constant cough with phlem ,and sore throat

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i am currentley getting immunotherapy for incurable tongue cancer, i have had 2 cycles already, for the past 4 weeks i have had a cought that has gradually got worse, im am fetching an amazing amount of phlem up during the day and night and my throat is like razor blades, i was put on anti biotics for a chest infection 10 days ago but they didnt work,i have since been given a second anti biotic to take which doesnt seem to be working either ,ive contacted my nurse and the speech and language dept ,who i dont see until the 4th of july ,my nurse has told me to increase my pain relief ( morphine and paracetamol) and my appetite has gone from fairly good to zero within a week, im only consuming fortysip at the moment and along with other medication im taking for high blood pressure my stomach as well as my throat is on fire,ive visited the chemo emergency ward twice in the past 2 weeks with it the last time results came back fairly normal , its getting to the point now where i can hardly speak a word without a coughing fit and a mouth full of phlem ,is there anything else i can do to ease this

  • Hello gazz,

    Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to the online community, I hope you find it supportive. My name is Michael and I am one of the Cancer information Nurses on the Macmillan Support Line.

    I am sorry to hear that you have incurable tongue cancer.

    The symptoms you describe must be very worrying and distressing for you. You said that you are now on your second lot of antibiotics, but that these do not seem to be working.

    We do not have access to your medical notes and cannot diagnose what is causing your symptoms or prescribe anything for them.

    You mention that you are currently getting immunotherapy and what we do know is that  immunotherapy can also cause unwanted side effects. These are very different to the side effects of other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

    If these side effects are not managed effectively, it can lead to life threatening consequences.

    We strongly advise you to contact someone from your clinical team immediately.

    When people are on immunotherapy, they are given an urgent 24-hour telephone number to call. With any new, worsening or changing symptoms we would always advise you to call this number so that your symptoms can be assessed by the clinical team.  

    If you do not have this number, you must call NHS 111 and tell them how you are feeling and that you are currently taking antibiotics and receiving immunotherapy treatment for incurable tongue cancer.  

    If you feel that your condition is ever life threatening, then dial 999.

     

    I hope this information is helpful. If you have any further questions, please get in touch again. You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email or contact us through webchat

    Best wishes

    Michael

    Macmillan Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

    REF: MH/LD