Chronic Post nasal drip for 5 years!! Help!!

Post nasal drip is usually caused by allergies, if it is chronic. Did they test you for allergies? My main one was casein, which is in all dairy products. Also allergic to my cat. Immunotherapy helps some people. Self-help is the saline rinses, pseudoephedrine, and Mucinex.

Hopefull after five years you've seen more than one ENT.  II've had allergies almost all of my 76 years, but developed chronic sinusitis about 2 years ago that has symptoms much like what you describe, but I have no sense of smell.  I've been rinsing my sinuses on average twice a day to clean out the gunk.  I would recommend if you haven't had one...a CT Scan to determine if you have  polyps in the sinuses your ENT may not have probed.  Sometimes if they're removed it can help with the PND.

Hi Squiresx,

I have had similar symptoms as you for a year now.  It all started after I went swimming at a well known holiday park in March 2015.  I felt a tingle in my left cheek within my sinuses and from there had a very disgusting taste in my mouth and slug like mucus in the back of my throat as well as an acid type of sensation across my tongue.  

Initially I was given a short course of antibiotics from the doctor and when it did not improve, I was eventually referred to ENT dept.  I have seen 4 or 5 different consultants there over the months and everyone of them more or less said there were no physical symptoms that they could find.  I was told to use nedimed sinus rinse, which saw no improvement to my symptoms.  I was later given Fluticasone furate which is a steriod nasal spray.  Over time, this has just made the linings of my nose become irritated and sore.

In Dec 2015 they said that they wanted to dischararge me and offered me an operation or a CT scan.  I did question how they could possibly operate when they had not diagnosed me with anything yet, so I took the CT scan, which I had in Jan this year.  They said that this result had come back clear.  

In the meantime I have been back to my doctors and asked them to refer me to a different hospital for a second opinion.  They reluctantly did this for me.

In the meantime I went back to my doctor as my stomach has started to become bloated.  I think this may be to do with all the sinus discharge going to my stomach.  I was tearful when visiting the doctor this time as my symptoms have been getting me down and my family are fed up with me moaning about how bad I am feeling!  The doctor took another look at my CT results and said that they do show some fluid in my sinuses, although not a significant amount.  She has prescribed me a month's course of Doxycycline antibiotics and for the first time I have started to feel a bit better.  The black circles beneath my eyes are no longer there and my cheeks and under my jaw no longer feel bloated and tender.

I went to my first appointment 2 weeks ago for the second opinion at the different hosptial and the concultant there said I have post nasal drip.  This is the first time anyone has said this, even though I have googled my sympoms and was fairly that was part of the problem I have!  She told me to stop taking my antibiotics though as she again said my CT result was clear (I haven't because this is the only thing that has started to make me feel better). She has given me another nasal rinse, this time a pure salt water one, but it is less effective than the nedimed now that my post nasal drip is clearing, I can feel the wash come down the back of my thoat into my mouth.  This was not happening before because it was so blocked.

The consultant has also given me some gaviscon and Omeprazole which reduces the amount of acid the stomach produces.  I am not convinced my stomach is the problem, since I was completely well before I went for a swim on 27th March 2015.  I am sure the problem is in my sinus region.

So although I am feeling better than before while on antibiotics I feel it is going to be an ongoing struggle to get to the bottom of the problem, but maybe your GP could try you with similar antibiotics to see if it will help you since you have been suffering for so long.

I wish you all the best and let me know how you get on.

Hello again Squiresx, I don't know if you have seen another post on here about a cure for sinusitis? He recommends taking evening primrose oil capsules 1000mg (one daily) He said that he did this for a year and now only takes it occasionally when he feels he needs to. I'm going to give it ago. Its a natural product, so I think its worth a try?

hey how your post nasal drip now i suffering from last 2 years ..

I have these same issues ..To the point where i wheeze and feel like i can not breathe i went to a pulmonologist and was cleared ..Went thru several Ent . Finally i got a cat scan .It said i have chronic pansinusitis with deviated septum . I have zero symtoms except for this horrible pnd