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Cure for constant Post Nasal Drip and throat clearing

I have the constant Post Nasal Drip and throat clearing as a result of it.  This has bothered me for about eighteen years and just keeps getting worse.  Being a stand up comedian, this really hampers my profession.

On December 8,2005 I was doing a show in Virgina and saw a local doctor there.  She gave me Tussionex and within the hour of the first dosage the drainage stopped.  The next week was wonderful as I was even able to cough up stuff for the first time in a long time.

I have tried the 8 mg dosage of Chlorpheniramine but it doesn't work. I have taken hydrocodone before with dental problems and I know that after taking it I get the itch in the nose for about five minutes.

I am convinced that this is a cure and that the Chlorpheniramine somehow bonds to the hydrocodone to be most affective.  Problem is ofcourse that it is a narcotic and no doctor will give that on a daily bases for the rest of my life.

Are there any other drugs that could possibly bond with the Chlorpheniramine and take it right to the nasal area?

I have done all the alergy testing three times.  Head xray, Barium swallow, and all the prescription sprays, decongestants and antihistamines.  Nothing has ever worked but this.

Steve
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251132 tn?1198078822
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I know of no evidence that chlorpheniramine bonds with hydrocodone.  I do not know of any way to explain the drainage stopping within an hour of when you took the first dose of Tussionex
Helpful - 5
Avatar universal
You did not say what the head x-ray revealed, however, if you have chronic sinusitis, you ought to try and find the cause.
My son had chronic sinusitis and our regular doctors kept treating him with antibiotics.  About the time they referred him to a specialist, I had tracked down a doctor Norton Fishman (M.D.)who practices complimentary medicine, now located in Bethesda, Maryland.
Although the ear, nose, throat specialist's (Dr. Lisk) skin pricks for allergies were negative, the other doctor did a blood test and stool test which revealed six food allergies and an intestinal yeast overgrowth.  Five of the food allergies were protein, including antibodies to egg whites.  The non-protein allergy was chocolate.
He was also very low on several minerals. Some were two deviations below normal, including zinc which is very important for the immune system and needs to be balanced with copper.
He was missing two necessary bacterial flora, with something else on a pathogenic level.
This type of yeast overgrowth is related to sinus infections.
For the yeast overgrowth, Dr. Fishman treated him with a prescriptive drug, an over the counter remedy (as recommended by the lab) and many nutritional supplements, not an antibiotic.
Dr. Lisk had a cat scan done, which showed all of my son's sinus cavity was infected.  Dr. Lisk did do surgery for him.
He got well!
Helpful - 3
Avatar universal
after reading all of the above comments and the listings/complaints of drugs that do nothing but make things worse....i feel for all of you and i also feel compelled to offer my personal experience....


my history with chronic post nasal drip, since childhood was really getting to me, i was tired all the time, constantly swallowing/spitting mucous, feeling bloated after eating, sinus problems almost year round (i could not leave the house without an antihistamine pill in my purse) it was all driving me crazy, i was so tired of searching, yet i never gave up.   it took YEARS of trial and error to figure it out.  once i finally realized what MIGHT be causing it i was met by very few doctors even willing to acknowledge the possibility of having a candida imbalance, let alone treat it.   or they would limit it to being a "female issue" (which of course is only ONE tiny aspect of it, candida affects both male and female)  

any time i would ask any doctor for help with it, they would immediatly hand me a prescription for a stronger anti-biotic.  i discovered that what most western doctors are trained to do is give more and more and more drugs which are a temporary fix but in the long run only damage the natural balance inside the body...they do not really "cure" anything!   there are some blended medicine doctors i have heard about who are getting hip to trying to restore the imbalance by using strong drugs to blast out all internal organisims then re-establishing the good bacteria/flora with lots of pro-biotics, (which may work for some people)  but i have yet to actually find one who practices it.

try googling candidia/yeast overgrowth...take the "spit test" and see if you are one of the 80% or so of the population who has a candida/albicans imbalance.
have a look at the long list of symptoms and see if you think it could be part of your problem.

one thing to remember...EVERYONE has candida organisims present in their body, and when the immune system is compromised, from stress, poor diet among many other reasons, the candida starts to multiply like crazy into a harmful fungal invasion.   (and of course these fungal organisms feeds on sugars, flour...etc.... HELLO...cravings!)  and there you have the beginning of a nasty imbalance which is fairly difficult to correct.

