Too much mucous in the throat

[honeycomb]

I too have suffered in the last 5 years from too much mucous in the throat.  I am doing a good deal of research and I am now trying a holistic approach - Apple Cider Vinegar (must be unpasturized/raw/unfiltered/). The dosage is 2 tsp. before each meal or diluted with water and drank during the meal (you'd have to love vinegar to drink it during your meal - o-o-o-o-o no, not me). Anyway, I am giving it a try and will keep you all posted on how this works.  I do know that dairy products product excess mucous so that might be part of the problem.  I have also read where the processing of milk (pasturized/homogenized) may be part of the problem. Of course we all know about the problem with these cows receiving anitbiotics and hormone injections.  Perhaps we should all become vegetarians we might live a longer life.  I am wondering if the byproducts in foods and even the processing of milk etc.. doesn't all this have a strong effect on our systems. Are we suffering because we're not eating the way people used to eat 100 years ago? Could this be the reason why we have these problems, too many additives,preservatives, byproducts etc...?

[National Jewish]

Here are some other ideas that you may find helpful in your holistic approach:  

[imbabsj]

I think I will try your vinegar solution any thing to try to help.  I have had this excessive mucus problem that started out of the blue after getting a sinus infection 2yrago with no previous sinus problems other than a few sinus infections in my whole life. All ENTs Ive seen have been no help so far.Try a allergiest they might help find a problem .  It wasnt mine no allergies.  I've finally been able to get a appt at Univ of Mich ENT dept but not until November.  I could choke to death before then.  I had to fight with my ins. to get the appt. Hey any other holistic ideas let me know I'm open to anything at this point. I'm barely able to leave the house it's so much and so often I have this mucus form and start the coughing and choking problem.
Good Luck to you I hope you get some results.

[mallomar]

I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR THREE YEARS. CONSTANTLY CLEARING MY THROAT. ITS WORSE AFTER I EAT AND WHEN I GO TO SLEEP. ENT DOCTORS SAY ITS ACID REFLUX, GASTRO DOCTORS SAY ITS POST NASAL DRIP. I HAVE HAD THE 24 HOUR PROBE FOR REFLUX.I HAVE BEEN ON EVERY REFLUX MED AND EVERY NASALSPRAY BUT ALL TO NO AVAIL. ANY OTHER SOLUTIONS? HOW WAS THE APPLE CIDER VINAGER WORKING OUT?

[karmakarmakarma]

hey! exact same prob.. its actually relieving to hear that other people suffer from the same thing. there should really be a forum for suggestions for cures n stuf! let us know how the cidar goes! (have u all tried humidifiers before? i have heard this helps somehow... but not sure if i should invest in one.)

[Gina Lynn]

Hi....I'm new to this board~~~~~~I have a hacking problem and I don't know what's wrong with me! I clear my throat in the early AM & early PM for an hour straight ....I don't think it's a tic. My family can't stand being around me...I'm so annoying. What kind of DR. should I see for this matter? Does anyone know??? TY in advanced...Gina

[Jan MS]

Greetings
I too have almost given up! After no help from doctors.. off I went to the health food store.  "Slippery Elm Bark"  Tea and  cough drops.  They give me some temporary relief!! Good luck to everyone.

[kb88]

I have always had this problem along with eating. I'm beginning to wonder if I have vocal cord dysfunction and not asthma...

[Mojowe]

I have had the condition of mucus drainage every night for perhaps 20 years, been tested for allergies, been given various medications with no help for it.  It is so bad when I get up in the morning that I have to cough for several hours to get rid of the thick mucus in my throat.  Guess I'll try drinking water and a friend suggested a tbs. of vinegar a day in a glass of water twice a day, tried that but couldn't get through the whole thing.  If anyone can give me more suggestions, please do!

[peteydooch]

i am so glad that i am not the only one with this problem, not that i wish it upon anybody else, but it is good to know there is support.  i have had this for the past couple of years, when i wake up for two hours of hacking and after i eat, i hack for about an hour or two.  it feels like a lump of mucous stuck in my throat that i can't swallow down.  i am embarassed to go to family functions because i am always clearing my throat and hacking up mucous.  it is clear, so the doc told be it is not a cold or infection.  i am trying the apple cider remedy right now, i will let you know how it works.  i used braggs cider vinegar mixed with water, it doesn't really taste that bad. i will keep you posted if it helps or not.

