Post nasal drip...trouble swallowing, anyone suffering the same

Hi Raven,

I am really over this swallowing problem, I do not know what to do anymore. I used to be optimistic and try all these treatments but none have given me any results, and I have wasted tons of money. This swallowing problem, you also described, is slowly starting to kill me. I haven't been the same person for the past 2 years.

Please, if you have found any solution or information to this problem please keep me updated, it would mean the world to me. Here is my email:

Moderator comment: I have removed the email address as we do not publish these in the forums. If users wish to exchange contact details please use the Private Message service.

Hi I came across your description today since i started having this discomfort.

I know how it happened. There was big chink of turkey skin was stuck up my nasal pharynx. it started to inflame, i was able to get most of it out, symptom started again. with great difficulty another piece came out .

it had been a month and i have all your symptoms. I know a very tiny particle of the food is still sitting there but emergency DR could not understand . I have an appointment with ENT. i feel something is stuck still and massive nasal drip and feel mucus but cannot get it out i think this is s way the body wants to protect itself from foreign particle. So please have them check for very small food particles that may have gone upwards and sitting in your nasal pharynx. I will post result from visiting ENT next mo th Mean while I am suffering i take anti inflammation allergy pill it gives me a break and i feel normal briefly.

hi there! i have suffered from sinus infections and allergies all my life, but recently swallowed something wrong (3 months ago), leading me to have the same symptoms as you all. I have swallowed upwards into my nasal cavity multiple times, when I told the ENT this he literally scoffed at me and claimed I had "esophagitis". Turned out I had horrible bronchitis beforehand and had literal lung issues - so s/o to that ENT for disregarding that. I am convinced I aspirated something into my lung which is triggering a foreign body response, but if it turns out to not be that - I am so happy to have found this post in case I have this chronic non-allergic rhinitus - i will then look into clarifix!

Hi all,

So glad I found this thread. Really wishing all of you find some answers and relief. I also have PND question. It all started with sore throat and very low grade fever 1st week of Jan which cleared up fast but had a hoarse voice and constant PND so went to my ENT. Diagnosed with sinus infection, completed 10 day course Amoxicillin Augmentin. I use flonase intermittently and Azelastine (prescription). Congestion has been gone for over 2 weeks. But PND has not. No other symptom such as watery eyes, runny nose, etc, just PND which was the only symptom which took me to the ENT in the first place. I do plan a follow up to see if CT scan can be done but in the meantime, what are your thoughts? Nasal endoscopy has been done a few times (3x in past year) and besides the sinus infection diagnose, didn't show anything sinister. I am now going on 3rd week of PND which has slightly improved where I don't have it constantly but it's definitely there. Consistency is thick, white. I have a badly deviated septum and long long history of severe allergies (been tested). I am using salt, essential oil aromatherapy. And take 10mg Montelukast at night for asthma. I do want to mention that a year ago I started using Afrin and fear that overuse may have led to my current situation. Don't use it anymore though.

Physically I'm feeling fine but exhausted mentally.

Thanks.

I have been experiencing a similar issue sporadically for three years now and I recently came to the determination that the cause may be a combination of acid reflux and allergic rhinitis caused by a seasonal environmental allergy.

Before this latest episode of difficulty swallowing/globus sensation, I don't recall having post-nasal drip but curiously enough my three major episodes of this have each occurred in the spring at the height of allergy season.

When I experienced this the first time, my PCP suspected that a if reflux was the cause. I do not experience heart burn or any other reflux symptoms, but there is such thing as "silent reflux". I purchased the Acid Watcher Diet and began a "healing phase" diet. In addition, I had an endoscopy and was prescribed Omneprazole to treat reflux. I began to eat smaller meals, walk after eating my evening meal, and sleep with my head elevated. The symptoms went away in about a month only to return the next spring.

This year I noticed the post-nasal drip and clear mucous in addition to experiencing extreme difficulty swallowing. After resuming the Omneprazole and experiencing no improvement, I consulted my gastroenterologist. She agreed that the issue is most likely allergy related (possibly along with acid reflux) and suggested that I take Flonase and an oral antihistamine like Claritin or Zyrtec. Following her advice, the condition has improved significantly in just one day. I was able to eat something other than a smoothie or broth!

I know how frustrating this issue can be and it sounds like there can be many causes, but I hope that you all find answers too.

I had the same issues a couple months back- took claritin, flonase, and antibiotics. Nothing worked. It randomly went away. I was able to eat normally without the phlegm and trouble swallowing.

it just came back weeks ago. Phlegm build up, hard to swallow. I had a steroid shot, antibiotics and blood work done. Blood work came back fine.

Some days are good and some are bad.

Spicy foods seem to trigger the nasal drip and all hell breaks loose.