what we need to to do is restore our inner intestinal balance, through the use of PRObiotics, (good quality acidophilus with FOS, avail at any health food store) healthy diet, sleep, excercise, etc. and not just by killing off everything with ANTIbiotics.  it is not an easy process so many people just ignore it, but
learning about it and doing our best to treat it (working to bring about a more alkaline state to your body (less acidic) and that includes staying away from most grains/flour/sugars/etc.
the site i mention below says they have something that will restore the internal balance without a special diet but that is new to me, and i have not tried it as i do a pretty good job of balancing mine through my food choices...but it may work for you and they have a lot of good information on their site.

we ARE what we eat/drink/ingest whether we like it or not....you've heard the saying "death begins in the colon" instead of shruggin it off or laughing, pay close attention the next time you eat/drink something and see how you feel.  and if for one second you think your intestine and colon have nothing to do with your sinus problems, better think again.
candidasupportdotorg is a good site to check out, have a look with open eyes and you may be surprised.

btw, once i quit eating most dairy products and a few other things i was also able to give up the antihistimines, and that was over 10 yrs ago.
also something fantastic for sinus problems, my naturopath recommended it a while ago, it is a nasal wash called "XLEAR" it is completely natural and really works wonders if you are stuffed up, or in pain.  supposedly has an ingredient that makes the passages slippery so bacteria will not adhere to them (i got it at vitamin cottage)
(i rarely need to use it but when i do it is great)

the natural approach DOES work.....read, read, read and NEVER give up!!!
Helpful - 2
Avatar universal
Wow.  It is nice to know that I am not alone with the allergy issues.  

Thank you for everyone who has posted their results, etc.  Your posts inspired so many questions and things that I had to take notes when reading it so I had an outline (organized thought of points) to hit upon in my response.


I. Intro
For a little bit on myself, my name is Michael and I have moved to the South (US) from the North East.  I am now 25 years old and living on my own
Helpful - 2
Avatar universal
I know exactly what your all going through. I'm 22 and have had this post nasal drip for around a year and a half.

Whats most annoying thing for me personally is the effect it has on my speech, probably from the thick mucous.

Anyway just a few things I thought I'd share with you.

I seen an ENT specialist around 4 months ago who diagnosed something called LPRD, which is very similar to acid reflux, but worth reading up on. I was prescribed PPI's which does help to control the globus sensation and a secondary problem (a burning sensation in the throat - lprd). I recently ran out of PPI's and I feel 10 times worse than being on them, so I'll be getting some more when I get chance.

Short term improvements:

tilting my head back. Now I don't mean dramatically tilting my head, I just mean if I'm watching tv or relaxing, I'll just tilt my head back very slightly and I can feel everything improve, almost as if I have a sinus problem and everything is draining away.

Sleeping well. I don't know about the rest of you, but if I don't get a good long sleep, the problems are worse. This is always the case for me. This could have something to do with being flat and everything have more chance to drain away properly. (like above when tilting head back)

Drinking. I drink a lot of blackcurrent, because I noticed it clears my throat up really well. Try it. Love the drink too, which helps :) Being from the UK, I drink quite a lot of tea. This seems to temporarily help, I guess most hot drinks will help. I have heard caffeine can worsen LPRD symptoms, but the actual post nasal drip is more annoying, so any short term relief is my priority.

Alcohol. I go out every saturday and drink like there is no tomorrow, lol. I know I shouldn't, but that's the way it is. Come sunday morning I have the usual hangover, but for the next day or 2, I am still feeling the effect of drinking alcohol on my post nasal drip. This definitely worsens it. What I have discovered though, is beer worsens it more than vodka. I have no idea why, but I'll be sticking to vodka and coke and drinking less beer.

Eating. For some reason, if I eat something I feel great for a short period. The food clears all the horrid mucous out of my throat I guess. Just wondering if others notice this?

Dairy products. I tried cutting all that stuff out, but if I'm completely honest, I didn't really notice much improvement.

Exercise. Something else I noticed lately. If I go on the treadmill, it feels like my head is going to explode, lol. It's as if my entire ears nose and throat area is full of mucous and as i'm running along I'm in effect shaking it about. Not sure how else to put that. It was more evident when I had a go on my little cousins trampoline, every time I jumped my head really hurt! Like a banging headache. Makes me think that if I persisted with it, it may help release all these **** out of my head.

I'll end it here I think. We all need to get to the bottom of this, things seem to be getting progressively worse. I'm having a camera down my throat in a few weeks so I'll come back often to update and see if any replies have been made to my post (now in favorites).

