Post-Nasal Drip Remedies

| Modified on Mar 08, 2022

Treatment of post-nasal drip is widely varied and includes such options as nasal cleansing using a neti pot as well as alkalizing formulas. While the most important consideration for treating this condition is identifying the underlying condition, many of these natural treatments offer relief from the condition whatever the cause. Natural options cleanse the sinuses and remove infection and bacteria causing the drip.

What is Post-Nasal Drip?

Post-nasal drip, also known as PND, is a condition characterized by the overproduction of mucus. The most common symptom is the presence of excess mucus running down the throat. Additional symptoms include hoarseness, sore throat and others. The condition is caused by a number of different factors including cold, flu, allergy, sinus infection and many others.

Natural Treatments for Post-Nasal Drip

While the causes of excess mucus production are widely varied, many cases of the condition can be treated effectively using similar natural treatments. Alkalizing formulas such as apple cider vinegar are effective options. Additionally, cayenne, garlic and other herbs offer relief.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a natural substance that kills germs and nourishes the body at the same time. The vinegar can be taken as a tonic, which works to cleanse the system and remove toxins from the inside out, healing a drip in the process. Another treatment option, however, is using the tonic as a nasal cleanse that is sucked in through the nose, drained through the sinuses and spit out of the mouth.

Cayenne

Cayenne is also an effective treatment for post-nasal drip. The capsaicin in cayenne functions to stimulate the production of mucus, thinning it out in the process. This process makes breathing easier and facilitates less dripping of the sinuses.

Garlic

Garlic is a potent herb that also has powerful antibiotic properties. This nutrient is effective in eliminating infection and alleviating congestion. Garlic can also eliminate inflammation that may be contributing to symptoms of PND.

Post-nasal drip is a condition of the mucus membranes of the sinuses, which causes the presence of a liquid dripping feeling down the back of the throat. While specific treatment of the condition depends on the cause of the problem, natural treatments offer relief whatever the cause.




Alkaline Water

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Posted by Neat (Budapest, Hungary) on 04/10/2015
★★★★★

Post nasal drip can come from silent reflux. Treat the reflux with alkaline water, and your post nasal dripping will reduce.


Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne, Alkalizing Formulas

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Posted by Coachbrs (Livingston, La.) on 07/21/2013
★★★★☆

I really need some help, good advice. I am 51 very active in working out in the weight room/mountain bike riding. Today, I am upset! I popped a cough drop in my mouth for the purpose to prevent coughing in a very important board meeting. Within 15 sec. I was coughing, my sinuses flooded my dry nose and mucus in my throat! Needless to say, I had to leave. I coughed for 30min. trying to clear the junk out of my system. I have been working very hard over the past 5 days and the cough drop experience is very frustrating!!!

This is what I have been doing over the past 5 days. I changed my nutrition to follow a Candida diet plan. I started alkalizing formula (Lemon-Bicarbonate-Blackstrap molasses 2xday) Daily I sweated in hot tub 40 min. with epsom salt and ginger rubbed on my skin. Upon getting out of the hot tub, I put on sweats-hoody and sweat another 40min. (I tested my urine/saliva pH everyday; on day one my pH 6.25 today its 6.75) Yesterday, I started using the ACV. (2 TBSP sprinkle cayenne pepper in 8oz. Of water) I need to get well before school starts on August 7th. I also have dentist appointment to extract tooth on Thurs. 7-25-13. I need to get well.

I guess you are wondering why did I START these remedies... Background; I was sick 6 weeks with bronchitis. During the 3 different doc. visits, the doc. gave me 3 rounds of antibiotics, 2 steroid shots and codeine cough medicine. I never got completely well! On the 4th doc. visit, I was given meds. for vaginal yeast infection and acid reflux meds. I said, baloney!!! So I'm on a mission to heal myself by following these remedies. I am better after 5 days of doing all these remedies but I still have a constant sinus drip back throat, I cough crazy when the sinuses goes crazy, I had a sore throat but that's gone when I started ACV. I missed 5 days of working out to focus on getting well. I usually mountain bike a total of 100 miles per week and lift weight 2 days a week. Somebody please help me.

I will continues doing these remedies but I need to see more improvements. Please tell me if theres something else I need to do. CoachBRS.

