| | Joined: Oct 2012 Posts: 17 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Oct 2012 Posts: 17 | Hi folks -
I am in the middle of week 6 and have been struck with a terrible post nasal drip that just hangs and chokes me. I coughed until I vomited this morning and again when I tried to nap this afternoon. It is 2 am and I am trying to sleep upright to see if this helps. I desperately do not want to vomit again to the point of not sleeping.
Any suggestions or advice? I hope this makes sense as I am really tired and frustrated.
Ray
Ray
SCC Right Pharangeal wall Stage IV HPV+
T1-2N2bMO
Dx 10/12/2012
Father for the second time to 2nd beautiful boy 11/2/12
Port Implanted 11/20/12 - no feeding tube
Tx - 11/26/12 35 IMRT Rads 5X/week Weekly Cisplatin
Last treatment 1/15/13
"Grind it out, I will be cured as I have too much to live for"
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2012 Posts: 1,275 Likes: 7 Assistant Admin Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Assistant Admin Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2012 Posts: 1,275 Likes: 7 | My husband is starting week 7 today. He has been sleeping upright since about the middle of week 2 when the ropey saliva struck. He uses one of those cushions for reading in bed and a whole bunch of pillows to further prop him up. It seems to work well. I also give him back and feet rubs late in the day which I think help him relax a bit. Give that a try.
Gloria
She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails... Elizabeth Edwards
Wife to John,dx 10/2012, BOT, HPV+, T3N2MO, RAD 70 gy,Cisplatinx2 , PEG in Dec 6, 2012, dx dvt in both legs after second chemo session, Apr 03/13 NED, July 2013 met to lungs, Phase 1 immunotherapy trial Jan 18/14 to July/14. Taxol/carboplatin July/14. Esophagus re-opened Oct 14. PEG out April 8, 2015. Phase 2 trial of Selinexor April to July 2015. At peace Jan 15, 2016.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | Ray
Two things worked for me, but for different mucous issues.
The first one was a home suction machine that sucked up the mucous after the surgery but it was flowing pretty thick.. However this time around, the mucous does "hang up" somewhere in my head and just drips down so slowly that the suction machine cannot help. I bought a WaterPik flosser but that does not clear out that "hidden" "hanging" mucous. The choking feeling is terrible.
Right now, I am sleeping sitting up, I have one very large pillow that I angle over top of two regular pillows so I sleep sitting up basically. That seems to be the only way to avoid choking during the night and then not sleeping.
Hang in there,
Charm
Last edited by Charm2017; 01-02-2013 11:22 AM. Reason: typos
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: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Ask your doc for some prescription nasal spray. That should help with the post nasal drip.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | You can also try guaifenesin. You can buy some huge bad tasting pills or there is a liquid non-alcohol liquid version that is called a diabetic version since it is also sugar free. It is called Siltussin SA Expectorant. Ask your pharmacy for some. The pill is 12 hour but the liquid is 4 hour. It is really good and without the alcohol there is no burning. Hope this helps relieve the goo dripping in the back of your throat. Make sure you work with a speech pathologist as well and find good excercises to maintain the constrictor muscles that direct or begin the swallowing as the radiation does a number on them. Mine have completely atrophied and the goo actually plugs up my throat from time to time. Don't be afraid to use a nebulizer with Acetylcystiene for the roughest thick days. I have a very radical remedy but will not pull that rabbit out of my hat until years down the road and you have a permanent problem.  Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 | You could also try a Nettie pot - natural works with salt water!!
Last edited by Cheryld; 01-04-2013 01:01 PM.
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | I found an interesting aerosol like product called NeilMed NasalMist that is a hypertonic saline 2.7% , pH Balanced product that works really well. The good thing about the Acetylcysteine is that it bonds with the mucous and turns it to a salt which then clears out each time you hack it up.
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
| | |
| Forums23 Topics18,170 Posts196,930 Members13,105 | | Most Online458
Jan 16th, 2020 | | |
|
