Hey jobeeg,
I'm not sure if your mom has had tongue surgery or anything, but I had a friend tell us to try a suction machine. Her husband got great relief while he was taking radiation for tonsil cancer. I ordered one through Neighbor Care, covered by insurance. My husband is getting radiation to his tongue, throat and both sides of neck, so his mouth and tongue are too sore to try it. He does the gag/throw up a lot, too, which turns out to be mucous mixed with blood, and then sometimes the PEG food and meds I just put in him.

Anyway, they say this thing works like a suction wand they use in a dentist's office. Ask the doc and you can probably get it ordered through home health care or try and rent it fairly cheap. Some people say it really helps.

Good luck and God bless you and your mom!
Debbie