Replied by Sami
(Houston, Tx, Usa)
07/21/2013

I'm sure you will get many replies with help but here's my 2 cents. The red flags for me was the mention of " rounds of antibiotics, 2 steroid shots, meds. For vaginal yeast infection and acid reflux meds". I was one of those people that had no idea the yeast, fungus and/or bacteria can totally turn your life upside down until it happened to me. After seeing 7 different doc's finally got some help from the co-author of the 27 year old book - The Yeast Syndrome. There are many Candida type diets out there but since I'm now a patient of Dr. Trowbridge's I will follow his protocol. I believe in the healing value of Blackstrap molasses but my thoughts are since it's totally loaded with sugar you more or less made all the other Candida remedies useless or canceled out. If you have any type of yeast problems you usually have to totally cut out sugar and most carbs during the first stage of the diet or it's useless (depending on whose opinion/diet you are following. Yeast can flourish in your sinus, nasal passages and mouth. I had no sinus issues but ended up with yeast spores living in my nose. I actually could see the very small yeast hyphea spores come out when I exhaled. I had no idea that I was this infected with yeast and some people don't until it really bad and takes a big toll on your health. There is no quick fix for this illness. You have got to fix your stomach flora and much more to get this gone & healed after all the meds you have been given. I know been there and still working on this issue that has made my life hell for the last nine months. This doctor has a website with free podcasts or you can get his ebook cheap from amazon. It's not a fun read but can save you lots of other health problems or maybe your life. I think he saved mine.

Sharon
(Utah)
02/23/2022

Hi, I believe that has been the root cause also of my continuous sinus, PND, and stomach and intestinal issues.

What is the doctor's name or email address, please. Thank you.

Replied by Coachbrs.
(Livingston, La, Usa)
07/21/2013

Thank you, planning to try the blender drink, sorry you had a rough beginning. Glad things are working out better for you.

Sami
(Houston, Tx, Usa)
07/22/2013

This is a PS to my post/reply from last night. There are too many supplements and treatments in the protocol I am following to list here. I forgot the most important in ref to your lung/bronc issues. The doctor has me put just a few drops of 3 % food grade hydrogen peroxide to start out with distilled water in a personal cool air mist humidifier. The little simple inexpensive unit but we cannot put commercial/brands type links on this sites. To get an idea or a picture just google - Travel size coll air humidifiers, they run aprox. $40 bucks. It must be a cool air mist not hot air. You start with just a few drops and use a few times a day and work your way up to a little stronger mix and more inhalation. Don't over do it but just start very slow and bump your dose up. I have not had any negative side effects and using this for over 2 month. My doctor also does intravenous drips with the hydrogen peroxide which helps so many viruses and illnesses but I'm not ready to try this just yet. It is very important to use only the 3 % food grade hydrogen peroxide and pure distilled water as you don't want the chemicals from tap water and the drug store brown bottle peroxide.

I don't post much and usually just read and learn. Until you get this under control the damage from all the antibiotics and other meds have lowered your immune system and many nasty things will thrive unless you cut out all the sugar and carbs. This is not a life time diet but important in the first stage of healing and can be added back slowly after some recovery. There are many types of candida/yeast type diets/protocols. Bill , Ted and others have many excellent posts on this very site. I just needed more guidance and confirmation of the disease because of other doctors wrong dianois and my family and friends not believing that my illness was yeast related. I'm glad I found a wonderful holistic/md in my area that is educated on this issue. Please read a book or some website info on just how badly yeast/mycosis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycosis) can slowly ruin your health. I hate the idea of anyone experience the nightmare I and many others are suffering because of over use of antibiotics due to life saving surgeries or just now knowing any better at the time.

It's true if the illness does not kill you the medicines will kill you. But it's a long drawn out slow kill that causes much more suffering than the original illness.

Replied by Paula
(Usa)
04/02/2015

Go raw 3 months - raw veggies/fruits/smoothies/juicing, it will be gone!


Avoid Lactose

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Posted by Sam (Miami, FL) on 04/10/2015
★★★★★

Post Nasal drip is often an indication of lactose intolerance.

Replied by Neat
(Budapest, Hungary)
08/03/2015
★★★★★

Yes, I went to test it, and I am. Thanks for the help!!


Calcium Ascorbate Supplement

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Posted by Sunny (Ca) on 09/05/2021
★★★★★

What helps greatly my postnasal drip is Calcium Ascorbate with citrus bioflavonoids complex. I use Ester C. I think mine is seasonal allergies related as I do not have it year round. I

take 4 pills when I feel it, the constant clearing of my throat and sore throat. Credit to Dr. Berg on YouTube for this remedy. Thank God it's a lifesaver for me. Also, my chiropractor showed me to press hard on my sinus bone area where your glasses lenses would be. That causes nasal drainage, that is instantly, but only temporary. I did so much research on this PND and the calcium ascorbate with bioflavonoids is the best thing ever. Also when I have PND, milk products and sugar make it worse!

Good luck bc PND sucks.


Cayenne Pepper

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Posted by Cheri S. (Wellington, FL) on 07/02/2021
★★★★★

In the last few months, I have developed severe post-nasal drip due to allergies. I tried several different supplements, none of which did much. The Neti Pot brought some relief, but it would only last an hour or so. It got to the point where it felt like my breathing was impaired because of how badly the phlegm was blocking the back of my throat, which was very anxiety-inducing (in addition to being uncomfortable, annoying, and gross).

