I'm choking on my mucus during sleep and I don't realize it! Dan says it's coming from deep within my throat and sounds like horrible snoring/chocking. He has to shake me awake.

This scares the hell our of me, because I know how the mucous is during the day, let alone when I am not swallowing/clearing it at night.

My doctor had me on Robitussin. I stopped taking it when I got home from the hospital, but now I am going to start taking it again.

Now, I remember, while I was in the hospital, I would wake up gasping and when I told them about it, they just said to elevate the head of my bed, which I was already doing.

Anyone else with this problem/experience?

Ask your doc for a portable suction machine prescription. You can get it from a medical supply company. They are easy to use and will get rid of that thick mucous.

Kerri,

Do you have a recliner at home that you could sleep in for a few days until the mucous gets better? That would force the issue of having your head elevated.

The Robitussin should help but a lot of it is just time and healing.

Hugs,

Deb

If its really bad you could always hit up the ER to get suctioned. It will help tremendously!

Kerri

I've had that problem also. I had a portable suction machine after my first recurrence because it was so thick. It really helped
It does help a little to raise the head of the bed, I used bricks and some wooden blocks to raise ours 6 inches. Plus I use two pillows.
Although the mucous has become a little thinner, it became a permanent problem, but I've learned to just get up in the night and then rinse and spit it out.
I don't think you will actually choke as you will automatically wake up. It's very scary at first but the mucous gets thinner after a while and for most people it stops.
If it's too bad, you can ask for a prescription for Robinul, which stops all saliva and phlegm. Be careful with it because it will upset your stomach after a while.
So sorry to hear this
Charm

Thanks for all of your quick posts for a friend. I think I will try sleeping in the recliner, doing the robitussin, and increasing my fluids as much as possible. There is also this product that my MO recommended that helps clear mucous from the mouth...Alkolol...it's OTC, and at first I flat out refused to use it based on the ingredient list, but when I finally tried it, it found that it wasn't so bad and actually worked.

Thanks so much. I'm so so very looking to this phase passing and then, of course, to be cancer-free.

Too much to ask .

You can prop yourself up, or do the recliner, and sleeping on your side may help as well, mouth should open, drool comes out.. I used to have a facecloth under my cheek. And a pillow behind my head to keep me from flipping onto my back. Sucks... But it will slowly improve. Take care

I bought John a pillow wedge from Bed Bath and Beyond which really helped to keep him elevated while he was sleeping. At the worst of it he really only got 30 minutes of sleep at a time because the mucus would wake him up. Here is the link to it.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=101538

My husband had a hard time wwith mucus after his laryngectomy. I bought a steam humidifier from a medical store(not the kind you used for your kids when they were congested. It has a jet stream of steam. I keep it on his nightstand and point it directly at his stoma. It really made a big difference. The steam keeps the mucus much thinner. Also keeping humidity in the house as a general fule will help. If he is out of the house during the da, he should drink lots and lots of water. This too helps keep the mucus thin. Hope this helps.

Mucous is your body's way of trying to heal itself. Your mouth and throat are so irritated that your body creates the fluid to try and soothe it. The vaporisor is a very good tool. I used one too during and after treatment for a bit. It helped greatly because it helps do what the mucous does. And then there is the handy dandy waterpik... breaks up the guck and freshens!
And yes i say that often, and NO i do not have shares or work for waterpik! I still use mine twice a day to clean along my gum like and get the plaque. So far so good - my dentist still likes me.