yes to baking soda and salt... and if that hurst reduce the salt. Also you might want to consider viscous lidocaine. I found this to be very useful for short time pain control (especially for eating/drinking) and it allowed me to cut back on oxycodone/morphine.. Unfortunately however it is only short term relief.

M

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.