Thick clear mucus in throat and sinus

[JJMartin]

Hi all

I'm a first time user of this forum and was seeking some advice on were to next with my sinus/throat issues.

I'm a 28 yr old Caucasian male from Australia with no prior history of sinus or throat problems.

In December I attended my GP with complaints of thick clear 'glue-like' mucus in upper part of my throat that has been causing to clearly my throat excessively to the point where my throat hurt. I was told I have a sinus infection and put on a course of Amoxicillin for course of 10 days. My symptoms did not resolve so I attended my GP again and was put on a course of Clarithromycin for 7 days with no resolve again. I attended my GP yet again who put me on a course of Roxithromycin and Avamys nasal spray for 28 days again with no cure. By this time I started to notice that my sinus was becoming congested. One of my nostrils is now always partially blocked which switches from side to side throughout the day. I was then given antifungal tablets after my GP noticed some white film on the back of my tongue. Again nothing.  I was then sent for a CT scan which show minor mucosal disease confined to the maxillary sinus. The CT also showed a small retention cyst in the left maxillary sinus and a larger retention cyst in the right. I was then referred to an ENT doctor. He examined the CT and put a camera up my nose to look in my sinus and throat. I was told there was nothing sinister but noted secretions on my tonsils. He noted that my tonsils were not swollen however and did not see it as an issue. I was told to continue using Avamys and put on a short course of Cortisone tablets which did nothing. I have since stopped the Avamys as I started to get some blood in my nose which my GP told me was the nasal spray. I stopped the spray and the nose bleeds stopped. Thank god he got this right as I was really starting to freak out. Throughout this whole time I have also been irrigating my sinus with a rinse I got from the pharmacy. When I irrigate nothing comes out but water. It is as if the issue is further back. I can blow my nose as hard and as much as I want but the mucus does not come out of my nose. When I lay down my sinus becomes much more congested. Upon waking in the morning I am completely clogged up and within 30mins of standing I am coughing/hawking up the thick clear mucus. Lately, I have also developed a strange heavy (I'm hesitant to say tingling because it is not quite that) sensation on the bridge of my nose. These seems to come and go throughout the day.

I have another appointment with another ENT to get a second opinion on 24th (these guys are hard to catch).

Can anyone give me any insight in to what is happening with my nose and throat? I have been freaking out on and off that I have cancer or something really bad. Not sure what to do. So far the GP and ENT have offered not diagnosis let alone solution to the problem.

Any help or guidance on what to do next would be very much appreciated.

Thanks
Josh

[Lisak62]

Look up sinusitis fungal disease

[Helping1]

I would suggest you get check for hsv1 and hsv2. You mention tingling that is caused by a virus and is associated with hsv symptoms. I pray that is not the case for you.

[steven1732]

How would HSV 1 impact the sinus cavity to cause the mucus issue and why would you suggest this? I don't believe that this would be a symptom of oral / nasal herpes.

[rajdfrl]

I fully support Mr. Danieltiger's answer. I was heavily suffering from the same problem for the past three years. I got it  checked with Allergy and Asthma expert, who had taken allergy test with 30 different allergens. I was allergic to garlic, onion, citrus fruits and pea nut. Then prescribed antibiotics, antihistamines and immunotherapy. Completed three months course of treatment. RIght now, i am almost alright to 90%.

[samcure]

hi rajdfri i am checking this site as i have same problem it i oct 2017 i am wondering if you are cured now

[BnG79]

Also check for silent reflux. A G.I. doc can help with that.

[BnG79]

Food intolerences. Start eliminating dairy, wheat and sugar

[Twinmom1234]

Hi everyone, I've had the same issues since puberty, now I'm in my mid thirties. I had a scan and it turned out I don't have sinuses above my eyes like 98% of the people and that could partially explain why so much snot drips in my throat. I had my tonsils removed in an attempt to stop my throat infections which happened due to bacteria infested mucus dripping in my nose. That helped somewhat but what I find helps more is preventing stress. I see a strong correlation between stress and the extent to which I'm clogged up and then get sick. While stress affects my health quickly, recovery back to normal takes a much longer time. Also hormones play a large role ; my symptoms got much much worse after I got off birth control / my pregnancy four years ago. It's quite difficult to influence stress and hormone levels altough I'm convinced that they are the most important contributors to the issues I'm having. I have two suggestions that help me cope : a) drink sufficient water to stay well hydrated and keep the mucus as moist as possible b) steam baths really help. A pan with boiling water and a towel to cover yourself above the pan while hovering above it work miracles. If your nose is clogged, use a decongestant and then breathe in through the nose and mouth to moisten the sinuses. Wishing you all good health, greetings from the Netherlands

