Keep experimenting and make water a must. It helped me to drink bottled to keep track of the amount plus lukewarm was better. Also a rinse with sprite zero will cut the mucous and give some relief. Small shakes can soothe but be careful of what goes in because of irritation. My wife made one every night with coffee ice cream and milk. Eventually make the high protein ones. Again everything is an experiment.

It really is the most frustrating time. You are right; you go from the high of being done with tx and then the garbage starts. It hopefully will be slowly getting better in a few weeks. He is in the hardest part of the battle right now. Do what you can to push him without ticking him off too much!!
We finished tx the 3rd week in October and Kev ate some of Thanksgiving dinner that year. Everyone proceeds at a different pace though, but know there are better times coming.
It would be good for him to begin taking things by mouth. There are meds that can numb things up for a few minutes so he can swallow.
Blessings,
Kathy

Can anyone give me a timeframe as to when all this mucous will end? I've heard 2 weeks, but he's already past that and it's getting worse not better. He coughs so much and gags, then throws everything up. So his weight is down naturally and I'm really concerned about that. He is using his tube and getting scandi/boost down. But then he just throws it all up. The weird thing is the vomiting only happens at night? We are all so frustrated and worried. I feel like we've tried everything(mucinex,suction, scopolamine patch, benadryl, gargling, hot soup) and NONE of that seems to help at all. I just feel so bad for him because he's exhausted from hacking up the mucous constantly all day/night long. Suggestions? Advice as to when this will end?
Much Appreciated!

Are you suctioning it out? That was what I did for weeks to get the thick stuff out of the throat. It was real brown for a while. Then it turned clear and slowed down.

Could be 3 weeks, longer, and radiation keeps working just as long as treatment lasted, and everyone is different. The thick rope mucus is mainly from the parotid gland producing mainly thick mucus, which as a yellow tinge to it. Radiation destroys thin mucous only, and the other produce a mixture of both.,

Sleeping on an incline may with with gagging, a steam bath may help loosen it, drinking enough water, have your oncologist spray your mouth, usevacwater IOC at home on low, the are sponge wooden stick, some pre-moisturizer to clean mouth, get in hard to reach area in the back of the mouth.

Helps cut mucus
Salt water, making soda
Frequent brushing
Tea
Beer
Egg drop soup
Papaya juice or pinapple juice
Seltzer water or soda
Meat tenderizer rinse mixed with water
Mucinex
robotusm

After feeding do not lay down for several hours, and when raising from bef, do it slowly, which my help with not vomiting.

Good luck

In addition to the above list a water pik using warm water and a little non-alcohol mouthwash using it on its lowest setting helps to get the thick ropey mucous out. That phase usually lasts up to 6 weeks post rads and then seemingly overnight it turns into dry mouth. My mouth was so dry my tongue would be stuck to the roof of my mouth and I had to swish water in my mouth to free it. Hang in there, the thick gunk will be gone soon.

If you ask your doc for a prescription to get a portable suction machine you can suction it out at home.

I had been using apple cider vinegar mixed with water to help me with thrush and noticed it broke up the mucous in my throat. It may burn a bit so dilute it accordingly. Good Luck. Try a spray bottle

I'm officially one week out of treatments as well, and having the same issue. Did your dad ever find anything that helped cut the mucus? I can't sleep because it all gathers so quickly. I have to cough it up about every 15 minutes to keep from choking and then throwing up everything I was lucky enough to get in my stomach. I haven't slept in almost two weeks...and I'm just exhausted. But I fill a 10 qt bucket daily with 100s of paper towels trying to get the mucus out. It just keeps coming.

When you go to your doctors ask the nurse to suction out the mucous. Ask your doc for a prescription for a portable suction machine so you can do it yourself at home.

Rinsing with seltzer water, using a waterpik on its lowest setting and continuing to rinse with baking soda, salt and 16 oz of warm water all will help as well. Some members have found relief with gargling with seltzer water.

The thick ropey mucous will only last a few weeks. It will soon be replaced with the dry mouth phase.

Hi KaylaCole,
I had lots of mucous after treatment as well. Just trying to brush my teeth would make me gag. Nasal rinses would also make me gag to the point of vomiting.
I would be able to sleep a bit better by elevating my upper body and sleeping with a humidifier. Drinking plenty of water will also help with reducing the thickness of the mucous. I also used guafenesin (an expectorant) which helped keep the mucous thin and out of my lungs.
Hang in there,
Steve