Hi! My query is really about instant pain relief for uncomfortable procedures. I have a tongue bite inserted during RT. It's always uncomfortable but today it was downright painful, AFTER I'd given the team the thumbs up and the pain didn't recede as it usually does. I had a CT as well as RT so had to endure it for about 20 minutes. For the first time I took Oxynorm before I went into the RT room and it did no good at all. Therapist said to see the nurses about pain relief because my jaw might get more painful as the treatment proceeds. I didn't have time to see them today so thought I would start researching what I can do to make treatment more tolerable.

Maybe ask if you can have a swig of magic mouthwash before inserting it. It will temporarily numb you enough to get through the procedure. magic mouthwash usually has lidocaine or something in it that is immediate - but usually short term.

hugs.

Thanks. I've got some lidocaine which is great before I clean my teeth but it's the trismus (I think) that causes the jaw ache with the tongue bite sticking out and being dragged down by the tight mask - even though there's a hole for it. I wondered if anyone else had had this during radiation but maybe it's peculiar to me. they had to make me a customised bite because my tongue is so strange now:)

Ask the RT if they can enlarge the hole in your mask a little so the tongue bite can float just little more freely.

Ditto n74tg if you feel the pain because the tongue thing is pressing against the mask. Lidocaine primarily works as a topical oral pain killer, If the pain is coming from deeper and underneath the skin you would likely need something else.

Try the mask adjustment first; quickest and easy.

Good luck,
Don

Yup - ditto what they said... Hugs my dear,