Bad breath symptom?

donfoo
donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I searched looking for folks having bad breath symptom and surprisingly did not find much at all. How many of you have experienced this condition? ENT says it happens due to the cancer in the throat and not much to do until treatments start. I have tried everything and nothing seems to work.

Don

Comments

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #2
    I didn't have this problem as far as I know....
    however, I work alone at night and sleep during the day while everyone else is up...have zero social life to speak of...so who knows, maybe I did, but there wasn't anyone there to tell me :). You're about to get started on treatment, and that may just take care of it like your Doc says...

    p
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #3
    If you ask me
    I never had this. If you ask my wife, I had it twice.
  • katenorwood
    katenorwood Member Posts: 1,912
    #4
    Bad breath
    Hi Don,
    I some days have this issue....but I have dentures. My husband is a diabetic and when his blood sugars are on the high side he has horrid breath. I use the biotene rinses, and also brush my gums with the biotene toothpaste. This helps most days. Katie
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #5
    I've Seen It In More Than One Place
    I was concerned about it ("concerned" sounds so much nicer than "paranoid") during treatment. I don't think I had it, but have heard/read it's common.
  • Tim6003
    Tim6003 Member Posts: 1,514 Member
    #6
    Pam M said:

    I've Seen It In More Than One Place
    I was concerned about it ("concerned" sounds so much nicer than "paranoid") during treatment. I don't think I had it, but have heard/read it's common.

    Sorry I can't be more helpful..
    when I was going thru and finishing up treatments and would look in my mouth / throat I was sure it smelled like it looked...now either my wife was just being a saint about it or I did not have this problem ...sorry I can't help...

    Best,

    Tim
  • Tonsil Dad
    Tonsil Dad Member Posts: 488
    #7
    Tim6003 said:

    Sorry I can't be more helpful..
    when I was going thru and finishing up treatments and would look in my mouth / throat I was sure it smelled like it looked...now either my wife was just being a saint about it or I did not have this problem ...sorry I can't help...

    Best,

    Tim

    Orabrush
    70% of bad breath is on the tongue. I don't have bad breath
    but I use the Orabrush tongue scraper. It is made from the same
    nylon brushes that doctors use to wash before the go into surgery.
    Hope this helps.

    God bless
    Tonsil dad,

    Dan.
  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    #8
    Thanks for the tips.
    Thanks for the tips. I will try the new brush and rinse. Crazy thing, of all the thoughts flowing from this thing, near the top is trying to talk and breath away from others.

    Not sure it bacteria related though. Both ENT say it is the cancer tumor itself acting like giving off "dead like" flesh smell.
    funny
  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    #9
    Familiar...
    Now that you bring this up..I remember about maybe 4-6 months prior to being diagnosed that I noticed my loved one was experiencing some bad breath. Quite unusual for him, but it was apparent. Guess we never put it together with the cancer. I believe I did read someone on this forum mentioned they had it too. But makes perfect sense.

    During tx and now after he has been complaining that he feels his breath smells bad. I have a very strong sense of smell and can not smell it. Not sure what he's smelling. We are assuming it's just from his tx and he's smelling it from within.

    ~C
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #10
    cureitall66 said:

    Familiar...
    Now that you bring this up..I remember about maybe 4-6 months prior to being diagnosed that I noticed my loved one was experiencing some bad breath. Quite unusual for him, but it was apparent. Guess we never put it together with the cancer. I believe I did read someone on this forum mentioned they had it too. But makes perfect sense.

    During tx and now after he has been complaining that he feels his breath smells bad. I have a very strong sense of smell and can not smell it. Not sure what he's smelling. We are assuming it's just from his tx and he's smelling it from within.

    ~C

    His "super-smeller" is in high gear....
    I don't know what it is about radiation to the head and neck area, but bionic smelling is common. I swear I could have put my German Shepherd to shame during radiation...it then slowly disappeared after treatment.

    p
  • AJW1966
    AJW1966 Member Posts: 68
    #11
    phrannie51 said:

    His "super-smeller" is in high gear....
    I don't know what it is about radiation to the head and neck area, but bionic smelling is common. I swear I could have put my German Shepherd to shame during radiation...it then slowly disappeared after treatment.

    p

    lol
    "bionic smelling.....put my German Shepherd to shame" that's funny!
    I know i can smell a fart from a hundred yards in a windstorm right now : )
  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    #12
    phrannie51 said:

    His "super-smeller" is in high gear....
    I don't know what it is about radiation to the head and neck area, but bionic smelling is common. I swear I could have put my German Shepherd to shame during radiation...it then slowly disappeared after treatment.

    p

    Too funny.
    I had to look twice at that too "bionic smell". That's a new one.

    So, is this like the smell of burning flesh from the radiation treatments?

    lol
    don

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