[Inanga]

i have had problems with postnasal drip for years. I finally got it under control when I realised it was caused by certain foods. For example a small nibble of a chocolate biscuit will make it stream for about 10 mins - a whole biscuit makes me cough for an hour or 2. Of course I avoid such stuff like the plague now and am doing very much better. I had food allergy testing done but it was negative. However the effects are real and the avoidance works. good luck.

[cutiepieshi]

Hallo all
I see everyoe is suffering as much as I am with the secretion of too much mucus in the throat. I never used to expeerience this until one day I had something in my throat that was almost stuck in there. Anyway I went to an ENT in Houston, and he inserted the scope, his explanation was:
Some people experience allergy/sinus symptoms in different ways, my congestion happens in the throat, others in the nasal passage and others have watery eyes, needless to say, he prescibed FluNase or FluNose, with Zytec. This really worked for me althugh I used it just during the allergy season, when I experienced the congestion.
Since I did not want to rely on this medication, I resolved to find other ways to curb this problem, so when I experience this congsetion, I usually go to the steam room for about 10 - 15 at least two or three times within the week I am experiencing the problem, and this works pretty good for me. I have not been there for a while and today has been a nightmare for me with this mucus, so I have to visit the steam room this week.
thanks y'all

[RickGB]

I am with the rest of you, too much mucus.  It feels like something is always in my throat.  Constantly clearing and spitting.  Sometimes it is very thick, others very wet.  Sometimes it feels like it is coming from my lungs, others it feels like post nasal drip, even others it feels as if it maybe coming from my stomach as a result of excess acid or foods.  So is it a universal problem.  Maybe the body is toxic and this is how it choses to communicate? I don't know. I also suffer from skin irritations which have arose since the mucus. There are obviously many people who suffer from this disgusting and consuming problem, so hopefully there is power in numbers and someone will develop a solution to our grief.  My research has sent me to look into yeast over-growth and candida.  Also, this may be a result of an acidic body.  These are both holistic in nature but seem to identify and define the symtoms more so than western medicine.  I have tried ENT's, CAT's, nasal sprays, antibiotics, antacids, fiber cleansing, diet changes, allergy tests, etc.  All of these traditional methods have not helped.  I am thinking of trying vinegar.  Let me know if this has worked for anyone and if so it what regard.  Thanks.  Good luck to all.

[peteydooch]

i did not have any luck with the vinegar concoction, i am sorry to dissappoint any hopeful people, maybe it will work for others, just not me of freaking course!!!!  this is driving me crazy.  i just started a job as a chef at a sorority at cornell university.  the funny thing is that when i get there, i hack for a minute or two, and then i don't really do it the rest of the day, of course i don't dare eat there because i don't want to freak the girls out and turn into mucus man.  i feel like mine and many of the others i have read about may have something to do with certian foods.  i bake bread all the time and when i eat it i hack like crazy, the thing i like best kills me the worst, what crappy irony.  sorry to rant and rave, i, like you all, am just frustrated.  i have an appointment with the ent doc sept 12, i will let you know how it goes.  has anyone ever heard of this nasal irrigation machine you can buy, does it work, some doctor invented it, it shoots water through one nostril and out the other.  keep faithful, peteydooch.

[peteydooch]

i did not have any luck with the vinegar concoction, i am sorry to dissappoint any hopeful people, maybe it will work for others, just not me of freaking course!!!!  this is driving me crazy.  i just started a job as a chef at a sorority at cornell university.  the funny thing is that when i get there, i hack for a minute or two, and then i don't really do it the rest of the day, of course i don't dare eat there because i don't want to freak the girls out and turn into mucus man.  i feel like mine and many of the others i have read about may have something to do with certian foods.  i bake bread all the time and when i eat it i hack like crazy, the thing i like best kills me the worst, what crappy irony.  sorry to rant and rave, i, like you all, am just frustrated.  i have an appointment with the ent doc sept 12, i will let you know how it goes.  has anyone ever heard of this nasal irrigation machine you can buy, does it work, some doctor invented it, it shoots water through one nostril and out the other.  keep faithful, peteydooch.

