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Excessive this mucus
Okay guys I may have posted this before. I’ve had a PFT twice. One doctor said your lungs are normal. Another doctor said the test was immaculate. My only symptoms are excessive thick mucus all day every day and very bad breath coming from my throat. No cough or shortness of breath. ENT says no infection after scoping me several times and doing ct scan. Gastro says everything looks normal.
I have seen 3-4 different doctors in each department. One of the pulmonologist did have me go to radiology and have an X-ray immediately after the Pulmonary function test. He said the mucus is from post nasal drip and it lodges( I guess the area he showed me is my tonsil area) okay I had tonsillectomy/adenoids surgery in 2004 because doc said I had deep tonsil crepts and food lodges there and causes infection. After pulmo doc told me about the mucus also lodges in this area I started using a water pik to clean that area. The reason I thought it could be reflux is because after eating I could smell what I had just eaten almost like it was sitting in my throat. I now think the residue from the food gets lodged in the thick mucus and that is why I can smell it. I started taking mucinex and also I notice when doing oral care I hang my head downward over the sink and the mucus starts to drain. This is pretty much the best way to get it out(gravity) since I started this which has been about 2 days now. I no longer can smell what I’ve eaten but the bad breath along with the mucus production still exists. Now my mom had SOB, bad breath , weigh loss excessive mucus but she needed breathing treatments daily. The only symptoms I have are excessive mucus and bad breath. I exercise daily no SOB or cough.
Is a pulmonary function test the best way to get diagnosed? Oh I have also has chest X-rays and it’s all clear.
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I am not a dr. and I am not giving medical advice BUT you might want to try over the counter azelastine nasal spray 2 squirts twice a day. It has made a huge difference for me in terms of post nasal drip. It is an allergy medicine but also is said to reduce nasal symptoms from other causes.
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2 ReactionsThanks for responding I will definitely check it out. Do you experience bad breath with pnd?
@catt8722 Sounds as though you've done due diligence, seeing doctors and having testing but still have bothersome mucus.
What ailment did your mother have? Bronchiectasis? My last two PFTs were normal and I have had bronchiectasis and asthma for many years.
Where is the mucus coming from, your nose or chest? Can you cough anything up for a culture? How do you feel?
Bad breath makes me think of reflux, perhaps silent. There are very specialized tests to rule this in or out. Excess mucus makes me think of allergies and of course, bronchiectasis. The last is difficult to diagnose without a CT scan. Bronchiectasis is a rare disease, so they don't look for it initially. I hope for your sake it's not but this a bronchiectasis forum so we think of it!
Right! This has been going on for over 10 years. From what I remember about my mom’s illness is that the doctors didn’t actually know what was wrong but after her death certificate listed bronchiectasis and respiratory failure as the cause of death. Later my siblings and thought maybe it was from second hand smoke. My dad was a smoker and there was not a lot of knowledge about second hand smoke. I really do not know where the mucus is coming from. It just kinda hangs out in my throat. I have no cough or any symptoms of respiratory issues. I had EGD about three weeks ago everything is normal according to Gastro. No reflux. The mucus is very thick and white. Could be pnd I started using a nasal antihistamine that another person recommended. Also taking Benadryl. I with see how things go. I will mention C T scan to my pcp especially since my mom had it. Thank you !
was told to use mint listerine by infectious disease dr. and Stella Dry Mouth rinse by dentist. Who knows if it helps!
Have you ever tried nasal/sinus rinses with saline? I use a NeilMed bottle. It’s important to follow instructions for use and for cleaning. You could ask you PMD or ENT if they think it would help.
If you decide to try it, there’s a video from Penn ENT on line on how to do it and how to avoid it bothering ears (say “Kaaaa”).
I am so sorry you are having this problem, Catt. I did a quick search on bad breath. The links below may shed some light and provide info you may not have considered.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bad-breath/symptoms-causes/syc-20350922
https://www.prevention.com/health/a29666878/causes-of-bad-breath/?
Also, I am dx with BE and MAC. I had extremely thick mucus and, since taking Guaifenesin extended release tablets and NAC (N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine antioxidant) 2 x per day since August of last year, my mucus has thinned out significantly, my cough has decreased and mucus is much easier to expel. I am not a medical pro, only a patient trying to figure out this puzzling illness just like you. That being said, I am not suggesting you do this necessarily. I am sharing what has worked for me. Best of luck getting to the root cause of the problem.
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1 ReactionI second this advice! Please do try it and let us know if you experience any benefit. My husband does a saline nasal rinse twice a day year ‘round and it helps so much with allergies and bad breath! You could add gargling with salt water as well. There was a recent study showing how much both practices helped keep Covid patients out of the hospital.
You have seen ENT, but have you tried an allergy specialist? I am on an antihistamine and a corticoroid spray, Astelin, as well as Mucinex. One of the most helpful things is the saline nasal rinse as someone suggested.
Yes, PND does cause bad breath in my experience.
Yes too many times