Post Nasal Drip

[genie123]

Can someone please give me some information on pnd. I think this is what my husband has. He has a feeling like he needs to keep clearing his throat with occasional cough. He's more of less ok when upright but gets it if he tries to lay down so has to sleep with pillows. What can we try to tackle this. Thanks any advice apprciated.

[RATTER15]

I have the same issues at times, not a lot can be done about from what I can see. this is the only useful info I can find.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-nasal_drip

[Sqad]

Certainly not enough information here and the causes could range from significant cause to no big deal, the latter more likely.
If he needs to sleep with pillows,then so be it,one can have a good night's sleep sitting up.
However, what can be done inthe interim? Any treatment will be purely empirical.....gueswork..... shot in the dark.
I would take Ibuprofen 400mgms at night and o it or the situation for a week and if all settles,then sorted. However if it doesn't or any other symptoms present e.g earache,difficulty in swallowing, voice change, the see your GP as a definitive diagnosis will need to be made.

[Buenchico]

As Sqad say, there's not enough information here for anyone to come up with a definitive answer but I'll chuck in a possibility (based upon my own experience) anyway:

I was frequently clearing my throat, with an occasional cough, during my teenage years and beyond. It eventually turned out to be caused by a form of acid reflux which doesn't cause heartburn but does irritate the back of one's throat:
https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/laryngopharyngeal-reflux-silent-reflux#
(I can't recall it being significantly worse when lying down but that would make sense as 'normal' acid reflux tends to be worse when gravity isn't helping to keep the acid in one's stomach).

If you husband has the same problem, simply increasing his daily fluid intake might help to solve the problem (as it did for me). Otherwise proton pump inhibitor tablets (from any pharmacist, without prescription) should do the trick for him.

[jno]

people in olden times often used to sleep half-sitting up with bolsters behind them - sometimes you'll see beds in historic houses that are quite short, as they didn't have to be 6ft long. If your husband sleeps better that way, stick with it.

If he has got some sort of reflux acid, it's supposed to be better to sleep on your left than your right.

[KARL]

Yet another possible cause would be a pharyngeal pouch - very small amounts of diverted/trapped food will feel like phlegm around the vocal cords when it isn't (it is in the esophagus). These bits of food (a few grains of rice, bits of pasta, very small bits of meat, bits of fruit, etc., etc. then make their way up into the throat once one is prone (especially when lying on the right side) and need to be dealt with. To confirm/eliminate this cause and/or reflux a proper investigation using barium meal and X-rays is required (takes about 15 minutes).

[Sqad]

Buenchico/Karl....both good calls......anymore takers?

[237SJ]

Doesn't post nasal drip mean something dripping down the back of the throat from the sinus? I don't see what that has to do with acid reflux etc.

[genie123]

Thanks everyone for your imput. GP has prescribed a nasal spray and Gaviscon Advaced so we are trying this to see how this goes. Will let you know.

[Sqad]

Feedback appreciated.

[jazzyjen]

I took my son to the GP with a complaint of constant throat clearing when he was about 8 or 9. It was diagnosed as post nasal drip but no treatment offered. He still does it now in his early thirties! I’ve come to the decision it is a form of “stimming” due to his autism.

[catswhiskas]

I have post nasal drip, its like having a cold all the time ,constantly swallowing , makes me cough too on really bad days it makes me sick, suffer from cattargh and hay fever in the summer. My doctor gave me a script for two inhalers, Clenil Modulite and Salbutamol, also take one Montelukast at night, and lotaridine, still have to clear my throat and cough a lot, but it is a little better.

[genie123]

Hi. well a few days on and we think there is some improvement. My husband thinks its the nasal spray. I help him use it just before he goes to sleep. The throat clearing isn't completely gone but is not so pronounced. He's also sitting up even more. We've also invested in a humidifier as he sleeps with his mouth open all the time so hope this might help with the air not being quite so dry.