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Suggest Treatment For Post Nasal Drip

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Posted on Fri, 16 Jun 2017
Question: every night at bed time 9 or so. my sinuses drain into my throat so much phlegm that it takes me 20 minutes to cough it all up, during the day time have no phlegm but in the am sometimes have i guess the residual of the pm occurence. am 83 have afib take heart pill and twice a bp pill and water retention pill. have regular mild gym days, 3, walk a mile each time and do 5 or 6 or more if i can of lower and upper body core muscle exercises. how do i stop that drainage????? have tried musinex to no avail. My personal Dr says the pills i take don't cause this. Thanks for your help.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Klarida Papaqako (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Possible post nasal drip and/or gastro-esophageal reflux.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Thank you for using Healthcaremagic to post your health query.
I read carefully your question and I understand your concern.

What you are describing seems like either post nasal drip or/and gastric reflux. The acid from the stomach irritates the airways and causes the production of the phlegm and causes the cough. The fact that it is happening during night explains that.
I agree with your doctor that there are the meds that are causing that.

What I would recommend is that you take Omeprazole 20mg, one tablet in the morning for 2 weeks to treat the acid reflux, and Loratadine 10mg in the evening 1 tablet to treat the possible allergic effect that might be causing the post nasal drip.

Both medicines do not interact with the medicines you are taking.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Great job about your lifestyle and the physical activity you are doing.

If worse or not better, I would recommend seeing a local doctor.

Hope this is helpful.
Let me know if you need more clarifications.

Regards,
Dr. Papaqako

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Klarida Papaqako (3 hours later)
I was wrong. after the msg to all of you i decided to check just how many times had to cough up phlegm, after 4 pm today have had to cough 4 times. also my Dr says the meds i take do not cause the phlegm. had to change one med ( a bp pill) when the cough was really bad and it was the cause then but cough has now returned like i wrote. am reluctant to take on 2 more pills. any other suggestions that may help? Sincerely appreciate your advice. Dale 5:20 pm
doctor
Answered by Dr. Klarida Papaqako (14 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Some practical things you can do.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Thank you for the follow-up question.

Yes, I confirm too that the medicines you are taking does not cause cough with phlegm.

I am pretty confident that the diagnoses I mentioned above are the causes of the cough.
If you don't want to take medicines, you can try some practical suggestions but they will need longer time to help you.
- Drink plenty of fluids (try more then you usually do)
- Blow your nose every evening and morning and also do a lavage of the nose with warm water. That will help to remove the secretions stacked in the back of the throat.
- Eat a diet without spicy and greasy food.
- Elevate the head of your bed slightly (3-4 cm) so it will avoid reflux.

I hope these advises will be helpful.

Kind Regards,
Dr.Papaqako
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng
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Answered by
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Dr. Klarida Papaqako

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2010

Answered : 1804 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Post Nasal Drip

Brief Answer: Possible post nasal drip and/or gastro-esophageal reflux. Detailed Answer: Hello, Thank you for using Healthcaremagic to post your health query. I read carefully your question and I understand your concern. What you are describing seems like either post nasal drip or/and gastric reflux. The acid from the stomach irritates the airways and causes the production of the phlegm and causes the cough. The fact that it is happening during night explains that. I agree with your doctor that there are the meds that are causing that. What I would recommend is that you take Omeprazole 20mg, one tablet in the morning for 2 weeks to treat the acid reflux, and Loratadine 10mg in the evening 1 tablet to treat the possible allergic effect that might be causing the post nasal drip. Both medicines do not interact with the medicines you are taking. Drink plenty of fluids. Great job about your lifestyle and the physical activity you are doing. If worse or not better, I would recommend seeing a local doctor. Hope this is helpful. Let me know if you need more clarifications. Regards, Dr. Papaqako