#95908 05-22-2009 02:12 PM | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP  Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 | My long-time boyfriend will be starting his radiation treatment next week, after having surgery to remove cancer from the right tonsillar region and three cervical lymph nodes. One hears (reads) so much about the mouth/throat pain. Do the docs prescribe much in the way of pain pills or patches (think patches would be better, not having to swallow them). Do the xylocaine/lidocaine washes work?
Thanks for any input.
GM, for John who has SCC Rt tonsil with 3+ nodes, Stage T1 N2b MX; surgery 04/09; Rad X 33 completed 7/14/09...f/u imaging and scopes looking good as of Feb 2011
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 128 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 128 | The mouth washes work for me. Not very pleasant, but they do the job. Good luck to the both of you. How many weeks of Rad?
Age 57 at dx on 3/30/2009 by Dentist
SCC of R tonsil S2 Poorly Differentiated - 2.5 cm
Rad - IMRT 5x a wk for 8 wks starting 5/4/2009
No Chemo
Last Rad treatment was 6/26/2009.
Two years down as of 3/30/2011!
God bless all affected by this monster called cancer!
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | One thing that you will find as a common thread on this site is what works for one never works for all and how someone fares during Tx will be up to that individual as we all can be different so if you try something and it doesn't work, keep on trying different things. Unfortunately sometimes nothing works but the good news the bad part of this Tx usually only last 6 to 7 weeks.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | OP Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 | Actually don't know for sure how many weeks! Rather little info; it is going to be 5 days/wk which seems to be the usual based on what I've seen posted here.
GM, for John who has SCC Rt tonsil with 3+ nodes, Stage T1 N2b MX; surgery 04/09; Rad X 33 completed 7/14/09...f/u imaging and scopes looking good as of Feb 2011
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10 Member | | Member
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10 | David, my husband is sweating a lot. Is this common? IS it the meds?
Glenda
dx 04/09 BOT Stage 4b, scc, met to leison 6th cervical spine, May 15th, 2009, 12 rounds rt to spine. no relief for pain, top of back and right arm. started 38 rounds of rt and Carboplatin and Erbitux June 2 once a week at least while receiving RT, RT daily. Port and peg.
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10 Member | | Member
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10 | My husband is sweating a lot throughout the day. Is is the meds or cancer. He is finished with radiation yesterday.
dx 04/09 BOT Stage 4b, scc, met to leison 6th cervical spine, May 15th, 2009, 12 rounds rt to spine. no relief for pain, top of back and right arm. started 38 rounds of rt and Carboplatin and Erbitux June 2 once a week at least while receiving RT, RT daily. Port and peg.
| | | | | Joined: May 2007 Posts: 666 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: May 2007 Posts: 666 | There are meds that can make you sweat, but I doubt he is on them yet.
(Salagen, Exovac)
What is he taking?
Partial glossectomy (25%) anterior tongue. 4/6/07/. IMRT start @5/24/07 (3x) Erbitux start/end@ 5/24/07. IMRT wider field (30x) start 6/5/07. Weekly cisplatin (2x30mg/m2), then weekly carbo- (5x180mg/m2). End of Tx 19 July 07.
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 253 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 253 | Gretchen:
Doctors will provide all/any medication needs for pain. They do not want you to suffer, but they will scale it up as the pain increases.
So don't worry, they'll take care of you.
Sandy
Sandy 56, BOT SCC Biopsy 1/21/09 Stage 3, T3NXM0.
Finished 3 cycle induction chemotherapy 4/7/09. (Chisplatin, 5-fu and Texotere). Re-staged 4/20/09,(very successful.) Will start Carboplatin/radiation 2 Gy/5 days/7 weeks (Tomotherapy) starting May 4th. Finished 6/22/09.
OCF member/supporter
| | | | | Joined: May 2007 Posts: 666 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: May 2007 Posts: 666 | Gretchen:
re lidocaine
I am a big fan of viscous lidocaine. MInd you it only works locally and only for a short time. The local part it great the short time effect sucks!
It does not replace a Oxycodone/Fentanyl etc ! but you can use it together with them. I used the lidocaine from week 5 one when I wanted to drink/eat or speak. It allowed me to reduce the other narcotics.
Best
Partial glossectomy (25%) anterior tongue. 4/6/07/. IMRT start @5/24/07 (3x) Erbitux start/end@ 5/24/07. IMRT wider field (30x) start 6/5/07. Weekly cisplatin (2x30mg/m2), then weekly carbo- (5x180mg/m2). End of Tx 19 July 07.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Spouse,
Please start your own post when asking a question you want answered. That said, sweating can be caused by many things including his meds or his thyroid being damaged due to the radiation which is VERY common but usually takes months to show up. A simple blood test for his TSH levels will determine that and the solution to that is a simple once a day pill.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | |
| Forums23 Topics18,168 Posts196,924 Members13,103 | | Most Online458
Jan 16th, 2020 | | |
|
