakia, but that has not been discussed. What treatment options do I have? Anything I can do without medications?
Yes, it’s definitely possible to have LPR without regular heartburn. Many people mainly get throat symptoms like post nasal drip, hoarseness, throat clearing, breathing issues, and vocal cord irritation instead.
I can’t say whether reflux caused the leukoplakia, but chronic reflux irritation is sometimes linked to vocal cord problems.
Without medication, the main things that may help are avoiding late-night eating, reducing trigger foods/drinks, smaller meals, not lying down after eating, and elevating the head of the bed. Some people also find alginates like Gaviscon Advance or Reflux Gourmet helpful.
A lot of people do improve with consistent diet and lifestyle changes over time.
scored 15 on rsi. my gp doesnt think i have lpr because my barium swallow was
normal and my vocal cords show no scarring. my ent is treating me with allergy shots. my new ent just started me on ppi’s and h-2 blockers and low fat/acid
diet. been 2 weeks no change in symptoms. what are your thoughts. desperate
for help, suffering with postnasal drip and chronic cough and throat clearing
for 6 months. thanks, john
While 15 is not a very high score it’s still a good indicator that you have LPR. I’d be quite confident that is your problem. The allergy shots haven’t helped because it’s not related to that. I would suggest a low acid diet like my Wipeout Diet plan along with taking an alginate medicine like Gaviscon advance (UK). You may be doing a low acid diet right now though I’d guess there are still things you are eating that would makes things worse and stop you from feeling better. Hence I’d recommend my diet so you can see the important differences. In addition drink alkaline water and make an alkaline water spray with water and bicarbonate of soda and spray into your throat and nose. Email me and I can explain how to do that in more detail.
I scored 5 just burning throat and lump in throat for 6 months now. Kathy
Yeah that score does not guarantee LPR though it definitely is still possible.
Hi David,
Chronic sore throat is one of the most common symptoms of LPR, yet sore throat is not included in the RSI test. Any idea why? Sore throat is my main, ever present symptom and I have read about LPR patients whose ONLY symptom is sore throat.
Well there are other questions that are tied to it basically, such as hoarseness, coughing, lump in throat etc. That’s the main reason I would say. Of course the test is not perfect but just a general good indicator. If you think you have LPR and sore throat is your only symptom it is still possible.
Hi David,
I’m so glad to have come across your site. My score was 35 so it confirms I’ve been fighting LPR. My ENT subscribed a PPI but I didn’t take it.
I have been drinking alkaline water and adding 1/2 baking soda to c if water using mist in both nose & mouth before bed. I try to eat 3 hrs before bed. Still cough & clear throat in early morning. It takes me about 2 hrs to get cough to stop. When I eat my stomach doesn’t feel great so I take Graviscon which helps. How do I know if I have Sibo or just LPR?
Thank you for all your advice.
Tywanna
Hi Tywanna, thanks so much for the kind words — really glad the site’s helped, and well done for getting some clarity on what you’ve been fighting.
On SIBO vs LPR: symptoms alone won’t separate them cleanly, and the two can overlap. SIBO tends to show up lower down — bloating, gas, changes in bowel habits — whereas your early-morning cough and throat-clearing are textbook LPR. A breath test is the only way to actually confirm SIBO if the gut symptoms are a big part of the picture.
One clue in what you’ve written: the fact Gaviscon settles you points toward active reflux, since it works by forming a raft over your stomach contents. That fits the LPR side. And the alkaline misting is smart — it helps neutralise pepsin sitting on your throat and nose overnight.
That morning cough is usually overnight reflux while you’re lying flat. You’re already doing the big things right, especially the 3-hour gap. If you haven’t tried it, raising the head of your bed a few inches made a real difference for me.
Hope those mornings ease up soon.
David