Really wish i could figure this out, constant throat clearing and I'm annoyed when I eat- the feeling of food stuck just sucks.

im dealing with this same situation whats the best thing for me to do? i need help i cant spit it up and im having heart burn from it feels like acid reflex and it wakes me up out my sleep choking

I've been having the post nasal drip for about 2-3 months. I keep gagging the fluid back up. some days have been a struggle to eat and just be out. I got Allergy tested and everything came back negative. i had MRI and it showed the post nasal drip on the back sinuses. My ENT told me to get this new procedure called RhinAer. so we will see the results after this procedure .

Hi I too am suffering from all those problems. I also had an endoscopy which showed nothing in my throat but this nose throat thing feels like it is a growth between my inside upper nostral going into my throat. I cant sleep as have to breathe through my mouth. i clear my throat constantly but this thing wont budge. I have tried everything and had CT scan MRI and lots of nasal sprays. I dont know what to do next

Hi, im 19, female

Ive had post nasal drip for 3 years now extremely bad to the point i wake up in the night choking on solid mucus ive tried every basal spray, antibiotic etc nothing helped

i went to the ENT in june, she put the camera in my nose and said 'everythings healthy, i believe its just a mental thing that youve overthrought and now believe that its real' although i can literally pull the mucus out of my throat like string

She said i will more than likely have this for the rest of my life since she doesnt belive uts nasal deip its ruined ny life i need help

Raveno801, hope you are doing better. I came across this post last summer and it helped so much to know I wasn't alone. At that time the CT scan showed nothing wrong with my sinus, SwalIow test showed small food residue. I also have a stiff neck, had a blocked right ear, and dizzy spells (stress stress and EKG all ok). All my problems are on the right side from the eye to below the ear to the nose and the right side of my neck is like one big hard knot. My sinus gets irritated when the Barometric Pressure dips. Possible culprits to what we have is Catarrh or Biofilm in the sinus. Here is what has helped me, and I am about at 90% at this time.

1. ENT after antibiotic and steroid to deal with sinus infection in 2021 - drink water - 3 liters a day and use Flonase forever (also to help also the blocked Eustachian tube), no more using Sudafed nor Benadryl since they dry out the sinus. Dehydration has always been a problem I have because I don't drink water and drink too much coffee. Dr Erick Berg has a good video on dehydration and the need to also take electrolytes.
2. Swallow therapy (July 2022) started the process of breaking down mucus and the therapy included an electric therapy on each cheek and that also helped. All the letter sound exercises started to break up the mucus in the back of the throat. Since all the tests came that I don't have any issues and ENT also couldn't find anything in the sinus even though I sounded congested I started to make sounds and do snorting sounds to try to get the mucus going.
3. In September I found a video from Dr Erick Berg DC (a friend of mine recommended him) he recommends using Fenugreek which I started to use (Nature'sWay ) I recommend only one pill in the morning. The mucus will start to drain and taste like Molasses Syrup. I still take one pill in the morning. When I have a cold I stop the Fenugreek and take Mucinex (expectorant only).
4. Then looking to address my for Eustachian tube issue, I came across Dr Adam Fields DC. He has videos to help drain the Eustachian tubes, also swallowing, sinus and neck exercises. His videos have helped a lot, especially the massaging of all the neck muscles he shows in the swallow video. When I massaged the Mylohyoid muscle I felt something release and the swallowing got a lot better. I do them every morning 2 videos for about 6 weeks. My neck has improved a lot. My ear also finally fully drained, I always felt there was water in my middle ear for at least two years. (He also talks about endocranial adjustment, and I am not ready for that. I am not one to have the bones adjusted) (I do the neck videos at my pace, and I still have a hard time with day three of the neck video)
5. I found help to sooth the tickle in the throat and added a teaspoon of Turmeric in a cup of hot milk to replace my second cup of coffee and take a teaspoon of raw honey.
6. In March 2023 I started dry salt therapy and then added red-light therapy. Last week I did the red-light therapy and then the dry salt therapy and it really was getting into the last mucus that is stuck. I had bought the Navage Nasal Hyhiene Nose Cleaner. I used it and it helped some but for the trouble it didn't seem to really do much. I like the dry salt therapy much better.
7. Also now adding Manuka Honey, eating a teaspoon after eating to sooth the throat and will look for a nasal spray since Manuka breaks down the Biofilm in the sinus.

   It has been a very long journey and I remind myself to not do too much at one time but to stay consistent. When I push too hard, I would feel overwhelmed and dizzy. I will continue with the exercises every morning and now look into dealing with the Barometric Pressure issue. I might give these earplugs a try from WeatherX. My last sinus pressure was last week and coincided perfectly to a barometric pressure change. I downloaded app WeatherX and it provides barometric pressure data.

I think I covered all I have done to tackle my sinus issues. I did stop the Flonase 2 months ago because my nose kept bleeding. So far so good. I would take it again when I have sinus pressure and keep my ear from getting blocked. the hard part is that we continue to break done whatever mucus has been stuck and deal with any new sinus pressure that comes along due to a cold or other.