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2 years of throat clearing, thick mucus and post nasal drip sensation (allergy/reflux/nerve?)

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derekjp
derekjp

Hello,

Suffering for 2 years with sensation of thick mucus stuck at the back of the nose, which I'm often able to hock up out of my mouth (clear but very "snotty" and like thick glue when it's in a tissue).

Sometimes it gets in my throat and I often clear my throat all day long too. I guess this is post-nasal drip, but not watery or thin (like you apparently get from an allergy), it's very thick and feels awful like a lump or glob that won't move, until I hock it up, but within minutes it's back again...

Tried all reflux and allergy medications (double-dose PPIs, steroid sprays, allergy RAST tests, antihistamines, singulair, antihistamine sprays, nasal irrigation, gastrocopy, multiple nasal/throat endoscopes, sinus CT scans), and they can't identify the problem... All of my symptoms disappear completely, when I eat or lay down with my head to either side (which I find very odd! Equally, if I take pseudoephridrine (oral decongestant), my symptoms go too (but I know that's not a long term option).

Anyone ever dealt with anything similar or know what to suggest next?I've been thinking of self-treating with amitriptyline (10mg at night) and gabapentin (100mg 3x per day), to see if this is a hypersensitivity/nerve issue. I have absolutely no other symptoms and can't live much longer like this, it's completely ruined my life and things are just getting worse sad

Thanks for any help at all.

15 likes, 758 replies

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  • HeyJoy
    HeyJoy derekjp

    Posted

    I've had similar the past several months. It started after a cold that just never completely went away. I've kept taking guaifenesin with a decongestant or antihistamine to help, and it decreased somewhat... but every time I eat I get this thick mucus plug at the back of my throat that threatens to choke me. I try to hawk it up to spit out, or to swallow it down (yuck) and it just comes back every time I eat. Seems worst- really bad, where I feel I'm drowning and choking in it, while a thick sticky film covers my esophagus- with grains, crackers, veggies but still occurs with almost everything else too, except grapefruit juice, clear broths, tea or water. I am currently on amitrypilene and had been taking nortriptilene but my dr thought the nortriptilene might be causing the exceedingly dry mouth I've had, and maybe a response to that is what's triggering the mucus. Anyone else have this experience? Meanwhile I've just started the amitriptyline so we'll see if that makes any difference. Third is a very unpleasant way to lose weight guys. I'll let you know if the switch helps.

    • perry37168
      perry37168 HeyJoy

      Posted

      I have the exact same thing after a normal cold 4 years ago it’s never gone away. The thick mucas on the back of the throat has just been getting worse and worse for years. Have you tried the apple cider vinegar ? 
    • HeyJoy
      HeyJoy perry37168

      Posted

      I guess I'm lucky compared to many here. It rarely bothers me at night; seems triggered mostly when I eat anything- then I hawk and spit for hours, guess it's good my only housemate is a cat lol as I'd hate to be around me! I haven't tried the vinegar (yuck) but doing a saline flush sometimes helps briefly, and sometimes grapefruit juice seems like it's cutting thru the mucus. Initially guafenesin helped but last few months it seems to do nothing. I'm wondering if it's just coincidence that it seemed to worsen when I started the notriptilene, which gave me extreme DRY MOUTH. (I'm now on amitriptyline instead in hopes it will not give as much dry mouth but so far it seems the same, as does the mucus.) But my doc is worried if I go off the triptilenes entirely my migraines will come back. Sheesh. Guess I'll try the cider vinegar.

      STILL IT SEEMS LIKE MOST OF US SHARE SIMILAR SYMPTOMS AND THAT THERE MUST BE SOME UNDERLYING COMMON CAUSES. AND ALL WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO ALLEVIATE SYMPTOMS WHILE WAITING/HOPING RESEARCHERS WILL IDENTIFY SOME CAUSES AND TARGET SOME CURES!

    • nita28209
      nita28209 HeyJoy

      Posted

      MINE started after a 4 month long cold, which daughter and grandson had too, only their mucous went away. 
  • john26164
    john26164 derekjp

    Posted

    i have had similar issues, except my snot is green / brown from my nose and when i cough / clear my throat sometimes it comes up is chunks or light brown. Steroids help clear this, but of course you cant use these long term, I have been allergy tested, been to ENT who prescribe more steroids etc etc. I have tried natural remedies Apple cider vinegar and honey in nose flush etc with little success. My GP recently said i had a bacterial infection from my blood tests and put me on a long dose of antibiotics which cleared the infection and then put me on a new drug out called singular which has 80% solved my issues. I still have to clear my throat now and then but only 10% of what i used to and no snot from nose of lungs. Life is much better for me now Hope this helps.
    • HeyJoy
      HeyJoy john26164

      Posted

      Yuck! Glad you're getting over the green/brown nasties- definitely signs of infection. Mine is just thick, sticky, slick and white or clear. Mostly annoying and of course makes me obnoxious to be around, but not of major health concern like other conditions. Good luck to you.

