For 3+ years, I have had chronic post nasal drip which appears to be the cause of a concomitant chronic cough. I see my family physician twice a year and ask him about it every time. He seems mostly disinterested in it. At one point he suggested smokers cough though I quit smoking 16 years before the cough started and haven't even been in a room where someone else was smoking. At another, he suggested it might be an allergy and I should try Claritin or zyrtec. I did & they had no effect.

So far, it's been mostly an annoyance, but it just became a bigger problem. I'm having eye surgery in January. If I have an uncontrollable coughing fit in the middle of it - or even forcibly hold back the urge to cough - it could be disastrous.

I've made an appointment with an ENT for a few weeks from now. In the meantime, any suggestions as to what other avenues I can pursue would be appreciated.