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#165434 05-23-2013 06:46 PM
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Sturt1 Offline OP
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Is there anything that can be done for excess secretions? My husband has excess,seems to be gagging him and making him cough a lot,further inflicting throat pain....any suggestions? HELP! Will this end after tx complete, or am I assuming too much?


Colleen
Wife/advocate for husband. 52 yo nonsmoker
ISSC tonsil stage IVa. HPV + Enlarged node & tonsil,
CT 2/13
Bx lt tonsil 3/8,
PET 3/16
Tx started 4/9/2013 Cisplatin x3 and IMRT x 7 wk
Tx end 5/29
GT 5/24-7/17
Officially in Recovery Phase! : )
CT scan 8/13-NED !
CT scan 7/14-NED
5/2018- 5 year anniversary -NED
Sturt1 #165451 05-24-2013 03:40 AM
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Ask the nurses to suction him out. Ask the doc for a prescription for a portable suction machine.

Try rinsing several times per day with a mixture of 16 oz warm water, 2 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp salt. If it burns too much cut back the salt to 1 tsp or omit it completely. Since the salt will help with heeling, try to get some of it into the mixture. He should be rinsing at least 4 times a day with this.

Use a water pik on the lowest setting with a mixture of biotine mouth rinse and water.

Some have gargled with seltzer water. I didnt use that but other have reported success.


Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile
Sturt1 #165465 05-24-2013 05:57 AM
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Most of us experience what he is going thru and for me it lasted about 2 weeks and then it gave way to the dreaded dry mouth. I kept a Styrofoam cup in my pocket and would spit in that damn thing all day. At night I would have to wake up all hours with a mouth full and barely make it to the BR sink. I also had a hard time with nausea and this didn't help as it would often cause a gag reflex causing me to toss my cookies. Try all of the things people suggest and hopefully one may help but do remember this phase is temporary.


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.
Sturt1 #165480 05-24-2013 07:56 AM
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What type of secretion? thin like drooling or thick rope type mucus, maybe yellowish? Radiation can sometimes cause "hypersalivation" and reduced clearance of saliva, so can an oral infection cause this. On the other hand, the thick rope muscus is caused by the destruction of thin saliva produced by the salivary glands, mainly paritoid. Until the glands start recovering, which was about two post treatment for me, you will have the rope mucus, which is common.

As suggested, keep rinsing, sleep on an incline, use a humidifier, drink liquids, mucinex and robotussm help some, rinsing with papaya or pineapple juice or seltzer breaks up the mucus, even meat tenderizer diluted in water to rinse with. Good luck.


10/09 T1N2bM0 Tonsil
11/09 Taxo Cisp 5-FU, 6 Months Hosp
01/11 35 IMRT 70Gy 7 Wks
06/11 30 HBO
08/11 RND PNI
06/12 SND PNI LVI
08/12 RND Pec Flap IORT 12 Gy
10/12 25 IMRT 50Gy 6 Wks Taxo Erbitux
10/13 SND
10/13 TBO/Angiograph
10/13 RND Carotid Remove IORT 10Gy PNI
12/13 25 Protons 50Gy 6 Wks Carbo
11/14 All Teeth Extract 30 HBO
03/15 Sequestromy Buccal Flap ORN
09/16 Mandibulectomy Fib Flap Sternotomy
04/17 Regraft hypergranulation Donor Site
06/17 Heart Attack Stent
02/19 Finally Cancer Free Took 10 yrs






Sturt1 #165548 05-25-2013 06:24 PM
Joined: May 2013
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Sturt1 Offline OP
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Thanks for good suggestions,went out to store earlier and picked up water pik, seltzer and placed in bathroom.... All ready to go! Now to get him to use it... (Another issue....). Oh secretions clear and delivery of portable sx machine tomorrow.


