I am now 8 months post radiation. My jaw muscle on the radiation side has started getting stiff. In the morning it seems a bit swolen and is painfull when I bite down.
Is this just the normal scar tissue type reaction. What have others experienced in this regard.

On another note, I think I have lost most of my sweetness taste. I can taste honey, but it no longer tastes sweet.

Flip,
I had the stiff jaw, and still have problems (after 13yrs) of opening my mouth very wide. Also, had ear pain after my rad.
Had tonsil cancer in 97. Hang in there and be strong.
Best of luck for a speedy recovery.
Jean

Flip,

Are you doing any type of mouth or jaw stretching exercises? I have a whole regimen that I used to do daily and still try to do once a week or so. The muscles can tighten and atrophy so you have to keep working them out. My speech/swallow therapist worked with me on these.

- Margaret

My jaw is stiff ans hurts too after closeing in on 3years, It sure can't be from, lack of execising it with the way my mouth runs. LOL At times it feels as if it is riping loose especially when I yawn. I am like Edith Bunker and try to stiffel thatyawning tho.

I have been stretching my jaw. It only opens a little more than 2 fingers. I started getting worried after this discomfort started. It does not hurt to open, but when I close my mouth, I have to really bite down to get my right teath to hit after the left side has. It seems like the muscle is swollen a bit. Also when I chew on that side, I feel a tearing sensation at the top of the muscle up on my skull.
I have been massaging it to try and get it to loosen up. I am guessing it is scar tissue from the radiation. I don't get back home for another month, so I won't see my Doc for a while.

Flip

With less than three fingers, you definitely have Trismus. It's been over 3 years for me, and I still have to do my Therabite exercises 5 times a day, each and every day. My jaw muscles ache, especially on the left side where I had the neck dissection. When you see your doctor again, ask about a new prescription for a speech therapist to work with you (even if you had it before - I am on my fourth round of therapists)
charm

Flip,

Just saw my ENT recently with just about the same complaint. He questioned my about how much it hurt and how often. I think the issue is fairly subjective as he took my answers and concluded that i was having normal issues with the radiation traetment to the jaw. He let me know that if it got any worse or the pain sharper, I should make an appointment and come back in.

He also wanted me to keep up with my jaw exercises (I'm at three fingers)

I'm not sure if this helps.

Kelly

Hi,
FWIW, I just logged on with a similar question. My right jaw, where I had my radiation about four months ago, is getting stiff and sore when I close my mouth, and my teeth don't want to come together the way they used to, especially in the mornings (I wear a night guard that holds my jaw slightly open all night long). I've been told this is almost certainly from the formation of scar tissue in the area of the jaw.

As for opening my jaw, I can get three fingers, which I think is pretty much where I started (maybe a slight reduction). I only had radiation and chemo, no surgery (so far).

I just joined the group. I had radiation in 2000 (tongue tumor) and excision of a small lung tumor (metastatic?) in 2003. I had two dilation of the upper esophagus but I have to drink liquids in order to swallow. Got completely used to it.

Strange things are happening, however, now. After the radiation my left jaw joint (they call it, I believe, TMJ) always bothered me limiting opening of my mouth. Now, for a second time, I got some infection there resulting if further limitation of mouth opening and excrutiating pain. It has to be an infection - a week standard cure with amoxicillin brings an end to it - the worst pain is gone in 24 hours.

Anyone experienced something like that? Next Thursday I am going to see a specialist who will run a detailed X-ray of my jaws and joints. In the meantime, the infection will be gone so he will probably see nothing... The infection has to be in soft tissues - the almost immediate response to amoxicillin indicates that.

And I thought I was done with cancer afterf 10 or 7 years. OK, maybe with cancer but the radiation caused a lot of damage as all of us who got it know.

I was fortunate to have a general practicioner who referred me to a gasto-entero specialist who performed the dilation. Prior to that - only liquid food (Ensure). Still better than the gastric feeding tube - very impractical in restaurants.

Well, at 76 I am doing reasonably well except for these little unpleasant occurrences.

Goo luck to all of you!