Anyone have neck pain due to nerve damage after 11 years of cancer free? Had tongue cancer in 89. Now have nerve pain in my left side of my neck due to radiation treatment.

Hi Cath,
I too have the same neck pain from a radical surgery done in 1992, followed by radiation treatments. The severe pinching, burning pain started about 1 yr after radiation.
Sadly, it has only worsened over the years. I have been diagnosed with "Progressive Radiation Disease" which causes a tissue/nerve necrosis. No treatment, no cure.
I have been using a medication called Tegretol and it has dulled the pain enough for me to be able to continue to work. I use a combo of Fiorinal and Tegretol 3 times a day and on most days that is enough to let me move my head and think of something besides my NECK.
When that combo doesn't work, I wait until I drive home from work and then take a stronger med.
I hope you can give this medication a try, I think it will help.

Best of Luck,
Dianne

Hi Dianne........Can you tell me a bit more about Progressive Radiation Disease? I have never heard of it before. Does it specifically envolve the nerves in and around the neck area? Do you have limited range of motion? Does physical thearpy help at all? I have never heard of this before. If it is a progressive disease what are the supposed end results? I'm quite sure I don't suffer from this, and hopefully I never will; however, I am curious about the disease since I've never heard of it.....or maybe I've had my head in the sand and just didn't want to hear about it. LOL Either way, could you share a bit more information on this. Thanks! Sincerely, Donna