#59508 11-21-2006 04:48 AM | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 42 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP  Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 42 | Hi - My husband has been out of treatment for 3 months - off all pain meds except for BP medicine and Wellbutrin (anti-depressant) - he has been having trouble sleeping through the night - does have dry mouth due to the radiation but he says that is not what is causing it - was wondering if anyone is having the same problem and if anyone has any suggestions?
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Caregiver to Rick - Stage IV tonsil SCC - 3 lymph nodes-35X cisplatin/tarceva & 35X radiation- modified neck dissection 11/01/06
MARTY-Caregiver to husband (non-smoker/non-drinker)Dx 04/06 SCC Stage IV left tonsil-3 lymph nodes,HPV+,Tx 35xIMRT,35xcisplatin/tarceva,neck dissection 11/06, beginning HPV vaccine JHopkins 04/07.
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#59509 11-21-2006 05:39 AM | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 | Hi Marty,
My husband is 2 year's post treatment and still has trouble sleeping. What does seem to help is keeping his head propped up more with pillows. He can't lie flat, he says it feels like he's being choked. My husband sleeps with his mouth open so when he wakes up his throat is even drier. Because he has to drink so much water, he has to go to the bathroom more often and that wakes him up a lot too. For us, it seems like this sleep pattern for him is our new normal. I don't know if this helped, just know you are not alone.
All the best,
Shelley
Caregiver to husband Ron. Throat Cancer. Finished 35 radiation treatments on 11/21/04. 8/2/11 small lesion on lower gum, laser Procedure to remove. 3/6/12 Doc. removed another lesion on outside of his neck. Did a skin graft from his chest to replace the skin on his neck. Went to Heaven on 6/24/12.
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#59510 11-21-2006 05:42 AM | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 137 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: May 2006 Posts: 137 | Why is he not sleeping all through the night? Does he have to get up to urinate, drink water due to the dry mouth or is it something else? Wellbutrin can cause insomnia also. What does his doctor say?
I used to sleep all night without ever waking up. No more. Now I have to wake up to drink water and urinate. It's the new normal I guess. A BreatheRight strip on the nose may help with the dry mouth.
dx 2/13/06. modified radical neck dissection 3/9/06 multiple biopsies of upper airway and direct laryngoscopy. 1 of 47 lymph nodes positive for metastatic undifferentiated carcinoma (lymphoepithelioma). Unknown primary. Finished radiation 5/24/06.
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#59511 11-21-2006 10:39 AM | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Marty,
Ditto, I don't sleep all the way through the night either. I wake up a few times to take a sip of water due to dry mouth and then usually hit the bathroom since I'm "up". I have adjusted to this routine so it's no big deal for me.
I don't take any meds so they may be your problem if you don't think the dry mouth is.
I also have 8 cats that find a way to interrupt my sleep anyway so I guess I'm used to not sleeping the whole night.
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.
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#59512 11-23-2006 11:36 PM | Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 383 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 383 | Yes, me too. I took a nap at our daughters house this evening after the Thanksgiving celebration. We then came home and I dozed for a few minutes. Even after some pain meds, I've been up all night. It's not that my sleep cycle is way off, just that sometimes I sleep through the night, other times I couldn't sleep if I had to!! I agree with Shelley about the pillows though. I'm only 4 weeks out of radiation/chemo and still have a lot of mucose and drainage.
SCC right side BOT/FOM; DX 1-25-06; Neck dissection/25% of tongue removed 2-17-06. Stage 2 Recurrence 7-06: IMRTX35 & 3X Cisplatin ended 10-18-06. Tumor found 03/18/13; Partial Glossectomy 03/28/13 left lateral tongue. Nov. 2014; headaches,lump on left side of throat. Radical Neck Dissection 12-17-14; Tumor into nerves/jugular; Surgery successful, IMRTX30 & 7X Erbotux. Scan 06-03-15; NED! 06-02-16; Mets to left Humerus bone and lesion on lungs-here We go again! Never, Ever Give Up!
**** PASSED AWAY 10/8/16 ****
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#59513 12-16-2006 01:23 AM | Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 | Marty -
My son had dry mouth and trouble sleeping thru the night until he got "Stoppers4 Dry Mouth" spray. This really works for him! Doing a search for "dry mouth" on this page (see top search link) gave lots of other suggestions, too.
Anne-Marie
CG to son, Paul (age 33, non-smoker) SCC Stage 2, Surgery 9/21/06, 1/6 tongue Rt.side removed, +48 lymph nodes neck. IMRTx28 completed 12/19/06. CT scan 7/8/10 Cancer-free! ("spot" on lung from scar tissue related to Pneumonia.)
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#59514 12-16-2006 04:03 AM | Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,019 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,019 | I wake up several times during the night due to dry mouth. Usually at least 2-3. I hate it, but I think it's just part of the "new normal".
But years ago when I was on an antidepressant, I had bad insomnia where I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep a lot. And I'm pretty sure it was the antidepressant because when I went off it, the insomnia totally went away. So that's something to get checked.
Nelie
SCC(T2N0M0) part.glossectomy & neck dissect 2/9/05 & 2/25/05.33 IMRT(66 Gy),2 Cisplatin ended 06/03/05.Stage I breast cancer treated 2/05-11/05.Surgery to remove esophageal stricture 07/06, still having dilatations to keep esophagus open.Dysphagia. "When you're going through hell, keep going"
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#59515 12-16-2006 05:20 AM | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 137 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: May 2006 Posts: 137 | In addition to the BreatheRite strip on the nose, a vaporizer also helps a great deal in dry weather conditions. I also began taking 3mg melatonin before bedtime.
dx 2/13/06. modified radical neck dissection 3/9/06 multiple biopsies of upper airway and direct laryngoscopy. 1 of 47 lymph nodes positive for metastatic undifferentiated carcinoma (lymphoepithelioma). Unknown primary. Finished radiation 5/24/06.
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