Phlegm in my throat and post nasal drip after Covid

No, it’s just been figured out through cardiac and pulmonary. And I’m seeing an ENT in a few weeks. My fear is that I will end up having to wait for Gastroenterology too! The wait time for appointments is crazy! I was lucky to get in on a cancellation to a pulmonary. Not only this LPR but asthma also developed. My cardiologist first came up with the asthma condition (that I’ve never had before) and prescribed a rescue inhaler for some immediate relief. The pulmonologist then prescribed an inhaler treatment that has helped a lot and discussed her suspicion of LPR. Between the two conditions I was a mess. Have you had asthma with it too? I understand they often develop together.

Good luck with your tests. I look forward to hearing about them, the process, the results and the prognosis. Please update!

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!

Hi! You’re one of the only people I’ve come across that is having esophageal sphincter problems like I am. I have to have an endoscopy tomorrow with a flip procedure to see what’s going on with all of that. Did you have manometry and endoscopies to diagnose? Did they say if the sphincters should figure themselves out and improve? I’m really sorry you’re going through this!

Did you find any info on the esophageal sphincter issues? I’ve had my esophagus stretched but no help. Was told to have it again but I’ve had very low oxygen levels and can not tolerate Anesthesia. How are you?

Hi! I had my meeting with my GI dr yesterday- apparently my lower esophageal sphincter still isn’t quite relaxing well enough. It’s not achalasia which is good, and hopefully it does resolve. First thing to try is to eat peppermint altoids before every meal- peppermint oil gets things to relax. I was happy this is the first idea! I also am using my vagus nerve stimulator before meals. If after a month those haven’t shown progress then we will try a temporary high dose of omeprazole for 8-12 weeks. There are more invasive options after that like stretching etc but that’s hopefully not the way we will go. He did say a lot of the time these issues are transient which I’m holding on to.

Thanks for the info. I’m going to see my GI doc in a couple of weeks and will bring these alternatives up. Hope you never have to have the stretching. It didn’t help me. But it did help my mother significantly. Did the problems start after Covid? Mine did.

i use a navage, i used to use the squeeze bottle and the netti pot, i like the navage way better, plus you see and can keep track of the yuck that comes out of your sinues...it was not cheap to buy but i love it..make sure what ever you use to use DISTILLED water..other wise you could end up with more problems. .my mucus looks just like elmers WOOD glue..yellow and thick. i got covid 3 years ago flying from michigan to montana..on stop in minneapolis..hate this stuff. i'm working on it...don't give up!!!!!