[razzMeenu]

Check for Papillae in the throat- done by endoscopy

I have the same problem

[razzMeenu]

Check for Papillae in the throat- done by endoscopy

I have the same problem

[Chimaya]

You are an amazing person to share all this information with people. I will always appreciate what you have done
not only for me but for others that are searching in desperation for sinus help. I am amazed how your response to the original comment was right after he said "I pray someone will respond", and you did. God listens and helps us, God sent
you, I will pray for you, that is the best gift anyone can offer anyone. Thanks again for all the information.  Diane

[IFT01]

I have also noticed I'm experiencing something like this, have been for a few years. sometimes I tilt my head back and a thick blob of clear phlegm drains or slides from nasal passages onto my throat (I don't intentionally look for it this way, I just begin to feel it slide with my head tilted up. It's dismaying that the medical community, including specialists do not know anything about this. I'm going to try to see if I can change my diet and get any benefit from that, first I need to change jobs. I would like to know if anyone made progress with this too - IF

[Marco80]

Any news about this? I have the same problem. Wondering if you have any root canal and this could be caused by a tooth infection?

[Folk321]

Have you tried elminating dairy? If not that could be the cause. Dairy causes thick mucus especially if you are intolerant. Could be any number of food items that you are allergic to. Hope you figure it out.

[carbonpro]

hi everyone.
I feel for everyone on here,ive had this problem for 30 or so years.....
and nothing helps.sugery,antibiotics,washing nasals out,nasal sprays.......and so on.
what was everyones outcome......eagly awaiting your outcomes.

cheers

[tofutiger]

Holy crap dude we have the same problem! I also have bile reflux and post nasal drip. For me it was the bile reflux causing gastritis that led me to the doctor and then I started to see him about my post nasal drip which I've had for a long time. Keep in touch so we can share ideas, here's my alt email: ***@****

[tom746]

This will definitely help !!!
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/2322/The-Sinus-Flush

[JJMartin]

Hi there, I am still suffering and now even worse than before. I have had so many tests. They have found I have elevated amylase and elevated IgA. They have also speculated that I may have bile reflux. This is because  Bile was seen in my stomach on endoscope (apparently this is quite common) and a HIDA scan noted "Features of gastric bile reflux". I believe the bile is making its way in to my stomach is also causing silent reflux (LPR) hence the throat and sinus symptoms. I don't know what is causing this. After some searching it is apparently caused by damage to the valve that connects the stomach to the small intestine. The elevated IgA and amylase don't seem to be consistent with bile reflux however. I think there is an underlying cause of the bile reflux that is somehow linked to the elevated IgA and Amylase. I'm still a little in the dark with a proper diagnosis.

[psychso]

Hi, how are you now? I hope all is good or at least you have gotten some answer from the doctor. I also have very thick mucus that i can neither spit out nor swallow whenever my nasal polyps swell up. All the GPs i have seen prescribed Avamys and some nasal decongestant tablets, but the blocked nose and thick mucus keep recurring every few months. The Avamys is also causing bloody snot for me and i will be going back to the GP by end this month. I will likely ask for a referral to the ENT.

[JJMartin]

Thanks John

I haven't been on this forum in a while. I am still having issues. I have ended up at a GI who scoped me and found bile in my stomach. I was given a diagnosis of bile reflux to which these is no cure and can lead to more serious issues. They are still not entirely happy with this either because they found I have elevated IgA, low calcium and low TSH after a full work up. I need to get this all retested in a month. I think they are considering autoimmune disease at the moment. I'm constantly anxious about this. Still not sure what to do. It's really taking its toll on me. I feel completely burnt out.

[northwestUK]

Hiya mate, i found this site through googling because i have a similar situation to yourself. How are you getting on? I've seen ENT and GP's and even tried the antibiotics route and eventually the surgery, shaving a turbinate and widening my sinuses and still i have the clear thick mucus in the throat that needs clearing. Its drove me crazy at times when its at its worst and then its eased a bit only to return. Ive done the sinus rinses too but i feel this only clears the matter temporarily only to return soon after so its only treating and not curing the situation. My ENT said i had Staph Aureus up my nose which could be causing it then after researching it i learned that this bacteria is normal to be in the nose and throat of most people, so i wasnt too confident in what he was saying after that as i felt he was clutching straws.

