Well here we go. I have had 13 radiation treatments to both sides of my neck and the front. I have 17 to go. No chemo. I am in tremendous pain in my throat. I have liquid pain medication, but it doesn't seem to dull the pain enough to drink. I am existing on ensure + and that is all right now. Anybody have any ideas on medications to dull the throat pain?? And the radiation of course reacts to my teeth filings, so my tongue in raw on both sides. I can't talk and it effects my drinking. Any help would be appreciated. By the way during the amafostine regime, I have been getting a liter of fluids before the injections to go along with the anti-naseau meds and am tolerating that much better.

Kathy, my husband also had the amafostine injections prior to each radiation treatment. They always told him to drink water before the appointment, and take a pill for nausea. The medicine worked very well. He finished his treatments mid-November of 2002 and still has saliva. Well worth it!
He was given viscous lidocane (spelling?) which did help somewhat. Maybe there is something along that line that you could use right before you want to drink the Ensure.
Maybe you should consider a g-tube until your throat feels better. My husband was stubborn about that (still is) and lost over 70 lbs so far.
You can't heal if you don't get enough nutrition in you.
Hang in there.

During my 33 rounds of radiation, the doctor gave me OxyContin for pain, the dosage was increased from 20 mg /every 12 hours to 60 mg /every 12 hours depending on the intensity of pain. In between, I have HYDROC 7.5/500 APAP at 6th hour. I also have that liquid medicine to numb my throat for about 20 minutes at meal time and bed time so that I could eat and fall in asleep with severe throat pain(I did not haveno PEG tube). Hope this will help

I forgot to mention that I did not drink Ensure because the artificial flavor in it really bothers my throat, instead, I ordered Fibersource HN which is a soy milk based medical food.