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

Commonalities... if you travel a lot around the US you get exposed to many different areas and conditions, I drive everywhere and love to have the window open. The mucus runs down the back of my throat. If I don't clear my throat it starts into my lungs and can send me to the ER for drugs to open and clear my lungs. I take Flonase now and it seems to slow it down, but I'm dependent on taking it. Without it I fill bags with tissue every day. 

On traveling I've noticed one thing- there is a type of haze or smog that has developed and has gotten worse through the years, if you are driving over the grapevine to LA then you will see it's very thick- even if there doesn't seem to be anything that is normally associated with my particular allergies, this haze starts it right up anywhere I run into it. I've seen it in cities and in rural areas. 

I've not taken any medication that has been able to stop it completely.

Now, I can't swallow pills, they can get stuck, so I have to crush them.

I'm tired all day during strong allergy attacks, not just due to the benedryl, which btw caused me and others I know to be extremely irritable and I don't recommend to the married people. 

It's true, most people don't understand the hell of enduring the allergies, where someone that is less than social or intelligent can't get that you cannot stop clearing your throat so they throw a fit about it. You feel like you should sit in the back of a restaurant, but even then you can run into someone more like the Hound from GOT's, who isn't smart enough to figure out that's why you are sitting in the back. 

I used to go into grocery stores and could hear if someone was like me, coughing and clearing their throat. 

It's not enough to completely devastate your life, it's just bad enough to make you miserable and those around you miserable because at times whatever is in the air makes it to where you can't even think. 

Cancer can kill you, but this isn't cancer- it isn't merciful, and ruins marriages and peoples lives. It is also socially unacceptable, isolating it's victims. I take supplements and haven't found anything that comes close to being powerful enough to stop this. 

No sandbaggers please- if you don't have this problem don't make things worse for the person that has it, believe me they already know how it effects others- empathize and try to understand they may not be able to get rid of it. 

I too am a chronic sufferer of the thick mucus. I also have one tonsil/adenoid that feels swollen and blocks my eustachian tube which makes it difficult to hear. I do not constantly cough as of yet but have been caught hocking up mucus. I try to go to the restroom or car. I was told it was re-flux, allergies etc. etc., no medication clears it up completely. I did find if I hold my head upside down, right as I spray flonase it helps more than holding my head upright. I have recently begun losing a lot of hair almost 2/3 in under a month. I hope there is somebody out there that can help.  Reading your posts have made me nervous as to how bad this can get. If I find anything I will post it here. Thank you for sharing!

Hi Derekjp

I also have this mainly in my nose. I found out recently I have a pituitary Gland issue that does not release a cortisone that my body needs to keep my blood pressure to 80/56, which causes me to pass out. Long story short, I've been placed on a medication to correct it. This medication has allot of side effects and this started once I started taking it. Fludrocortisone is the med. I've been on nuerontin before and that is a bad boy pill. I had massive anxiety attacks and went into a deep dark depression. Mind was confused and couldn't think clearly. Be careful with this pill. All symptoms stopped once I got off of it. I hope you are able to find an answer. I'm using two different natural pathetic approaches which help immensely. One of called RC and the other is called tea tree. I rub RC on chest and dab q-tip with and apply in nose. It really makes allot of difference. The oils come from Lemon dropper. They are the best. Hope you have a nice day and are healed quickly from your symptoms.

I've had exactly the same thing for 1 year and a half, and as you, I am completely desperate. Same experience with doctors, both GI and ENT. It started during a stressful period in London. I even moved back to the US thinking it would go away. I chew a lot of gum (as it simulates to some extent the eating that actually helps) and try not to speak to much. Also, instead of clearing the throat I try to swallow repetitively as hard as I can, I feel this saves me from going into the infinite coughing/ throat clearing cycle.

As Alison said, I could have written your post as well and I feel how awful this thing is. I'm yet to read all the comments to see if somebody has found the causes or most importantly a solution and then will comment again.

Hey,

I’m new here and just signed up after reading this. For the past year I’ve been suffering from something similar. I feel thick mucus running down my throat to the point where I have to  swallow  or clear my throat every  5 seconds. Sometime I can get by with it, other times it’s so bad I have to leave work because I can’t concentrate. I found that the more I talk during the day the worse it gets. I’ve been to my ENT over 6 times and they tell me it’s nothing serious( which drives me crazy) or that it’s all in my head. I’m diagnosed Bipolar so they just assume it’s mental. I’ve tried so many things to get rid of it and nothing. I bought a MyPurMist and that helps a bit while I’m using it, but it’s back the minute I turn it off. I’ve used sprays and flushes with nothing. I’ve been  prescribed  klonopin which only make me not care as much about it, but I can’t do my job on that.

