Hey Tim, are you sure you dont have a sinus infection or do you have thrush inside your mouth? Im just wondering cause you are having a terrible time with the mucous, which i am too, but my doctor also told me i had a sinus problem which was making it worse, so im on meds for that! Just a thought? And have you tried to rinse your mouth with baking soda and water, to help break that up? Or i even did ginger ale which does it too. But to make your day brighter, it does get better with time, mine has and you are not that far behind me And for the laxative, try "Enulose" mine is in a liquid form to push through my tube, its the only thing that has worked for me! Hope this helps you and have a good weekend.