Any advice for week 6 of RT

Hi. Don’t worry about taking the morphine. I put off taking it way past the point I should have as I was so worried - but once I started on it I was so glad for the pain to ease. Once I was ready to stop I did a very gradual withdrawal. 

Tell your radiographers about your neck concerns. There are preparations they can give you. 
I was awful on cocodomol but much better on morphine which is strange as codeine is metabolised to morphine which is how it kills pain. I had metoclopramide to help with the nausea

Hello

l think you are only a couple of weeks behind me. I too, found soluble paracetamol enough during the treatment, but it all changed the w/e after RT stopped. I had been given Oramorph to take as and when too. I hadn’t needed it before but didn’t hesitate, it has made a huge difference to me & is a v low dose. I was given Flamazine for my neck. It is strong stuff which put me off initially. Having posted on here & feeling reassured, l am now day 3 using this and it is clearly improving. I am just over a week since my last RT & so don’t feel at all qualified to say more.Equally, l am learning that many of us respond differently, but there appear to be some common threads…Good luck with the post RT period; regardless of the heightened side effects l am experiencing, l still feel v glad that this episode at least, for me is over & it is a good feeling. Wishing you well.

Hi. I've been on Oramorph since February as my top up alternating with paracetamol with no problems. 

My neck got red & tender in Week5 and Consultant told me to stop using the E45 & stick with the Famigel, I used it up to 6 times per day. I also got cling film under my mask for the last week which helped me tolerate the mask against my skin. It completely broke down second week out (see picture in profile) but Consultant said it would heal very quickly - it did, less than a week and it was completely healed.

All the very best for your last week

Tina

Hi, I’ve just got to the end of week 6 and had sillier issues to you. Felt a bit nauseous switching to oramorph but was given meds to manage it very well,  same as those taken during chemo. My chemo had to stop more to mouth issues than anything else but managed to get 3 sessions in. Went from flamigel to Strata XRT gel, much better. Neck is very red and skin broken in places so also have a very soft, cushioned dressing to wear to stop clothes catching around neckline. I’m the same with throat, still about able to swallow…painfully. Prescribed Fresubin calories supplement liquid drinks. Good luck, not long to go!

Similar issues

I'm in exactly the same place as you - finished 5 weeks of radio plus chemo with one more week to go. Skin very red but not broken yet. Same weight as when I started and not using RIG tube yet apart from one thing: I am sensitive to salt and soluble paracetamol contains a lot of sodium, so it hurts a lot to swallow. Easier just to push in through the tube.

Been using increasing quantities of morphine for the past 2 weeks. It was paracetamol + codeine + a little morphine as needed, but is now paracetamol 4 x per day plus morphine 5 mg 6 x per day (and a little bit more at night as needed). 

It feels like a very full time job at the moment keeping on top of everything, not helped by being mentally zonked. Not sure if that is radiotherapy or morphine or both, but I need to sleep in both the morning and the afternoon, and have lists of things to do because otherwise not chance of remembering them. 

Mike Rq said:

It feels like a very full time job at the moment

Yep….. but you’re nearly there. Hugs 

It is a full time job we all had lists if what to do when to take tablets etc. one more week them recovery starts I had 35 sessions the last 5 were very hard but I got through and out the other side. You’ll get there 

Hazel xx

Thanks for sharing. I can get in my head about things so it’s good to hear from others