Gareth
Helpful - 2
Avatar universal
Since Christmas I have been bothered by post nasal drip, heavy mucus and symptoms of GERD as well.  I've been on Nexium and had 12 days of biaxin to try and get rid of whatever bacterial infection might be going on.  Nothing was working.  I went into a health food store to see what else I could try and it was suggested I start using oil of oregano.  Within 3 days my right nostril was clear and my left one is starting to open up.  I am amazed at this stuff.  For those of you suffering from these same kind of symptoms, it might be worth a try.  It a a heavy duty natural antibiotic as well as a fungal killer.  It's potent stuff so you only use 2-3 drops diluted in a bit of juice and drink it but by 3 days you should be noticing a difference.   There are a lot of articles on the internet about oil of oregano and sinus/post nasal drip/clogged nose problems so hope this helps some of you.
Helpful - 2
Avatar universal
How do you know for a fact that you are having Post Nasal Drip.  Can you actually feel the mucous trickle down the back of your throat?  Is your nose stuffed up?  I've been told I have Postnasal Drip but my only symptoms are the throat clearing, chest tightness and cough, which commonly leads to bronchial infections a few times every winter.  I've been taking Mucinex to help with the excess mucous, and it helps a ton, but I still want to know which way the mucous coming from.  Couldn't the lungs also be producing clear mucous, and causing the throat clearing, and lung infections?