[mandotim]

just curious....i have only had real bad mucus since my heart attack and congenital heart disease...sure would like to find something besides "bandaids" for this snot!

[twinmom1]

I found this site today and feel some comfort, but sad not to hear of a clear solution to this annoying problem. On an up note, I don't feel like I'm crazy knowing other people have the same problem.I'm a teacher and clear my throat with every other comment. By the end of class, my throat is so raw, yet the nasal drip and conjestion continue. I loose my voice on a regular basis by straining to clear the mucus. I'm going to try the vinegar and see if I'm lucky. Avoiding the wheat and soy may be worth a try as well. I drink a massive amount of water trying to thin the flem, but it doesn't seem to help. I'm open for other ideas.

[imbabsj]

Have you seen A ENT Dr. yet?  They may be able to get to the bottom of your problem.  For me I just had sinus surgery and had a deviated septum fixed.  The surgery is bad I would not recommend it to anyone other than last resort as was my case.  I still have excessive mucus but at least tit doesn't get caught in that deviation and I dont's have to useq tips to pock it through and hack myself to death.  I still hate the mucus I wish I could solve that problem however i have lupus and Dr thinks it's autoimmune involved.  /Anyhow try Mucinex to loosen the phlemg it really does work .  You still have to cough it out but it may help you get it out early in themorning so it doesn't drip all day.  Just a thought.  I also use a saline irrigation pot I bought at Meijer's a store like walmart etc.  you use saline solution in it and it helps flood the junk out your nostrils.  It's gross but it helps. Look for it in the cold and flu remedy ares mine is made by "Salt Aire Sinus Relief"  they have a web site you could check out the product.  I find their solution too harsh and have my Dr. prescribe a nasal solution and it's covered by my ins. too. Good Luck.

[twinmom1]

Thanks for your comments and tips. I do have an appoint on tuesday. In the meanwhile, I'll check out some of your ideas to see if I get any positive results. I live in a very pollutedand very humid area and wonder if it's playing into the problem. Who knows. Again, thanks.

[blue velvet]

I`ve had this problem for 8 years after i had a punch on my nose.I couldn`t breathe proparly throufg my nose and so this overproduction of mucus started. Sometimes i felt like i was  drowning.After an operation to recover my nose the problem was less.But it`s till there. You might be reacting on cigarette smoke or the smug or outlet from cars because that`s especially what i react on.
Still this is not the biggest problem. I have a bad breath and i think it might have something to do with the too much mucous.
ANyone with the same thing?
I hardly dare to breathe in presence of other people,i even avoid being in someone elses presence.

[mitchs3962]

I'm glad I finally did some of my own research!  Like many of you, I constantly clear my throat ... morning, afternoon, evening ... it is irritating to my family AND to me!  I drink lots of water and eat/drink very little dairy.  I've modified my eating habits to eliminate specific foods/drinks to see if that helps ... but it does NOT.  I've seen my MD and an ENT and they suggested Flonase (supposedly they believed my condition to be allergy related), but this did NOT work either!  Is anyone aware of any medication that can help?  I've read the "vinegar" treatment in some of the comments and I will definitely try that (why not, it can't be any worse than CONSTANTLY clearing my throat!!).  In fact, it is so bad that people I know have approached me in the store from aisles away saying "I thought I heard you" .. they can identify me from the throat-clearing! If anyone has any idea on remedies (medical, holistic or otherwise) or other forums for information, I would greatly appreciate the information. It's a good thing we don't all live in the same place ... my family can only take one "hacking" individual!  Thanks in advance for any and all help/information.

