Mucus

Hi John I’m almost 4 years post radiotherapy for tonsil cancer I’ve bern on this forum 4 years snd am struggling to think of anyone who is still struggling thus far in. I was prescribed carbusistine to thin the mucus down at week 7-8 it did go not long after. 
do you drink enough water ? 
will have a think and let you know. Ps welcome to our community 

Hazel 

I drink coupious amount of water and other suggestions and It just never seems to lesson.  Honestly, I'm simply resigned to the fact that this now be my new reality.   Perhaps I was over radiated as no one else seems to be having the problem... but what do I know.  Thanks for your response.   

Hi John and welcome. I must admit I can’t think of anybody else with the same problem. So basically your saliva dries up overnight and the mucous become a problem. Have you tried xylimelts at night? 
There is an acupuncture protocol to increase saliva. Links in my blog at the bottom of this post 

As for being over radiated, I don’t know about that. The doses seem to be fairly standard for our cancer. Sensitivity differs though 

I hope you find an answer

Thanks for the reply!!   This also can be a problem during the day, there is no rhyme or reason when but it's coming.  I am just so discouraged and tired of the whole thing.   Always have to have on me kleenex or something to eliminate this junk into.   Accupunture will be on the list...thanks. 

Hi John,

I am just over a year since finishing radiotherapy and I have it similar to you with the saliva problems. Your 3 years has made me feel at a loss and less hopeful.

My biggest fear at the moment is that when eating something semi-solid like chicken or other meat (with copious amounts of gravy), the part at the back of my throat (Oropharynx or Hypopharynx?) becomes very dry and food particles stick and I start to choke. I manage to move it either way but it is quite scary sometimes..

I currently have a trial pack (4) of Xylimelts - from www.xylimelts.co.uk - but I have only tried one so far. It did seem to help overnight to start with but it became dislodged around 2:00am and I had to discard it.

Onwards & Upwards

Bob

I'm so sorry if my post caused you to be less hopeful, this crap is hard enough so it was definetly not my intention.  I'm having the same kind of issues with eating and have over time learned to cope.  I eat really slow with lots of chewing, stay away from food that can joke, put copious amounts of olive oil on everything, and constantly sip water during my meals.  What's really annoying is the bits of food that get caught in my throat that I end up couphing up with my heavy saliva sometimes hours after the meal.  This has all became my new normal but when I get down about it I just think about  the days when I worked with recently injured spinal cord and stroke patients and believe me ,things could be worse.  

Hi John

Sorry you are struggling with this. I am 16 months post treatment now and still get some. I refer to it as my 'fur-balls'. I find sometimes after eating I need to cough up a big ball, this is much stickier than before treatment. Thankfully those around me are used to it. It happens less often, but comes and goes. I'm never quite sure if it is coming up from my throat or down from my sinuses, it just kind of forms at the back of my throat, Not sure if what you are experiencing is similar or not. I try and drink herbal tea and water (I take flasks of both to work), these reduce it. My doctors have basically advised the only other thing to try is nasal douching, which I do occasionally and daily when I get a cold as I can drown in the mucous then. I sleep with my head elevated and a humidifier, again these help. Not sure if this is any use, hope you find something that works. 

Gill