| Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 476 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | OP Platinum Member (300+ posts) Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 476 | John is 20 months out of treatments and thank God cancer free and doing great! His taste is completely back but he can live with that. What bothers him the most is the constant, chronic dry mouth. Just wondering if anyone has tried accupuncture and had success. I have a friend who goes for accupuncture treatments for a back issue. The guy who does it is from China and she swears by him. Happy New Year to everyone!
Wanda (47) caregiver to husband John (56) age at diag.(2009) 1-13-09 diagnosed Stage IV BOT SCC (HPV+) 2-12-09 PEG placed, 7-6-09 removed Cisplatin 7 weeks, 7 weeks (35) IMRT 4-15-09 - treatment completed 8-09,12-09-CT Scans clear, 4-10,6-11-PET Scans clear 4-2013 - HBO (30 dives) tooth extraction 10-2019 - tooth extraction, HBO (10 dives) 11-2019 - Left lateral tongue SCC - Stage 2
| | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | Wanda
As I posted earlier today in another thread, my prosthodontist does refer patients to a dentist who also does acupuncture for dry mouth following radiation TX. He said it was 50-50: half of the patients referred found some relief and increased saliva, the other half nada. While I was thinking about it, the cancer came back and after the surgery I have zero problems with dry mouth since when you cannot swallow at all, even the tiniest trickle of saliva builds up quickly in your mouth. If I had my druthers, I'd have the dry mouth again even though I had to carry a water bottle everywhere all the time (my wife made me a nice holder with my Marine Corps Marathon patches on it for my water bottles) My understanding is that acupuncture either works right away or it doesn't for dry mouth. 20 months is great for cancer free -I'm happy for you and John Charm 65 yr Old Frack Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+ 2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG 2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery 25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin Apaghia /G button 2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa 40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin Passed away 4-29-13
| | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | In the 5 years I've been on this site only a handful or so have posted that they tried acupuncture for DM and none to my knowledge said it helped on a long term basis.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | Actually there were many discussions about this back in 2003 and the consensus was acupuncture was ineffective for dry mouth - Even acupuncturists stated so.
Gary Allsebrook *********************************** Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2 Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy) ________________________________________________________ "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
| | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | David & Gary
Thanks guys for the dose of reality. Guess, I've been spending too much time on NIH's CAM site instead of Quackwatch. For the record, I have never had acupuncture and never plan to. I try to keep an open mind on TX options but when you look at the "research results" NIH has posted, it does seem like a clear case of "fraud, waste and abuse" of our tax dollars. Charm
65 yr Old Frack Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+ 2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG 2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery 25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin Apaghia /G button 2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa 40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin Passed away 4-29-13
| | | | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | Actually I posted an extensive comment, from Quackwatch, concerning the NIH CAM program in another topic. http://oralcancersupport.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=127293#Post127293
Last edited by Gary; 01-05-2011 07:52 AM.
Gary Allsebrook *********************************** Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2 Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy) ________________________________________________________ "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
| | | | Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 24 Member | Member Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 24 | My husband had experience with acupuncture.
We flew to Maryland one weekend to see a miltary doctor who is a radiation oncologist and also studied acupuncture. He saw private patients on the weekend. The visit was about 4 months after radiation was finished. We went to the doctor's office on Sat & Sun. The doctor placed needles in my husband's ear lobes and fingers. He told him that he should stay until he was able to spit. After about an hour, he was able to have a good spit! After that session, my husband had the best lunch he had in years. On Sunday, he did the same thing.
My husband thinks that it didn't work, because his saliva is not normal. But, it obviously improved a bit, and I think it is because of the the acupuncture.
My husband recently had jaw surgery to remove about 1/3 of his jaw due to osteoradionecrosis. He also had a titanium plate implanted. Surprisingly, he has experienced increased saliva after the surgery. We hope that holds up.
avw wife/caregiver SCC base of tongue 2004 teeth extracted (7) 2004 and (6) 2010 Radiation & Cisplatin 2004 PEG tube 7/2004 to 5/2007 ORN 2009 HBOT: 80 total (2009 to 2011) Mandible resection & titanium implant 12/20/10 Post surg infection 1/1/11 PEG tube again 1/26/11 to 10/2011 Aspiration pneumonia 2/1/11 Pain free since 2011! Bridge to replace all bottom teeth 2012
| | | | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | My MO, as great as he is, wanted me to take colloidial silver for the mouth sores, I dould have ended up with grey tinged skin forever and the treatment value was dubious at best. It was a quack remedy from the 1800's (there is a section dedicated to that on quackwatch as well). http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/PhonyAds/silverad.html For some unknown reason, some peoples salivary glands make some recovery. Most persons who had IMRT will get much of their salivary function back in about 2 years, as I did. I have even regained some salivary function in the right parotid gland which was supposed to have been obliterated by the radiation. Unfortunately, many quack remedies are promoted by MD's. For a detailed article on the efficacy of acupuncture see: http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/acu.html
Gary Allsebrook *********************************** Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2 Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy) ________________________________________________________ "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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