Horrible post nasal drip

I have had this problem for so long I can't remember, it is the constant build up of smelly, thick mucus in my throat.  I have to clear it by hawking all day long.  It has affected my social, professional, and personal life.  It seems the minute I get rid of some, more comes right back.  When talking the mucus may loosen and rise to the back of my mouth, so I am assuming it is lodged around my vocal cord area whcih makes me constantly clear mt throat when holding a conversation...truly disgusting.  I have to excuse myself to discharge it for if I swallow it I get a bloated and upset stomach.  It creates horrible breath and constant throat clearing.  I've tried nasal washes, nasal sprays, gerd meds, gargles, dietary changes, etc, etc.  I know this is a common problem for I've found several threads and forums discussing it on the web.  Is it curable?  Is there a permanent solution or is this mucus a life long curse.  I have a wonderful girlfriend who I wish to marry but no longer want to punish and annoy her with my disgusting habit/problem.  I could fill a milk jug with the **** I have to expel every day...yes every day it never goes away.  Thanks for any help you can offer.

[laaz]

I too have constant 24/7 365 day post nasal drainage - constantly draining down the back of my throat.  6 yrs. now  I too have tried every nasal steroid spray, nasal irrigations, oral steroids and NO help.  The ENT doctors say that I have Vasomotor rhinitis and there is Not a cure for this.  I guess we are stuck with this s*** for the rest of our life.  How depressing!!!!!!!! On top of the constant post nasal drainaage, my nose gets plugged up which in turn causes swelling of my under eyes, cheeks and the outside sides of nose.  Also my under eyes have a bluish discoloration as well.  How long have you had your problems? I am trying acupuncture now, had my 4 th treatment but it doesn't do anything.  Sometimes I just wish I would curl up and die - this has changed me so much that I don't even like myself anymore.  I have gotten so depressed and so crabby from this.  Do you ever get swelling from your problem?  Does your nose get all plugged up too?        Laaz

[bigshooter1001]

Laaz,
I tried acupuncture as well about 10 years ago.  I've had this problem I would guess for about 15 years...I'm now 42.  I've had an ent scope and sinus CT scan.  They found a cyst on my left sinus.  I thought maybe that was the culprit but the ENT stated that it was unprobable.  He said to chalk it up to genetics and wisconsin weather.  Thanks for the insight pal!

I don't get swelling which seems to make my problem less severe than yours.  I have literally been in 100's of chat rooms and forums on this.  There seems to be millions of people suffering from this condition.  With such a potential money maker out there, I am surprised the healthcare industry has not made more vigilant efforts towards treatment  nor contributed larger dollars into aggresive (aggressive) research for this ailment.  I have taken supplements, done nasal homeopathic steams, sinus stretches, ear candling, ph balancing, chiropratic, the list goes on and on.  The closest I've come, had to do with what I thought was a candadisis remedy.  I took supplements and excluded all sugars, wheats, flours, alcohol, etc.  It seemed to work but was pretty much unrealistic to maintain.  I've had a full array of allergy tests and psychological screenings.  It is truly a joke that in this day and age this ailment cannot be exonerated.  To think I've seen commercials aired hourly for restless leg syndrome, rectile and bladder control issues, spyder veins, hair loss, etc. and never once have I caught an ad with any correlation to our ailment.  It seems so unlikely that with so many suffering this mucus issue that it has not addressed in a more public forum.  

I too have become withdrawn, depressed and anti-social.  In my profession not good traits aquire.

I wish you luck and please let me know if you find something worthy as I will do the same.  I did find an article written by a doctor from mayo clinic describing our symtoms (symptoms) and possible treatment but it is no longer available to me for my hard drive crashed and all links and verbage went bye-bye.  I will probably persue that angle again and  have been tempted to visit mayo clinic to see if a better lead may exist.  I am a very busy man however and mayo clinic tends to take their time analyzing and treating their patients.  Good luck again. Rick.  

[bigshooter1001]

Sorry about the grammer, my brain tends to move faster than my fingers allow.

[Rosewolf]

gosh, i have the same problem and my father is worse! yes, depression hit me too because i lost soooo much weight. i was down to 75 lbs!  eating was hard for me due to the constant itchy throat. STRESS makes it a whole lot worse so find ways to relax ur self!!!! pnd is a very horrible feeling. i tried niel med and it helped for a while but then i developed a chronic stuffed nose and ears. not too bad, but annoying. now my doc is sending me to a phyciatrist because of my wieght loss. he thinks im anerexic but my darn throat bothers me a lot and eating is sometimes hard! but he cant find anything wrong.well, God bless you and tell me if you guys find out anything! be strong!

