Thanks Guys

I will get my guinea pig - er my Alex to a try cough medicine that will make his mucous/phlegm runnier rather than the suppressant or decongestant kind which would do the opposite(I am hoping these are the cold remedies David already tested). Interesting that fizzy water clears "phlegm" better than still - Alex has experienced this too - I would guess that the carbonation is involved in breaking it up to make it flow easier. Also interesting that David experiences an increase in fluid before food as this suggests at least part of the problem is actually "dysfunctional" saliva (remember Pavlov's dogs).

Alex has also made the observation that milk adds to the problem but it is short term (but think this is more of a feeling than an actuality) and as weight and nutrition is a large part of Alex's daily penance, milk remains on the menu. Poor maligned milk. I was told that milk lines the stomach which will slow the effects of alcohol as well as protects against ulcers. Luckily, as a cheap drunk with a sore tummy, I have stong bones which comes in handy when I fall over

but I digress ... Here's the idea I have been thinking about all day (no medical knowledge in this at all). What if we are dealing with 2 differing fluid production processes (or goo as Uptown so eloquently describes it)? Mucous from nose and throat continues unabated but possibly thicker than before. Saliva produced at the front of the mouth around the teeth, tongue and cheeks is nearly non existant. Either mucous is now thick and difficult to shift or saliva no longer mixes with mucous to make it manageable but in either case, it just sits there requiring a conscious spit or swallow rather than trickling unnoticed down the back of the throat. An added complication would also be the impaired swallow that many experience. This would produce the sensation that there is more than normal production of "goo" or "crap" wouldn't it? So the idea of thinning out the mucous would seem to be the goal regardless of the cause?

Would appreciate others thoughts on this (more descriptions would be good as well as tried and tested suggestions) but in the meantime, I am off to research available mucolytics (thanks for the Durotuss tip Charm) and find out what the mechanism of Guaifenisin is.

My unsuspecting guinea pig awaits ...

Thanks again everyone.

Karen