Problems that i've had for YEARS

beyondforever · 02-26-2008, 02:08 PM

Hi. I'll explain my situation.I'm a 23 (almost 24) year old male. I can't remember exactly when it started but i'll say...between 8 and 10 years ago....I started having lots of mucous in my throat. I'm not sure if it has gotten worse in the past 8 or 10 years or stayed the same...but now, its very bad. I constantly have to go to the bathroom at work and clear my throat and cough up up phlegm.

Pretty much 24/7 I feel the mucous in the back of my throat. Sometimes the cough/throat clearing brings up yellowy mucous but many times it is just clear and looks like normal spit. I can never seem to get that "lump" out of my throat that is ALWAYS there. It is just ENDLESS. I have to blow my nose constantly too as it comes out that way also. Its HORRIBLE all day long and even WORSE when I first wake up....as it has settled more and gets hard in the morning. If i lay down even for a minute....i can actually feel the mucous flowing down to the back of my throat. It's so strange.

I've been to an ENT, 2 regular doctors and an allergist. They ALL prescribed to me stuff like Astelin, Nasocort, and even saline spray. It doesn't work. Iv'e tried it several times to no avail. The allergist poked me with many needles to test for all different kinds of allergies and found I had none and that there was no relief and I'd have to live with this. *sigh* The ENT put some thing up my nose and said that I wasn't infected. He was the one who told me to go to the allergist and also referred me for a CT scan of my sinuses, but found no problems there either. I've been at a loss as no one seems to be able to find out WHAT the problem is. My current doctor says he's really not sure and that I should go to another ENT to get checked again. I mean.....My insurance only covers a certain amount and I can't afford to pay for these doctor's guesses which so far have been dead wrong.

I've searched online and found this community, which might seem to help me as much as anything else.

This is just unbearable. I've been dealing with this for years and want to end it. Certain foods like dairy make it worse as it causes mucous to practically drip out of my nose and make even more of it come in my throat. Another really weird thing is if I eat certain foods that are not watery but very dry...like....peanuts or walnuts and stuff, or even any other type of normal food....I'll get a weird feeling in my throat sometimes and then have to blow my nose and little pieces of the food will come out my nose. lol so odd but so annoying. But either way....its always there and does not seem like it will ever go away. Do you think this is GERD, or LPR ? I'm confused and any help will be greatly appreciated.

Also to note...I don't smoke, but I am sometimes exposed to cigarettes as others are me do smoke, sometimes.

Thanks for the help in advance

Kellir · 02-26-2008, 03:10 PM

It definitely sounds like LPR. Try getting something over the counter like prilosec and see if it helps.

beyondforever · 02-26-2008, 04:15 PM

I will go buy prilosec now. 3 questions though :

1) should I first get a doctor recommendation to take prilosec? I've also read this : [url]http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=410681[/url] and the person says NOT to take prilosec OTC as it will only help for heartburn and not when it rises up to the throat where i'm having all my problems

2)is it completely safe to keep taking prilosec? I've heard it has been linked to heart attacks

3)how much should I take ? I just looked it up and it says for my conditions, since I have no heartburn, it has to be taken a different way (different amounts).

Thanks

stina3246 · 02-26-2008, 10:12 PM

My symptoms are not as severe as yours but I've had them all my life or as long as I can remember. Post nasal drip, the mucos gets pretty thick sometimes, constant throat clearing, slight annoying "heh" cough and then I started with the lump in the throat thing. I've had an endoscopy and 2 larynoscopies but there is nothing there. I have not had the CT scan...I hope someone here can tell me if it sounds like I need one.
ANYWAY
My GP told me to try Zyrtec over the counter and I SWEAR my symptoms are much less severe. I'm not clearing my throat as much, the lump feeling has lessoned a lot and I have NO cough.
I would definitely ask your doctor about it.

shan06 · 02-27-2008, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stina3246

My symptoms are not as severe as yours but I've had them all my life or as long as I can remember. Post nasal drip, the mucos gets pretty thick sometimes, constant throat clearing, slight annoying "heh" cough and then I started with the lump in the throat thing. I've had an endoscopy and 2 larynoscopies but there is nothing there. I have not had the CT scan...I hope someone here can tell me if it sounds like I need one.
ANYWAY
My GP told me to try Zyrtec over the counter and I SWEAR my symptoms are much less severe. I'm not clearing my throat as much, the lump feeling has lessoned a lot and I have NO cough.
I would definitely ask your doctor about it.

yeah it sound like allergies so the zrytec would help...post nasal drips can be caused by allergies which is what I have too..I take Nasonex but it does not help 100% but i do see some difference,,,...