Post nasal drip, silent reflux etc.

Hi.  I have suffered from postnasal drip for over 10years.  I think it may have been triggered by a new carpet.  

I've seen an ENT specialist who suggested propping up my bed head, seeing a speech therapist and finally taking antihistamines daily or moving to live by the sea.  I did everything he suggested, apart from moving to the coast.

I've seen an immunologist and done what I can to reduce exposure to dust, dust mites, early blooming tree pollen.  I've also cut out dairy.

Cutting out dairy helped a bit with the post nasal drip.  But nothing gave relief from the cough.

 At times, coughing severely effected my sleep and made it difficult for me to work (I work 1:1 with people and need to give them my full attention).  It was really tough.

A couple of months ago I got a cold air humidifier and put if near my bed, I now use it every night.  When travelling, I use a portable bottle top version.  My postnasal drip has reduced (not gone altogether) and my cough is much, much better.  I feel I can now cope with my symptoms.  

I can't be 100% sure it's the humidifier, but I am so much better than I was and would really recommend giving it a go. 

I just had my 5th "asthma" attack k in a month.  I can't breath in which is a symptom of silent Acid reflux.  I have been sick since January.  I have sinusitis which keeps me awake at night coughing.  The doctors wanted me to take cortisone.  I said no.  I get chi ok ed whenswrallowing.  I am now having the asthma type attacks.  Taking a pres eruption that helped my constant sinus problem..Dr. Oz, one of our TV doctors clearly describes my symptoms.  I have sleep apnea and sometimes m especially can't stay awake f

keeps for several days, narcolepsy.

I just had my 5th "asthma" attack in a month.  I can't breath in which is a symptom of silent Acid reflux (not being able to breath out is asthma). This time I thought I was going to die.  Felt like I was drowning. I developed a hoarsehness about a year ago.  I thought it was just allergies.  I have been sick since January with sinusitis that will not go away. It keeps me awake at night coughing.  The doctors wanted me to take cortisone.  I said no.  I get choked when swallowing.  I feel like something is always in the back I f my throat.  Taking a prescription that helps my constant sinus problem.  Dr. Oz, one of our TV doctors, clearly describes my symptoms as silent gerd.  I also have sleep apnea that sometimes keeps me awake.  I have narcolepsy and will often sleep for three days straight.  Thought I was going crazy until my daughter called and said to read the Dr. Oz article.  There are now specialist for treatment of this.  I am going to locate one tomorrow.

Hi Ryan,

I was told to stop all flour or wheat based products. I thought it was a load of rubbish, but after a couple of years and being told three times, I am a bit slow, I tried it. Instant relief from reflux stopped it straight away. 

As for post nasal drip, that battle continues. 

I have also alot of mucous and burning throat but not horsning in voice may be that cause of reflux 

yes I have alot of stress all the time It's very bothersome

what kind of trauma you mean ?

I'm medical student and thats why stress come from and yea i sit alot of yime to studey 

maybe all of this cause of GERD reflux can do alot of troublous things I hope you get better soon 

Hello,

so glad I found this discussion. For the past month or so I feel very stopped up with terrible post nasal drip almost every night.  I don't know where to start with this, sometimes after I eat, I have trouble clearing my throught. I also have choking sometime too! Help, I want to go out today and try and fix this but I don't know where to start!

