What helps the mucus in LPR?

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Has anyone found a remedy for all the drainage, mucus, etc in LPR? I have terrible post nasal drip, stuffy nose, etc, along with the acid reflux. Antihistamines make me too sleepy. I take Nexium 2x day, but it doesn't help the drainage.
Any suggestions? Thanks, Dinah
 
You could try a sinus rinse. I use the Neilmed sinus rinse kit and it has helped me in the past.

RegarRAB
 
I've found drinking apple cider vinegar and active manuka honey in hot water 1/2 hour before meals seems to help with that awful phlegm. That means more waiting because I have to wait at least an hour after taking the PP1 (both morning and evening) before I can drink it, but it has really helped so it's been worth the wait. :)
 
Oops - I just noticed that you prefer to avoid antihistamines because of the sleepiness side effect. If your drainage is being caused by the reflux, then theoretically it should decrease as the reflux comes under control, but if you're still having alot of drainage, perhaps it's allergy related? In that case I might recommend a steroid nasal spray (such as Veramyst). This works well for me when my allergies are acting up, but it does dry out my nasal passages and prolonged use also tenRAB to give me headaches, so it's definitely a tradeoff. When I do use it, I use it in the morning and then re-moisturize my nasal passages at night with a saline spray. In fact, I use a saline spray year-round, day in and day out whether I'm also using the steroid spray or not.
 
Hi Lex,

I'll try and offer what advice I can.
I had this friend who from anxiety and nerves had a year where he would burp uncontrollably. It would all start when he got nervous about something. So it's a physical, real thing, but it was totally regulated by intense emotions.

Before any of this LPR nonsense started for me, when I got nervous, like when I had an impending deadline, I'd just start these gagging fits, but never regurgitating or vomiting. But as you know, rockstars and such often vomit before a performance.
So indeed, our emotions and anxiety do actually cause a big part of our physical problems, as you know.
I think with the gagging, judging from my own life, that is anxiety. The regurgitating though seems a little severe. Your mind must really be in control of your body, because I think even typical severe GERD patients don't have something like that. That's almost like an emotional response, or like a tourette's patient having to suddenly spit uncontrollably.

You might want to try some sort of relaxation drugs. As for the mucus though, now we are drifting into the Alice in Wonderland world of LPR symptoms. I think maybe do the tests just to confirm your LPR.

Never underestimate the mind's ability to cause weird things to the body. Even if I manage to effectively treat my LPR problem, I still acknowledge that part of it is emotional and anxiety related, and its not totally physical. And I even think, my mind is partly in control of how much mucus I produce.

Here's an example of that. When I had a cold, my nose wouldn't run until I entered a class room and got stressed out there, listening to the lecture. Then my nose would really start to pour. So isn't that just my mind causing some real physical problem to become worse? And my ongoing gagging when I was nervous. That was a physical thing that would just happen to me, but it was totally regulated by my emotions.

You need to get on something that will relax you. Pick your poison. there are a lot of them out there. I find getting drunk once in a while can sort of regulate the nervous system. Maybe try that a few times and see if it sort of rewires things or depresses your overactive central nervous system.

We all need medications. Even people who jog are just getting a natural one.
 
Unfortunately, time is probably going to help it more than anything but it can take 12 weeks for the medication to have a noticeable impact on the mucus.

In the meantime you might try taking Mucinex (which will help thin out the mucus), drink lots of water and use a SinusRinse bottle or neti pot to help minimize the amount of mucus running down the back of your throat.
 
Chew lots of gum and keep swallowing is what I was told. The constant action of this will help rid mucus.
 
Hello there it has been a long time. I used to talk to you about LPR. Now I am back but different site. What happen to Web MD. I am back because after 5 years on PRotonix, my symptoms came back. Went to see gastrologist and I am going to get the upper endoscopy. Hope it is nothing and just the med stopped working. Of course, I stopped taking antidepressants for 8 months and I am afraid this is part of the problem
 
PS.

