Horrible post nasal drip - unable to take decongestants

I have horrible allergies and especially now that fall is coming.  I have been having the most horrible time with post nasal drip that it's driving me batty!  It drains into my throat and affects my vocal cords.  I've even lost my voice completely in the past due to this.  I am unable to take decongestents because they make my heart race and all jittery.  Is there something out there that can help me ease this PND??? I am already on Allegra and Singulair for my allergies.  Oh I've even tried Saline nasal sprays but they don't do much.

You mean as in a Netti Pot? No I haven't done that - it's sort of a phobia of mine to put any type of water or saline solution in my nose and yes I even have a hard time with the saline nose sprays :) I am going to switch to Zyrtec I believe but I want to see if my insurance will cover this otc med now because before they denied me. My insurance covers some otc meds such as Prilosec Otc, Clariten etc. So if I can pay $5 as opposed to $25 then that would be even better. I just haven't had the time to call yet. What is lavage? Is that the sinus rinse?

Red, I also can't do decongestants for the same reasons as you. However, in talking with my PCP, he told me to try Afrin nasal spray and only use it at night (that's when I have the hardest time trying to breathe). It is not the same type of decongestant that you find OTC, it's in a much smaller dosage and typically, doesn't produce the jitters, sleeplessness and heart racing. I've tried it and he was right. It helped me immensely and I didn't suffer the effects that typical decongestants bring on. I got the Afrin No Drip, Extra Moisturizing brand. Just a thought.

Oh and btw, I took my first dose of Zyrtec last night and woke up with only a slightly scratchy throat as compared to a massive scratchy throat. The true test will be tonight when my allergies are at their worse! What really stinks is that I don't even KNOW what I am allergic to! I had allergy testing but they all came up negative. I'm thinking it is because I am on an immune suppressing medication that all the testing came back negative. But it would really be helpful to know what it is that I am allergic to ya know???

Allergies not showing up on tests is called "Anergy" and sometimes the allergy can be detected with IgG allergy blood tests...but I don't know that they do IgG allergy blood tests for inhalant allergens...You might be able to get some positives to show up on an IgE inhalant allergy blood test...

I get the terrible restlessness and insomnia from decongestants also. But I have no problem with Fenugreek herb, and it does the same thing for me. I also discovered that my sinus symptoms are so severe that I need a stronger steroid nasal inhaler than what the manufacturers are willing to make for sinus allergies, so my Allergist has me put Pulmicort Respule nebulizer solution in a nasal spray container and use that in my nose instead. It helps a lot more than anything else has. And also there is a homeopathic mix called "Sinus" made by Heel Homeopathics that helps reduce sinus symptoms and post nasal drainage.

Sometimes, post nasal drainage can be a symptom of food hypersensitivity. Also, reducing dairy food intake can reduce sinus symptoms for some (cow's milk proteins promote the formation of extra mucus in the body).

Good luck,

Hi Red 34 I suffered with post natal drip for months and by accident spoke to someone who had the same problem who had improved there,s significantly by just preparing a bowl of boiling water adding 2 aloe vera crystals and let infuse.Cover the eyes and mouth and breathe through the nose...I have tried it and it really works...have a go...nothing to lose. breathe easy groovey

Yeah, there are some tests available, but be aware that they are not 100% accurate:

In https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=7&m=1202693 I describe three blood tests that can detect food sensitivities.

Also, there is NAET ( http://www.naet.com/ ), which uses kinesiology to determine whether a person is sensitive to the test food, and then uses acupuncture to release the sensitivity to the food. This technique works well for about 80% of people who try it.

A "non-IgE-mediated response" would be any symptom that occurs from exposure to a food (or other substance) but that is not caused by the interaction of IgE antibodies with the food. So for example, lactose intolerance is caused by a lack of the enzyme lactase, so the symptoms caused by lactose intolerance are due to the inability to digest the milk sugar and therefore no IgE antibodies are involved in these symptoms.

I hope this helps - take care,