Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
phalnellie

4 months battling post-nasal drip-HELP!

phalnellie
16 years ago

I've had post-nasal drip since August. The lelft side of my nose has literally been dripping for 4 months. I have tried everything known to man. I take an antihistimine daily. But it drips, it fills up a kleenex in 1 minute. Sometimes when I hold my head down, it running out like a faucet. I know that this sound comical but believe me after doing this for 4 months...it got old quickly. When I go to sleep at night, I awake to a wet pillow. It's awful...my clothes stay wet. I'm tried Astelin nasal spray, I have a neti and have been using it for days but it's still dripping. I've used every OTC known to man. Can someone please help!

Comments (14)

  • lucy
    16 years ago

    Yes, go see an ear, nose & throat MD (Otolaryngologist).

  • Heathen1
    16 years ago

    Yes, I would go see the doctor... better to get a diagnosis first. Could be many things that aren't simple. THEN when you know the diagnosis, you could try alternative therapies.
    Just my opinion.

  • phalnellie
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I have been to the doctor; he's the one that put me on the antibotics, the Astelin, sudafed. But thanks for the advice - I guess a Ear, Nose and Throat is next. But I'm trying to stay away from them as one guy messed my husband's nose which now bleeds daily - The guy nicked his brain!

  • buddingherbalist
    16 years ago

    PND can have a fungal component. If that's so, antibiotics will not help, and in fact can make the problem worse. A couple of years ago, someone came out with a product called "Xlear" (pronounced "clear"), which is just a combination of saline (salt water) and xylitol (a natural sugar alcohol).

    According to WikiPedia, "Xylitol is a naturally occurring sweetener found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, including various berries, corn husks, oats, and mushrooms."

    The xylitol in Xlear is said to be able to prevent microbes, including bacteria and fungi, from being able to adhere to the mucous membranes, thereby stopping the irritation and PND. I have used it in place of an OTC decongestant, and it has worked very well. It's also quite inexpensive (at least compared to almost any other remedy).

    Be aware that the when you use it, it will probably initially increase the amount of drip, because it's rinsing off the membranes. But in the end, it may be just the ticket for you.

    Good luck!

  • rusty_blackhaw
    16 years ago

    I second (or third) the suggestion to see a qualified specialist to diagnose the problem before trying to throw remedies at it.

    More on postnasal drip here.

  • buddingherbalist
    16 years ago

    The problem with conventional doctors is that they are typically trained to dismiss or even ridicule the idea of systemic yeast overgrowth. If yeast *is* a contributing factor, which is a distinct possibility IMHO, then you won't get the help you need by going to a conventional doctor of almost any kind.

    Please consider a doctor of alternative medicine for this. Most understand and accept the factors that can lead to your particular problem far better than the convention variety. And in general, instead of trying to give you a "magic bullet" to poison some organism, or shut off your body's normal, healthy responses, alternative practitioners will search for the heart of the problem, and work with your body's systems instead of against them, to get your own defenses to put things straight.

  • Heathen1
    16 years ago

    Just out of curiosity, a very long time ago, like in 82 or something, I was treated for a systemic yeast overgrowth, is it still a year long ordeal? *whew*!
    I am on alert for strange nose things, my bf had a running nose and an itchy nose, thought nothing of it, till he started to get numb, then it spread... he had a brain tumor. Not suggesting that this is the situation at all, but it's why when I hear of odd nose things I say to get to the doctor. :o)

  • buddingherbalist
    16 years ago

    Yes, indeed. Always better to be safe when it comes to dealing with something concerning your head.

    Sorry to say that getting yeast under control still involves avoiding foods that will promote its growth. There are some good supplements that may well shorten the amount of time you have spend fighting it that way (some strong new things, like grapefruit seed extract, capryllic acid-rich oils, and Liquid Bentonite), but nothing that's strong enough to work without a dietary component. Conventional medicine does have some antifungal medications, but they tend to be very hard on the liver, and consequently doctors don't like to prescribe them--which is probably a good thing.

