#26347 05-14-2004 05:48 PM | Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) |  Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 | Kiba and Nancy, and all, we have had some discussions about hypothyroid before. By using the "search" word (that is too small) I found several including this OCF page: thyroid Any of us that have had radiation treatments to the neck have a significant chance of thyroid output problems, usually low output or hypothyroid. The thyroid produces hormones that control nearly every function of the body. Essentially metabolism slows down with hypOthyroid and speeds up with hypErthyroid. The normal range of TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is .3(note decimal point) to 5, Higher numbers indicate hypothyroid, lower numbers indicate hyperthyroid. When I had 8 out of twelve symptomes and finally went in to get tested I was at 18. I can tell you that thinking and memory were definately affected, as were body temperature (mine still runs 96-97 deg.), fatigue, heart and lung function, and an inability to get out of bed in the morning. In general if it gets low enough you feel really crappy. After getting on synthetic thyroid hormone pills, things got better-until the numbers began to creep up again. My first dose was 50 Mcg (not Mg) now I am at 132Mcg after 1 year. It seems that my thyroid is gradually shutting down. No one knows when it will settle down. It has been 3 months at 132Mcg and I can tell it ain't right anymore. Brian's note about the symptoms being similar to a host of other alements is correct, however body temperature is a simple at home test that is quite accurate. Simply take your body temp. before getting out of bed in the morning. If you are less than 98 degrees consistantly for a week or more, you need to get tested for hypothyroid. Especially if you have some of the other symptoms. Left untreated you will become less and less functional, and it can become serious. The test is a simple blood test. I strongly advise getting tested BEFORE you begin radiation treatments. This will provide a "normal" baseline should you develop problems later.
Mark, 21 Year survivor, SCC right tonsil, 3 nodes positive, one with extra-capsular spread. I never asked what stage (would have scared me anyway) Right side tonsillectomy, radical neck dissection right side, maximum radiation to both sides, no chemo, no PEG, age 40 when diagnosed.
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#26348 05-16-2004 07:40 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | Mark,
Thanks for the info on the thyroid. I have had mine checked twice now and everything appears normal. My body temperature has been around 97.3 since chemo. It helps with the a/c bill because I like it a bit warmer now.
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
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#26349 05-16-2004 11:28 PM | Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 30 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | | Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 30 | Mark
My thyroid shut down after the radiation to the face and neck. They told me to expect it to quit working. Small price to pay to still be here.
Mary | | |
#26350 05-19-2004 05:08 AM | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 24 Member | | OP Member
Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 24 | Hello,
Tests showed no problem with my thyroid gland. Still I have very thick saliva and trouble swallowing. Any suggestions would be welcome.Thanks for the posts.
Arnie | | |
#26351 05-19-2004 06:59 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | Arnie, I really don't think the thyroid itself is causing your swallowing problems or thick saliva. Most likely as your throat has healed from the radiation, it is not what it used to be. Here is a link you might check out: http://www.bdssite.com/ and specifically here: http://www.bdssite.com/esop.html to see an actual xray of how BDS discovered his swallowing problems from a clinical perspective. This is not to say yours is like his but it gives one snapshot as to what happened from radiation for him. It makes sense that all of us with similar amounts of radiation to our throats have some type of scarring or healing issues from the damage caused by the radiation. In regards to your thick saliva that is most likely a result of damage to your salivary glands. Many products are out there including Salagen and Evoxac that are supposed to increase the activity of your salivary glands with side effects of sweating and a few other things. I have tried both and don't know if they are helping. Saliva is 90% water and if you sip water every few seconds, that is probably the best thing you can do for your thick saliva. Unfortunately, it is something that we will all live with from radiation on. Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
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#26352 05-19-2004 07:00 AM | Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 382 Likes: 3 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 382 Likes: 3 | Arnie-
Swishing with soda water or ginger ale sometimes helps if the carbonation doesn't burn your tongue. Let it sit for a day to get rid of some of the bubbles. This is a time when you'll go through a ton of kleenex getting rid of the stuff but it does get better!!! I slept in a chair for a couple of months so I didn't choke while I slept but it gets back to normal consistency in a few more weeks. Hang in there !! - Kris
SCC Stage IV left tonsil neck disection 3/02 radiation finished 6/02 chemo finished 9/02
Stage 2A left breast cancer 3/09, chemo and radiation, finished treatment 2/7/10 -Stage 2 right beast cancer 10/14 chemo and radiation
Every day is still a gift :-)
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#26353 05-19-2004 09:40 AM | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 164 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 164 | Arnie,
It took about 6-8 weeks for the thick stuff to go away. It gradually got thinner and thinner. Lukewarm water was the best thing for me. Baking soda helped dry my mouth for awhile too. It's the biggest complaint I had during and after radiation. We've almost all been there. It will get better
Lynn
Stage 3, N0, M0 oral tongue cancer survivor, 85-90% of tongue removed, neck disection, left tonsil removed, chemo/radiation treatments, surgery 11/03, raditation ended 1/04, lung mets discovered 4/04,
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#26354 05-23-2004 09:01 AM | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 24 Member | | OP Member
Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 24 | Thanks everybody
Will try what you have suggested.
Arnie | | |
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