[snicss]

Hi all,
I am a otherwise healthy 33 year old. I can sympathize with all of you with this throat clearing issue. I have been clearing the right side of my throat for 3 years and no one has figured it out. I only feel the mucous draining on one side of my throat and I have an expiratory wheeze on the right side as well as globus. I have been to 4 ent docs, gastro docs, pulmonary docs, endocrine surgeons and have has ct scans of chest and sinuses, mri of throat, chest x-rays, ultrasounds, 2 24hour pHprobes, 3 bronchoscopies, thyroid nodule biopsies, upper gi endoscopy, methacoline breathing challenge tests, laryngoscopy etc. I have been to top docs in Laryngeal Reflux and Cough have been told that symptoms from this usually present from both sides of the throat. I am so frustrated as I feel like I can never fully clear my throat on the one side!
The only thing they can suggest is antireflux and post nasal drip meds. Does anyone else out there only have these symptoms on one side of the throat only???????

Please let me know, I am considering having the thyroid nodule removed because I am wondering if this is causing me to feel the sesations in my throat worse than they actually are....

snicss

[millie40]

Hi there
I also have a one sided problem with mucas in throat.  When I wake up in the morning there is loads of it in the back of my mouth, and depending on which position i sleep in, sometimes it is in my lung as well.  My right side is unaffected completely, but my left side is never free from it.  It started in june 2004, and it also affects my left tonsil.  They are swollen and have those nasty smelling white/cream lumps on them.  If i manage to get out the mucas before is slides behind the tonsils too far then it is clearish and does not look infected, but once it has gone past a certian point in the back of my throat it then becomes very difficult to remove unless i tilt my head and neck at an unusual angle.  When it does finally come out it does have brown spots in it.  Ihave no chest pain or breathlessness, but chest often feels tired from all the effort.  I left side of my face feels very clogged up, but not painfull, although i get earache and sore throats on the affected side, and have experienced at least one cold a month since it started, whereas before i would have two colds a year if i was unlucky.  So glad to hear someone else with a onesided problem.  P.S mine is thick like glue - it dosent drip at all  -post nasal slide perhaps?

[ponyboy]

I've been dealing with this for years as have others in my family...  I'm surprised to see so many others apparently have the same symptoms. I thought surely there'd be a simple answer to this.  After eating I have about 30 minutes of hacking all of which is unproductive in terms of actually coughing something up.  I do have the constant PND it seems and that, I've thought, is the source of the excess mucous.  I think drinking water makes sense and I have had some relief drinking/sipping really hot water (be careful).  I hope you will continue to keep posting your comments and experiences--there has to be a solution out there somewhere!

[winston25]

I'm so surprised everyone is having the same problem that I've been having -- and thought I was the only one with this odd problem.  Through google I'm amazed of all the things I could find in the world.  

I still have not found any permanent solution to the excessive mucus but i've found some things that help relieve my symptons.

When the sympton first appeared my sinus was a mess (could not breathe) and i was coughing constantly due to post nasal drip.  I started abusing over the counter "Duration 24" i used this for 4 months plus everyday.   i then finally decided that if i continue doing this i will eventually find myself having cancer of some sort relying on this chemical. the lable says clearly do not use for more than 7 days.

While not a fan of doctors, I went to see a ENT and an allergist.  The ENT was pretty much "useless" as far as identifying the problem.  the allergist decided to cut a piece of muscle from my thigh to do more testing and turned out i was allergic to rabbites.  whatever.  it was a waste of time and insurance money.

I then did some research on the web and found out a list of drugs i would like to try.  I went to my family doctor and convinced him to get me the following medicine: flonase, nasalcrom(recommended by doc/over the countr), claritin D12 (the one without D doesn't work. this is now over the counter as well), and Singular (my latest finding that works well) -- but still these are all drugs.  and i'm all about not taking the drugs if there's a natural way to drain these annoying mucus.

Someone introduced me to Yoga.  I don't really care for it but this one basic stand if you give it a few minutes, will completely drain out your sinus.  this acutally works and i do this once in the morning and once at night.  this is about the only 2 times in a day that i can breathe with both of my nostrils.  here's the link... for all those looking for a non drug temporary relieve, this is it!

http://www.sivananda.org/teachings/asana/shoulder.html

remember, you have to give it at least 3 minutes to work it out of the system.  i don't actually follow the instruction to keep my legs straight.  whatever is comfortable, the trick is you form a L shape with your head and chest.  might seem hard to breathe for awhile and blood kinda rush to your head but it definately completely drains out all your musus/sinus problems.