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A disgusting topic, post nasal drip, but it is a very uncomfortable condition and since I've had a lot of luck with the most common solution ( dairy allergy ), I thought I should offer up my experience with this condition.  In the past, I lived with this drip, post nasal ( behind nasal cavities? ), a condition which results in a thick discharge from my sinuses; waking up in the middle of the night almost choking, sometimes feeling as if I needed to vomit.  The thick mucous discharge just sits in the back of throat, you can't swallow it, and you can't cough it up, you just wait for it to drop from your nasal cavities.  You want to cough incessantly but it does no good.  You drink glass after glass of water hoping you can dissolve and swallow the build up, but to no avail.  You'd like to shove a sprinkler up your nose to wash out your sinus.  Sometimes a shot of Yukon Jack, or scotch, can help, but this isn't such a great idea in the middle of the night.  When I started to have this problem I had no idea it was called; Post Nasal Drip.

I learned of the solution (cure?) !

It's very straight forward.  Dr. Lendon Smith, M.D. and his book Feed Yourself Right reveals the cause and the simple solution to post nasal drip.  To quote Dr. Smith, "that includes a sniffing, throat-clearing, zonking sound these people make as if they were trying to dislodge a bunch of rubber bands from the backs of their nose and throat".  In his book Dr. Smith uses the wording postnasal drip.  The cause is most likely a food allergy and by far the most likely suspect allergen is milk!  Dr. Smith calls it a systemic food allergy.  Amazing, I stopped having cereal for breakfast and in a few days the problem fades away!  I couldn't believe it was so easy.

Of course now I had to change my whole breakfast routine.  But in recent years there is an alternative that appears not to be a post nasal drip allergen andit's Soy Milk.  I like the Vanilla Silk product and it goes well on cereal.  Check out Silk products at http://www.silkissoy.com.  I just recently noticed these products at my supermarket and decided to give them I try.  Believe it or not I just learned that tofu is simply a soy product, I had no idea, why not just call it soy bean product or soy cheese!  Of course the term has been around for 2000 years so I guess I should learn it!

Please note: In monitoring searches of my website, and this article, it appears some people visiting my site may believe they are allergic to Soy products.  It appears one can have a food allergy to almost any food, perhaps producing the post nasal drip symptomology.  Bob 07/29/2004

Even the Governor knows

I still remember years ago; an interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger, he is asked "Do you drink lots of milk?"  Arnold says "Milk is for babies" and he's really right.  It seems the older you get the more likely you are to have trouble with a food allergy.  And look no milk, and he's an "acting" governor (ha ha)! 

My Wife has vacillated

My wife has also had problems.  In the past she has, for a period of time, stopped using dairy products, because she has had nighttime discomfort similar to mine.  But there have been times when cereal for breakfast is just too tempting.  Unlike me, she does not like Soy Milk so there really is no substitute.  Regarding a substitute, I tried beer with cereal once (raisin bran), it was awful!  Due to recent nighttime discomfort, she has now discontinued significant milk usage again.  And again her symptoms have subsided, soit's not just me with a dairy allergy and a cure (stop using dairy products!).  Again it can simply be the frequency of use that is the issue.

Other things that help

One thing that might help, and help other problems as well, is slightly sloping your bed.  By putting large stable lift blocks under the headboard of your bed, you will subtly elevate your head facilitating sinus and mucus drainage while you sleep.  My reading indicates 3 to 4 inches of elevation is a start.  (Please make sure the structure of your bed frame can handle this small slope).

There are other more subtle causes of post nasal drip

Pizza, a thick pizza with lots of cheese, another dairy product.  For me this seems to be a more subtle cause but I do believe it does bring on an occasional recurrence of symptoms.  Just don't have pizza and then nibble on cheese for two or three days in a row.  It's almost always the frequency of consumption that is the problem.  Dr. Smith mentions milk, chocolate, corn, and wheat as possible causes.  Dr. Smith's book appears to no longer be in print.  But used copies are definitely available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.  For reference the original paper back sold for $4.95, copyright 1983, ISBN 0-440-20066-0.

American Academy of Otolaryngology article. 

An interesting natural approach at WikipediA
( Jala neti ).

Fresh breath information:  A Free Trial Offer from Therabreath.

I can't say I had any bad breath problems during my bouts with Postnasal Drip, lucky I guess!

Try a change

If you're having post nasal drip symptoms I hope you try a substitute for dairy products for a while and perhaps you'll see an improvement.  It truly made a big difference for me.

Good Luck, and I hope this helped
Bob