If anyone has any ideas please let me know.
Helpful - 2
Avatar universal
Hi, wondering if anyone else has tried Oil of Oregano yet. I have been using this stuff for about a month and I am doing very well. I still get some symptoms... you really have to be patient with OOO, but it will work. I figure how long have I been fighting sinus infections??? Years,on and off!! So, I am trying to be patient, when I feel like it is not working. My daughter reminds me how much better I am doing. It is good to have someone else who lives with you monitor your success.
I had a great Mother's Day!! Lots of cool stuff planned by my daughter and an Oil of Oregano "cocktail" made with a half a glass of Squirt and 3 drops of OOO. The squirt really kids up the taste of the Oil and it is pretty darn good!! I have Oregacyn (Oil of Oregano capsules esp. for respiratory) and I just started to use them today, will let you all know how they work.
Take Care all,
Billie
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Hi!! I am on my 8th day of using the oil of oregano and my symptoms are gone. I feel normal, no dripping, no lump, no snorting...and I sleep at night. I would have given all of the money I have to be symptom free and it only cost me 29.00 for  a bottle of OOO oil of oregano.If you use it, be patient, it took me 8 days to feel symptom free and I will continue to use it for precaution!!
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Hi!! I would like to share my success story that came from using oil of oregano. Last October I was on antibiotics for yet another sinus infection. This time the sinus infection did not go away...instead all of the dreadful symptoms I have read about in these posts were added to my condition. My doctor would not put me on any more antibiotics. He said it was nasal allergies and gave me nasacort and, of course, something for acid reflex. I have been completely miserable since October of 2005. I thought I was allergic to the Christmas tree ( we get a real tree every year, and this never happened before) and I rushed my daughter to take it out this time. I have been on most of the meds you all have and yet I still had that unbelievable lump of mucus and drip and cough and on and on.
I read on some board that someone had tried oil of oregano. Now, I am the first to be skeptical of herbs and the such, but I was so desperate I drove right to the health food store the next day and purchased a bottle (get the oil,not the capsules)
Right there in the car I put a few drops under my tonge and I felt nearly instant relief. I have to add that the sinus infection never did go away, it just sat there...it had proved resistant to all the antibiotics around.) Well, I have been using this stuff for 5 days now. My "green" stuff has turned nearly normal color. My PND has improved to the point that it is almost gone. It is hard to swallow straight so I mix 2-3 drops in a glass of tomatoe juice 3-4 times a day. It is working, it is curing my sinus infection (it is a natural antibiotic and anti fungal and a lot more).When I have that lump in my throat and all of the other symptoms we get....I put a very tiny drop under my nostrals to breathe in and inhale a few of the vapors from the bottle...and instant relief.
There is a book out that talks about the uses for oil of oregano, "The Cure is in the Cupboard" by Dr. Cass Ingram...I Highly recommend reading this book. He also tells you what to look for in oil of oregano...p73 and carvnol ( I think that is it) I paid 30.00 for the bottle ( and it will last a really long time, you only need a few drops) but I found it on eBay for a better price. I hope you all will experience the relief I have felt since using this product. It saved my life, I was completely beside myself and I felt "what  have I got to loose?"
Here's to our health!!! Billie1026
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I started getting PND about a year ago around the time I received a herniated disc in my neck and after a couple of years of gastric reflux problems.   Then I had an attack one night, thought I was dying because I couldn't breathe, ferried to hospital only to be told I'd had an allergic reaction (to dust) and should take an antihistamine.  
Now I live with occasional bouts of PND which seem to be related to diet (avoid beer, icecream, milk drinks at night), dust and anxiety.  Nights are the worst but have noticed big difference on days I am well hydrated.      Don't know if this helps but I receive regular chiropractic and have a recurring C5 problem which apparently is connected to neck problems.   Maybe posture has something to do with it given the fact we're all on the computer these days!
  I have found the BEST way to deal with PND is mind over matter.  I literally talk myself through the attack to avoid popping a pill - although I'm not always successful.  It's a bit of a vicious cycle I think - the more you let it bother you, the more it will.  If your condition is exacerbated by stress, one piece of advice I can give is to breathe, breathe, breathe.  It will calm you down and at least get rid of one of the causal factors.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I made a new discovery this weekend after discussing my sinus problems and post nasal drip with a chemist. He told me that the main cause of post nasal drip is based on milk protein. This item is found in all milk products from vitamin D milk to skim milk. Yogurts and all powdered milk have that same protein. Two days ago I quit my intake of all milk products. It was difficult walking away from a beautiful gallon of Breyer's ice cream but I felt my health is more important than the wonderful taste of ice cream.
I slept fine without any post nasal drip. No medication was used and I found water had that great taste once again.
When you think of it the fats we take in
slow us down.
Hopefully this discovery will help you have a better day.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I can totally sympathize with all of you going through this most annoying problem(s) of throat clearing, cough, post nasal drip sensation, thick mucous coming out of nose, and I have the feeling of a lump (globus) on one side of my throat... etc. etc.
I have been to every specialist in my local area- have been to Dr. Koufman at Wake Forest 2 day work up 24hr pH- esaphagoscopy, etc.- she diagnosed me with LPRD I did the meds. ... no change. Then onto Dr. Irwin's cough clinic at the U. of Mass.- barium swallow, X-Rays, Methocline Challenge, bronchoscopy - dx= chronic post nasal drip.
Just came back from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN- I was sure they would figure me out.... after 4 days of Ct scans and exams with their ENT dept. and Pulmonary, I was sent home with nasal wash and Rx for Atrovent nasal spray and Nexium.
Prior to visiting these docs. I had seen 2 ENT's locally, one GI specialist for upper endoscopy, 1 endocrinologist, 1 endocrine surgeon, my primary care physician, 2 local pulmonary specialists, an ENT at Johns Hopkins (he totally blew me off- 5 min exam. and told me to come back in 8 weeks)a local immunologist ... and a Pulmonary specialist at the University of Penn. for my second set of CT sinus scans and second bronchoscopy.
I just spent an arm and a leg on my trip to Mayo, and basically they told me we can't figure out why I wheeze and clear my throat ALL the time one one side. Hopefully some of the meds. they prescibed will help.
Another strange thing about my entire situation is that this started about 3 years ago, and all the sensations of mucous, wheezing and clearing are ONLY on One side of my throat and chest- that has puzzled every doc. I have met with.
The Mayo Clinic was a great place, but even they can't figure everyone out-
Anyone else experiencing symptoms on one side only??
thanks for reading-
(If you have never been to Mayo, and can afford the trip- it is a most unique medical practice I have ever witnessed. They really do care about the patient and they are very efficient and organized and take the time to listen and address all of your concerns)
snicss
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Antibiotics work poorly on Snot Demons, due to low blood circ to the sinuses.  The Mayo Clinic found the real problem (Google: mayo clinic snot). Once you get an infection, all the bacteria,viruses,allergens,and toxins take on a life of their own.  The cure is to get rid of the pustulence, with surgery--no way!--or advanced saline sinus flush. I got a Snot Demon for 7 yrs, teaching grade school/germ factory.  A cold in the fall, then sinusitis, lost smell then taste, Cipro, hawk spit cough, sore throat, partial recovery in summer.  Then I heard about a saline flush, like the one mentioned above.  Better yet, I used to be a swimmer, so I know how to get massive amounts of salt water in and out of my sinuses.  Miracle!  My nose got so clear it woke me up at night.  My advanced technique is easy now, but it requires a short book to safely explain, and agents won't look at it cuz i'm no doctor, or snot books lack glamour. Soon I'll find a publisher with chronic sinusitis.  Meanwhile, try one of the saline (61/2 teaspoons salt to 1 gallon distilled water) flushes from this website (the Grossan tip has possibilities) and if you get results, keep doing it for 3 days after your sinuses clear. And lay off phlegm-making dairy products and white flour til you do. I caught 2 colds again this year, with no congestion, just a raggedy throat and cough for 2 days, and no hawk spit Snot Demon.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Since a trip to Southeast Asia April 05, I have been coughing up a white/sometimes yellow glob of mucous on a daily basis...usually in the morning.  My voice goes hoarse without warning as I hack this stuff up...then goes back to normal.  I've seen my doctor 3 times and have recieved Cipro 500 mg, Levaquin 250 mg, and a new antibiotic I can't recall. He has cultured my sputum, ordered chest x-rays, blood tests but nothing shows up?!!!   I do occasionally have a sore throat that lasts 4-5 days then disappears????   Also, I now suffer from post-nasal drip and sneezing attacks although that may just be an allergy.

