Probably TMI
You know those colds where your nose runs like a faucet,and you have to keep blowing it, and you sneeze and all? And how there are a zillion OTC remedies to stop it? Well, I’ve got the opposite problem: it’s like there’s some super-thick and viscous crud draining down the back of my throat all the time. It slides down until it hits the epiglottis (or something) and my stupid body goes into a panic mode: we’re under attack! Something is blocking the airway! And it sets off a frenzy of coughing that continues until it sounds like I’m trying to cough up a lung. 
This is very, very painful, especially since it happens many times an hour. On top of that, it’s worse when I lie down. Last night I woke up at least four times an hour in one of these coughing frenzies, to the point of gagging many time. Needless to say, this is no way to get the rest they recommend for colds.
I figure there must be some handy dandy medicine to thin out the crud from my nose so my body will stop going berserk, but damned if I know what it is. Anyone? Brand names or at least the chemical ingredient I should look for gratefully received.
(Yeah, I know: see a doctor. But it’s just a cold, she whines.)
It’s true what they say about fluids. Drink a lot (water, juice, tea, whatever you find tasty). This will thin out the mucous, and as a bonus keep you hydrated.
Also, take a lot of showers. Inhale as much humidity as possible: it will loosen the crap in your nasal passages and allow you to blow your nose to your heart’s content, while the mucous runs down the drain.
I have a lot of sinus problems and this is the major thing that helps me.
The handy-dandy medicine does exist! It’s called an expectorant - thins out the mucus to make it easier to cough and/or blow out. Common brands/drugs are guaifenesin (the generic drug name), mucinex (branded extended release tablets) or tussin (cough syrups which commonly contain guaifenesin). Ask any pharmacist to point you to an over-the-counter expectorant.
Hope this helps.
mischievous
Thank you for the replies!
Cowgirl, I’ve been sucking down liquids to the point I live in the bathroom. I think it’s having an effect, at least, my coughing spasms end more quickly.
Mischievous, I will go in search of guaifenesin-bearing elixirs on my way to work. Thank you!
Get some saline nasal spray. It’s just salt water (don’t get the kind w/ medication in it). Give yourself a few shots of that up the nose and it will loosen everything up and make it easier to blow your nose.