Hi,
Can anyone offer some advice please?
My mother had radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer early last year and is still really struggling with the mucus in her throat. She's tried all advice given to her and and was told last week at the hospital that it is unlikely to get any better now as most of the improvements usually happen in the first 12 months following treatment.
She is devastated by this news as it makes her miserable. She still takes fortisip drinks to increase her calorie intake and can tolerate small sweet things but finds anything else really hard to eat. Things get stuck in the mucus and she can only swallow food by drinking fluids with it.
Has anyone else had long term problems with mucus? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
Kay
Hi Kay
Sorry to hear about your Mum, with me it is quite simple being a Laryngectomee in deciding what the ‘Mucus’ is as we are neck breathers so Mucus comes to that whereas with your mum is it from the lungs or stomach that is causing her problems, mucus is normally description of muck from the lungs.
If it is lung mucus you could get her to ask for Buscopan to start with as that has an ingredient that reduces production of lung mucus called Hyoscine, if that helps then the next step which Doctors are a little reluctant to prescribe is Hyoscine patches which go behind the ears, this is the course of action that I have and it works, at night I also take an additional Cetirizine tablet. As for stomach juices just the usual lansoprazole tablet 1st thing in the morning
I would definitely get her to talk to her Medical Team at the Hospital or her GP she cannot go on like she is, are they going to do something for the swallowing although you haven’t given a time frame so it’s difficult to judge and RT is such a destroyer of tissue as I am aware when I had it for Oesophagus cancer it takes along time to heal
Take Care and hope it all comes right
We will move mountains to help people with cancer live life as fully as they can.
We'll do whatever it takes. For information, support or just someone to talk to,
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Onwards and Upwards
Laryngectomy and OC survivor
Lead Volunteer for Hampshire MacMillan Buddy Service
Hi Kay. It might be worth discussing a drug called carbocysteine which is used to thin mucous. What is her saliva like? I ask because if salivary function is good it dilutes the mucous.
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
Hi Kay44
I am 9 months out from Mouth and throat radiation. Mucus initially wasn't too bad, but has become bothersome the past few months. Last month I was told there was nothing they could do to improve the situation and like your mum, it was likely to be permanent. I always drink fluids when I eat, but I was advised on here that reducing dairy might help, and it did. My tablets still stick in it alot, but I eat very small mouthfuls, well chewed and with fluid, food is less problematic now. The diary hint may be helpful for your mum 
Tina