[laaz]

I have been to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota (I am from Wisconsin too) numerous time and all they tell me is to keep doing the nasal rinses twice a day for the rest of my life. He said it may not seem like it is helping but it actually is. Could have fooled me!!!! Does weather changes,fumes, perfumes, cleaning supply fumes bother your nose? Did the acupuncture help at all?  I know what you mean about all the diseases out there and all the lastest technology, and not a damn thing they can do to treat or cure us.  I don't think there is any research being done on this because this is not life threatening.  Well, it sure can make a persons life miserable, depressing , especially knowing that there isn't a thing that can be done about it.  Were you diagnosed with Vasomotor Rhinitis? How and when did your symptoms start up?   Laaz

[bigshooter1001]

Cleaning products definately bother me, especially chemical based versus all natural.  Knowing you are from Wisconsin makes me wonder if it is environmental...I don't think it is however because I have spent fairly lenghthy vacations in other parts of this hemisphere with drastically different climates, that too seemed to offer no relief.  I did spend 2 weeks in Central America last spring and it was truly the best I had recently felt, at least with regards to the mucus.  That visit included a moderate diet change, being that we were in a fairly primative area, we ate lots of fresh fruit and fresh fish.  

The rinses seem to make the odors better for me but they sure are a nuisance.  The acupuncture did not help at all, it did relax me however.  I still am surprised that big pharma doesn't pursue  this ailment.  To them it is all about the money.  Maybe Mucinex was that shot on goal.  I think the mucus is a result of an underlying, host condition.  Treat the host problem and the symptoms it generates such as mucus, hawking, bloating, depression, anxiety, lack of energy, bad breath, anti-social behavior, all should go away.  The million dollar question is, What is the host problem?  

My symtoms (symptoms) seem to have developed after an accident I had about 15 years ago.  I had got into an automobile accident and had snapped my neck and banged my head pretty badly creating some nuerological issues.  After spending a few days bed stricken and on antibiotics, I seemed to be feeling worse so my general practioner ran a series of tests.  My doctor said my white blood cell count was insufficient and dangerously low.  He threw all kinds of ridiculous diagnosis at me.  My memory to the exact diseases is a bit foggy but I think he mentioned Lupus, and various forms of cancer.  After further testing he found that I was allergic to an antibiotic he had given me during my first visit.  A that time, I was complaining of headache, vomiting, stuffy head, body aches and had bouts of nuerological complaints such as curling of the hands and feet.  There is a medical name for this but I forget the exact terminology.  I did obviously have a concussion with more severe nuerological injuries.  I should have sought other medical advice but at the time he seemed to know the answers.  His answer to everything over the years prior to this incident was to persrcibe antibiotics.  So, short story long, it turned out that I was allergic to a sulpha based antibiotics he perscribed me during my first visit after the accident, which caused the white blood cell drop.  I truly have not been the same since.  Shortly after that incident, I developed ongoing skin issues and constant mucus.  So, was this a result of the white blood cell decline, the head trauma and nuerological issues, or was it all a coincidence?  Who knows.  I do know that I took way to many antibiotics, as religiously persrcibed by my doctor for various other ailments,  prior to that incident.   This over the years has lead me to investigate the candidasis angle.  I do believe that the over use of antibiotics in the health care industry has created many new more powerful viruses and diseases.  With all that said, I found a new doctor and believe it or not and several years ago he too did perscribe me an antibiotic he knew I was allergic to treat a severe sinus related bacterial infection.  This was an accident of course.  I became horribly sick and broke out with an autoimmune skin disease called lichen-planus.  He perscribed an antibacterial steriod creme for that ailment which made it much worse.  Trying to tie it all together, I asked him if my immune system could have been permantly altered by over use of and poorly perscribed antibiotics and maybe the excessive mucus and skin issue was an autoimmune response to that altered system.  He said I was being paranoid and my concerns were hogwash.  I no longer see him.  
Sorry about the long post but it's a long drawn out miserable story.  Hopefully this answers your questions. Good Luck again.  Rick.

[niwri20]

Chronic is the issue, all the nose sprays, throat gargles, etc are useless, what I want to know are the terms TERMINAL and CHRONIC the same?

         JIFFY

[Rosewolf]

prolonged use of antibiotics can give u a horrible back up of bad bacteria in ur intestins. this called (candida) can be cured by using colloidal silver. its a natural antibiotic that kills candida w/o killing off all ur good bacteria. also, VERY IMPORTANT, take a lot of probiotics to replenish ur good bacteria in ur intestins. u can eat yogurt to!! its chalk full of probiotics but the lable MUST say active cultures. hope im helping!=)

[Jaco13]

Laaz,

Have you tried the antihistamine nasal spray called Astelin?  It is apparently FDA approved for vasomotor rhinitis.