Just a little bit of advice, Ryan, from my own experience.  I, too, had the mucus issue amongst others - (for a time finding Gaviscon Advance helpful) - and then found my way to this site. I was dosed with advice all of which I dutifully tried.  I now realise that fulfilling that advice actually caused a lot of stress.  (I entered into a private correspondence with one woman who gave me detailed instructions and then suddenly she not only stopped corresponding with me, she cancelled her entire account on this site.)  When my issues did not seem to be achieving much (i.e., on-going) relief I just decided to stop taking notice of what was being said to me and just go back about my life as I had before - e.g., as I 'normally did' prior to my troubles.  I just wanted to say, Ryan - (and anyone esle who may be interested) - that it was the best piece of advice I ever gave myself.  I was able to relax, well, eventually - after I got over what I called the 'internet syndrome'.  In fact I forced myself NOT to read specialist medical sites on the web (I had become addicted - and that took some doing - often feeling 'the itch').  Like magic - some months later - I now find I am relatively normal .... and have got there by myself and at no additional cost.  (That said I did before pay for a series of very expensive private medical examinations/tests - to the tune of almost £2,000 - and had a much appreciated endoscopy, colonoscopy and multitudinous blood tests via the poor, beleagered NHS).  Please just take this note for what it is worth, Ryan.  No reply is necessary.  I only add it as I thought it might proffer yet another shard of relief - and certainly a cost effective one.  As with everything EVERYWHERE:  Caveat Emptor.  

Hi Ryan: I had a very heavy and thick post nasal drip for many years. I have gone to several ENT DRs. and nobody could help. Every time I see them they used a scope and perform a laringoscopy ( they money from  it) I used every available medicine to no avail...Lately I was diagnosed with BT (benign tremor) and I was prescribed with 50Mg daily of Primidone ( an anticonvulsant)(Mysoline in the USA) I noticed that after three weeks of using it my nasal drip went down to less that 1/4 of what used to be. My Dr never heard about it. Maybe you can try it.???

Luiggi88

Ok so I feel like my nose is stopped up at various times. I can be going out to dinner and all of a sudden, I feel stopped up- like allergies. However as soon as I get in the bed almost ever night. I start with the heavy post nasal drip. Almost no caughing. Just stopped up and post nasal drip. Almost nightly and some during the day. What should I do first?

Ryan,

I feel your pain.  I am a 25 year old female from the US  and I have had a post nasal drip for as long as I can remember. I have been to doctor after doctor, going as far as seeing specialist at the Cleveland Clinic and UPMC in Pittsburgh (which are highly rated hopitals for ENT issues), and have had absolutely no luck. My anatomy is normal, my vocal folds and laryngeal cavity show no signs of reflux, I have been allergy tested numerous times- still not allergic to anything, asthma inhalers have done nothing but give me stomach aches, the list goes on and on. I have researched it OVER and OVER I have even gone as far as cleansing my nose with baby shampoo after one article showed some positive results- that was a mistake. 

Throughout the years my friends have come immune to the frequent snorts, it is embarassing when I unconsciously do it around new people and get a look. In a way I feel like they think I am being rude- I mean frankly it is gross. 

This may be a little to much information but I have a hard time coughing most of it up. The only time I can project it from my throat is in the morning when its a little thicker throughout the day it thins out and just annoyingly drips and drips and drips... I have a chronic throat clear if I cant clear it with throat clearing a preceed to cough. My dad also has the same chronic cough and throat clear however he is a smoker and does not have the PND.

Lately (within the past 6 months) the PND has had an awful "taste" to it- I have never had this before which leads me to think maybe I have reflux; however after 10+ years and numerous reflux meds in the past I know that is not what it initially was. Therefore I feel the PND has potentially worsened due to the new onset of reflux.

I am a speech language pathologist so I know how much I am hurting my vocal folds. There is nothing I want more than to figure this out. I have had some ENTs tell me its a habit, which maybe some of it is, but that does not explain why I feel a constant drip all day.

I have always thought about keeping a daily journal about it reporting things such as: how "good or bad" it was, my daily diet, and just overall if I had a good day or not (if I was stressed, anxious, tired, happy, etc.). Maybe if we did that we can find commonalities and patterns between our cases. Just a thought.

To answer your questions (if I havent answered them thus far): I do not have a lot of stress- and I definitely didnt when I was a child when it began, I have never suffered from any trauma of any sort, and my job and lifestyle are active. 

I am so sorry for the lengthyness of this message and I hope it helps you feel your not alone. If you have any questions or find anything that helps please let me know I would love to rid this once and for all.