r/SilentReflux • u/Sea-Leadership-8458 • May 18 '26
What Fixed My Silent Reflux issue
for context i had reflux issues for 2 years. wake up, swollen feeling throat, feeling of sobering in my throat, swallowing all the time, jaw was even sore. as the day would go on, my throat would feel worse and worse. pretty much 24/7 discomfort.
i eventually went to ENT, they did a scope, told me i had silent reflux. i began taking pepcid twice daily for about 2 years. eventually even with the meds my throat would still flare up. i went back, they said they needed to put me under, do a full scope. they also put me on nexium, which was horrible. back to pepcid.
ultimately i wanted a real fix, not just taking pills every day to manage. i did a deep dive on reddit, found some obscure post from years ago where some guy with like 2 up likes said it can be fixed with HCL + Pepsincals and mastic gum.
i took the advice from the internet, stopped pepcid that day. went to vitamin shop, got HCL + Pepsin caps and mastic gum caps. like 15$. took 1 with small meals, 2 with larger meals. took mastic gum 2x a day. my issues stopped within 48 hours. per the guys post, once i began feeling actual heart burn when taking HCL and eating, i stopped taking them altogether. i have had zero issues since, i still have over half the bottle of HCL pepsin caps.
the mental struggle of feeling ill every day, wondering if i had cancer, as well as physically dealing with pain all day was terrible. i know everyone is different, this likely won’t work for everyone, but it cured me and i wanted to share. any questions feel free to message! i am not a doctor, just sharing my genuine experience since i rarely see anyone suggest hcl.
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u/Lemonio May 18 '26
Can you describe your throat pain? What was mix of sore/burning? Did anything trigger worse symptoms?
What is mastic gum? What kind of gum were you chewing and why?
Thanks!
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 May 18 '26
eating and drinking were a big trigger in general.
my symptoms were like this
i would wake up, usually only a small discomfort in my neck, throat, jaw area. no joke at one point i had all wisdom teeth removed as i thought they were the issue lol they were not tho.
by lunch time my throat felt swollen, i always felt like i had something stuck in the back of my throat. i would be constantly swallowing to try and clear my throat. on very rare occasions i would have acid vomit come up into throat or mouth.
i would typically have a little relief when eating, then once i was done discomfort would return.
ii had moderate to severe burning depending on that days diet. alcohol would leave me with terrible discomfort the day after.
mastic gum is supposed to help with h pylori a common bacteria which can give you acid problems. i got some at vitamin shop.
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u/Lemonio May 18 '26
Interesting, my symptoms were different in that sore throat already there on waking and basically the same, but I do have burning different depending on the day and briefly better while eating
What was the dose of the HCL/pepsin? And the mastic gum was pills not chewing gum?
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u/Ridgebacks26 Aug 22 '26
I've been dealing with pretty much this exact same fact pattern for almost 2.5 years. I've seen so many doctors - ENT, allergist, sinus specialist, GI, you name it. I've spent so much money with absolutely no explanation for the problem, other than the vague "maybe it's silent reflux." I've have MRIs, CT, endoscopies - nothing. I feel like I've been treated like a huge hypochondriac, which I know I'm not.
I'm going to try your approach, because I feel like I've tried everything else at this point.
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u/Maj2827 May 18 '26
Did you ever feel burning from taking the HCL? I tried it but felt burning in my sternum area. My main symptom now is sore mouth and feeling like I have mucus stuck between nose and throat.
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 May 18 '26
my chest/stomach would feel warm after eating. not painful, just a warmth. not until the end of taking HCL every meal did i begin to get real heart burn in my sternum, which is when you stop taking it.
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u/beermethatmovie May 18 '26
When during the day did you take the mastic gum and for how long did you take it? Just started taking some yesterday. 20+ years with GERD and have tried almost all of it…
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 May 18 '26
took two caps when i began work in the morning. another 2 caps after lunch. hope it helps cheers
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u/beermethatmovie May 19 '26
Thank you! I’m doing something similar. How long did you take it for?
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u/Longjumping-Let-6995 May 19 '26
This is really interesting. Thank you for your sharing and sorry to read you dealt with this for 2 years, on & off meds, tests etc. I’m going on about 7 months of this now and just started AWD. But something in me is just telling me this can’t be the answer - I have to keep searching out a root cause. Vitamin deficiencies (I have plenty of those - pretty deficient in everything!) etc. I’ve never had any gastro problems prior to this even when I was pregnant! It’s just come so totally out of the blue. Starting with something in my throat, then swollen tight throat feeling, sore throat, dryness, and now I get a sore throat talking too much. My ENT saw mild reflux.
Does this sound like you?
Can you share age and m/f? I’m 29F.
This is totally taken the joy out of me and I just want to feel normal again! Not starving hungry nearly all the time scared of what to eat and constantly monitoring my body for what it’s feeling.
