Post tonsil cancer surgery - mucus build up

Hi Kramed. First a warm welcome to our friendly group. 
The mucous problem can go on for weeks I’m afraid. I didn’t have tonsil cancer but nevertheless I had six weeks RT to my throat and the mucous issue was largely resolved by week 12.
There are things you can do to mitigate it though. Drinking lots of water and sipping frequently through the day to get 3 litres down will help dilute it. I did a couple of towel steam inhalations a day when it was really bad. If that helps you it might be worth trying a nebuliser. I didn’t bother with one but lots of people find them helpful. 
Keeping the bedroom warm with a humidifier next to the bed can help too. 
Some folk used  Carbocisteine  to thin the mucous. This is available on prescription only. 

It’s really annoying and is due to the saliva being imbalanced rather than any protective reaction of your throat. Saliva has watery and mucous constituents and this gets out of kilter. 

Just hang on in there it does get better. 
You’ve done the worst bit. 

thank you so much for your reply - and the advice

Hi Kramed. Welcome to grouo I also had tonsil cancer no surgery but 35=radiotherapy sessions and 2 chemo .Yes as Dani says the saliva goes out of kilter. I used a nebuliser up to 6 times a day a humidifier at night and was prescribed carbusistine which did help to a certain extent .But promise you will wake up one day and it’s gone , itoo was around 12 weeks .

Good luck Hazel 

Good evening kramed, great advice from the ladies, i did suffer from mucus but not badly, i still get a build-up in the mornings and just use a mouthwash 4 times a day( Corsodly) that i get on prescription under a different name, it breaks it down and clears the mucus, a lot of is due to lack of saliva/moisture in the mouth during the night so having water nearby is a must. I also used a nebuliser after my surgery and treatment or as Dani says a bowl of hot water and a towel is just as good. It will improve in time once everything has settled down and healed up. Great to hear the cancer has gone, all the best for your recovery, take care. 

                                                                                               Chris.

thank you, great advice -i was dicharged with a mouth wash lwilluseit more often

thank you

Last January I had my tonsils and right hand side lymph nodes removed.  Primary not found, no radio or chemo.  So similar to you.

I would imagine that the post surgery blood was probably when the scabs came off where the tonsils were removed.

I have not really suffered badly from mucus.  My throat is dryish and the saliva very thick. Apparently when they did the neck dissection they removed quite a few saliva glands as well in my case.  I constantly sip water and can manage the throat OK.  Sometimes it feels like I have something stuck in my throat - you know, that small thing that does not go down smoothly and is not really a problem.

A scoping last week at ENT showed an inflamed throat and had them prescribe me some protein pump inhibitors to reduce acid reflux - not that I have ever noticed I have had this problem.

Beesuit suggested that there is silent reflux, and I never knew that existed.  That may be my problem and it may be what you will also see when the throat has settled down from the surgery.  Certainly there seem to be some PROPER medical papers in a Google search that suggest this can be a problem post tonsillectomy.

Just remember that tonsil removal in adults is nothing like that in children.  Add a neck dissection and you've been through the mill!  Give it some time, but keep mentioning the issues if they don't subside.  It is important to keep on top of things and any changes as you go forward in life.

Good luck, I am sure it will get better with time.

Hi

It's just struck me after Peter's reply that you may not have had any radiotherapy

If that's the case the mucous should just go pretty soon and is simply down to your surgery. 

Keep well