Jon,
Just a FYI, keeping in mind that everyone's response and treatment plan is different, this was my experience with the meds, Tomo and stuff.

Dental - the CCC dental group gave me several soft 'baby' toothbrushes and Biotene sample-kits (mouthwash, oral balance, toothpaste, etc.. I just used the Biotene toothpaste with a 'baby' toothbrush (nothing else).

Dry Mouth/Spit - My CCC team told me to expect bouts of dry mouth for about a year. I drank water or juice (apple, grape, etc..) and I often rinsed my mouth out with a teaspoon of baking soda, plus a teaspoon a salt added to a glass of warm water. Dry mouth was worse at night and I took a glass of water to bed.

Pain - I used Hydrocodone-APAP Solution (generic for Lortab) for mouth/throat pain. I needed very little since the bad pain was after my surgery not during radiation.

Eating Pain - I never opened my bottle of Lidocaine. Before it became all that painful to swallow, I quit eating solid food due to the terrible taste and started use my PEG.

Burn - The CCC gave me Biafine and Aloe Vesta for radiation burn, but I bought Aquaphor at a local drug store and preferred it as an overnight ointment.

Liquid Diet - I used Nutren 1.0 (with fiber) through the PEG. The CCC prescribed and supplied the Nutren. I was also told to either drink or PEG a glass of plum/prune juice a day to help prevent constipation and to keep drinking as much as I could by mouth in order to help sustain swallowing function. I also ate at least two pudding cups a day.

Nausea - The CCC gave me some Kytril 1.2mg tablets as a standby med for nausea and when that didn't work they switch to Compro 25mg suppositories then to Zofran. I only had bad nausea the week, but it got real bad and I had to be re-hydrated with a couple of IV's.

Mucous - I never had really bad mucous and around the fourth week of treatments they had me start taking a dose of Robitussin DM daily through the PEG to help minimize it. Robitussin is a non-prescription cough suppressant/expectorant that I got at the local drug store.

Most of my meds were liquid, so they could be taken through the PEG, but even pills can be crushed and put down a PEG.


Don
TXN2bM0 Stage IVa SCC-Occult Primary
FNA 6/6/08-SCC in node<2cm
PET/CT 6/19/08-SCC in 2nd node<1cm
HiRes CT 6/21/08
Exploratory,Tonsillectomy(benign),Right SND 6/23/08
PEG 7/3/08-11/6/08
35 TomoTherapy 7/16/08-9/04/08 No Chemo
Clear PET/CT 11/15/08, 5/15/09, 5/28/10, 7/8/11