Colleen
Wife/advocate for husband. 52 yo nonsmoker
ISSC tonsil stage IVa. HPV + Enlarged node & tonsil,
CT 2/13
Bx lt tonsil 3/8,
PET 3/16
Tx started 4/9/2013 Cisplatin x3 and IMRT x 7 wk
Tx end 5/29
GT 5/24-7/17
Officially in Recovery Phase! : )
CT scan 8/13-NED !
CT scan 7/14-NED
5/2018- 5 year anniversary -NED
Sturt1 #165984 06-04-2013 06:56 PM
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 168
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Colleen: I feel for your husband right now. For me, the secretions were just about the worst thing I went through out of the entire treatment, chemo and radiation. I couldn't sleep, swallow, drink, eat or even speak for a month because of them. Docs told me it was the lining of my mouth sloughing off, which grossed me out so much, I refused to swallow the stuff and walked around spitting up in tissues. My secretions also lasted a lot longer than what most have described, from about week 5 of treatment (I had 7 weeks in all) until about a month after treatment. I would literally lie in bed talking to my mouth, asking it to stop secreting. Nothing helped me. The suction machine did not help. But a Water Pik was the best piece of advice I got. While it didn't stop the secretions, it made my mouth feel fresh. I used it about 5-6 times a day. The secretions did stop eventually, in their own time. I didn't believe they ever would. And then came the dry mouth, which is another beast. But tell your husband that the secretions will stop. He will heal. It just takes time. I will say prayers for you both. -Michelle

Last edited by Michelle Ann; 06-04-2013 06:58 PM.

SCC left tonsil, stage IV, HPV+, metastatic to one lymph node. Biopsy 12/23/10; tonsillectomy 1/13/11; DX 1/25/11; Peg in 1/28/11. Peg out 6/29. TX 1/31/11-3/21/11: 35 IMRT plus 3 Cisplatin. Pet-Scan 6/20/11 = CLEAR! Three years out, learning to live with the long-term side effects of radiation while reminding myself to feel blessed.
Michelle Ann #166001 06-04-2013 09:44 PM
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[quote] And then came the dry mouth, which is another beast.[/quote]Hi, Do you mean dry mouth syndrome STRATED after treatment stopped? I just finished treatment(chemo-rad) and the thick spit thing is starting up on me. Nothing really painful or a problem, I'd classify as annoying in having to always consciously think about where to spit out that wad of spit somewhere.

I always have seen dry mouth referenced much earlier in treatment. As I am just entering post-tx, I want to have my current list of "symptoms" to be looking out for.

Don


Don
Male, 57 - Great health except C
Dec '12
DX: BOT SCC T2N2bMx, Stage 4a, HPV+, multiple nodes
1 tooth out
Jan '13
2nd tooth out
Tumor Board -induction TPF (3 cycles), seq CRT
4-6/2013
CRT 70gr 2x35, weekly carbo150
ended 5/29,6/4
All the details, join at http://beatdown.cognacom.com
Sturt1 #166013 06-05-2013 05:30 AM
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The dry mouth starts after the sticky secretions end. The DM phase will last for the rest of your life and at first will be (probably) extremely dry. Over the course of the next 2 years it will S L O W L Y improve to some point and then you will see no further improvement. I saw a slight but welcomed improvement in my 4th month post Tx; more my 5th month; the biggest improvement in my 14th month and then a tad more in my 24th month and none since. I estimate that I am 90% back to normal. Your taste will improve along with the improvements with your saliva. I say estimate because once you loose your saliva and taste it was impossible for me to remember what my 100% normal was so it's not easy measuring where you are post Tx to what you used to be.

Remember each of us can be different but don't expect miracles.


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.
Sturt1 #166022 06-05-2013 06:25 AM
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Colleen, you are one great caregiver! Right on the ball with everything. I hope you dont forget to take some time for yourself too. Being a caregiver is a tough job and you sure do it very well! I wish I had been lucky enough to have you for my caregiver!

If your husband is having alot of pain talk with the doc. Ask about pain meds. Being in pain is NOT helpful to the patient at all, it only makes recovery more difficult.


Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile
Michelle Ann #166079 06-05-2013 09:04 PM
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Posts: 42
Sturt1 Offline OP
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Thx Michelle helpful info. Thx too for the prayers ! smile


Colleen
Wife/advocate for husband. 52 yo nonsmoker
ISSC tonsil stage IVa. HPV + Enlarged node & tonsil,
CT 2/13
Bx lt tonsil 3/8,
PET 3/16
Tx started 4/9/2013 Cisplatin x3 and IMRT x 7 wk
Tx end 5/29
GT 5/24-7/17
Officially in Recovery Phase! : )
CT scan 8/13-NED !
CT scan 7/14-NED
5/2018- 5 year anniversary -NED
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