Anyone out there ever get problems with reflux after you started eating again? My esophagus under my sternum hurts when i sneeze or try to deeply clear my throat. I was doing the clearing to try to get some of the thick mucous up, but have now quit. I'm taking protonix and dr said it could take 2 or 3 months to clear up. It's been more than six weeks now.

Of course, I try not to sneeze or do anything to irritate it and it does seem to be getting better. I was just wondering if this is something other people have gone through. My thinking is that the chemo and radiation may have made my throat more susceptible to irritation from reflux. I was also taking Erbitux.

Otherwise, i'm feeling great!!

That description fits me to a T, and while there haven't been a lot of replies to your post, GERD is a common side effect posted by others here. You might try some Prilosec to keep it in check if your docs agree. Yes, it is an OTC drug now, but I still like to see people discuss things with their docs in the first year after treatment.

I have discussed this with the ENT who initiated my treatments. He prescribed Protonix. I had been taking prilosec before the cancer episode even started. It is getting better, but is a two steps forward one step back kind of healing. Did the pain when you sneeze ever subside? This was going on during my last PET too.

And, thanks for starting this up. I looked at it daily during my treatment and found it to be extremely helpful. I also told other patients i met during treatment about it.