My husband has stage III tonsil cancer and is just starting his treatment. He's having a problem with panic attacks because of claustrophobia with the mask used for radiation. Has anyone experienced this and what can help?

Deborah - The claustrophobia is not uncommon. He should tell his radiation oncologist right away. Have him ask about a drug named Ativan. Its a very polite and non-dramatic drug that might be really helpful. I used a lot during my treatment. Encourage your husband to ask about and USE the drugs available for comfort and sleep. I can tell you that the mask is pretty scary - I hated it. Encourage your husband to join us here too. I'm glad you posted, and please keep coming back. There are MANY wonderful people here who know how to help you both. Be strong. Tom

Boy does your post bring back some horrible memories! I was not prepared for how the mask would make me feel. It TERRIFIED me the first week, I dealt with it how I deal with most things, quietly and with no fuss. I counted the entire time I was in the mask. After a week or so, I got used to it, became more comfortable with it. By the last few weeks, I was totally relaxed while in the mask.
I hope your husband finds a way to conquer his fear.
Minnie

Ditto! I hated that thing & with nausea from chemo it was interesting. I would have the techs turn up the music loud & just rock out & retreat mentally from the situation. At first it was pretty tight, but by the end of the 7 weeks it was pretty loose from all the weight loss. He has to just find a happy place & get through it. It's not easy just necessary. Erik

I just took Zanax and slept through most of the treatments - it'll loosen up as he loses weight and it won't be so bad. He'll get used to it. My main fear was getting sick with it on but it never came to pass. The techs watch you constantly on CCTV and can get you out of it in a hurry if need be.

Like EriK I brought my own CD's and that helped a lot too.

goodmorning deborah,
all of these posts bring back a flood of memories about the mask and it has not been that long ago for me 11/01/05 thru 12/16/05 so my memories are pretty vivid, I too had anxiety attacks and like Tom I relied on Ativan, it is a anti anxiety med, however that being said Ativan is a powerful drug and your husbandmay experience some withdrawl problems as I did, I ended up finishing my prescription after I was finished with the mask, when I went in for surgery in January of this year I had to deal with some slight withdrawl problems, I certainly did not need that. Deb don't let all of this scare you the Ativan is managable as is the mask as minniea says. I kept that damn mask when I was finished, I thought that I might use it as a teaching tool for my high school students or maybe decorate it every christmas to remind me how cigarettes screwed me out of a christmas. Hang in there deborah, your husband can and will get through this.
always lenny

Count me as another one who absolutely hated the mask at first. Ativan helped (though I almost always took just half a pill because they really wiped me out), but I never ttoally got used to that mask even so. Especially when I was so nauseated every day from the amifostine I was always scared I'd vomit in it (but I only once had to signal for them to let me out of it so I could vomit--the rest of the time I managed to avoid that though I'd often vomit as soon as I sat up to get off the bed).

I had this little imagery/metaphor thing I did where I'd imagine the mask was like the helmet of a suit of armor and served as my protection as I went into fight the battle against the cancer. I still think it's a pretty good metaphor--and if you've ever seen masks from old suits of armour, they look like they were pretty nasty things to wear too!

Nelie

One thing my husband was always concerned about was falling asleep in the mask and then waking up (still in it) and -- for a moment not knowing where he was-- having a panic attack. For that reason, even though he is somewhat claustrophobic, he stopped taking the Ativan after a few days Even the 1/2 tab made him very sleepy.

What we did was take CDs to play -- usually loud blood-and-guts classical music or rock -- and he would lie there with his eyes closed tightly thoroughout, concentrating on the music. After a few weeks, however, he got used to the whole ordeal and towards the end, actually would fall asleep -- he told me he enjoyed the chance to rest -- and he never had a panic attack.

Maybe give music a try ...

Gail

DRUGS---Valium is good to relieve anxiety and there are other drugs as well communicate your panic problems to your RO...
Darrell

While Drugs may help some, I had this song I chose in my head ( a song very close to my heart) and I started mentally singing it at the sound of the start of the radiation machine. I knew just how far I would get in the song and that was the end of the days radiation...Time passed quickly during treatments with that song and I buried the treatments in the back of my mind but the song lives on daily....as an old reminder that I am still here and kicking 7 yrs later...