I’ve also tried Kratom, which again lessens the feeling but is not a long term answer as it can get addicting.  My ENT mentioned a  deviated septum so I’m wondering if any has went under surgery to fix this? In the past (7+ years ago) I was a stupid kid that used drugs  that may have caused this, but it’s been so long since. I also quit smoking about 2 years ago. Just curious if anyone found a surgical way to treat this or has similarities to my history.

My gums started bleeding and being painful when I brushed and flossed back in Jan 2017, along with small blisters developing in my mouth. Dentist treated with a 2-week course of a steroidal mouth rinse. Got some relieve. Then in March, was diagnosed with bad case of thrush. Finally cleared up in May with a long course of Diflucan.

During the intervening time time, I developed a thick mucous, brownish-tan in color, very stringy and very sticky. Even thought it might have been fungus dying off from the trush infection. It started not being too bad, but by mid-May I was spending 10-15 minutes every hour or two around the clock at the sink rinsing my mouth and getting rid of the mucous. I also lost my voice, I could barely get out a whisper.

In June, the mucous turned bloody. It was a dark red at first, but by early July, I was rinsing bright red blood from my mouth along with the thick mucous. My wife even made me quit driving because I needed to keep clearing my mouth and throat into a spit cup so often, even when in the car. The mucous and a swelling trachea made it difficult to breathe by late July.

At a follow-up visit in late July with the ENT (who had not been much help up til then), I related that the skin on my chin ripped off easily a few days earlier when I moved my chin from my knee after resting my head on my chin. He quickly thought I might have pemphigus vulgarius (a pretty rare condition) and he called in a dermatologist. They took biopsies from my chin and mouth which confirmed his diagnosis a week later.

Pemphigus vulgarius is an auto-immune condition which causes the skin to layers to separate, form blisters, the top layer of the blister comes off, and the resulting sore bleeds. It occurs in most patients' mouth and throat before moving to the exterior skin, as in my case. The dermatologist told me that the thick mucous was the body's way of trying to trap and get of that skin and blood.

They started me on a course of prednisone, 40 ml for five days and 20 ml for another five days while waiting for confirmation from the biopsies. It helped a lot. Most of the bleeding stopped and the mucous got a lot thinner. I am able now to go for several hours during the day, and have only a goo form in my mouth that only required a few minutes at the sink to rinse during the day. At night, I started using a suction machine and am able to suction out my mouth. I only need to a few times a night.

Currently undergoing round of two infusions of Rituximab. Pemphigus vulgarius does not have a cure, is fairly deadly if not diagnosed and treated promptly, and is only managed. Sharing this with you because this is about the only place I found that any real info on thick mocous and thought my experience might help someone, especially if they have pemphigus vulgarius.

I've been suffering with the same thing that you described at the top. The only difference with mine is that the mucus is yellow. Always yellow and very thick. I've had it ever since I could remember. I've thought about my adenoids but I had those taken out along with my tonsils when I had surgery to fix the constant strep throat infections and tonsillitis. I really wish I could get into see a doctor but I can't afford it and my parents refuse to help pay for anything (College is hard). I just dont know what to do anymore. I can't stop taking my medications...

Hi derekjp,

I just posted a very similar issue.  I feel for you as I feel the same way...getting depressed over this. I live in my NOSE,  Mine too is relieved some when I lie down flat or on my left side which is the affect side. Let's hope there is some help out there. 

Hi derekjp,

I just posted a very similar issue.  I feel for you as I feel the same way...getting depressed over this. I live in my NOSE,  Mine too is relieved some when I lie down flat or on my left side which is the affect side. Let's hope there is some help out there. 

I made an account just as well to mention I've had the same issue.

My sister got me sick 6 months ago. After 2-3 weeks I felt much better however. I keep having this mucus or pleghm on the back of my throat. I can just feel it and it feels like a big blob that won't move. I feel like I spit it out but then it just appears on my throat again.

It's always clear

I don't feel it when I'm chewing gum or laying down on my side like the others

I've started using nasalflo or something like that and started drinking orange juice. Still nothing really changed

I've never had this problem til  and it's really annoying. I've taken mucinex and it dosent really help too much