The year I was kind of afraid of some kiRAB in my class (as a junior high student)
I had all kinRAB of bizarre things happen physically. I would get strep throat constantly for about 2 months, and then I got appendicitis and almost died from it.
All completely phyisical things, and they all happened during a time of stress which must have actually been controlling how parts of the body worked. It seems even now with LPR, that there is a hugely important emotion component to it, and that's why placebos are effective as treatment for it often. I mean, placebos in general show that the mind and body are definitely part of the same organism.
 
I take generic Benedryl whenever the drainage gets on my nerves. Not only does it seem to dry me up, it helps me drift off to sleep and stay asleep. My GP said this was safe to do as long as my nasal merabranes do not get overly dried out.

P.S. Everyone knows that the antihistamine (Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride) in Benedryl is the "sleep aid" drug in the OTC sleep aid products, right? My husband drives me crazy by buying those sleep aid drugs for about twice the price of Benedryl in generic form. It's the SAME DRUG. Manufacturers know that many people (like my husband) are gullible and do not read labels. LOL
 
Thanks for your input. Yeah, it's weird whenever I feel nervous I start gagging and then eventually throw up mucus or food if I have recently eaten. The part I don't get it is gagging when I'm eating and I'm not nervous or anything. I will be at my house by myself just watching television or something and depending on what I eat I start gagging and throw up. Also, when this happens my nose starts to run too so not sure what that is if its reflux or allergies? Anyway, I am going to my general doctor tomorrow to see what do about this cough and perhaps get some anti-anxiety medicine.
 
Nerves, anxiety and adrenaline (coffee is a no no for me, and it makes me so happy happy in my office)....but no I have to try and contain my personality to Mr. Boring......so I can control my symptons.
 
bruxie,

could the anti-depressant have been part of the cure?

It seems that you went off it and the LPR returned.

When did you start taking the anti-depressant? Around the same time as the LPR onset?
 
Hey Sunrise.

I want to tell you a little about how my problem started. It started when I was about 18/male, and I just started gagging and vomiting after almost anything i ate. It was crazy, I was like what is wrong with me. Also, I had a ton of mucus and phlegm during this time, and tons of burping which I still do. Now at 23, I believe it has slowly progressed worsened in that I am coughing more times than not...whenever I get sick my coughing/gagging/vomiting all increase greatly. Whenever I get sick now for the last 2 years the cough lasts for 2 to 3 months. I've been on every type of cough medicine, been on Nexium for only 6 weeks last year, priolsec,, other cough stuff...The worst part for me is the gagging after I eat or wake up in the mornings. Sometimes while I'm eating i regurgitate food which is erabarassing. Beer is one of the worst culprits of this for me. The few times where I am able to drink and keep it in....the morning I wake is usually awful with my throat feeling scratchy and dry mouth. Anxiety, I believe plays a big role in all of this...whenever i have interviews, I gag and throw up acid those mornings. I feel like my throat is super sensitive as well. Ive thrown up just shaving near my atom's apple a few times before and if not throwing up its gagging. Whenever I wear a tie or try to button up the top button near my throat I usually start gagging. When I tilt my head I either start coughing or gagging. I';ve seen many of you with similar symptoms but I havent consistently read about people throwing up or regurgitating food all the time. Also, after or during eating whenever I start gagging my heart pounRAB and my nose starts to run. When it gets bad, I also feel whatever is coming up also goes to my ears too bc every few months I get like a semi-ear infection?

Anyway, I know that was all jurabled up but if you could relate to this or if anyone has insight it would be greatly appreciated.

My endoscopy and barium swallow have come out normal. I'm thinking next to do either a 24 hour ph test or have a camera stuck down my throat to see if my throat is red?

* I suffered from crazy amounts of mucus for about 4 years and will still have big amounts from time to time.. But I feel like drinking apple cider vinegar for the past year has helped the mucus aspect of this but nothing else.
 
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