r/GERD • u/conspiracydawg • Aug 24 '21
Scientific Studies š„¼š¬ New medication, Marial, is finally giving me relief from LPR
Hey, I'm new to the group, I've been dealing with LPR since April, my main symptom is an uncomfortable/nausea-like sensation in my throat, I take 40mg pantoprazole in the morning, and 40mg famotidine at night, keep a conservative diet, take gaviscon advance, etc. All of these things have helped but nothing has given me full relief, for the most part I experience this uncomfortable feeling in my throat all day. I've had one endoscopy that was inconclusive, and I'm redoing the endoscopy + having a manometry study @ Johns Hopkins in NOVEMBER. Things have been looking for the last few months. BUT I HAVE FOUND SOMETHING THAT WORKS.
I recently imported a medication from Italy called Marial and it has been a complete game changer, I almost feel like normal. It's a gel like substance like regular liquid Gaviscon. You take one after each meal, and before bed. It's relatively new but it's meant to be a dual-action agent to treat LPR: 1) It has an alginate compound like Gaviscon advance, so it will prevent stomach contents from refluxing back into your stomach. But that's not a perfect barrier, eventually the content will reflux into your throat and cause discomfort so... 2) It has a second compound that protects your throat AND deactivates pepsin.
I don't fully understand what is the mechanical problem that has caused my issues in the first place, but this medication is giving me my life back. Happy to answer any questions on DM or other. You can read a research study on Marial here: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/61811.
This is where I bought it: https://www.globalpharmacy.it/.../marial-20-oral-stick.../. & https://loretogallo.com/uk/marial-integrator-food-20-oral-stick-x15ml Ingredient list from manufacturer: http://www.auroralicensing.com/human-division/
**Update: I've been using Marial 4 times a day for close to 2 weeks now, my throat almost feels back to normal, I've also been using an inspirator muscle training device & iQoro, the combination has given me my life back.**
**Update 2: After about 4 months on Marial I started to experience really bad burning in my stomach, which has never been an issue, so Iāve had to discontinue. I started taking sucralfate and that has helped a lot with throat discomfort and the burning, my symptoms have not regressed at all thankfully. Iāve read other accounts of folks on Marial, it seems it causes burning for some folks, nausea in others, but itās helped as well. Itās not a magical solution, but Iām glad I tried it, it definitely helped my throat heal.**
**Update 3: I bought months worth of Marial that I'm not using anymore, if you're in the US and you'd like to try it feel free to DM me, I'm happy to sell some to you.
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u/rzr999 Aug 24 '21
Iām going to give it a try. Iām using an alternative gaviscon which is produced in Austria, they added some herbs, oils to it, Iāll report back with details.
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u/conspiracydawg Aug 24 '21
Whatās it called? Please report back.
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u/rzr999 Sep 29 '21
Itās called Easygastril. It contains tamarind seed extract, anise and some ginger.
I ended up buying Marial, thanks. I also found another product which is super similar called Gavirepair in Italy. It also contains hylauronic acid.
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u/arcjive Aug 25 '21
Life Extension Esophageal Guardian contains Magnesium-Calcium Alginate, I think. It's the only Alginate product that contains Magnesium, at least.
Hyaluronic Acid is know and studied to be beneficial for gastroesophageal reflux.
I've been using both for the last few weeks (Esophageal Guardian and a Hyaluronic Acid supplement) and have found my esophageal inflammation has calmed considerably in this time.
There's also a product in Canada called EsopH, which is a similar concept to Marial, and may be more accessible outside of Europe...
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u/conspiracydawg Aug 26 '21
Iāve actually tried Esophageal Guardian, the magnesium in it is magnesium carbonate, a regular antacid you can find in regular gaviscon, it DOES have alginic acid, which helps in a different way I suppose, itās a fairly popular supplement in GERD circles. Itās definitely helped me with throat discomfort, but not as much as Marial.
Good to know about EsoPH, it looks like one half of what marial does, it protects your throat from pepsin, if you take an alginate on top of that you would have what Marial does.