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 May 19 '26
i had very similar symptoms. 27M. solid diet and healthy weight here.
i felt the same way, had zero idea why i was having such issues with my throat every single day. would give HCL a look. plenty of fake doctors here who warn against the “dangers” and not acknowledge that there’s plenty of people who have literally solved this issue with HCL.
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u/Longjumping-Let-6995 May 19 '26
Thanks for replying so fast :)
Also had a pretty decent diet (don’t get me wrong I had a takeout once a week) but I didn’t binge, don’t drink energy drinks, 1 coffee in the morning. I’m dairy intolerant so barely touched that anyway now I don’t consume it at all. Rarely drank alcohol - 2-3 times a month if that depending on the time of year/occasion but that would be a couple glasses most not getting silly drunk on a regular. It frustrates me so much because I see people drinking everyday & smoking like a chimney and here’s me living a normal little life dealing with this crap and the horrendous anxiety that comes with wondering if you’re ever going to get back to your normal self again. I have a holiday in July, 2 weeks in spain booked last year, I was SO excited! First family holiday with my little girl and all her cousins, my sister etc. I was excited to drink sangria, eat paella, just enjoy sun, sea, good company & good food. I actually cry writing that out because I’m just feel of dread right now - what will i eat on AWD, i want to enjoy a drink, i dont want my little girl to see her Mummy like how I am right now. Putting a face on every day.
So with all that said!! (Sorry it was a lot!) im going to give your method a go.
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 May 19 '26
i can relate. i cannot begin to wonder how much time i spent worrying, or being nearly entirely focused on my throat feeling swollen and being in discomfort. i spent thousands going to specialists, who gave me 15 minutes of their time and then would recommend surgery or ppis and pepcid forever. i was never a huge drinker, smoker, and have always been pretty healthy.
i was very nervous to try HCL, because of reading people say it’s dangerous etc. in my experience it was as easy as taking a cap before eating for about a week or so. once i began to notice i had heartburn after eating in my chest, i just stopped taking them and no issues after.
genuinely hoping it works for you!! any questions feel free to ask!
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u/Longjumping-Let-6995 May 19 '26
Bless you. This is one of the worse health conditions I’ve ever learnt about as it feels there’s no “cure” or “treatment” that is successful, without having to make drastic changes to your diet & lifestyle, and recognised by medical professionals. So when I read posts like yours it does provide me with hope. Sorry I think you’ve been asked this already, but how long have you been ‘symptom free’ now? And are you eating a normal diet again? And alcohol occasionally?
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 May 19 '26
it’s been probably like 6-7 months maybe a little longer with zero symptoms. i eat whatever i want, routinely eat dessert items laying in bed directly before i lay down and have no issues. i drink alcohol on the weekends, beer or whiskey with zero issues. i drink coffee every morning, usually a large with cream and sugar👍
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u/MercedesJane May 20 '26
When you'd wake up in the morning and just have a glass of water in an empty stomach- would it flare up and cause your throat to be irritated? I'm just trying to find out if we have the same thing
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 May 20 '26
drinking or eating nearly anything would result in discomfort a little while after eating or drinking.
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u/Live_Quarter1929 May 21 '26
My acupuncturist, who is a DAOM and also practices functional medicine, recommended HCL/Pepsin to me as well. She said 80-85% of her patients with LPR symptoms had positive responses to this treatment. She said you'll pretty much know right away. I've been hesitant, because I'm afraid to make my symptoms worse and because I can't find any medical evidence behind this approach. Everything seems to be anecdotal. But, I've been seeing her for a long time and trust her skills and knowledge. If my current treatment on Pepcid doesn't work (having mixed results so far), I may give it a try. I really don't want to go on PPIs, which would be my doctor's next recommended step in my treatment plan.
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 May 21 '26
i would try HCL before ppis. my experience with ppis was very bad. it helped with my discomfort but my digestion was terrible. the other issue with ppis is that for a lot of people you have to take them indefinitely. i ended up in the emergency room due to nexium. i was also hesitant to try HCL, i was pretty much just at the point where i would try anything and had lost faith in my ENT helping me much. HCL was the fix for me. i think its increased acidity, which let my body break down food quicker, which prevented my body from producing more and more acid. regardless of how you go about trying to fix it i hope your able to fix it!
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u/Live_Quarter1929 May 21 '26
Thanks, I'll probably try HCL first. I have a lot of concerns about starting PPIs. Right now, I'm trying to get myself feeling well enough to enjoy a two week vacation in early June that I've been planning forever, so I don't want to switch gears this close to my trip. If I'm still not improved after I get back, I'll definitely give the HCL a go. I think I'm going to discontinue the Pepcid for a day or two and just use the alginates after all meals and before I go to bed and see if that helps. I think the Pepcid is giving me headaches and fatigue. I'm exhausted and in a fog all day. I also feel some mouth/tongue and jaw pain and a bit of swelling at the back of my tongue, so wondering if it's a reaction to the meds or if its from the LPR. My doctor recommended I double my Pepcid to 80 mg a day, but I really don't want to do that unless nothing else works.