Something I've stumbled on very recently that may help yourself (im not sure yet as i'm currently trying it myself) is Goldenseal root herbal supplement and Echinacea which is taken together 3 times a day and also 3 drops of Nascent Atomic Iodine in each ear before bed with a cotton wool ball to keep the iodine in the ears while it works overnight. The iodine kills any ear infection that may be triggering the immune system into reacting hence the thick clear phlegm in the throat. I thought i'd mention this anyway mate. Let us know how your situation is and if its any better as it sounded so similar to mine when i read your comments. All the best. John

[JJMartin]

After visiting the ENT yet again I left with no answers. This time I have been sent for an ultrasound of my throat and given reflux medication even though he said there wasn't any obvious signs of reflux. He said I have to take the reflux medication for 2 months and if there is no improvement then come back.

For some reason both ENT's and my GP are telling me the mucus in my throat is normal. While I agree that yes it is normal to have mucus in my throat I don't agree that the consistency should be that of glue. They seem to dismiss this. I'm putting it down to the fact they have no idea or explanation for it. Does anyone know how I should be communicating this to the doctors to make them realise that it is actually an issue and requires an explanation?

I also went back to my GP and demanded a referral a third opinion with an experienced and well know ENT. I told him which ENT I wanted to see after doing some web research. I also demanded that he give me a referral for a CT scan of my throat. My respect for my GP and specialists I have seen is dropping. I don't understand why they can't diagnose me or refuse to take anything seriously. I don't think my GP would have even made the first referral if I didn't demand it. I don't think the specialists would have scoped my throat if I didn't insist. They wouldn't have even ordered the imaging scans that I had done if I didn't insist. These guys seriously need to clean up their act.

[JJMartin]

Thanks for replying to my post. The ENT said I did not have any signs of infection. I have throat pain as well some difficulty swallowing almost like my throat is swollen and presaure/pain in my right ear as well which the ENT said was all due to the nasal congestion.

I saw a second ENT who did a scope but said he couldn't see anything sinister. I'm goung back to the 1st ENT this week to follow up as he said come back if things don't improve. I'm going to ask him for a referral to have an mri of my throat and sinus. it really just feels like my sinus and throat are swollen. Reading the web I'm worries I have throat cancer.and will raise these concerns at my next meeting with the ENT. From what I read it's fairly uncommon in young non-smokers like myself but have read articles about HPV causing it in young adults. Do you think my concerns are warranted? This has seriously been doing my head in. Feeling depressed at the moment :(

[zombie_pikacha]

hopefully someone can answer this
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Ear--Nose--Throat/nose-and-ear-problems-Need-help/show/2109759#post_10016490

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hi, its most likely that all your symptoms are due to sinusitis. If it is a chronic sinus infection, 4-6 weeks of antibiotics are pretty standard in addition to nasal steroid sprays, oral steroids, and salt water irrigations of the sinuses.  If this fails to solve the problem, sinus surgery is usually recommended. Discuss these options with your doctor when you happen to meet him next time. Regards.

[danieltiger]

I've had the same thing for the last few years and the docs were not helpful.  I even had surgery to reduce my turbinates, and while I could breathe through my nose better, I still had the problem with the really sticky mucus.  I know now that it is a food intolerance that can develop later in life, so things you used to tolerate you might now be sensitive to. For me, the problem is garlic and onions (which are in just about everything--sauces, seasonings, dressings) and aged cheeses such as parmesan.  Since these things are so common, I was having this problem continuously without realizing it was my diet. One thing that helps a lot to clear the mucus is gargling with diluted hydrogen peroxide  I highly recommend it.  

[rajdfrl]

I fully support Mr. Danieltiger's answer. I was heavily suffering from the same problem for the past three years. I got it  checked with Allergy and Asthma expert, who had taken allergy test with 30 different allergens. I was allergic to garlic, onion, citrus fruits and pea nut. Then prescribed antibiotics, antihistamines and immunotherapy. Completed three months course of treatment. RIght now, i am almost alright to 90%.