After some more research into GERD, I noticed I may have the laryngopharyngeal variant known as silent reflux / LPR. This version happens when the acid from the stomach goes all the way into the voice box / larynx and the throat. The symptoms are slightly different, but the treatment is the same.
If that was really the case, it would explain why common GERD trigger foods like tomatoes and Coca-Cola don’t trigger noticeable effects. It would also explain why I never seem to suffer any heartburn. Unfortunately, it would also make keeping a personal list of trigger foods nigh impossible.
Difficulty swallowing IS one of the common symptoms of LPR. However, I think that in my case, it is primarily caused by a damaged narrow esophagus. That would explain why food piled up Thursday afternoon even though PPI was in full effect. The narrowness makes it easy to shove too much food in your mouth, causing a traffic jam.
One thing to note is that LPR could have been responsible for the damage in the first place. It could also be worsening the syndromes with its excess thick saliva / mucus generation.
Anyway, my own remedy is to take Mucinex for the mucus, eat a GERD friendly diet and to swallow only small bits at a time with short pauses in between. It works somewhat, but is very annoying because it makes my meals long and drawn out. Hopefully my GI will be able to find a better solution when I see him in August.
PS: endoscopy looked okay last time I visited my ENT, but you never know.
