Phlegm in my throat and post nasal drip after Covid

Posted by danny2022 @danny2022, Dec 18, 2022

Ever since I had covid in January of 2022 I recovered from the virus but I was left with a constant phlegm in the back of my throat and post nasal drip that will not go away. The feeling of having mucus in the back of my throat actually gets worse when I try to get rid of it by coughing. I have been given steroid inhalers, albuterol, allergy medication, but none of these work. The mucus gets worse especially after I eat. I've never felt like this before and it all started after covid. Can anybody relate to what I am going through?

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yes, that's when it happens to me too, always after i eat or drink anything, i irrigate my sinuses with a navage, which is like a netti pot thing. if i don't do this then the phlegm will build in my sinuses...it really gets thick if it builds.. at the end of this month it will be 3 years for me from covid...i have a lot of other symptoms but this one is the one i hate most because it is always there.....hang in there..

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Yes, I have this. MD says after covid some people may have this symptom for months. Advice is to gargle with a mild solution of salt and warm water, or baking soda and warm water x3 daily. It helps. Am with you!! We will get better!!

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@beebee000

yes, that's when it happens to me too, always after i eat or drink anything, i irrigate my sinuses with a navage, which is like a netti pot thing. if i don't do this then the phlegm will build in my sinuses...it really gets thick if it builds.. at the end of this month it will be 3 years for me from covid...i have a lot of other symptoms but this one is the one i hate most because it is always there.....hang in there..

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Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it, hope you get better soon!

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@orlanda

Yes, I have this. MD says after covid some people may have this symptom for months. Advice is to gargle with a mild solution of salt and warm water, or baking soda and warm water x3 daily. It helps. Am with you!! We will get better!!

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Thank you for the advice, I will try more of the salt and warm water gargles. Hope you get better soon!

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@danny2022

Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it, hope you get better soon!

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I have the same thing, runny nose while eating or afterwards. It is not related to Long COVID since I’ve had it a long time. (I also have other nasal issues due to allergies…post nasal drip, coughing, etc) the runny nose while eating is caused by nerves in your sinuses being too close to the surface.

Have you discussed the Clarifix procedure with your doctor to see if in your case it would be helpful? I actually have this procedure tomorrow at Mayo ENT. (I’m hoping it may also help my post nasal drip). Google the procedure; it works by the doctor freezing the area of the nerves inside your sinus cavity. It may be worth exploring. Best of luck!

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Yes, I also have the issue with phlegm in my throat, but usually only after dinner in the evening. Doesn't seem to happen much with breakfast or lunch. I will try gargling with warm salt water. Thanks for the tip. I have also noticed people complaining about GERD after Covid. I wonder if the phlegm is related to the reflux. I will ask my doc about the nasal irrigation.

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i have that now after covid (Second round), but i dont think its just a sensation it feels like its stuck there , ive tried steam therapy, cough congestion medicines etc. its really concerning because it makes me vomit in order to try remove the phelgm from my throat and airway as it feels like im going to choke on it. it makes me gag and wretch.

has anything worked for you guys.

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because all this thick phlegm always stays in my throat it really has messed up my sinuses to the point i do get the nasal drip down my throat, the weird thing is it builds in my throat after i eat or drink anything....so to help keep it from building in the sinuses i was prescribed "budesonide" that i use with my navage..it does help keep the nasal drip down. this stuff flushes out my sinus cavities so i can breath.. but i still can't figure out why the phlegm/mucus keeps building...i have alot of other symptoms to that come and go alot but if i could pick just one to go away...it would be the thick yuck in my throat!!!

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I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago with covid. I thought I was recovering but still have a runny nose. I was advised to get Flonase but it seems to raise my blood sugar (type 2 diabetic).

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@beebee000

because all this thick phlegm always stays in my throat it really has messed up my sinuses to the point i do get the nasal drip down my throat, the weird thing is it builds in my throat after i eat or drink anything....so to help keep it from building in the sinuses i was prescribed "budesonide" that i use with my navage..it does help keep the nasal drip down. this stuff flushes out my sinus cavities so i can breath.. but i still can't figure out why the phlegm/mucus keeps building...i have alot of other symptoms to that come and go alot but if i could pick just one to go away...it would be the thick yuck in my throat!!!

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I understand you misery. I’ve had the same thing since late August 2022, a month after covid. It dries out the nasal passages and sinuses and the mucous is nearly gagging in my throat. I get it. I too am on Symbicort, which is a combo of budesonide and formoterol. The pulmonologist, whom I saw in December, believes the mucous is developing as a result of acid reflux. But do I have heartburn? No. Why? Because it appears to be a problem with sphincters, both the lower (LE), and upper (UE) esophageal sphincters not functioning correctly - so it is known as LPR (laryngopharaengeal reflux) aka silent reflux, which doesn’t cause heartburn since the acid isn’t stuck in your chest between the LE and UE sphincters (as in GERD). Instead the acid shoots up into your throat and the mucous develops to protect your throat, larynx, etc from the stomach acid. I even feel little food particles with the acid as far up as in my nose! Ugh!!! My appointment with ENT isn’t until February. Meantime it helps to eat less and remain upright for 2-3 hours after a meal - don’t lie down! If I eat late and go to bed too soon I’ll have horrible mucous coughing up in the morning that must develop throughout the length of the esophagus. I do find chewing gum helps after eating to keep me swallowing. I mean I chew like a lot of gum for a couple hours after a meal and after every little snack. I even started a gum wrapper chain that I suspect will be quite long by the time this is resolved! What I eat doesn’t seem to matter aLOT because it seems like anything that goes down causes the reaction. Apples though are sustaining for me and celery-NOT ( and it’s supposed to be a good one). And remaining on my feet, moving around, works even better than simply sitting upright. Lounging after dinner? No way. Best of luck to all of us with this misery!

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