I saw that someone mentioned Cayenne in a cocktail on EC. I tried it and it brought IMMEDIATE relief. It was like a miracle. Now, I take a Cayenne Pepper capsule about three times a day and it has wiped out about 90% of the phlegm build up behind my nose.

Previously, I was waking up several times throughout the night to clear my throat, now I don't wake up at all. Just be sure to eat when you take the capsule, otherwise, it will do a number on your stomach.

Replied by Robert.
(U.S.A.)
07/09/2021

If you just take a tbs. of some kind of alcohol, it will activate the hot pepper better.

Capsicum is alcohol soluble, so it gets absorbed if mixed with just a tiny amount,

I use 1-2 tbs with it, and it is a potent pain reliever too, but not without the alcohol.

Just make sure whatever you use, is 80 proof or better.

Use in supplement form to avoid any burning feeling, you also can adjust as needed.

You can use alcohol to clean your hands if handling hot peppers to get rid of the heat.


Grapefruit Seed Extract

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Posted by Pay It Forward (PNW) on 02/22/2022 41 posts
★★★★★

Recently I had a surprising elimination of a post nasal drip. I've dealt with them for 20+ yrs. I take serrapeptase intermittently but had not taken it for months. Then a few weeks ago I had a bad bout. Was miserable. I had just bought Zinc & elderberry lozenges and that night, after waking up coughing, reached for them and popped one in my mouth and went back to sleep. When I woke, it was the strangest feeling in my throat/sinus area; dry like the Sahara feeling. The drip was gone. The strange feeling remained for 2-3 days but it was almost miraculous how it stopped the PND. Maybe bc I was laying down it was able to directly affect the area, as opposed to being upright. I don't know other than it was an extremely surprising & welcomed effect!

For chronic cases (which I no longer have) I highly recommend Grapefruit Seed Extract (aka 'GSE'). The root cause of sinus infections and PND is mold and fungus. A recent study of chronic sinusitis and fungus done by the mayo clinic found that a whopping 97% of people tested had an average of 2.7 types of fungus growing in their sinus cavities. And they were successfully treated for chronic sinus infections using antifungal medications treatments. But what was found to be the most effective antifungal agent, by far, was the natural remedy of grapefruit seed extract (GSE)! ... Same goes for most respiratory infections.

I got home from the hospital from pneumonia and was not OK. Started immediately, I got empty capsules and filled them up 15-20 drops of extract fit in each cap (30 drops, twice daily). Amazing remedy! I've read ppl opening nasal spray bottles of saline solution and adding a 3 drops of GSE and spraying that into their sinuses every 3-4 times daily. Our medicine cabinet won't be without this. Research it for yourself. And lastly, buy the GSE that's been around forever (red label & cap), not the newer ones that I hear are not as potent.


Neti Pot

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Posted by Chickey23 (Richmond, Virginia) on 02/09/2015
★★★★★

Thank you so much for sharing your methods of treatment!

After having been diagnosed with sinusitis, I've found a similar satisfaction and relief in having performed nasal rinses (with the type of neti pot that is able to be squeezed, and thus, used to control the force of sterilized saline) every other day.

I discovered I suffer from food allergies, namely to wheat and dairy. I ditched standard allergy medication and opted for a natural approach. Though I've changed my entire diet to a gluten-free, dairy-free, fully-hydrated, organic lifestyle, I still find the need to use the neti pot to clear my sinuses. Even with the use of herbs and apple cider vinegar (with the mother), it's as though they cannot drain on their own. Maybe it's just my body's composition, but if this information can help someone like myself, I want to give back what the Earth Clinic community has offered to me.

Work hard for yourself and others! Enjoy your life- we only have one chance to get it right (unless you believe in reincarnation). :) Have fun, treat yourself right, stay active in mind and body, and remain positive.


Neti Pot
Posted by Sunny (Sg, Ca) on 05/30/2013
★★★★★

The Neti pot worked for me! For my excess phlegm that fell from my nose to my throat. I always felt choking phlem and I always had to clear my throat. To the point that it would become to irritated. When to Dr. of course the prescribe antibiotics like always. I took them and nothing, I went back and they prescribe a different, stonger antibiotic and nothing! I looked for a natural solution. Found the Neti pot it worked!! I did it in the morning and early evening. If you need more info google/ youtube Neti pot. Its pretty much a flusing of your nasal passages with sea salt water. Give it a try I'm sure it will work for you! I used the neti pot with Himalyan salt. If it works for you PROMISE to spread the word and also come to post it her on EC! :). Oh yea and not milk this makes phlem worst and also sugary and cold drinks. Warm soups and teas help to losen phlem and honey soothes the throat. Much love Sunny. EC rocks!!! <3

Replied by Sunny
(Ca)
10/31/2013

Oh yea I forgot to say how long I did it for. I did it for about 3 weeks 2x a day morning, and evening. You can do it more times if you have the time. Also you might need to do it for a longer time period. But I really belive this will cure you, if not at least help to improve it, but you have to keep at it tell you feel the difference , then you can try stopping.

