Coughing after procedure

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Hi everyone just asking for some advice please.

My husband was diagnosed last year with a T3 as well as some lymph nodes infected, he had 4 rounds of FLOT Chemo then the Ivor Lewis procedure, then another 4 rounds of FLOT. He is currently cancer free which is amazing.

The problem is he has developed an awful cough every time he eats, sometimes it's so bad he can't eat & ends up being sick. This is causing  him to feel very frustrated, angry at times & not wanting to eat, so his weight is fluctuating. Dumping syndrome is less as we have worked out what causes issues but the cough seems to be worse.

He  has been advised to take Metoclopramide before eating and is on omeprazole but sometimes he is also then coughing at bed time even though we have raised the bed to help with reflux & eat early. 

Hes had several additional tests just to check all is OK & has good movement for food to travel down to the stomach. He didn't have this cough after surgery or during the last course of FLOT, at times it seems to be getting worse. His consultant has said its probably part of the healing process but hasnt really been able to offer an explanation. I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced this & if it got better? He's so frustrated & things are difficult & I don't know how to help.

Thank you so much, this site has been so helpful during his diagnosis & treatment we really have felt like a "Bomb" went of in our lives & trying to adjust to the new norm is really difficult at times. 

  • Hi. I had a bad cough after the op. and was vomiting my food when I got home after 10 days. I returned to hospital and it was diagnosed that I was leaking around the joint. I then was NBM for 6 weeks whilst the hole repaired itself naturally. Of course your husband need not have the same thing at all. Has he had a post op. CT to look at the joint? I just thought it was worth mentioning my experience as the symptoms are so similar.

  • Hi Anglars

    Thank you for your reply & I hope you are feeling much better. Yes he's had a CT, an X-ray swallow & a further scope & they said he has no restriction in the oesophagus & the join is holding. Its really difficult for him & we know we are so lucky to be the otherside of things as he came close to being a T4 so we are so thankful for all that has been done. 

    It's just a real roll coaster & understandably he's finding it really frustrating & embarrassing, he doesn't want to go out much or eat in public. It's just sad after everything he's been through.

  • Yes. I am more than well and I should have said all this was was all 15 months ago now. I am actually still coughing a bit and had a barium swallow today strangely enough.I  think every single one of us have gone through various eating traumas but this really does get better in time. I have trained myself on what I can and can't eat and stick to very small portions. My local pub/restaurant is well trained on the subject. Keep encouraging him. It will improve I am sure.

  • hope he improves soon Jami6, one thing that is so hard is that most people are so desperate/need to go back to how it was, the joy of eating out, popping to the pub on a nice day, i was told by the oncologist eating will never be the same again, and it shouldnt be rushed or taken lightly, it will be the new normal.

    tried to explain to the husband, i at the moment cant walk into any supermarket, cafe, pop up, garage and grab a bite to eat, weekly shopping bill is testamount to that, every lining and that.  totally on j peg for all food via the pump and all meds, but least its getting calories in.  i still feel that this vile, horrible cancer is so unknown, so played down, compared to the support around when i had my masectomy last year.  least the weather is rubbish so perfect cover up, cough up, have a good moan, enjoy rubbish tv, sofa days as a normal day. (although i need to be quite tired, low to follow that advice myself!) have learnt to listen to my body though, no shame in an early night or just taking yourself out of the way for a bit x

    this family is a wealth of honest, true, such helpful advice, keep checking in, hope your team can give some answers, i was hardly sick before these 2 cancers and find it so frustrating being tired, feeling crap and sometimes admitting i need help, makes for being a grumpy cow, cant even blame it on hormonesSmiling imp

    take car and all the best

    jules

  • Thanks Jules & Anglars for your support, advice & sharing your experiences.

    It definitely wasn't a known cancer to us & so frightening how undetected it was. In the beginning nothing showed up in blood results & my husband had very mild symptoms & mostly only went to the Gp due to being very tired (& after severe nagging from me). He saw two student doctors who were immediately concerned when he described how he was feeling we are so lucky to be the other side of this awful disease.

    My hubby's quite active so this current situation with the coughing is really hard for him & at times he's so frustrated with it & himself & wants to be further forward. He forgets how well he's done, his recovery has been amazing but it's left life long changes that he needs to give himself time to adjust too.

    I think we will get there just have to be patient.

    Thank you.