I have a theory.
Maybe it's wrong, but my theory is that my problem is caused by yeast or fungus.
I usually wake up choking and spitting within 30 minutes of falling asleep. Spitting repeatedly, blowing my nose as strongly as possible, and eating something(doesn't matter what...cheese is OK) helps, and then often I can go back to sleep for 5 to 7 hours.
This condition used to be worse daytimes, but has improved, or at least hasn't worsened.
The smell of the mucous, especially the dried mucous in my nose is distinctively bad, but I doubt that it's bacteria. It reminds me more of the smell of athlete's foot.
The same mucous affects both eyes, which often sting, and feel as if I have rubbed detergent into them. The mucous also causes a stinging or burning sensation on my tongue.
I've had helical CAT scans 2 years ago, checked by an ENT specialist who found nothing wrong, but who offered to cauterize my turbinates.
I've had one head cold in the past 15 years.
That head cold was very mild, and ended in less than 7 days. While I had that head cold, my normal choking symptom was gone.
My theory is that the head cold virus was killed by the more powerful fungus, or yeast, that lives permanently in my frontal sinuses.
That's just my theory.
I'm considering dosing myself with flucanazole.
I have a can of Mycota athlete's foot powder, and recently, when I hold that can up to my nose, my condition seems to improve briefly.
I think the tiny plants know that, if they don't back off, I could kill all of them.

quote:

I have a can of Mycota athlete's foot powder, and recently, when I hold that can up to my nose, my condition seems to improve briefly.
I think the tiny plants know that, if they don't back off, I could kill all of them.

Mycota contains two ingredients, zinc undecenoate, undecenoic acid. Both of these have antifungal and antibacterial properties.

This preparation is for external use only!.

Thanks for your reply, Dr. Joshi.
Of course I read the ingredients and the external use warning, and was only using the Mycota to try to threaten the yeast(if yeast are even the problem).
I do have a form to take to the local MedLab, for analysis of the mucous from my nose and mouth(which is the same), and will reply with the results of that analysis, when it's been completed.
Thanks again.

Hi,

Any new or updated tips for mucus? My Dad is dinking the pineapple juice as suggested here regularly.

Pre-surgery (ND) he had a phlegm issue (not as bad as during treatment); he tried the Mucinex tablets and the Guaifenesin liquid; sometimes he felt they helped; hard to say. (Tablets too big to swallow now).

Now post-surgery his mucus problem has acted up again; and he finds it hard to eat at times; he's coughing and spitting all day and he's up every hour at night.

Thanks
LisaB

We found a few things that have helped tremendously in dealing with the nightmare of the stringy/ropey/rubber cement-like saliva from Stephen's radiation treatments:
~Gargling with creamed papaya diluted with water (enzymes in papaya thin out the saliva a bit). Stephen still can't swallow properly due to the amount of stringy saliva still present, but gargling with the papaya and then spitting it out brings up the stuff way down in his throat with much less effort (previously, he was getting strained back muscles and tossing up food as well). At first, he used papaya juice, which was effective but it stung a bit because of having apple juice mixed in. His sister found creamed papaya in a natural food store, and that has worked even better and has very little if any sting.
~Using a portable suction machine (with a 1/4 inch bulb tip). Combined with the papaya helping to bring the stuff up, this has been a sanity-saver and allowed us to actually start getting some sleep. A tip from my mom, a nurse: Fill the container with a bit of water so it’s easier to empty out and clean. (With a prescription from our doctor, we were able to rent one, with insurance covering much of the cost.)
~Staying very well hydrated -- aiming for 3 or more liters of fluid a day through the PEG tube -- and taking guaifenesin (100mg) three to four times daily with 8 oz. of fluid.
--Susan

I have just undergone a radical prostatectomy. Immediately after the surgery, my throat became filled with phlegm, making it hard to breath. Even though I expressed concerns (more like terror I was told) that I would strangle during sleep, I could get no relief from the nursing staff. My physician drove to the hospital at 1 AM to address the problem, but he too had no answer.

There is no doubt that the pain medication and anti-anxiety drugs (they were trying to allow me to sleep) only exaccerbated my problem, and I lost it.

My doctor assured me time and time again that I could breath, but everytime I tried to relax, the crud would shut off my wind.

Finally, I drifted off and slept for a few hours..

This may not be a good example because of all of the collateral issues, but I still wonder why medicine has no answer to "clear the throat"? This trauma set my recovery back a few days and I probably made a total fool of myself.

Anyway, I have the phlegm problem several times per year and coninue to search out ways to relive the mucus. Mine is also very thick, rubbery and usually about the size of a quarter.

thanks for listening.

Well, I have to say that Mucodyne (Carbocisteine) has effectly helped to change my life. I know that sounds a bit dramatic, but after decades of wheezing, being out-of-breath, unable to even run for a bus without coughing so badly that I have on many occasions vomitted, plus the almot constant ear-infections. My english doctor 3 years ago, said have you ever tried this, and suggested Carbocisteine in a capsule, I said no I haven't but at this point I would willingly try absoulutely anything.. In under 5 days, I noticed that my sinuses had began to dry and clear, a lot of phlem had began loosening and I was able to cough it up, and I felt for I think the very first time in my life, COLD air cooling my lungs.
However, thats where the good stuff comes to an almost full stop, because since moving to Holland, my GP (huisarts) will NOT prescribe carbocisteine. The only way I can find it , is to constantly buy a mucodyne cough syrup made by NATTERMAN, I'm not advertising this product in anyway, but if you live in holland and find that you GP will not prescribe carbocisteine either, then maybe you could try this alternative.

If anyone here in Holland knows of anywhere I can get the capsules, I would be very grateful if you could let me know how and where. Many thanks.. Steve

i have had this cough every day and night for the past 2 years every time my chest gets xrayed and the doctor says my chest and lungs are clear but this coughing with phlegm every night is exhausting last week my doctor gave me mucodyne and certainly the phlegmhas got thinner but my throat is very sore has anyone else had this it feels like something is there when i swallow

When I first read about all this, I wasn't suffering from the symptoms at all (stringy saliva but no choking etc); since then, my radiotherapy has finished - yay - but I am now having really bad hyper-salivation and flegm issues; although I can sleep ok (I breathe through my nose, which doesn't get blocked - if I attempt to breathe through my mouth, I just panic because the throat is blocked and it is impossible), first thing in the morning is just dreadful, because I have to clear my throat which is totally blocked by thick phlegm; my doctor here in France has included a product called Glyco Thymaline 55 in his mouthwash prescription that I know does help in clearing the phlegm; however, since a bad chemo session a few weeks ago, this now makes me retch/vomit so I can't use it any more. I just tried a very mild dilution of it this morning because I was so blocked - I won't be doing that again!

During the rest of the day, I am constantly having to spit and clear my throat, this gets worse for a while during the evening, but mornings are the pits. I can't drink anything cold - it just seems to act as a mouth wash and expectorant, I guess I should be pleased. I will try the papaya juice, can't do the pineapple, too burny.

There was a product on free-sample here a while back - I hadn't started my radiotherapy then so seemed like a cheat to order it, what was it, can it be ordered direct?

Can anyone give me an idea of how long these symptoms are likely to last? they are SO miserable. I'm assuming (hoping) that is is a temporary side-effect.

I will see if my French doctor will prescribe Carbocisteine.

Thanks all

Hi there,

Sorry you are going through this. I remember my partner really suffered at the end of radio and I called the hospital and was told it should resolve in about 14 days. I think they were about right.

Good luck and hang on in there. Things will get better in the very near future.

Cathy