  • cacye
    16 years ago

    You might, in the meantime, use Bi Yan Pian to dry it up. About 5 bucks at the Vietnamese herbal market. It works for sinus headaches,too. Follow the direction on the bottle. If none, take 3-4 a couple of times or so as need daily. It is cockleburr fruit, crysanthemum, and several other herbs. Research has shown that people can have sinus infections for years that are not actually diagnosed. Many of the organisms are antibiotic resistant, and if I remember correctly, we used to have a chart in lab showing some hundred or so very different genera of micro-organisms that can cause this kind of thing. So getting the right stuff can be a hit or miss. And that is not counting the possibility of allergies or side effects form other things you might be using.

  • laa_laa
    16 years ago

    I've had it, more or less, all my life.
    You might look for anything that has changed in your surroundings around the time this started...even some thing as small as a change of toothpaste or light bulbs can have an effect.
    I've picked up a few ideas...
    1.)carpets....most people have no idea how much sand collects beneath a wall to wall carpet,even if it is vacuumed every day.
    2.)lawn blowers
    3.) some area near your home that is producing great amounts of dust,smog...ie: new construction...freeway. etc.
    4.) new trees or plants.
    Notice if it continues when you go far away, like on a weekend trip to another climate...If so, then it something in your environment.....even dry air can cause this.
    One other thing ....For about 8 months one time, I stopped completely eating ANY thing with flour in it...this meant reading labels religiously...for instance: Soy sauce has wheat flour as its primary ingredient. Many candy bars..like Snickers or Milky Way...I can't remember which..have flour as the prime ingredient.
    Abstaining from all flour helped me in a time when I had the complication of dizziness and blacking out. It really helped...however, it is so difficult to check everything for flour that now I just abstain from bread and cakes and the post nasal drip is better.
    Good luck...it would be nice if it disappeared as suddenly as it came.
    Lina

  • moonphase
    16 years ago

    I have been suffering with sinus problems for 3 yrs now.it started when I moved into the house I bought in 2004.I have been an antibiotics,been to a ear,nose and throat Dr,a lung specialist and nothing has helped.I take mucinex and I take benadryl that has helped alot.The nose doc told me to buy a water pix and rinse my nose with hot salty water daily.I do this and that has helped.I bought air purifiers for the house and I have to sleep with O2 at night because they can not find out what is causing all this infection.Some times when I bend over,my nose pours out yellow sticky fluid.I too wish there was a miracle cure but I just don't know.I have alot of allergies too ,mostly to medications...if you find a cure,let me know.
    moonphase

  • herbalistic
    15 years ago

    Do you consume a lot of dairy? I used to be bothered by post nasal drip but once I cut out dairy I haven't had problems. I use soy milk now instead of dairy milk.
    Dr Christopher recommends a mucus less diet - cutting out mucus producing foods includes dairy, white flour + flour products, white sugar, white salt,[substitute savory herbs and pepper] eggs, and red meat.
    So try eliminating dairy in addition to looking into possible allergy triggers. good luck

  • DrGutKarma
    12 years ago

    I have suffered from post nasal drip my entire life. I have hacked and caughed and it has been sometimes embarassing. 4 months ago I had Balloon Sinuplasty with Dr. Robert Pettis in Laguna Beach, in his office, and my post nasal drip is GONE!!!!!!along with my constant infections. This is the greatest thing I've done since Lasix.

  • rusty_blackhaw
    12 years ago

    Hmm, another brand new poster, promoting a particular ENT doc.

    Aside from balloon sinuplasty having nothing to do with herbalism, this procedure is not indicated for many patients (for instance, those with masses causing their symptoms), does not allow for biopsy of suspicious lesions, and does not address underlying problems.

    "...squashing the bone and stretching the tissue (with balloon sinuplasty) still leaves behind the underlying insult. You improve the plumbing temporarily but don't necessarily remove pathology in surrounding tissue.

    Conventional endoscopic surgery, on the other hand, removes the tissue-with the surrounding bacteria or other pathogen in it"

    Here is a link that might be useful: treating chronic sinusitis

Sponsored
Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers
Average rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars49 Reviews
Columbus Area's Luxury Design Build Firm | 17x Best of Houzz Winner!
More Discussions