seems like once one thing gets better something else gets worse. Dad's dry mouth wasn't too bad after radiation stopped. Now two months later it suddenly got worse, he has to sip water constantly. Is this normal? He only had radiation on one side and dentist recently said his mouth didn't look that dry, but dad says it feels like a desert.

Robin, yes this is normal. Most patients will have thick gunky mucous immediately after rads ends up until about one month post rads. That seems to disappear overnight to be replaced by dry mouth.

To help with dry mouth try having your father sleep with a humidifier, rinse with salt, baking soda and water mixture and ask the doc for a prescription to try pilocarpine. This can take weeks to work, there are mixed results with this medicine. It didnt work for me but others have praised it. He can also chew gum with xylitol in it to help ease the dry mouth.

Best wishes!

Christinteb

Is this a permanent condition, or will it improve?

It should improve in time, but probably not back to exactly how he originally was prior to treatments. Many OC patients will continue to have long lasting issues with dry mouth. You will see them always carrying a water bottle everywhere they go.

A complete recovery can take every bit of 2 full years. This is mostly having to do with sense of taste, fatigue and dry mouth. Recently a long time survivor (8 years post rads) reported she just had a big increase in saliva. She said she was undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBO) for another condition and one of the side effects was her saliva is now functioning like it had before rads.

Since your father is only 2 months post rads, expect to see many improvements over the next few weeks and months. Its important to keep his calories and hydration up. Every day for at least the next year he needs a minimum of 2500+ calories and 48-64 oz of water. OC treatments are hard to bounce back from, with proper intake it will make everything easier. Hang in there, the worst is behind your father.

This recovery can take every bit of 2 years. I didn't see ANY improvement in my dry mouth or taste until my 4th month PT and additional improvements came in spurts at 5, 14 and 24 months so the both of you need to be patient.

Sometimes it's two steps forward, and one step back. As mentioned, adequate hydration is important, constant rinsing, brushing, drinking water before sleeping, using a humidifier, some sleep with their mouth open, so thay increases dry mouth, but there are snoring chin straps that may help if the doctor so approves. Milk enzymes replicates saliva, and lasts longer hydrating than water. Lemon drops candy, lemon water helps increase saliva, as does chewing gum, like ones containing Xyletol. Some medications cause mouth dryness, and illnesses, like kidney disease or impaired kidney function.

I hope this helps.

Typically the worse part of this Tx doesn't begin until AFTER the radiation has stopped. Most of us suffer the worse the 2 to 3 weeks post radiation.

It is early days in his recovery so side effects abound for awhile. Mark the timeline a year out and that is a reasonable time to let the effects settle.

Dry mouth is worse for some while sleeping. If this is the case, mouth breathing can be a source of issues. If you live where it is dry, that can affect it. Some try vaporizers in the room to ease the dryness in the air.

Gum and certain lozenges as suggested.

Good luck, Don

Hi Robin - I'm 6 months post radiation and the dry mouth is beginning to get better. Ice water seems to do better than room temp water. I found that excess water consumption also helps with the gunky mucous/sinus that was a problem for a couple of months. It just clears easier from nose and throat when I really push the water.

Tell dad to keep fighting

Tony