Extreme amounts of phlegm

Thank you. I'll give lemon juice a try..

I just recently started producing abnormal volumes of phlegm and I'm inclined to attribute it to the mask/machine I'm on every night for sleep apnea. ???? Any one else with this experience.

@sheridanpr Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, a place to give and get support.

So that members can more easily answer your question, may I ask if you any other ailments other than sleep apnea? How long have you been wearing a mask? How longer after wearing the mask did the symptom start?

I suffer from extreme amounts of phlegm as well and doctors always diagnose it as Post Nasal Drip and prescribed Nasonex, Fluticasone, and more recently Azelastine. The Azelastine is performing better than the Nasonex and Fluticasone....but only for the nasal stuffed cavities and drip - the phlegm is quite another issue - sticky and feels like cellophane sheet across my throat that I cannot clear as it seems caught between my throat and my esophagus while hacking and coughing to try an clear it out.
-DinoD

Have you talked to your doctor about using saline with a nebulizer? I nebulize 3% saline with 500 mg reduced glutathione. One to two times a day and this routine has made a world of difference for me and my quality of life. I can now sleep most of the night without feeling like I am drowning, and can cough up the thick phlegm. This was all collateral damage from chemo/radiation for head and neck cancer.

Hi Dino, I would like to make a suggestion. I am a retired Federal Police Officer and back in the late 1990's, ten of us officers were coming down with a lot of nasal drip which we assumed was stress or allergic reaction to something. After a lot of research, we decided to try "Cleansing" which you can purchase anywhere i.e. Walmart (the cheapest). We tried the 3 day and then 7 day. After which we then slowly introduced food back into our systems. I found after 1 month, that for me it was dairy (I eat a lot of eggs), chocolate and certain meats. Each one of us were different in what we ate and were allergic to. To this day, my body still reacts to the same foods. Try this homeopathic way first before trying any more medicines. Also try to eliminate as much of the stress in your life as possible. Good luck.

I have heard about such treatments engaging saline nebulizers. One doctor recommended NeilMed Sinus Rinse or a NeilMed Neti Pot rinse. I see that a variety of nebulizers exist include 'misting inhalers' versus "direct saline rinses". Which can you recommend?

note: The Sudafed treatment I use began as a separate issue for when I took flights. I had to begin taking Sudafed 3 days before and after every flight due to extremely painful plugging in my ear canals.

Thank you pbeet! I have noted patterns of phlegm + food reactions (like with certain franchises of fast food burgers).

Definitely, I seem to have fast food problems as well probably because of all the salt and chemical compounds. If you go on one of those cleansing, it’s just a matter of taking the vegetable pills a certain time of the day and eating very very late. we went on oatmeal, Cheerios, cereal, etc. you can do the three day or seven day. Then you slowly add in certain foods to see what makes you react the worst. Good luck, my friend.

I am not a doctor, but I have played one on TV. So once again, please consult a doctor before starting any new treatment routines. If your doctor keeps pushing pharmaceuticals to treat the thick ropy phlegm, you might want to have a sit down with your doctor and see if they are open to your approach. Take a few peer reviewed articles with you to see if that helps. Yes, allergies could also be a main cause with the thick ropy phlegm. There are many factors that could cause this, and each of us will have a different approach. You could, if you are not already seeing a ENT ask a ENT. For me, the nebulizer (3% saline with 500 mg reduced glutathione) has been spoton. I had to convince the doctor, fight with medicare(declined to listen), then present my case to my secondary insurance case nurse to get a approval for just the nebulizer to be available for me to purchase under a script. This is all because (post nasal drip) is not on the approval coding for DME. The saline was not an issue, and was processed without a challenge. A reminder about misting, vaporizing and nebulizing saline as they are all messy (leaves a dusty salty residue) on everything. These devices should be cleaned after each and every use, if not could lead to more and worse health issues. Prayers for everyone, and hopefully we all can be made better.