TASTE - MOUCOUS - JUST GROSS MOUTH

luv4lacrosse
luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hello all, hope you are having a nice weekend.

I am 8 days into Radiation, and 6 days post first Cisplatin. Nausea is controlled and no fevers. Seems like every other day is a good or a best day.

Food already is tasting bland and the texture of food I can tolerate seems to change by the day. My Oral regiment is to breush and floss after each time I eat something or drink something sweet or carbonated. I use the Biotene tooth paste and mouth spray as well as gargle with the two part Caphasol Product 3-6 times daily.

The moucous is not so bad yet thay it impedes swallowing nor does it bother me yet while laying flat for radiation but it is definitely there and seems to be at the forefront of my daily activities.

I was thinking of buying a Waterpic to see if "jet washing" my mouth might help.

Does it seem that I am doing all I could be doing, or not even close?/

Thoughts and advice appreciated.

BEST!!

Mike

Comments

  • delnative
    delnative Member Posts: 450
    #2
    About dental care
    You should ask your dentist about getting fluoride "trays" and Prevident or a similar high-fluoride treatment. When I was starting treatment at Johns Hopkins, I was assigned a dentist who specializes in people with H&N cancer who are getting nuked.
    He took impressions of my teeth and made trays -- much like the mouthguard you wear for some sports -- and gave me a prescription for Prevident. I squirt the fluoride into the trays before I go to bed, wear them for 10 minutes, remove and spit the stuff out.
    The dentist told me I would have to do this for the rest of my life.
    I'd highly recommend you ask your dentist about this.
    Good luck,

    --Jim in Delaware
  • rush1958
    rush1958 Member Posts: 221 Member
    #3
    All You Can Do
    Mike,

    Glad to hear that it has gone pretty well for you. I wish you the best and hope you breeze through this process.

    Have you done enough? All I can say is, you've done more than I did. I tried the Biotene, but it really didn't work for me. I tried the Caphasol, but wound up donating virtually all of it to another patient. Baking soda and water seemed to work just as well or better.

    I didn't have much trouble with mucous. Maybe about a week that was uncomfortable toward the end, but it passed quickly.

    I lost the sense of taste pretty rapidly. At the same time, my sense of smell became super sensitive. I've never had another experience like it in my life. My wife suggested that I get a job as a drug sniffing dog...... but I digress.

    It sounds like you're doing OK. Stay ahead of the nausea with the chemo. For me, the second dose was dramatically worse than the first.


    Rush
  • terryscarlett
    terryscarlett Member Posts: 143
    #4
    Gross mouth
    Hey Mike, Sounds like you are doing good. My husband got a floride tray from his dentist. I recommend that, also 1/2 teaspoon babing soda 1/2 teaspoon salt desolved in warm water and use it often as a mouth wash and gargle it. My husband has been using this mixture 3 times daily. He will finish treatment in 3 weeks ( we are a little over half way) 3 cisplatins and 39 rads, with 1 cisplatin and 16 rads to go! The mixture I mentioned has kept him from getting any soars in his mouth and he has no pain in his throat so far. The mucous will get thick on you, David uses mucinex D, it has helped him greatly. David was in good shape after the 1st cisplatin but the 2nd made him pretty sick, he was sick to his stomach and was skipping some of his feedings (peg tube). We called our Chemo Docter and they had him come in for blood work the next morning and gave him fluids for 2 days straight and that was a life saver for him, he was back to taking his feedings immediately after that, so keep that in mind if you get to sick, don't suffer through it ask doctors for help!! He also uses the biotene spray and keeps a glass of water at all times, that is important to keep all the fluids going in that you can. Davids tumor is tonsil and 2 lymph nodes, so I don't know if you are the same? If I can think of anything else I will post or if you have any questions feel free to ask. I am glad to help if I can.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #5
    delnative said:

    About dental care
    You should ask your dentist about getting fluoride "trays" and Prevident or a similar high-fluoride treatment. When I was starting treatment at Johns Hopkins, I was assigned a dentist who specializes in people with H&N cancer who are getting nuked.
    He took impressions of my teeth and made trays -- much like the mouthguard you wear for some sports -- and gave me a prescription for Prevident. I squirt the fluoride into the trays before I go to bed, wear them for 10 minutes, remove and spit the stuff out.
    The dentist told me I would have to do this for the rest of my life.
    I'd highly recommend you ask your dentist about this.
    Good luck,

    --Jim in Delaware

    Hi Mike


    I agree with Jim ask about the fluoride tray, prevent as much damage to your teeth as possible
  • fisrpotpe
    fisrpotpe Member Posts: 1,349 Member
    #6
    Great Job
    Nice job with taking care of your mouth and teeth.

    I agree with the others about flouride treatments, many have used the trays and been successful. I used them and they did not work well. My problem was more at the gum line and the trays do not work for that. It was suggest years later to apply with brush(sonic care) as it forces in between the gums and teeth. Flouride also will will burn once your mouth breaks down more, but if you can handle that is good.

    Waterpic now, I do not see you being able to use it for some time. Your mouth and skin get so sensitive and sore it tears it up. I use mine now after 14 plus years and at time it still tears it up.

    Great regiment your doing keep it up! I know I am proud of you.

    I believe your doing great.

    prayers continue


    John
  • Greg53
    Greg53 Member Posts: 849
    #7
    fisrpotpe said:

    Great Job
    Nice job with taking care of your mouth and teeth.

    I agree with the others about flouride treatments, many have used the trays and been successful. I used them and they did not work well. My problem was more at the gum line and the trays do not work for that. It was suggest years later to apply with brush(sonic care) as it forces in between the gums and teeth. Flouride also will will burn once your mouth breaks down more, but if you can handle that is good.

    Waterpic now, I do not see you being able to use it for some time. Your mouth and skin get so sensitive and sore it tears it up. I use mine now after 14 plus years and at time it still tears it up.

    Great regiment your doing keep it up! I know I am proud of you.

    I believe your doing great.

    prayers continue


    John

    Flouride Trays
    Mike,

    Sounds like you're doing well. Great to hear! I would talk to your dentist about the flouride trays also. I've got them. I had to skip using them for a month when the sores in the mouth got real bad, but everything I hear about the flouride can help save your teeth in the long run. I'm back to using them and had my first dental check-up and everything looked good. For some reason of all the long term effects, I really don't want to lose my teeth so I brush and floss 5-6 times a day and use the flouride.

    Keep up the good work and positive attitude and the treatments will be done before you know it.

    Positive thoughts!

    Greg
  • Scambuster
    Scambuster Member Posts: 973
    #8
    Greg53 said:

    Flouride Trays
    Mike,

    Sounds like you're doing well. Great to hear! I would talk to your dentist about the flouride trays also. I've got them. I had to skip using them for a month when the sores in the mouth got real bad, but everything I hear about the flouride can help save your teeth in the long run. I'm back to using them and had my first dental check-up and everything looked good. For some reason of all the long term effects, I really don't want to lose my teeth so I brush and floss 5-6 times a day and use the flouride.

    Keep up the good work and positive attitude and the treatments will be done before you know it.

    Positive thoughts!

    Greg

    Mouth Tissue
    Mike, I think you will probably need to focus on looking after the soft tissue in your mouth for now - the mouth washes and salt bicarb rinses etc and clean your teeth when you can. Once you're done with treatments, you can focus more on the long term dental care etc. I use Biotene mouth rinse whenever I pass by the bathroom, floss 2x a day or after meals when I can and recently bought an Oral B Sonic tooth brush which is excellent. At night I apply a mousse to the teeth gum joint made by GC (GC Mousse).

    During treatment I also used to rinse with L-Glutamine and water, as that helped the mouth sores.

    Just do what you can with out undue stress.

    Scam

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