Excessive phlegm and saliva

[grandma40]

For 3 years I have experience excessive thick phlegm when eating to the point of not being able to eat. I am also very hoarse. As a result I have lost 50 pounds.  My family doctor sent me to a gastro doc who checked me out and stretched my esophagus. Said I have a hernia. He sent me to an ENT who sent me to a Speech Therapist.  Needless to say none of this has worked.  At present I take Dexilant for the hernia but I have not noticed any change.  I continue to choke on my food because of the phlegm and now I have excessive saliva that will run out of my mouth.  I constantly keep a kleenex in my hand and at times have stuck it in my mouth to soak up the saliva. Does anyone have any suggestions?  I am desperate.

[whatiswrongmewithme]

I am not a Doctor ,but I have had problem with excessive mucus production for past year or so .I found that Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) helps but today I took some Goldenseal mixed with Echinacea  (be sure to source this from reputable
supplier and also check with your Doctor before taking in case interacts with other drugs or problems)  . I took for first time this morning and can say that with few hours my mucus has normalised and I am no longer spending all my time clearing my throat. This was very profound and noticeable effect but is too early to say whether it will clear all the problem for good.   Anyway for anyone with
excess mucus I would highly suggest trying Goldenseal either on its own or mixed with Echinacea  ,but make sure is good bona fide supplier.

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

I can appreciate your desperation and hope that I can be of some assistance.

I am struck by four of your symptoms:  1) excessive thick phlegm, 2) drooling, 3) hoarseness and, 4) difficulty swallowing with "choking on my food."  One of the first steps should be to determine the source of the thick phlegm.  Is it from the upper or lower respiratory tract or could it be from one or more glands in the throat?  Another possibility would a diverticulum (outpouching) of the throat in either the upper throat (pharynx) or the lower throat (the esophagus).

You have not mentioned any suggestion, by your doctors, that the problem could be neurological. I wonder if it might be.  There are a number of neurologic diseases, most notably Parkinson's Disease, that can be associated with the four symptoms I've listed above.  In addition there are other neurologic diseases that have symptoms that are often seen with Parkinson's Disease.

This is speculation on my part, based on limited information but I believe, worthy of consideration.  I suggest that you mention the possibility of Neurologic Disease to your doctor and request consultation with a Neurologist.  Should you see a Neurologist, I would be most interested in his/her conclusions.

Good luck