Severe GERD/LPR with nighttime choking, bloating, and sleep disruption, anyone else?
I’ve had severe GERD/LPR for my entire life, with a history of being born with an undersized esophagus and feeding issues as an infant. I’m currently on pantoprazole (once daily, considering twice daily per my doctor), but I still have significant symptoms: daytime reflux with choking/regurgitation, sour taste, constant throat clearing, morning hoarseness, and a persistent something-stuck-in-my-throat sensation. I had an endoscopy in 2021 that showed reflux esophagitis but no Barrett’s. An ENT recently did CT scans and noted significant throat irritation and airway narrowing, and felt GERD/LPR could be playing a major role.
What complicates things is that I also have sleep apnea and use CPAP nightly, but I wake up multiple times every night and feel exhausted every morning. I also wake up bloated and gassy, which makes me wonder if air swallowing is worsening nighttime reflux and creating a vicious cycle. Despite “good” sleep data, I still have fatigue, headaches, dizziness/lightheadedness, and adrenaline-type jolts that originally took me to the sleep doctor in the first place for the CPAP. I’m curious if anyone here has experienced GERD/LPR causing major sleep disruption, nighttime choking, or reflux symptoms that persist even on PPIs, especially if aerophagia or airway issues were part of it. What testing or treatments actually helped you (pH impedance, manometry, BID PPIs, lifestyle changes, surgery, etc.)?
Posted Jan 14, 2026, 3:06 AM UTC