Throat Clearing

[Christytod]

I have been unable to clear my throat for about 2 months.  I have been to the doctor twice in the last month.  I have taken Augementin, Nexium, nasal spray, Albuterol, Prednizone and another antibiotic I can't remember the name of.

I have no other symptoms (NONE) except for not having a clear throat - I try to clear it all day long - some days much worse than others.  I have to assume that after taking all of the aforementioned meds, it can't possibly be lung related - anyone out there have any ideas?  Thanks.

[National Jewish]

Postnasal drip is drainage from the nose and sinuses dripping down the back of the throat.  There could be several reasons for this drainage.  One reason is an allergy.  A second reason is a non-allergic, non-infectious inflammation in the sinuses that can linger after a cold.  A third reason is chronic sinusitis.  Postnasal drip can cause breathing difficulty as a result of irritation of the throat and lungs.  You may experience the postnasal drip as a constant feeling of mucus at the back of your throat.  Typically this is worse at night when you lay down to sleep.  Generally this irritation feels the worst when you wake up and gets better as the day goes on.  The mucus may "sit" there, especially when it is thick.

The fat content in dairy products can thicken mucus.  Generally eating dairy products with less fat content is helpful.  Drinking plenty of water will help to thin the mucus so that it moves more easily.  As long as you are not on a fluid restriction you should be drinking 6 to 8 8-ounce glasses of non-caffeine non-alcoholic fluid daily.  Clearing your throat can irritate your throat and make it sore.  When you feel the need to clear your throat sip some water to clear the mucus.

An antihistamine can dry up the postnasal drip.  However, it may make the mucus thicker and more difficult to move.  A decongestant like SudafedŽ (pseudoephedrine) can thin the postnasal drip and decrease the swelling so it drains easier.  A combination antihistamine-decongestant will do both.  Check with your doctor to see which would help you more.  Often an antihistamine and decongestant are taken only when the postnasal drip gets bad.  It may be more helpful to take the antihistamine and decongestant on a regular basis.

A nasal wash helps remove mucus and germs from your nose and sinuses.  This can temporarily decrease the postnasal drip and lessen the throat clearing.  It is most helpful when done daily before using any nasal spray.  A prescription nasal steroid spray decreases mucus production by decreasing the inflammation of the nose and sinuses.  This may prevent the postnasal drip and throat clearing.  A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms.  It may require several weeks of routine use to become effective.  Sometimes it takes the antihistamine, the decongestant, and the nasal wash followed by the nasal steroid spray ALL used routinely to keep your throat clear of mucus.  Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique.  Share this information with your doctor to see if you would benefit from this daily treatment.

[Lee G]

For months I had what I thought was post nasal drip - constant swallowing and clearing my throat to the point where my throat was sore. I was so tired of swallowing I felt like I was choking. I cleared my throat constantly.  I finally saw an ENT and he used scope - told me I have no evidence of allergies or sinus problems and he suspected in was showing signs of reflux. I have no heartburn or digestive problems. I eat a health diet and exercise. He said sometime patients don't have heartburn, just the throat swallowing, which is "backwash" from stomach instead of drainage from sinuses. He traied my on Nexium but it did not help.

I ended up seeing a Gastroenterologist because my throat would become tight and cause my upper chest area to feel contricted and uncomfortable. There were many days when I could not eat and just wanted to go to bed to relieve the tightness in my upper chest. I had an endoscopy - no evidence of GERDs or reflux. An ultrasound showed many gall bladder stones. They are recommending I have the gall bladder removed and believe my symptoms will go away. The stones may be causing acid imbalance that causes my throat to go into spasm. I plan to have the survey in December. In the meantime I take Protonix (the first of many similar meds I tried that seems to offer relief) but I also take Librax, which relaxes my throat. I take capsule twice a day. I feel pretty good. Swallowing is more normal and I rarely get that constricted feeling in my throat unless I forget to take the pill around lunch time - by 2 or 3 my throat starts tightening up and right away I know I've forgotten to take the pill. All this from what I thought was post nasal drip.

[Ellis7]

The most likely reason for mucus accumulation in throat is postnasal drip. Ask for a referral to an ENT for this one; he can run an endoscope up your nose to check for excess mucus. This would probably be rhinitis. Saline nasal washes and steroid nasal sprays can be effective. See:

http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/allergic_rhinitis.html
Allergic and Non-Allergic Rhinitis

2nd possibility, could be GE reflux.
3rd, could be from the lungs, but less likely.

It sounds like your doctor is using a shotgun approach with drugs. Time to see the experts [ENT, gastro doc]

[ozark]

an endoscopy does not necessarily diagnose reflux...mine was negative but my 24 ph probe showed moderate reflux....i was diagnosed with nonerosive reflux...i am on prilosec............good luck

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