Help me please! Throat mucus/tightness.

[Omps13]

(Just for reference I am a 23 year old male) Anyway, I got really sick over two years ago. I was congested with an unbelievable amount of mucus. I also had fever and a cough. You know, things associated with any normal cold, but ever since then I have been hacking up mucus (usually clear, but really thick) My throat also constantly feels tight. It is hard to breath, and I can tell my throat is constricted or swollen. Also, when I push on my throat to the right I feel like my airway actually opens up. I am lucky to get two hours of sleep because of this. This is literally ruining my life. My doctor gave me pills for gerd, and like I assumed they did nothing 😑 I know for a fact stomach acid is not the cause. I have been really skinny all my life. (I am 5'11, 135 pounds) I haven't put on weight since I was a freshman in high school. Do you guys think I have a thyroid problem? Also, I feel like there has to be some correlation between what I am currently going through and me getting really sick. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[RedApple Administrator]

Omps13, We can't tell from such little information whether or not you have a thyroid problem. You need to get your thyroid hormones tested. i.e. TSH, FT4, FT3 and thyroid antibodies. Please go back to your doctor and ask for this full thyroid panel to be done. Then, if you need more help, come here again and tell us the results so that we can offer support.

[rachelleigh73]

Hi Omps13 - I'm not aware of a link between thyroid problems and excess mucus production - but I'm not an expert. I have problems with both but have always thought of them as separate issues. I'm aware that eating too much dairy can contribute to excess mucus. I love my dairy - milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt - but cut them all out for a while if I feel I need to reduce mucus levels. I hope this is helpful - good luck in getting this resolved x

[shaws Administrator]

If your doctor will not test those stated by RedApple there are several private labs that will do home pin-prick blood tests. They send you everthing you need. I am assuming your doctor has not checked your thyroid gland hormones. This is a list of symptoms.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

If antibodies are present in your blood, then you'd have a condition (the commonest form of hypothyroidism) called Hashimoto's or Autoimmune Thyroid Disease - hashi's for short. If no antibodies present, but you have a high TSH then you'd be diagnosed as hypothyroid.

Any blood tests for thyroid hormones have to be the earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and if you were taking replacement hormones, you'd allow a gap of 24hours between last dose and test and take afterwards. This helps keept the TSH at its highest as doctors seem to only notice the TSH - thyroid stimulating hormone. This hormone is highest early a.m and drops throughout the day which could mean the difference between being diagnosed or not.

Always get a print-out with the ranges of your results. Put on a new post for comments.

sruk.co.uk/scleroderma/scle...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

We get annoyed when we go to the doctor and they state there's not much wrong with us and few know all of the clinical symptoms.

[MaisieGray]

Your symptoms don't sound indicative of a thyroid problem, but as you've been advised, only a full thyroid panel will rule them in or out, so that's your next step on that front. When you say that you got really sick two years ago, what were you diagnosed with? You may very well have an underlying issue hanging around from that, although some people simply just do produce more mucus than others, and its' colour isn't necessarily thought to be an absolute indicator of infection or not. Over-production can indicate acid reflux as your Dr suspected, but it can also indicate allergies, chronic bronchitis, asthma or other lung problems; so have you returned to your Dr to report that the GERD meds didn't help and that your symptoms persist? You may simply need a decongestant or an inhaled product. Meanwhile being well hydrated, and elevating the head end of your bed by 3 or 4 inches may improve your sleep.