thanks everyone - I am now more confused than ever. I am beginning to think there are two mechanisms at play here. The reasons for the questions are twofold - one I am a nosey parker and need to know the why for everything, and secondly, I am trying to think through what medications might work by considering the mechanism of the body's response and pair it with how each drug works. Without knowing exactly how this "phlegm" (and I am thinking it is not actually phlegm) is generated and where it is coming from, my attempts at a logical approach are thwarted. It is starting to sound like the problem is that the mucous that IS produced, is the wrong consistency which is what causes the feeling of too much, hard to clear, choking, frothing etc. I think I need a pharmacologist rather than the oncologists who seem to remain clueless.

Sitting here with normal saliva and mucous, I realise that I am constantly swallowing at an unconcious level and maybe this becomes conscious and problematic when the mucous is too thick and stringy. My Alex also complains that it "sticks" to his teeth (all 8 of them).

Has anyone ever tried a mucolytic?
This is a cough medicine available over the counter and it is usually recommended to help a dry cough. The idea is that the product thins mucous which collects in the lungs and makes it easier to cough up. As the product works all over the body, I wonder if it might improve the consistency of whatever this "phlegm" is. The name of the product in Australia is called Bisolvon but others might know it as Mucosolvon. Its generic name is bromhexine hydrochloride

Karen