OK, so my FIL finished all his treatments last year end of october. A few months after this he has developed dry mouth...and now he is unable to eat dry food without sipping water. It doesn't seem to be improving.
I know this is due to his IMRT which partially involved his parotids (salivary glands).

WHat I would like clarification on, since I have received a mixture of answers abou this topic, is whether we can expect him to improve since it has now been about ten months since he completed his IMRT and he has not improved at all.

I will note for passersby that his taste returned completely after a few months.

I know you guys have personal experiences to share, and those are very welcomed, but I would also love any statistical data or articles that give me a general idea of what my FIL's odds are.

Info about my FIL: He has been tumor free since his treatment and I have him on 1/2 cup dried goji berry and 5 grams of spirulina daily and a supplemental and anti-oxidant nutritional therapy. His next PET is spet 8th.

Thanks guys, and hugs to all.

I finished tx's 11-4-2008 and my saliva production is pretty good. Some mornings are dryer then others but I can't complain considering one gland was removed. I did take saliva meds for months though.

From what other members have reported, saliva can continue to improve up to 2 years post radiation treatment. Mine was returned at about 4 months post tx with continued improved ment til about 18 months post tx. There are also a few different types of medications that he can take to help with saliva. Im sorry but I do not know the names of these emdicines.

I believe one of those medicines that is supposed to help with dry mouth is Salagen (Pilocarpine Hydrochloride), but people in my support group who have used it have complained that it make them sweat excessively.

In the support group, Acupuncture seems to be the treatment of choice.

My nutritionist and I were discussing this topic yesterday. She said she has seen several oral cancer patients helped with saliva by doing acupuncture.

Remember that each of us can have greater or lesser damage done to our salivary glands during Tx as our radiation fields and intensity can be vastly different. With that said we do see patients having improvements in both taste and saliva issues up until about the 2 yr mark post Tx. My biggest improvement came in my 15th month post Tx and I also think I saw another slight improvement at the 24 month mark. Today I estimate I'm at 90% pre Tx levels in both categories.

I finished tx in January 08. My issues with drymouth have improved significantly but it took around 9 to 12 months to see that real jump. I still need some kind of liquid close by to get the food down ( particularly dryer foods like chicken, etc. ) but I don't carry a water bottle around like I used to. Good luck!

My husaband still suffers after 2 yrs since radiation therapy, 33 treatments, surgery on base of tongue, stage 1, tonsil and lymph nodes all left side removal. His taste is always rotten, and a build up in the back of his throat. Any new suggestions, he's tried everything, he is miserable most of the time, forces himself to eat food. He had lost 70 lbs, after all that. Lives with his water bottle, saliva pills, and sprays etc. HELP THanks gramee

Gramee,

That sounds very difficult. I know there are some medications like Salagen, but best post a thread in the general forum since this is kind of old. Also, to make sure my FIL didn't lose too much weight, when my MIL cooked for him we'd add a lot of extra oil to everything. A LOT of oil. I tracked his caloric intake on thedailyplate.com to make sure he was meeting requirements and adjusted his canola oil instake on that basis.

Remember: fat is a nutrient and very good way to get extra calories. My FIL didn't like drinking ensure too much so this worked well for him. Put oil in his soup and make him take a powedered multivitamin supplement with a strong non-acidic fruit juice such as pomegranate..

Keep trying new things; I don't think he should accept this plight just yet!

And do post this on as a new thread to make sure everyone reads it.

The taste is bad for a lot of us as is the drymouth. Do you buy him biotene mouth wash and toothpaste to keep his mouth fresh? I lost my teeth but brush regularly my remains of the tongue and all of my mouth that doesn't hurt from it.. It doesn't moisten it , but makes the taste more bearable.