I know exactly what you mean when you say how it ruins your life. I am retired and looked forward to doing some traveling. My son said-mom why are you coughing and clearing your throat all the time?- I then thought maybe I should not visit them and spend the night. My friend said lets do a cruise-which means sharing a room, I am too embarrassed to share a room with a friend, and gag and cough and spit all night., I cannot believe that neither ENT nor GI have any idea as to what it is, or how to make it better. I know that there are other people suffering greater than me, but this has ruined my life as I imagined retirement to be different.