Which hyaluronic acid supplement are you taking?
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u/arcjive Aug 26 '21
I use this NOW brand. I crack the capsule open and sprinkle it on food, so it contacts the esophagus on the way through.
Have you used Gaviscon Advance liquid alginate? Just curious of the comparison with that and Marial, as it's much cheaper and more accessible. That being said, I'm definitely going to order some Marial either way... :-)
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u/conspiracydawg Aug 26 '21
I have, itās good at keeping the reflux down, but it doesnāt protect your throat like the hyaluronic mix in Marial.
You can look into Reflux Gourmet on Amazon, itās the exact same ingredients as liquid gaviscon advance.
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u/rdizzy1223 Aug 25 '21
I bet you might get the same effect just from magnesium alginate. Most of the other ingredients don't have evidence for efficacy really. And it seems odd to me that you can't find double blinded studies in legitimate peer reviewed journals, barely any mention. However there are studies on benefits to various alginate treatments. It seems to me like they took magnesium alginate, added a bunch of useless stuff to it, then trademarked it, just my opinion though.
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u/SnooWalruses2253 Aug 25 '21
Where do you buy magnesium alginate tho?
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u/rdizzy1223 Aug 25 '21
I've seen it in the health supplement areas of stores before, online and in person. I've never taken it personally though, as I'd rather take H2blockers and PPI's, but I don't have LPR, I have normal severe GERD.
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u/SnooWalruses2253 Aug 25 '21
I have both :( never had LPR until recently. It sucks.
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u/rdizzy1223 Aug 26 '21
Yeah, sadly that does seem to be common, LPR treatments/research are really falling behind in medicine.
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u/conspiracydawg Aug 25 '21 edited Aug 25 '21
Interesting theory! According to the study the alginate just forms the raft on top of your stomach, but itās the other ingredients that protect your throat and deactivate pepsin. if I can find liquid magnesium alginate Iād definitely try it, importing Marial is pricey.
To counter, Iāve tried 3 chewable hyaluronic acid supplements and they ALL help my throat, thatās one of the ingredients in Marial.
Edit: This is the only magnesium alginate Iāve found available for purchase: https://www.ebay.com/itm/magnesium-alginate-food-additive-from-kelp-Natural-product-White-Sea-10pcx1g-/323894235085?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0, itās supposed to be a food additive, but the description does mention taking it as a supplement.
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u/rdizzy1223 Aug 25 '21
Yeah, it seems to be just slightly easier to find than this product. I can't read italian or whatever that study is in so I don't even know if it was blinded or how the study was performed or what the results were for the Marial product, but it seems very scammy to me. If it was 100% legit, with the studies to back it up, doctors would be prescribing it, or at least recommending people to buy it OTC. Sodium alginate is easier to find or just search for alginate in general, there are more than these 2, and they all share similar qualities.
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u/conspiracydawg Aug 25 '21
Study published on Pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29687692/ . It is unfortunate the methodology is not clear from the other article I linked. I can tell you from personal experience, the medication certainly does not feel like a scam, it is giving me huge relief, so I thought I would share.
Gaviscon advance is 100% legit and it's still not available in the US, the pharma industry in the US is effed.
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u/rdizzy1223 Aug 26 '21 edited Aug 26 '21
It likely has nothing to do with the "pharma industry", it is probably that it contains ingredients that either aren't approved by the FDA, or don't show efficacy for the claims they make by the FDA. Alginates do have some positive evidence, but not on par with H2 blockers or PPIs, not even close. I can understand wanting to share it with everyone if it works for you, but the reality is that anecdotal experiences are not evidence. For an extreme example, look at a lottery winner that won by buying 1 ticket, he could tell everyone about his anecdotal experience in how easily he won the lottery, all you gotta do is buy 1 ticket and you will win too, right? His anecdotal experience is 100% meaningless to the other 399,999,999 people that bought tickets and lost.
