Hi, Audrey
there is something we call 'magic mouthwash' that will help numb the pain of swallowing - it also includes maalox, which will with constipation due to taking pain meds. Ask about it.

My husband did all of his fluids standing up at the very end - I don't know if it helped physically or mentally, but it did help him.

Sorry, don't know the answer on the vomitin - but I am sure someone will be along that does.

Maria

Hi Audrey,
Kris too does all his swallowing standing up, then it's just tip and swallow. Being in a good upright position certainly does help to avoid any reflux. I would be asking your team for some antiemetics - that's anti nausea medication. I would suggest taking these regularly. Some of these meds help with gastric peristalsis - moving stomach contents on down through the bowel so they don't pool in the stomach and can't be regurgitated.
I would also ask for a proton pump inhibitor such as omeprazole which would improve any reflux that may be causing a problem.
Hope this helps, Tammy.

Hi Audrey, I agree with Tammy, it is important to make sure he takes regular anti nausea medication. Talk to the docs about finding the right one, there are a lot of options so speak out if they are not working. I had a lot gastric reflux and was given lansoprozole which is a proton pump inhibitor and it worked a treat. You need to ask for liquid or powder forms of medications that can be give down the tube.

I had a stomach gastric tube rather than a nasal one so can't comment on the effect of the tube on vomiting, but taking small amounts regularly through the tube should be easier on the stomach. When I was completely off eating I had a pump delivering the feed slowly overnight. Though the danger of that with the nasal tube might be that it is easy to pull out while asleep, but it might be an option through the day. My problem with vommiting was due to the thick saliva from mucositis making me gag. There was not a lot I could do about that but live through it, and take extra feed down the tube afterwards.

Taking what ever he can by swallowing is really important, to keep the swallowing muscles active. Warm water was the best I could manage at my worst. To help the mouth pain I rinsed very frequently with a bicarbonate mouthwash (1 tsp to 1 pint water)which I still use. I was also prescribed a mouthwash called Difflam (benzydamine)which numbs the sore mouth, and an antacid/oxetacaine oral suspension to help ease the pain.
Hope the chemo is going OK. Sally

Good luck. Sometimes chemo is stopped due to the toxicities when a patients life is in danger or benefits do not outweigh the risk. As mentioned, radiation is more important. Chemo stays in your body for a while to be effective as a radio sensitizer, which increases its effectiveness from 5-25 percent, depending in drug. sounds like a

I have measurable hearing loss after 5th cisplatin, so it was stopped (5 out of 7). The medical oncologist doesn't seem concerned at all, although the Rad Onc suggested we go back to 35 fraction schedule instead of 33 (total 70 Gray - ouch). I declined the opportunity and he didn't argue - in fact told me the tumor was already completely obliterated after 28 fractions. They can't tell me what doesn't work, only what they are sure does. And there's poor documentation yet for the HPV patient compared with the tobacco patient.