-Jaco

[laaz]

Yes I tried Astelin, with all the thick post nasal drainage and my eyes get watery, well after I use the Astelin at night, I wake up in the morning and my eyes are not watery but they almost look like the tear film thickened up over my eyes as well as making the post nasal drainage thicker.  I think seriously that I have tried EVERY nasal spray that was ever invented.  My doctor even had a pharmacy make up a special nose spray for me .  The mixture is atropine, ocean nasal spray solution, dexamethasone, which is a steroid. The atropine in the mixture did the same thing to my eye film and the post nasal drainage.  Anyway, I stopped that, it bothered my eyes too much.  I had my doctor order me a sinus nebulizer.  It needs a Rx. which he did, my insureance company did not cover it because I have not met my deductable yet so that cost 165.00 and the medicine which is also a steroid was 35.00 which was covered some by my insurance. This machine is suppose to get up into even the narrowest of spaces.  Probably just dreaming of some relief. One doctor told me that steroids sometimes don't work on Vasomotor rhinitis is because the vasomotor rhinitis is from dysregulation or imbalance of autonomic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system in turn is causing the inflammation but on the inside of the blood vessels or inside the mucosa, something like that., so I guess I'm screwed, seems that way after 6 yrs.   Thank you very much for taking the time to post an answer, very kind of you.       Take care       Laaz

[HelpinLA]

Okay, add another person to the list, but I found a masking solution to help and it might help you as it did for me for about 5 years until I find a cure which doesn't seemt to be available.  

I am going on 6-7 years, lost count.  1/2 of that time the medication I was taking actually helped stop the coughing.  Little did I know it wasn't a cure.

THE BAD:   Ah-Chew..  Ah-Chew worked so well except it put you to sleep, but it worked.  It is no longer available because of financial problems of keeping it available, I guess not enough advertising?

THE GOOD:  ALLERX..  Allerx works GREAT.  A must try, made by Cornerstone Biopharma inc.  The regular form worked for me.  Have your doctor's assistant call them for sample of each to see if they help you.  

Believe me I tried all the prescription drugs available for allergy, They don't work.  Allerx was given to me by one doctor, all the other doctors even other allergist did NOT know what Allerx was.  They only prescibe you the well know, well advertised product.  

Everyone please try it for post nasal drip.  It's a day and night pill.    

Since I've been taken it, it no longer works for me.  I am on another, I actually now mix two different prescription drugs and or over the counter to have it work.  I won't tell you what do I, only can recommend you try what works with you.

Good luck everyone.  Keep me/us posted

[Brigee]

I had the exact same problem with excessive postnasal drip and was given antibiotics, steroid nasal spray, Astelin, you name it, and nothing helped.  Finally, out of sheer desperation, I did some research online and found a product called SinusBuster.  This is a nasal spray which contains all natural infection, bacterial and fungal, fighters, so I decided to give it a try.  I was amazed that, after 12 months of absolute misery, my postnasal drip cleared up within 4 days after I started using SinusBuster.  I do want to warn you that it also contains cayenne pepper, so there is initially a stinging sensation, but that quickly passes.  It is definitely worth a try.  If you can't find it at your local health food store, you can get it online at http://www.sinusbuster.com

Let me know how this works for you!

[1BlueJay]

I'm no doctor, but had also seemed to have way too much post nasal drip just between the ages of 49-50 or so. I chalked it up to one of the many (many!) signs of menopause. Also did online research that pointed me in the direction of candida. My guess is that the condition is part of many things: hereditary, dietary, stress/lifestyle. I can only say that even an "unrealistic" diet may be the only way to go if you really want relief. But I also find help from warm (hot as you can stand it) salt water gargles before going to bed, hot lemonade with about 3 TBSP of honey, and taking Mucinex occasionally. I can sure understand how a severe case of this could cause depression, fatigue and frustration! But I am hesitant to go the prescription drug route due to so many interactions and side effects. Does anyone know if an herbal supplement out there helps? I sometimes think the condition may not be throat-specific so much as systemic.

[hurtinginca]

1.  You were involved in an accident, car to be specific, and snapped your neck.  2.  You have a runny nose.  3.  You have this terrible taste in your mouth.  4.  Often treated for sinus and the like.

This will apply to several other postings:

1.  Did your doctor ever test your silava?
2.  Perhaps MERCURY best describes the awful taste and odor in your mouth?
3.  Did your doctor rule out "spinal fluid leakage" as your nasal drip?
4.  Meds including sprays become addictive, in that you have to spray more often because your nose (eyes, mouth, ears) is now programed to expect it.

Remember George Clooney walked around thinking he had some type of cold/sinus problem also, and he had a spinal leakage.  When the leakage does not stop by itself, that's when surgery is considered.  Check out "THE WOMAN WITH A HOLE IN HER HEAD" on the Discovery channel (and perhaps website) and see if her symptoms are also yours; other posters as well.