Post nasal drip, silent reflux etc.

I have the same symptoms as you. I sit at a desk all day and my job isn't particularly stressful though GPs and specialists have tried to tell me the symptoms are caused by anxiety.

My symptoms started nearly 2 years ago after a virus that had me off work for a week with severe sinus infection after a heavy cold. A lot of other people were off work too for at least a week so it was a bad infection but everyone else got over it, I have been left with the LPR (silent reflux) type symptoms ever since and nothing has so far decreased the symptoms significantly.

I do read the forums on this website as there are a lot of good posts on LPR which although I haven't been diagnosed I suspect I have. Sadly no cure or even effective medication available as yet.

My symptoms are somewhat like yours, the major problems being throat clearing (mostly under control now), chronic cough (under control now) and awful thick post nasal drip/mucus (still have it). I eat according to the Koufman diet and drink alkaline Iceland water.I have read that stress can play a part but that is not my problem nor did I suffer any trauma.

I find if I have to speak a lot then I try not to eat just before. I know that isn't a cure but it is a work around so you can stay functional. Like many of us, I've tried the PPI, H2 blockers. The PPIs made me sick so I hardly gave them a chance. I tried the H2 blockers for a month and a half. Some improvement resulted but nothing worth writing home about.

This is what I'm doing now. and I'm hoping to finally be free of the mucus. I'm sticking with the Koufman diet, the alkaline water (no change there and it has been tremendously helpful) but to tackle the mucus, I'm trying DGL Licorice 2 tablets, 2X per day taken 20 min or so before a meal plus 3 mg melatonin 2 hrs before bed. It all sounds like quackery, but has some science to back it up.

There is a real peer reviewed study about melatonin helping reflux. The DGL licorice is supposed to help thin the mucus according to the NIH. So this is why I'm trying it for a month or so to see if I can beat the last of these symptoms.

I'm not overweight and I exercise regularly so that is not a factor. I can't figure out why so many of us have this! Two of my friends have just been diagnosed with it.

I hope this helps.

Susan

I have experienced much the same as you. I took allergy shots twice weekly then once a week for a decade. Still had problems but not as bad. The constant clearing of the throat and mucus draining down the back of my throat was so irritating. And the tickling and itch that made me cough and gag with each bite of any and all food or dring. ENT doctors were no help and all the antihistamines did nothing much for long. 24 hour allergy  pills lasted sometines only 4 hours. My allergist did tell me to avoid cold liquids and white flour products and all sugars including artificial sweeteners when experiencing severe symptoms. I recently developed a coffee liking and noticed that it always made matters worst, even black coffee. What finally worked and gave me relief was when i made tea in the coffee maker instead of hot coffee. I squitred some lemon in it and voila no more irritation. I stopped all dairy products even my favorite ice cream which was loaded with sugars and cholesterol anyway. Finally after all these years I have relief. Hope this helps.

My ONLY conclusion to how this all started is that I let my diet go.  I was not getting 5 portions of fruit and veg a day, and I was not cooking from from scratch. My diet was good, but not that good!  I think my body simply became too acidic. 

I have done a peptest which confirmed high levels of pepsin, therefore I knew it was LPR.  The only thing that has given me relief from the throat issues has been alkaline water.  I still suffer from post nasal drip, which quite frankly is driving me crazy!  I am about to embark on nasal irrigation (rinse) as I've hear it can really help.   Just weighing up whether to use NeilMed, salt water or alkaline water to do it!