| Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 507 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 507 | Hisnibs, You are probably still cooking from your radiation treatments. It hasn't even been a month yet has it? Your Salivary glands probably haven't yet started to heal. So going back to work already is really amazing! It usually takes a couple months before our body will just start getting back to normal and your eating will likely be quite messed up for a couple more months. Then you should start to see some real improvement. You have to give it some time and you are probably doing a lot better than you think and comparatively quite well 
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
| | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 253 Gold Member (200+ posts) | Gold Member (200+ posts) Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 253 | Brian: I believe Anderson did a study regarding acupuncture for salivary glands. I saw Dr. Richard C. Niemtzow, MD, PHd, MPH who wrote the original protocal for acupuncture and was involved in the study. (Sorry, don't have more specific info, but I found the info when I was initially looking at studies back in January.
Dr. Richard C. Niemtzow is a colonel, USAF, MC, FS. He practices in DC at Walter Reed. I was referred to him by my radiologist.
Dr. Niemtzow procedure is to use pins in the ears and the fingers, for 1 hour, but only 2 days. He told me that you don't need a lot of treatments, only 2. He also said that treatment can be done any time after 6 weeks treatment ends.
I saw him exactly 6 weeks after treatment. I did not have the desert mouth as many people do, but food does stick to my teeth when I eat. My mouth is generally wet, just not a consistancy I'd like. Unfortunately, it did not work for me. I could not generate any more spit than before I saw him.
With respect to him, he gave me some instruction to help bolster saliva and told me he would treat me again if it didn't work. However, I've never been back. I don't know if it just doesn't work, or if 6 weeks is too early, or I just wasn't a good candidate.
This is for info purposes only, I'm not trying to sway anyone's decision regarding acupuncture.
Sandyst
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: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,918 Likes: 67 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,918 Likes: 67 | There is no down side to trying this except financial for most people. I think given that, if someone wants to try it, they should. I just have not in ten years come across someone that has had a reversal of acute dry mouth via this process. There have certainly been a lot of researchers who have looked at it, and of course there is no shortage of people selling the idea to others, for reasons financial. It's a buyer beware and your milage may vary kind of thing. Just go into it with an open mind I suppose if you wish to try it.
There are means to actually measure salivary output, and if you were going to do one of the studies (like the one at MDACC) they will actually measure you before and after to get hard metrics on effectiveness.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant. | | | | 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 | In the 3 years that I have been on this site probably close to 10 have said they tried it and unfortunately none have said they saw any improvement.
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.
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