brown mucus in the morning from throat and occasionally mild ear pain
Posted , 32 users are following.
Hi, for the last month I have been waking up in the morning with a lot of irritating mucus in my throat, I have to hack it up and too my big surprise it's brown.... Almost dark brown! Shock! it's only in the morning! The rest of the day I also have a lot of throat mucus but it's clear... occasionally I have some ear pain.. mild.. That has been going on for probably 2 months.. I have been to a ENT 3 times and he scoped me through my nose down to my throat and says everything looks normal.. He looked me in the ears and it looks fine as well.. So I'm thinking what the hells is going on?? I'm so freaked out about this.. that it might be something serious... I don't see how brown mucus is normal so there is obviously something wrong?? Has anyone experienced anything like this?
1 like, 67 replies
hope2017 louise12570
Posted
Hi Louise. Wanted to reply to you as I'm getting the brown phlem and it cleared up temporarily with an antibiotic, it's just came back after a week of not taking them. I know it has been a year since you last posted but was wondering if you have any answers yet? I have some sort of viral throat infection - inflamed tonsils on both sides, a little pain(mild every few days) on both sides including the back of my throat and I forgot to mention a little ear pain in both ears. Also the roof of my mouth above tonsils is bright red. I also am getting a lot of acid reflux, especially after eating.
This all started with a soar throat early September 2016. Got throat swab results and I was clear(apparantly showing no bacterial infection) but apparantly a viral infection can be still present where there's no treatment. It's confusing as antiobiotics have no effect on viral infections yet my brown phlem disappeared until today so I must have a bacterial infection somewhere, maybe deeper into my throat as they only swabbed my tonsils.
I also have a skin tag that appeared on the skin between my tounge and inner cheek on the right which they are doing a biopsy on along with exploring my throat deeper with a camera.
I'm so worried. Would appreciate any reply, especially if you have any answers yet.
Xpact hope2017
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hi hope. this is the same with me. I tried anti biotics but after few days of a week the brown phelgm comes again. I tried neti pot but it's also the same the phelgm keeps coming back. I hope someone will post with same situation and what they did to cure this.
hope2017 Xpact
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Thank you for reply Xpact. So weird that the antibiotics worked briefly for both of us but then in came back. I started with a sore throat. I cleared all the brown stuff last night but when I woke up this morning I spat out(no coughing or hacking) and there it is again so it's definately coming from my throat like yourself. What do you think about the post nasal drip idea? I'm considering this. Speaking to my doctor today and will mention it. Has your doctor entertained the idea? Do you have inflamed tonsils too? Hope people see this and post their ideas. Wish you all the best.
Hope
Xpact hope2017
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Xpact hope2017
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hope2017 Xpact
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Hi Xpact. Been to see consultant doctor today. I mentioned post nasal drip and acid reflux and brown phlem. She agreed this could be the cause of my sore throat and phlem. She examined my throat and said that the skin tag is "totally benign" which is such a relief! She also put a camera into my nose and down my throat much deeper than the last time(I had to swallow it, all clear, nothing there)! So relieved that it's nothing serious. So I no longer have to have a general anesthetic or biopsy as I practised keeping my tounge flat when I examine my own throat and she got a good look deeper this time.
Could your polyp in your sinus be causing the acid reflux and post nasal drip? How did they find that? How could they remove that(not really sure where our sinus's are located)? I believe that I have a sinus infection now which could be causing all this but no way of proving it.
I have been given 15mg Lansoprazole to take before meals and Gaviscon to take after meals. I also have to flush my nasal passage with a syringe making a salt water and bicarbonated soda solution myself, have to do this all for 6 weeks. Hopefully with the acid eliminated from coming up through my throat I will no longer have post nasal drip, sore throat or brown phlem, fingers crossed.
Have you tried these medications to eliminate the acid from reaching your throat? Do you still have a sore throat? Hopefully we can find answers together.
hope2017 Xpact
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Yes, it's finding the cause. I started out with acid reflux before I got the sore throat, then after sore throat came the skin tag, after skin tag came brown phlem. So antibiotics are killing a bacterial infection somewhere temporarily but it keeps coming back for some reason. Maybe a sinus infection? Who knows?
Xpact hope2017
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The ent's explination was the brown mucus or infection will always comeback if there is always significant amount of mucus. Which is caused by other factors. Keep us updated here if you find a cure for this.