The mucous is very dry, stringy and clumps together...amount is usually 1/4 teaspoon. I dont have any chest pain or tigtening, but feel less energetic.  I'm 53, great shape, 178 lbs, take no medications, dont smoke/drink.  At wits end as I know something isnt right....could this be fungal????
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Sounds like exactly (Or at the least, drastically similar to) what I have going on.  Chronic post-nasal drip, nearly constant.  It started getting pretty regular about four or five years ago, and has been getting a touch worse with every subsequent bout with sinusitis since.

Same thing; Steroids have been completely ineffective.

Side Quirk; It gets noticibly worse when I'm under stress.  (Actually, it's become one of my tell-tale signs that I'm -getting- stressed -- I have a tendency to ignore/suppress emotional stress.)  -That- quirk combined with the PND to effectively end my music career.  Having to hawk and spit every verse or so does not do wonders for one's stage presence.  I can force myself to ignore it for a bit, but holding back like that causes it to get worse to the point of hacking, gagging, and full-on puking.  (Fun.  'Hey, let's go see the local band.  I've got front row tickets, bring a tarp!')

Now -- I had a goodly portion of respiratory problems when I was younger, mostly secondary to an immunodeficiency.  Also had problems with asthma and multiple allergies (I still remember the weekly-to-monthly allergy shot, gamma globulin shot, blood test trips).  

However, for a good ten to fifteen years, there, I didn't have many to any problems.  The thin/clear discharge and perceived mucosal irritation -implies- to me "allergen", but I'm not sure about sudden onset or relapse allergies.

On the down side, I'm currently a starving college student again (Ironically, in Respiratory Therapy) and I'm lacking in insurance so I can't afford to get myself bounced from specialist to specialist as tends to be the norm in my experience.

So for now, it's a "Huh.  So what the (insert random no-no word of your choice) do I do now?"  Not only is the not being able to perform vocally thing a major quality of life hit, but "Hey, what have you been *HAAAAAAWWWRRRRRK* up to... *HAAAWWRRRK* lately?" does not do wonders for my social life (As my ex would certainly attest *smirk*).
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Wrecker,

It is an obvious Post Nasal Drip.  I feel it dripping out of the back of my nose and it makes me gag, puke, or choke if I don't clear my nasal passages.  It is quite gross but it is kinda like goes like this:

1. I have to suck in hard through my nose
2. And kinda snort back to get it into my mouth.
3. Then I expell it.

Like I said it is quite gross and not many people want to be around it after a while.  It is quite embarrassing but most of all uncomfortable.  I usually have a sore throat at some point in the day and usually it goes away and may reappear.  The worst thing though is the forever feeling of a scratchy throat.

Doctors don't want to listen to you though.  They just want to push the steriod nasal sprays and prescription antihistamines on you.  Tussionex is the only thing that has worked for me.

Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
hi i went through a similar process. doctors always prescribed antihistamine and steroid spray which didn't really help. allergist diagnosed pollen allergy from a skin ***** test. I knew I had seasonal hayfever already. I eventually narrowed the cause down to corn products. With strict avoidance I am practically as good as new. Corn is also used in gypsum board as a drying agent when it's manufactured, which is why I had problems when we renovated out house. I'm not saying you have a corn allergy, but there are so many potential allergens that test would not have been exhaustive. Skin ***** tests are not very reliable for corn at least - false negatives are common even though a blood test is positive. I'd try a strict food elimination process - may find something or help at least rule out food problems. good luck finding your cause, keep trying with an open mind.
Helpful - 1
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