If you’ve been dealing with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), you already know how frustrating it can be. The constant throat clearing, hoarseness, that burning or bitter taste in the back of your throat is more than just an annoyance, it can really affect your daily life.
While lifestyle changes and medications like PPIs are often the first line of defense, they don’t always work for everyone and they can come with side effects. That’s where alginates come in. These natural, algae-derived compounds form a protective barrier that helps keep stomach acid where it belongs, easing symptoms without the drawbacks of stronger medications.
I’ve spent the past few months researching and trying different options, and I’ve narrowed it down to my top three recommendations for LPR relief:
- Reflux Gourmet
- Gaviscon
- Rx Alginate
Let’s dive into why alginates are so effective, and which products are worth your attention.
Topic Contents
What is LPR?
Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is something that can affect anyone. When you have any type of gastroesophageal reflux and your stomach contents make it back up into your upper esophageal sphincter, usually into the back of the throat, this is defined as LPR.
Symptoms often include:
- Hoarseness
- Difficulty swallowing
- A burning sensation in the back of the throat
- A bitter taste in the back of the throat
- A feeling as though something is stuck in the back of the throat
- Extra throat clearing
- Post nasal drip
In more extreme cases, if the damage reaches the voice box, people might experience problems breathing.
LPR is insidious because it can cause a ton of issues in kids, like:
- Coughing
- Hoarseness
- Noisy breathing
- Asthma
- Spitting up
- Aspiration
- Apnea
- And ALTE
That’s why it is so important to get a diagnosis and treatment.
To be clear, GERD can often manifest as heartburn, regurgitation, hoarseness, issues swallowing, and nausea and you can have both GERD and LPR but you can also just have LPR.
Alginates for LPR
Treatment options for both/either usually include the list of lifestyle tips like:
- Limit or avoid trigger foods
- Cut caffeine and carbonated drinks
- Stay away from chocolate (that’s no fun)
- Stay away from peppermint
- Cut out tomatoes and citrus fruits
- Don’t drink or smoke
- Exercise regularly
- Etc…
Other than that, PPIs are often the go-to for any doctor and their prescription pad. But PPIs can come with a lot of unwanted side effects.
That’s why I looked into alginates.
Alginate, derivatives of algae, have been around for a long time, it turns out, particularly in scientific studies as a form of therapy for different reflux conditions.
And the science supports alginates as a highly effective and natural way to treat things like GERD and LPR, with studies indicating that it is just as effective as PPIs without the side effects.
What’s more, it’s safe for children or women who are pregnant and nursing which cannot be said for many of the medications that are prescribed.
Why Alginates?
Why have alginates made such headway? As I said there’s not a lot of limitations to them. They can be used by any age or any type of person, even if they are pregnant or nursing, they can be used regularly without any side effects, and they actually target the cause of many LPR symptoms.
This is so important I’m going to write it twice: they target the cause, not just the symptoms.
Most of the medications that are prescribed or given over the counter help you deal with symptoms, basically they make the symptoms less pronounced or more bearable but they don’t actually hit the cause.
Alginates do.
Alginate work very well to relieve symptoms because they create a protective gel that goes down the throat and into the stomach, where the gel forms a delightful looking (if you’ve been lucky enough to see the internal camera feed) barrier that physically traps stomach acid and stops it from coming back up into the esophagus.
Recommended Alginates for LPR
Now let’s look at my top choices.
1. Reflux Gourmet
Reflux Gourmet is my absolute top choice for the best alginates for LPR. The company has two main product lines that include a gel and a gum, none of which have the potentially complicated flavors of peppermint. In fact, you might be told to cut out chocolate but you can get a chocolate flavored gel from this company that gives you a nice little spoonful of dessert after every meal.
The gel product line comes with a mixture of magnesium and a proprietary alginate blend with things like sodium bicarbonate that work very well comprehensively and scientifically to ease your digestive tract and stop those contents from coming back up.
The gum is something I really like because it contains soothing ingredients like aloe vera which can actually calm the inflammation in your upper esophagus as well as Ginger and celery root which help with symptoms of nausea
What it is:
An alginate gel that can be taken as needed.
Pros:
- Alginate therapy gel and gum products available
- Made from natural ingredients, safe for kids and pregnant women
- No known side effects
- Contains a proprietary alginate blend, and the gum contains aloe and ginger
- Travel pack available
Cons:
- Only “sweet” flavors are available
2. Gaviscon
Gavison has two product lines as well: A liquid that you drink a spoonful of as needed and chewable antacids.
Both of these product lines come in different flavors but not peppermint, and they offer a scientifically supported blend of sodium alginate and magnesium, both of which have been proven just as effective as PPIs at managing symptoms of LPR.
This company has been around for a while and their product line is very reputable. The liquid is something that you can actually take as needed, with instructions indicating that you take one teaspoon full of the liquid whenever you need, such as after a meal or right before bed with no more than 16 liquid spoonfuls per 24-hour time frame. That means you are very likely to never exceed that amount and therefore find this particular product something that is useful (and safe) when symptoms arise unexpectedly.
I really like the product lines they offer because the liquid is a lot easier to take compared to a powdery supplement that you have to mix into a thick smoothie or compared to a capsule that you have to swallow every day. However, I am a little disappointed that they don’t have additional ingredients to help with the inflammation part of LPR symptoms.
What it is:
A liquid alginate medication that is available over-the-counter.
Pros:
- The main ingredients of magnesium and sodium alginate are very effective
Cons:
- You can take the antacids while you travel but not the liquids
- They don’t have any additional ingredients to help with inflammation
3. Alginate Plus
My final recommendation comes from Rx Vitamins. This company has been around for decades and they formulate a wide range of dietary supplements or vitamins that you can take to handle many health concerns more naturally.
They have a proprietary alginate detox supplement that’s called alginate plus. This supplement contains sodium alginate and milk thistle as its two primary ingredients. The milk thistle is there to act as a detoxifying agent as its primary function is to help with your liver health but the sodium alginate can help with LPR symptoms.
The one thing I don’t like about this is that, though it is effective, it’s not something you can take on an as-needed basis. This is a supplement, something you are supposed to take up to three times per day with a glass of water. Ideally you are taking it around each of your meal times, but you have to be careful about when you take it.
What it is:
A chewable alginate tablet that is available over-the-counter.
Pros:
- Contains alginate and milk thistle intended for detoxification and liver health
- Pills can be easily taken when traveling
Cons:
- No flavor options
- No additional ingredients to help soothe the inflammation in your throat or otherwise ease your digestive tract
- Only a supplement
Final Note
Alginate therapy is still a term that refers to a therapeutic management of your symptoms as monitored by a doctor. This type of therapy often involves prescription grade alginate treatment. If you are interested in comprehensive alginate therapy that means going through your doctor.
However, you can safely use any of these best alginates for LPR on their own or in conjunction with other medication you have been prescribed. If you are currently prescribed PPIs or other medications by your doctor, you can most likely incorporate these alginate supplements but speak with your doctor before you stop taking any current prescriptions.
Summing Up
Overall, all three of these are some of the best alginate supplements for LPR, but Reflux Gourmet is my top pick. Reflux Gourmet comes with different products than you normally see particularly the gum and the gel which I think is far and away a better alternative to the gross liquids or chunky powders and chewable antacids.
I like that you can choose a gum when needed so you aren’t restricted to a thrice daily supplement but instead have something you can pull out whenever your symptoms arise. Moreover, the additional ingredients beyond the sodium alginate proprietary blend mean that you get a lot more comfort when it comes to easing those symptoms and that makes a world of difference.
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