Just when you thought it was safe to walk in the woods

jcortney
jcortney Member Posts: 503
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Thrush!  Went in for my weekly checkup today and was complaining that my throat was sore and that my mouth felt really like cotton.  Not much of a white tongue but when he looked down my throat, there it was lurking.  Never crossed my mind that it would come up again this far post treatment (I'm 10 weeks).  He told me it could be as much as six months out given how much radiation I had.

Thrush by itself is no prize but I'm also trying to get off of this damn Fentanyl so life is a bit of a challenge right now.  Tonight I go from 25 mcg to 12 mcg. I'm not sure how my body is going to react to a 50% decrease in the drug.  It wasn't at all happy going from 50 mcg to 37 mcg and then 37 mcg to 25 mcg so tonight/tomorrow should be fun.

J.

Comments

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #2
    Thrush was a pain in the butt

    for me for months after finishing treatment.  I'd get rid of it, then bam....back it'd come.  I just kept refilling my Diflucan.....it seemed to come when I worked the graveyard shift, so I blamed the lack of sleep.  I wonder if yours might be part of the getting off the Fentenyl....that's pretty stressful on a body.

    I can tell you this, tho.....at 10 weeks, tho there are many improvements.....it's the second 3 months of healing that you'll  start noticing getting truly "well"....that was my experience, anyway.  January thru March brought improved taste, more spit, my eyes started clearing up, and the fatigue really started going away.

    p

  • rachel12yrsuv
    rachel12yrsuv Member Posts: 435
    #3
    Hang in there Joe. You only
    Hang in there Joe. You only used it for medicinal purposes, you weren't an addict. You will adjust fine.
    Sorry about Thrush, hope it clears out soon.


    God Bless,

    Rachel
  • NJShore
    NJShore Member Posts: 429 Member
    #4
    Every other month so far

    Joe,

    So far Dan has it and takes the meds for 3-4 weeks, off for 3-4 weeks, and back on it. I think until the tissue and mucous membranes completely heal, their ability to regulate bacteria properly, it's gonna happen.

    On the PET scan, you can see a light dusting over his tongue of yellow highlights.. and it breaks out every time he eats.. eventually it will turn into thrush again.. about the time we get to his 6 week appt and I am sure he will be on it again.

    Hope it clears quickly!

    Kari

  • jcortney
    jcortney Member Posts: 503
    #5
    Thanks guys

    The full brunt of the thrush has hit.  Tongue thick with white crap, throat sore and my mouth feels like it got cotton stuck inside.  Thank god for drugs!  Tomorrow it should be just a nuisance.

     

    Some good news I forgot to tell you guys is I get my PEG and my Port out on Monday.  I'll finally be able to go to the gym and see if I can ever have any ads again, if I could just gain some damn weight.

  • jcortney
    jcortney Member Posts: 503
    #6
    NJShore said:

    Every other month so far

    Joe,

    So far Dan has it and takes the meds for 3-4 weeks, off for 3-4 weeks, and back on it. I think until the tissue and mucous membranes completely heal, their ability to regulate bacteria properly, it's gonna happen.

    On the PET scan, you can see a light dusting over his tongue of yellow highlights.. and it breaks out every time he eats.. eventually it will turn into thrush again.. about the time we get to his 6 week appt and I am sure he will be on it again.

    Hope it clears quickly!

    Kari

    Maybe you are on to something there

    In the last three days I've finally started eating real food.  I have an eggo waffle (with butter and syrup) for breakfast.  I actually got down about a half a bag of MacDonalds fries on Monday and last night I have about 10 pieces of Penne Pasta.  Maybe the thrush has something to do with eating?  Hmmmmm.....

    J.

  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    #7
    The patches...

    Sorry about the thrush. Tough thing to get a hold of. Soon as your over it....it reappears. :)

    Hope you do better than we did with coming off the Fentanyl patches. Kreg had a heck of a time toward the very end when he was cut completely off. He had some withdrawls that caused some achiness for a few weeks. He never thought it would end. Doctors kept saying he had to take motrin or tylenol to ease the pain....didn't help. Just good old rest, time, and patience and then it was gone. Just be prepared in case it gets tough.

    Yeah on the PEG and Port....you're almost back to normal! 

     

    ~C

     

     

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #8
    Just say no to Thrush

    Joe,

     

    Sorry about the Thrush, but think in 14  short weeks your ENT says you are in the clear.  Anyway, it is good to hear you are (or were) eating.  As for the pain patches they sound like they are on their way out, just take it easy.

     

    No PEG or PORT after Monday, wow that is less than a week away.

     

    Keep healing,

     

    Matt

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    #9
    Thrush Hour 5

    Coming to a theater near you for the next 6 months.....

    Jackie "Chance you could get it again" and Chris "Tuckered out from all the pain" in the Feel Better Soon Movie Production....

    Thrush Hour 5 - The case of the Diminishing Fentanyl Patch

    Get yourself the meds and keep them handy. I'm still battling the first infection...            

    Feel Better Soon!

    "T"

                                                                                                                          

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #10
    jcortney said:

    Thanks guys

    The full brunt of the thrush has hit.  Tongue thick with white crap, throat sore and my mouth feels like it got cotton stuck inside.  Thank god for drugs!  Tomorrow it should be just a nuisance.

     

    Some good news I forgot to tell you guys is I get my PEG and my Port out on Monday.  I'll finally be able to go to the gym and see if I can ever have any ads again, if I could just gain some damn weight.

    if you are taking diflucan

    once you are done with this course of treatment, you might consider continuing the drug by taking it once every three days. That is an approved preventive schedule.  I got my last episode about three months after rads ended.  Thank god.

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