is there long term after affects after r/t?or am i imageing things i,e. raging thirst after spicy foods .lots of mucous slight ear ache ???

maz334, generally, yes, there are lots of after affects after radiation treatment (I assume that is what you meant re: r/t). If you use the search engine in this forum, you can get a mountain of info regarding different effects of rad. Some of them are dry mouth, burns (internal and external), tongue sores, teeth and gum problems, mucous, food sensitivity, inability to eat orally, etc. For me, rad was the worst of all of the treatments. Almost a year later and I am still noticing improvement in my state of being from the rad treatments. My taste is starting to come back, at least I think and hope so as I think I tasted a Dr. Pepper the other day. Still can't eat sweets, due to taste and condition of teeth. I have lost some of my hearing, at the high end of the scale, but that is due to chemo, from what I have been told and is permanent. It also causes a constant buzz that I usually ignore. Oh, lots of stuff. But, its a lot better than the alternative, so I embrace my "new normal" after treatment because it is better than nothing.

I am almost 2 years post Tx, had the full boatload of radiation (IMRT), and have very few side effects today. I can eat virtually anything, including hot & spicy, foods taste normal again, swallowing is not an issue. I do drink a little more water than I used too and that's about it. My taste buds started to recover about 2 months post Tx with the sensation of sweets being to last to recover (at about a year or so out).

The side effects will be more pronounced if you had XRT. Because of the IMRT, they were able to salvage most of my salivary function although it took about 18 months for it to recover. With xrt, you may have xerostomia (dry mouth) issues for life, but this is quite manageable.

The mucositis is pretty standard in the immediate post Tx as well as ear aches while the eustachian tubes heal themselves from the radiation damage.

The effects are mainly short term.

Hi there, I've been absent for awhile, but I finally have good news about my husband. He had long term side effects from radiation that I thought would never resolve. He received radiation for ca of the tongue. The side effects he had were beyond what would normally be found as it took till the end of December before he could finally eat. Three feeding tubes, mult. infections/hospitalizations and a weight loss of 50lbs later, I'm happy to say that he is gaining weight, is working part time and is looking healthy for the first time in a very long time. My message is yes, there are many side effects and no two pt.s are alike but dispite all the trials and sleepless nights, things eventually do get better. He tastes things, has limited salivary function, and has finally rid of the blisters in his mouth and throat. Persistance, hope and prayer got me thru so that I could take care of him and get him to a point where he is now. Never give up hope. Although his was at the extreme end of the spectrum, there is a silver lining. Good luck and God be with you. Rolanda

many thanks kirk, rolanda, +gary for taking the time to enlighten me. regards maz

Maz:
In the immortal words of Bogie "Kid, you ain't seen nothin yet".
Darrell

Maz,

There is always the possibility that the side-effects will be more tolerable than some of the posters have described. At a year out you can still see improvement, I did.

Glenn