    • nita28209
      nita28209 john26164

      Posted

      Since mine began after a 4 month long cold, I have often wondered about an ongoing infection. 
    • HeyJoy
      HeyJoy nita28209

      Posted

      Usually with infection you'll have signs like dark colored mucus (yellow, brown or green) throughout the day, not just when it's been collecting overnight or for long periods of time. Also with infection symptoms include feeling run-down, sometimes fever, and often a foul smell, tho it is hard for us to smell it ourselves as we are culturing it and become used to it. My mucus is usually clear or white or takes the color of the food I'm eating or drinking that causes me to produce the phlegm. I rarely get it without the trigger of eating or drinking. Of course I do each of those things many times a day so it's always being triggered. But you should make sure you see a medical professional if you have any of the above mentioned symptoms and suspect an infection may be the cause of yours. I'm sure in my case it's not as I had pneumonia following flu in January and had 2 courses of antibiotics. This doesn't feel like I'm 'sick' - just 'gloppy' and phlegmy, with a dry nose and mouth if that makes sense.

  • Lurcecita
    Lurcecita derekjp

    Posted

    Hi everybody! I found this post like all of you but in my case a I’m not an English speaker (sorry for my English, i will try to do my best). I was desperate and I started to search in an other language. 

    I also feel there is something stuck when I swallow ( like an incomplete swallow) that feels really uncomfortable. I always tray to swallow something that isn’t really there. Sometimes I open my mouth and I see mucus, but most of the time there is nothing and I stay in front of the mirror with my mouth open Investigating where is. Does someone feel the same? I trayed a lot of things (Nexium, antibiotics, antihistamine, fluticasone, antiallergic, antidepressant, ansiolitics etc). I’ve been going throug this since a year and a half and ruined my life =(

    Hope someone could understand 

    • adrian222
      adrian222 Lurcecita

      Posted

      Hello,

      My case is very similar. 4.5 years with this problem, have tried many medicines (antireflux, anti allergic, etc.) to no avail. My life has changed drastically due to this, and so I'm looking for solutions. This started when I was 31 after a throat infection. Lucercita, may I ask where are you from? I'm from Spain.

      Regards

    • raven0801
      raven0801 Lurcecita

      Posted

      Hi lucercita, I have the same problem. I did all the tests and found nothing. There’s such thing called Globus Sensation caused by anxiety, but mine is not like a globus and it’s not around my Adam’s apple, it’s like gluey mucus and it’s way upper. It feels terrible when I swallow my saliva or drinking water and sometimes I get scared of choking.

      Questions:

      - where is your “mucus/phelgm”stuck at? Mine is between the back of nose/soft palate and the back of throat.

      - do you have dry nose and dry throat?

    • Lurcecita
      Lurcecita raven0801

      Posted

      Hi raven! I also thought about globus but mine isn’t at Adam’s apple neither, and I also went to the psychologist and many psychiatrist and they gave me prozac and xanax (I still take the fluoxetine) and anything worked. My sensation is very similar to yours (phelgmy) but gets better when I am laying down; I feel I swallow ok when I am in bed or with my neck like that. Sometimes this sensation changes... maybe one day I feel like a constant post nasal drip and I am convinced that is all about my sinuses, and other day I fell like the mucus is stuck in the throat and I wonder if it is swallowing problem.... I feel tired of this! 

    • raven0801
      raven0801 Lurcecita

      Posted

      I also get a little bit relief when I lay down (but only in some “perfect position”) and the “mucus” moves up and down sometimes but most of time it’s stuck in where my nose meets my throat. 

      I was thinking if I’m going to start with anti-anxiety medication. You said they didn’t work for you? How long have you been on those drugs?

    • HeyJoy
      HeyJoy raven0801

      Posted

      Anti-anxiety meds do nothing for mine, and mine sounds just like yours, Raven and Lurcecita. Both the sensation and the location. And it started after a cold that wouldn't go away. Does eating or drinking make yours worse?

    • nita28209
      nita28209 HeyJoy

      Posted

      Mine started after a cold lasting 4 months. 
    • raven0801
      raven0801 HeyJoy

      Posted

      Hi, mine get worse after eating, and it feels really uncomfortable when I’m drinking liquid or swallow my saliva.
    • Lurcecita
      Lurcecita raven0801

      Posted

      I took Xanax 0.25 three times a day  for one month. The throat sensation was the same and I started to feel more tired and sad. Psychiatrist cuted the xanax and replaced this for a double dose of fluoxetine. Now a day I am better about the depression (caused by this) but I still taking 40 mg of fluoxetine. I would like to know if some of you have been taking antidepressants for many years, because in my case due to a childhood anorexia i was taking fluoxetine for almost 20 years and al this feeling started after a few monthes I stoped taking this drug. I went to a neurologist and he told me that may be this feeling is a kind of dyskinesia (neurological condition) caused by some drugs.
    • tom78394
      tom78394 Lurcecita

      Posted

      Do you get a lot of phlegm in your throat?

      When my throat gets a lot of phlegm in it ,it will feel constricted and then I will feel anxious and nervous. When I hack it out, I feel so much better.

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