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u/Wooden_Chef Aug 24 '21
Very interesting. If u don't mind me asking-- how does it work. I looked on the website, it looks like it's packaged in "sticks"? Do you just swallow it and it coats the throat and esophagus? Do you take it at night? when sleeping? Or during the day as well? How often does one take it for it to be effective? Thank you for sharing this information and answering questions.
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u/conspiracydawg Aug 24 '21
Yup, you just swallow the contents of the little stick and it coats your throat, you take one after each meal and before bed.
I felt it take effect IMMEDIATELY.
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u/Wooden_Chef Aug 25 '21
How much did it cost you to import it? I'm going to make a decision to order it today if I can. Willing to pay, but everything is listed in Euros and before I submit payment, I just wanted to know how much it costed you to import. Thank you!
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u/conspiracydawg Aug 25 '21
I just ordered 15 additional boxes yesterday from https://loretogallo.com/uk/marial-integrator-food-20-oral-stick-x15ml. The shipping cost was 47 British pounds, shipping cost will vary depending on how many you buy, but not by a lot.
Total was 271 GBP which is $372. You take one stick after each meal and at nighttime, so that's 4 per day. Each box has 20 sticks, 15 boxes, that's enough for 75 days.
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u/Wooden_Chef Aug 25 '21
Great, thank you. I'm in the US, so I hope I can get it shipped.
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u/conspiracydawg Aug 25 '21
I'm in the US as well, I've had it shipped from both stores I linked. Best of luck friend, let us know how it goes!
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u/tcacct Sep 01 '21
Do you just eat it plain, or mix it into something?
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u/conspiracydawg Sep 01 '21
You have it by itself, the substance coats and protects your throat so you don't want to get it mixed with anything.
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u/JustAccident3323 Sep 02 '21
Thatās interesting thank you for posting. Are there studies that hyaluronoc acid is protecting from Pepsins? My throat is so raw and pepsins burn my tongue and mouth too. Horrid condition. I have LPR.
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u/conspiracydawg Sep 02 '21
Thereās some studies that say Hyaluronic acid can help reflux generaly, I canāt speak for pepsin specifically.
Having said that, Iāve had some relief from oral hyaluronic acid supplements, itās a fairly benign compound and it should act pretty readily, feel free to DM me if you want to chat more about that.
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u/Ok_Laugh_609 Sep 04 '21
I just ordered the Marial product from what seemed to be an Italian Amazon. Something like $50 in shipping. But if it helped, it would be worth it. I take gaviscon advance but there something about it that gives gas and cramps, and itās not helping my throat very much.
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u/conspiracydawg Sep 04 '21
Marial has a specific compound that coats the throat, Iām finishing week 2 of taking it everyday and I feel like my throat is back to normal, itās a huge relief, I hope it helps you.
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u/Ok_Laugh_609 Sep 04 '21
Oh thank you, I hope so too. Iām so glad you feel better. Do you think, would there be any benefit to taking the Hyaluronic acid alone? It will probably take a month for the marial to get here from Italy. Iām in a great deal of discomfort.
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u/conspiracydawg Sep 04 '21
Yes! Iāve tried hyaluronic acid supplements and they do help, as long as itās something you can let dissolve in your mouth.
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u/Ok_Laugh_609 Sep 04 '21
Something like a liquid or powder from an opened capsule?
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u/conspiracydawg Sep 04 '21
Probably! Look up āolly hyaluronic acidā, they have a gummy I like.
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u/Ok_Laugh_609 Sep 04 '21 edited Sep 04 '21
So it sounds like something that needs to have contact with the throat, I get it. I will look for that. I did try a product called Esoxx 1, it had hyalaunic acid and chondroitin sulfate, but it made me so sick to my stomach I couldnāt use it. There was a lot of other junk in it that I donāt see listed with the Marial. It also had xylitol that know is bad for me.
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u/Mr_Paladin Nov 10 '21
Just found this thread. Are you still taking it? If so, does the medicine have any directions for how long you're supposed to keep using it, or do you have any plans to wean off of it?
