I’m exhausted. I have dealt with this problem for years, and it never went away. Now I’ve become so paranoid, it’s eating me away. For some context, I (20M) have chronic post-nasal drip and constant mucus stuck in my throat 24/7, along with the need to clear it frequently (nose is always fine though), and most of the time I can feel a bad taste in the back of my mouth/tongue, that maybe goes away for like 30 minutes or an hour after I brush my teeth, then it’s back.
I feel like i’ve tried everything:
- I have a good oral routine, my dentist tells me everything’s ok every time I do a checkup once or twice a year, and I doubt it’s wisdom teeth related. I’ve tried flossing, using mouthwash and scraping my tongue daily, brushing my teeth 3/4 times a day. All that might make the bad taste go away for a little longer but that’s it.
- I went to the ENT a couple of times and explained the post-nasal drip issue, so I’ve been prescribed some nasal sprays that practically didn’t help at all, then some antiacids, in case it was bc of acid reflux, and also some allergy pills, no effects. They told me not to worry about it too much.
- I exercise, drink a LOT of water, eat healthy, I’ve tried nasal cleaning and mouth rinse with warm salt water, coconut oil pulling, etc (no significant results). I check for tonsil stones constantly, there aren’t any in sight. But my tonsils are big, so sometimes if i press one, maybe one or two little stones come out from the bottom.
I’m so embarrassed and disgusted by it that I can’t bring myself to talk about it with anyone, and my social and mental health are taking a hit. I struggle so much having normal conversations up close with people. And it kills me that I’m not even capable of going on dates because of it, while other people wouldn’t have to think about it in the slightest in situations like that.
I don’t even know how much of it is real and how much is in my head, but it’s been my number one concern for years and i can’t tell if i’m making it worse by constantly overthinking. On times I can definitely sense the bad breath, like it’s undeniably there. Even if no one else actually confronted me about it, deep down I know it.
Is there any way out of it? And would telling someone close or doctors make any difference? I can’t help but feel like this’ll stick with me for the rest of my life no matter what. I’d give anything to turn things around.