Catarrh or post-nasal drip

I've got a lovely case of it. It started as a mild cold while in Italy but now I just can't shake this. I cough a lot, especially if I need to talk much. I had such a bad spell yesterday my eyes were watering and I was gagging! Any ideas for how to treat it?? I don't have any other symptoms - no runny nose or sneezing - so I don't know if it's allergies or just a lingering cold or what. But it's doing my head in!

My sympathies, I got mine at the office and it just kept going around and around (large office).  Fortunately, I finished the temp job and have been at home.  You just kind of have to rest and wait it out, BUT that said, I found a really nasty cough mixture that was the only one of its kind that gave me some relief.  It's called Covonia mentholated cough mixture and expectorant, in a brown glass bottle and I bought it at Sainburys.

I've had the tears running down my face from coughing so hard as well, it's nasty.

I just got over this a few weeks ago. Covonia works well, and I drank a lot of hot tea with honey and lemon as well. For some reason, that tea helped quite a bit. I did try taking OTC meds that dry everything up, but that made by throat and mouth so dry I was miserable. Lots and lots of liquids (water, tea, etc) will thin the drainage, which will make it easier to tolerate (and keep the gagging down to a minimum). Hope you feel better soon.

I'd be very interested to hear if anyone has specific recomendations for stopping post-nasal drip. I have bad sinus problems, particularly at this time of year, but all year I'm plagued by chronic post-nasal drip (sorry for TMI, but that's the sort that goes down the back of your throat, right?) It's horrid.

I've had suggestions from my GP about various products but haven't found anything that works. I took a ClaratinD this morning (I used to take Sudafed Sinus but even in the US they've changed the formula to stop smack heads making meth from it and it doesn't work for me anymore) and my sinuses feel better but I can still feel the flipping post-nasal drip. Grrrrr.

I also have a problem with PND, but my cold has passed.  No watery eyes, no sneezing and no coughing...just this awful crap running down the back of my throat!  Some days it's so bad it makes me mildly nauseous. 

I have been reading up on it, I think mine is either a mild sinus infection or food allergies.  It's truly amazing how many of us have food allergies and we don't even know it.

I'm now trying to figure out what I might be allergic to by eliminating things from my diet.  I hate antibiotics and really don't want to even try asking for them since the NHS doesn't like giving them out.