Xpact hope2017
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I tried omeprazole for my acid refulx for 3 months. but the doctor said that the real cure for acid reflux is changing the eating habit. avoid coffees dairy products etc. I don't know if my polyp is the one causing it but i read some articles in the internet that it is a posbility. nasal flush is really helpful im doing it now and it lessens the bown mucus but the sticky mucus is still there in the morning. When do you do your nasal wash in the evening or in the morning?
hope2017 Xpact
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My throat is still really red and started to get more sore today, noticed white spots too so it's definately infected. When in was swabbed they said I was clear meaning no bacterial infection. Antibiotics had no effect on the sore throat as it must be a viral infection I have where there is no cure. But the brown phlem stopped? I was taking Rennies(ant acids) at the same time so maybe that was why the brown phlem stopped as I had no acid? Not sure, could be a combination of the two.
hope2017 Xpact
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Did not get any brown phlem today and I've been taking 15mg Lansoprazole before meals and Gaviscon after meals. Looks like the acid is causing this. Haven't started washing my nose with salt and bicarb of soda with water yet, wanted to see if medication would work alone and it is. Hoping now I have no acid that my throat will heal, it all began after I was getting increased acid. Maybe I should try and avoid foods that trigger acid once I come off this medication. Really hope it will heal, I have six weeks worth of medication prescribed.
Did the Omeprazole get rid of the acid completely when you were taking it? Did it also get rid of the browm phlem when you were taking it? Have a feeling once I stop taking it, the brown phlem will come back.
Xpact hope2017
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hope2017 Xpact
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cameron1984 louise12570
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Hi there, ive been a smoker for 15 years , and that includes ciggarettes, Cannabis and most recently, Cannabanoids or legal highs as there often known as, with me smoking between 8 and 15 a day since i was 16, ive been coughing up a black, brownish mucus for pretty much the past 10 years , 90% of it happens within the first hour or two of waking up , so its mostly whilst ive been in the shower in the morning and ive always just thought it was down too my body getting rid of all the tar and crap ive been smoking the day before, which of course i thought was a good thing as i was expelling all the garbage, but its recently got much worse and ive not smoked any weed or CBDs in almost a year now, only Cigarettes , and roughly 12 a day at the moment. i had childhood asthma and was often hospitalised as a child but my peak flow readings have been great ever since i am a good weight for my age and height, around 70kg and 5 ft 7" tall, yet i cannot understand why this is getting worse, i have had 2 very sudden bereavements in the family of late and i dont know if this makes any difference but ive been on Ritalin or Dexedrine for ADHD for almost 18 years, when i take these it does get a little worse the symptoms but then again, increasing ones blood pressure heart rate and pulse through stimulants you would expect a slight increase from them anyway, but as i said its now getting worse ive also developed extremely bad breath the last 4 - 6 months , and i cant seem to get rid of it . have you got any thoughts as to what it could be? ive had a full bloood work up and a chest xray over the past 3 months and nothing has been found! im really worried to be honest :-(
Michigander cameron1984
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Hi Cameron, I'm 37, have taken ADHD meds since I was a child and smoked Cigarettes for most of my 20s, Cannabis from 21 on pretty much daily, so I can relate.
Ruling out tooth decay, the bad breath may be due to tonsil stones. Basically food particles and what not get trapped in the cavities in the tonsils and bacteria becomes prolific. They smell ghastly, like tooth decay and the fur you scrape off your teeth in the morning. It will be like you can smell or even taste the bad breath, but brushing your teeth doesn't stop it, and you swear it isn't coming from your nose either. They also can stick out a bit and tickle in your throat like a piece of food. Gargling a few times a day with a solution of (preferrably warm) water and salt or alcohol-free mouthwash can help dislodge them. Other methods involve low pressure water spray, or manually with some kind of tool to reach, and a mirror.
Stimulants like Adderall or Dexedrine are also effective decongestants which would cause drainage and increase productive coughing.
Tobacco smoking paralizes and destroys the cilia which line your windpipe and move in waves to clear the gunk from your lungs. When you smoke, after you'll often have no cough or a dry cough because of this. After sleeping all night, things catch up a bit and there you have it. If you're cutting back on smoking, the increased time between or the reduced overall inhalation might be allowing your lungs to clean themselves slightly better. Years of smoking may also just be catching up with you.
I smoked for 10 years or so at about the same rate as you and it's plenty bad enough. If you're worrying like this perhaps you're ready to quit and just haven't done it? I know for me I finally got too worried about it and just got angry and said enough! Nicotine gum and (to a lesser extent) an e-cig helped me transition and stop, but I hear patches work well too. My Dad still smokes at 65 and has deeply wrinkled skin on his face and yellowed teeth, I worry about him. He's as stubborn as it gets though. Remember, it's not just your lungs, but nerves, skin, anxiety, and a whole list.
Cannabis does also deposit gunk to be brought up, however THC is a bronchodilator that opens the passages and allows mucus and such to be cleared out more easily. It has that going for it where Tobacco basically prevents expectoration. I'm not saying it will counteract it either.
I'm sorry for your losses and hope you're doing alright with that. I know when I was bereaved it definitey caused my smoking to become heavier for a time, which would cause more grossness being brought up in the days or weeks following, just another thought.
Bottom line, you will continue to cough up nastyness as long as you smoke, and for some time after you quit, but it feels less scary to be on the improving side of things. Your body is trying to expel things that shouldn't be in there, which is better than not.
My opinion is summed up by the expression... There is no non-smoker like an ex-smoker.
-Cory