Constant Hacking

[Dedeye]

I have been constantly hacking up phlegm and mucous for 4 yrs. now and it is a very debilitating problem for me and has greatly reduced the quality of my life.  I used to smoke a lot of marijuana to help cope with my social anxiety issues but the problem is I was born with asthma.  This obviously did not make for a good combination.  Even though I could barely breathe at times I still smoked the marijuana until it got so bad I had to rush to the University clinic and get hooked up to the breathing machines various times.  
Finally, I decided to stop and ever since I stopped I have been constantly hacking....I mean all day hacking....it's horrible and very embarrassing.  I often go to the bathroom or get away from people to hack because it's so socially embarrassing.  However, if I don't hack this phlegm out of my mouth it sits in my throat or dries up and I feel as though I'm chocking and it's hard to breathe and I often feel very hot.  
I've been to several ENT Doctors and had 2 different Deviated Septum surgeries to help the breathing through my nose but neither has really helped.  I've taken nose-spray's and pills to reduce mucous but nothing seems to work.  I use a sinus-rinse a few times a day to help with my allergies but I'm just at a loss on how to finally put an end to this problem so I can start enjoying my life again.  
I mean I'm a 4 yr. College Graduate who's delivering pizza's because I can't do what I want in life because of this problem.  I often can't talk for long periods of time because when I do mucous builds up and I have to hack it out.  I want to be a teacher (which is what my degree is in) but I can't achieve this until I solve this problem.
I've been told by one doctor my lymph nodes on the left side of my throat are quite swollen and that this could cause throat problems.  I'm gonna continue seeking the remedy to this because I can't just give up and be miserable forever.
Is there any suggestions you could give me?  I'm just at a loss.
  

[steven990]

A related discussion, in response the National Jewish Health was started.

[National Jewish Health]

What you describe and have experienced is not rare.  That is, worsening of cough following cigarette smoking cessation.  This is apparently due to the fact that smoking conventional cigarettes diminishes the sensitivity of cough receptors in the throat and, with cessation, the sensitivity of these receptors is enhanced and cough occurs with less stimulation than was required to initiate cough, while smoking.

You probably have chronic bronchitis due to marijuana smoking and, with the cough reflex no longer suppressed, you cough much more than in the past.  The mucus is simply a sign of chronic inflammation of the airways.

This inflammation is of a different type than the inflammation seen with asthma, yet you still might benefit from the use of medicines used to treat asthma such as a long-acting bronchodilator, such as, Serevent® Inhalation Aerosol (salmeterol xinafoate) along with an inhaled steroid, such as Flovent® Inhalation Aerosol (fluticasone propionate), the combination of the 2 is available as Advair® HFA (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol) Inhalation Aerosol.

Whatever you do, do not resume smoking.

Chronic smoking can also cause inflammation of the sinuses.  You may want to have your doctor check for chronic sinusitis as this can be caused by cigarette or pot smoke and is a common cause of cough.

Good luck.