Also now I use drinking water heated up to really warm. As I have been told about the floride in the sink water. You can use really pure salt, ( just salt, not with anticaking ingridients and iodine! ) or fine grain sea salt.

Other things I have found helpful.

Lemon or Lime honey tea ( boil water and add ingredients)

Troat drops ( not like halls) They are like different the ingredient is pectin read lable) ( look at back ing( its like moisturizing) ( (Since the clearing of throat causes irritation), not menthol.

Oregano tea, oregano pills

Past the love forward -Sunny


Onion, Lemon and Olive Oil

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Posted by Anon (Usa) on 03/18/2018
★★★★★

Put a small onion, the juice of a lemon, and a couple teaspoons of olive oil in the blender and blend it. Drink it. I had post nasal drip for years. Also he may be allergic to the cat or pollen etc.


Oregano Oil

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Posted by Pacific Coast Lady (Crescent City, CA) on 03/07/2022
★★★★★

Oregano Oil for Post Nasal Drip Mucus

If the Oregano Oil is too strong, dilute it more. I used one drop at first in 1 Cup of water that's 8 ounces, that's a drop people, not a dropper full. Now I am using 2 drops in 1 Cup of water, that is 8 ounces.

I use it, so far, after a meal, but wait at least an hour. I am going to try it tonight before bed. I still won't be hungry because I do a ketogenic diet, so I will try it and come back.

I have Post Nasal Drip that was gagging me, my foods have helped some, but the Oil comes recommended to eliminate that awful mucus that is caused by my sinuses, and sometimes Silent Reflux.

I also forgot to add that those recommending Wild Oregano Oil are doing so because it has 86% (this was in topical essential oil) Carvacol which is the main ingredient that helps fight the issues mentioned, not food grade. Mine is not Wild, but it is what I could afford to buy. It is 60% Carvacol and 2% Thymol for flavoring and preservative. The rest is Organic Cold-pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The rest is mixed tocopherals (from non GMO Sunflower).

I'm just putting this here because many of us can't afford the very best, only to try it out and have it not work for us, or we just don't like using it.

I figure if I use a bit more, I should get a closer effect to the more expensive, who knows, I just wanted to remind folks of this because someone out there might be in the same financial boat as I am ;)


Oregano Oil
Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 07/09/2021
★★★★★

Put 3 drops Oregano Oil (I like NOW Brand) in a small glass of 2 oz water or juice (Cranberry/Apple works for me) and then swish and gargle it for a minute or so. Then swallow it. This gets the oregano up into the back of the nasal/larynex and adenoids area where the infection is at. Do this 3x a day for 10 days with a sinus infection or post nasal drip. You can gradually increase the number of drops to 5 or 6 drops in water. Be prepared. This mixture will knock your socks off!


Oregano Oil
Posted by Tom G (Dodge City, Ks) on 07/21/2013
★★★★★

Any cold, nasal drip, or cough has been eliminated for me by taking Oil of Oregano capsules.

Replied by Linda R
(Houston, TX)
07/09/2021

Tell me specific dosage on Oil of Oregano. I have some Oil of Oregano and is dispersed by drops. Thanks. 😊

Charity
(faithville, Us)
07/09/2021

You might like to read watercure because salt and minerals hold water in the places the body uses it. If one of your mineral salts is too high or low it will cause histamine to be released and water to stop flowing or flow too much. Bronchitis is a salt issue and could be fungal also. Oregano would only work on the fungal part.

Ted's Remedies, Healthy Water, Healthy Body: Home Cures from Water! (earthclinic.com)


Pineapple

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Posted by Gilly (Uk) on 08/15/2017
★★★★★

I occasionally get a thick mucus in the back of my nose which is easily and quickly remedied by eating two or three slices of fresh pineapple (including the core).


Quercetin

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Posted by Karen (Chicago) on 02/08/2018
★★★★★

I recently discovered that forced air heating triggers my allergy to dust, creating post nasal drip, and severe coughing. I started taking 50 mg of quercetin for my arthritis and my post nasal drip went away.


Saline Nasal Spray

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Posted by Michael (Sacramento, Ca) on 08/09/2013
★★★★★

Saline nasal spray helps dry up the nasal mucus associated with post nasal drip.



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