I know this topic has been addressed a million times but I figure once more can't hurt. I could really use some suggestions. I'm a 26 year old non smoking male and I'm in constant battle with my throat and voice. I have persistent mucus in my throat which causes continual throat clearing and/or coughing. While a lot of people say it is the worst at night I usually have no symptoms at night nor in the morning. Sometime around 11am or 12pm it will begin, usually after eating. When I wake up my voice is hoarse/raspy sometimes. The problem usually is at it's worst after eating a big meal like dinner. Some days are worse than others, but it is always there to some degree. Now, when my throat isn't covered in mucus and I'm not coughing and clearing my voice still is not normal. Sometimes during the day it feels hoarse, other times it feels weak, and most of the time it feels "muddled" or "cloudy" for lack of a better term. Like I can't speak clearly. And then there are rare times when I have no issues with the throat clearing or voice.
Things I've tried:
-- Drinking tons of water
-- Elimination of caffeine. I stopped drinking pop years ago but I always had a bunch of coffee in the morning. I switched to decaf.
-- Nasal wash. The bottle that you put warm water in with a saline packet and squirt it in your nose.
-- I read a lot about LPR and thought that was it so I started taking omeprazole. 2 doses each morning.
-- I also tried an antihistamine although I don't remember which one.
-- Raising the front of my bed, not eating before bed, no spicy foods, I consume very little dairy products.
Any suggestions on what else I can try I'd love to hear. I want very badly to see an ENT doctor but I am unemployed currently and do not have insurance.
Thanks for reading.