Trismus

Hi 

What is your Stage and how much RT are you getting?

You can largely avoid trismus entirely if you do your jaw exercises religiously throughout treatment and for ever afterwards

I am seven years clear of 66Gy for base of tongue cancer and my mouth opening is the same as it was before treatment started

Hi Dani

T3N1MO I’m having both sides of the neck treated, left side a lower dose as an insurance policy. 30 sessions alongside cisplatin weekly. My tumour is 4.3cm so radiation field will be significant.

I’m planning on doing absolutely everything I can religiously to avoid as many of these awful side effects as possible 

Hi dani, when did you start the exercises and what did you do . Im only see the clinician tomorrow  and up to now noone has mentioned it to me even though I brought it up at dental check 

Thanks Tracy 

Hi Tracy

I’ve just been doing as much research as I can about side effects that were listed on my radiotherapy consent form. 
I’m seeing HNC nurse on Thursday who will be going over side effects so will have more information then. I’ve actually started doing some stretching exercises now!  Not starting treatment for about 4 weeks as in the planning phase at the moment. 

Unfortunately trismus affects many head and neck cancer patients, even years after treatment finishes, chemo alongside radiotherapy can exacerbate the condition, your oncology team should be able to help with exercises and techniques....ask about a Therabite device...may be available on prescription.or at reduced price for head and neck cancer patients.

Lotty said:

Hi dani, when did you start the exercises and what did you do .

Hi. I started as soon as RT started. 
Have a look here 

https://www.royalpapworth.nhs.uk/application/files/4616/6792/6589/PI-166-Jaw-stretching-exercises-A4.pdf

Micky has mentioned a Therabite. These are supplied after you have trismus. I’m not sure there is a preventative aspect. They are very expensive and unlikely to be supplied prophylactically anyway. 
I still do my exercises. Once a day. 

Ally3 said:

T3N1MO I’m having both sides of the neck treated, left side a lower dose as an insurance policy. 30 sessions alongside cisplatin weekly.

I had both sides treated too though I avoided chemo. I have a friend here who was T4 and her jaw is fine but even two years later her swallowing is poor. The lesson there is to do the swallow exercises too. I found a forced swallow easy to do, easy enough to not try to avoid it.