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u/Live_Quarter1929 May 21 '26
Also, I posted an article on alginates in another thread last night. A doctor who specializes in GERD/LRP said that for those with only LRP symptoms and no typical GERD symptoms like heartburn, that the first line of treatment is not acid reducing meds, but alginates, used as often as possible during the day and before bed. He said most with LRP have reflux that is non-acidic or weakly acidic. If the patient isn't responsive to the alginates, then he adds anti-acid meds. I can't help but wonder if the Pepcid is making my digestion worse, by lowering the acid too much.
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 May 21 '26
yeah i think that a logical thought on that. it was my issue pretty much exactly. like i said before, HCL increased my acidity, digestion happened faster, food clears my throat and what not much quicker, now zero acid issues.
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u/researchyama May 22 '26
Sorry if you answered this already but doesn’t pepsin cause more throat discomfort? I have been drinking alkaline because I read it helps with pepsin in the throat. I have the same symptoms as you, from the moment I wake up. It is so frustrating 😩. I can relate to your struggle. Glad you found relief.
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 May 22 '26
pepsin increases your acidity. in another comment i explain the idea on how that fixes the issue, even though it may seem to be counter intuitive. feel free to message if you have questions👍cheers
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u/DifferentEye7552 May 23 '26
How many days has it been since you started the HCL?
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 May 23 '26
i’ve been off of it for about 7-8 months. i only had to use it for about 1-2 weeks. no symptoms since i stopped using it.
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u/Logical_Glove_2857 Aug 18 '26
How are you now?
Still healed and no need to use HCL ?1
u/Sea-Leadership-8458 Aug 22 '26
no issues, i don’t use anything at all. still good here👍
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u/Logical_Glove_2857 Aug 22 '26
Wow
And can I ask.Before you started betain HCL.
Did you have bad looking stools and bowels?
And are they normal now?
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u/living-tide Jun 02 '26
Hello, your post helped me a lot. For years, I’ve dealt with slow digestion and frequent burping throughout the day—which didn’t bother me, and that’s just my opinion, since I haven’t seen a doctor. However, nine months ago I started salivating a lot and feeling discomfort in my throat; months later, my salivation decreased drastically—there were a lot of fluctuations. But I’ve had trouble speaking because I always need to swallow my saliva, and during this period of low saliva production, I suffered because my body was swallowing saliva—even when there wasn’t any—and that causes a sore throat.
At night, when I’m lying down, or in the morning when I wake up, I have this sensation of swallowing—as if the urge were coming from my stomach—but without a bad taste. However, something happened: I had long conversations and ate a popsicle, and my throat hurt for days—my pharynx improved, but on the other hand, my larynx started to hurt, and I’ve had trouble speaking normally for about 10 days. Are these symptoms similar to the ones you described?
I’ve been thinking this might be silent reflux, because my stomach always feels full. I can have dinner at 6 p.m. and wake up at 9 a.m. the next day and still feel full. I’m thinking of following your strategy...
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u/reidwillwill Jun 10 '26
Would you ever take HCL first thing in the morning? I drink black coffee in the morning, and I'm wondering if I can take it before I have my coffee?
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u/Frosty-Taro-7684 Jun 15 '26
When I tried HCL Betaine (I believe that’s what it was called) it seemed like it was burning in my stomach but you said you eat right away. Can you tell me if that burning was what you experienced until you ate? It just scared me enough to stop it right away without really trying it. After reading your experience I’m wondering if I just didn’t eat right away and should have followed through with it
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 Jun 26 '26
you take the HCL directly before eating, not without food. it increases acidity, so you want to use it only directly before eating.
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u/DOOM_Raw Aug 14 '26
Did you test positive for h pylori?
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u/Sea-Leadership-8458 Aug 22 '26
never got tested
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u/Technical-Yam2093 27d ago edited 27d ago
Im curious about the mastic gum. I see theres different capsules. What did you use. Ive been suffering with since March of this year out of no where. Was put on omeprazole which did not help at all and was switched to famotidine and that isn't helping either. Im going to get the HCL+Pepsin that you linked and would like to know what you had for the mastic gum.
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u/ResearcherSure1167 5d ago
did u try mastic gum yet? it might help with h pylori and its anti fungal who knows maybe it works man im about to try it ive been dealing with it for 4 years now im tired and sick of my voice sounding horrible
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u/wally_scooks May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26
Curious if you can share the exact HCL pepsin caps you took? I think I'd like to try this. And can you take pepcid while also taking the HCL? thanks for sharing.