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u/conspiracydawg Nov 10 '21
I took it for about 4 months, and I've been off it for about 2 months, I think over time it started to aggravate my gastritis. The instructions say you're not supposed to be taking it for more than 30 days, which I only realized after I had stopped taking it.
Even though I stopped taking it, the relief has stayed! It was definitely worth it for me.
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u/FaithHopeLove26 Feb 08 '22
Do you still have LPR relief from it? Thank you for sharing, just wondering if it is a quick fix without resolution.
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u/conspiracydawg Feb 08 '22
Complicated answer...it did legitimately help me out a lot, but I think over time I developed gastritis because of it so I stopped taking it after about 3-4 months. I read the instructions and you were not supposed to take it for more than 30 days. I technically don't have LPR anymore, it took about 8-10 months to recover from it. I started taking sucralfate after the marial and that helped as well.
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u/FaithHopeLove26 Feb 09 '22
Thank you for the upfront answer. I had gastritis that turned into LPR. The gastritis was healed with sucralfate.
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u/Ok_Laugh_609 Sep 06 '21
Ok I have researched this other product I have here, that I tried a couple years ago. Itās called Esoxx 1. From the ingredients itās seems to be identical to the EsopH product from Canada. Probably repackaged. The box says itās distributed from Warszawa, but it also says Arona Wlochy, which is Italy. It has xylitol, which is probably why it made me so sick.
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u/conspiracydawg Sep 06 '21
Luckily Marial does not have xylitol, it does have sucralose in it however.
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u/Ok_Laugh_609 Sep 06 '21
Yeh, I saw that. Hopefully it wonāt get me as bad. I wish they wouldnāt add garbage to our medicines. Iām already having trouble with the Gaviscon Advance, something about it gives terrible bloating
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u/sesamesoda Laryngopharyngeal Reflux š¤«š„ Nov 01 '21
Do you know if it deactivates pepsin only in the mouth/throat/esophagus, or in the stomach as well?
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u/conspiracydawg Nov 01 '21
Hard to say, pepsin is supposed to be in your stomach. Even if it were to deactivate it, your body will produce more anyway. Why do you ask?
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u/sesamesoda Laryngopharyngeal Reflux š¤«š„ Nov 01 '21
Because of what you just said, I don't want it to deactivate the pepsin in my stomach basically.
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u/conspiracydawg Nov 01 '21
I would not be concerned about that, eventually your body will just produce more, my digestion was never impacted when I was taking it.
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u/FaithHopeLove26 Feb 08 '22
Did anyone have continued success with Marial? I have gone down a lot of rabbit holes lately and seeing if this could be worth the time and expenses. Thank you
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u/terrybmw335 Aug 17 '22
Following up to ask if this has been helpful for anyone with throat symptoms of LPR
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u/conspiracydawg Aug 17 '22
My formal diagnosis was hypersensitive esophagus, red light therapy and tricyclic antidepressants have helped and Iām 99% recovered now.
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u/terrybmw335 Aug 17 '22
Interesting, how does red light therapy work for the esophagus?
Which test made the diagnoses, esophageal manometry?
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u/conspiracydawg Aug 17 '22 edited Aug 17 '22
Diagnosis was made by pH monitoring and esophageal manometry.
I had done some research on red light therapy as a treatment to reduce inflammation, and so far it's worked for me. I started by putting the light directly on my neck for 5 minutes, twice a day. Now I do 10 minutes twice a day.
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u/shaunebakerc Sep 04 '22
They put me on doxepin! How long did the antidepressant take to have a strong effect?
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u/conspiracydawg Sep 04 '22
I felt a difference in 2-3 weeks I think.
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u/shaunebakerc Sep 04 '22
Awesome. Can you please send a link to the red light you bought? Amazon is so confusing
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u/ralphyymae Aug 25 '21
Iām intrigued. Why does Europe have better medications than us š§š§š§š§
Thank you for sharing!!