My poor abused tongue

GraceLibby
GraceLibby Member Posts: 88
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Any suggestions on how to handle the sores that have taken up residence on the side of my tongue? Also, everything burns my tongue, including water. Is that normal? I've been doing swish-n-spit with the baking soda / salt and painting my tongue with the magic mouthwash, which doesn't last all that long.

7 more days to go!

Comments

  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,030 Member
    #2
    Unfortunately No
    Grace,

    I too used the Baking Soda and Salt solution during my treatments and it would take the edge off of the discomfort for a short time. I was using it as often as every 30 minutes or less. I was given a pain medicine called Neurotin and took it in the latter part of my Radiation treatments and a few weeks after completion of treatments. The Neurotin did help me a good bit. I then weaned off the pain med's.

    Your almost there, keep going.

    My Best to You and Everyone Here
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #3
    MarineE5 said:

    Unfortunately No
    Grace,

    I too used the Baking Soda and Salt solution during my treatments and it would take the edge off of the discomfort for a short time. I was using it as often as every 30 minutes or less. I was given a pain medicine called Neurotin and took it in the latter part of my Radiation treatments and a few weeks after completion of treatments. The Neurotin did help me a good bit. I then weaned off the pain med's.

    Your almost there, keep going.

    My Best to You and Everyone Here

    I think you are doing what
    I think you are doing what you can. It does suck. I'm sorry. My tongue still ain't right. Water still burns me. You are almost to the end of zappage. Hang in there.
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #4
    Been There, Done That
    Sorry you're hurting. For what it's worth, when mine started healing up, it did so pretty quickly. The tongue eased up much more quickly than the throat (but the tongue also hurt me more than the throat). Do well.
  • Jimbo55
    Jimbo55 Member Posts: 590 Member
    #5
    Solcoseryl
    Hi GraceLibby, my dentist gave me Solcoseryl, which is dental paste. It worked wonders on the mouth sores. I only had a few sores overall and It helped to clear up most, though I had 1-2 persistent ones. After applying the paste to the mouth sores the relief I felt from the pain was almost instantaneous and it lasted for hours. I also used the baking soda/salt combo and the swish n swallow with L-Glutamine. I believe the soda/salt and L-Glutamine helped to keep the mouth sores to a minimum, but for pain relief it was the Solcoseryl hands down. Cheers

    Jimbo
  • DJG1
    DJG1 Member Posts: 121
    #6
    Jimbo55 said:

    Solcoseryl
    Hi GraceLibby, my dentist gave me Solcoseryl, which is dental paste. It worked wonders on the mouth sores. I only had a few sores overall and It helped to clear up most, though I had 1-2 persistent ones. After applying the paste to the mouth sores the relief I felt from the pain was almost instantaneous and it lasted for hours. I also used the baking soda/salt combo and the swish n swallow with L-Glutamine. I believe the soda/salt and L-Glutamine helped to keep the mouth sores to a minimum, but for pain relief it was the Solcoseryl hands down. Cheers

    Jimbo

    TONGUE
    Grace,
    I feel you pain. I suppose we are at about the same treatment. Today i will have treatment #28of33. Only 5 left after today. My tongue feels like it has been run over by a truck. The sores come and go. Today they are better, but tomorrow it may be back to more sores. I use the baking soda/salt mixture along with the lysine cream that i apply directly to the sores about 4 times a day. I also take the lysine pill (when I can get it down) twice a day. My doc gave me swish and sallow which nums for about 30 min.I use this about 4 times a day also. Sounds like the magic mough wash you take. My throat is very sore, but I can still sallow. Appetite is gone, as most things taste like ****. But I still try to eat something, mostly soups or something soft. Voice is very raspy at best. The outside of my neck looks like a blow torch got it. IT is very sore. THe neck and tongue are giving me to most discomfort. Good Luck to you as you approach the finish line. Deb
  • Shellysa
    Shellysa Member Posts: 12
    #7
    Try baby Orajel..apply with
    Try baby Orajel..apply with a q-tip to tongue sores. It saved me during the worst pain. As the sores begin to recede (and they do so quickly after radiation ends....should be gone in 6-7 days), try to not use unless you really, really need it as the Orajel in itself can prolong the healing.
  • GraceLibby
    GraceLibby Member Posts: 88
    #8
    DJG1 said:

    TONGUE
    Grace,
    I feel you pain. I suppose we are at about the same treatment. Today i will have treatment #28of33. Only 5 left after today. My tongue feels like it has been run over by a truck. The sores come and go. Today they are better, but tomorrow it may be back to more sores. I use the baking soda/salt mixture along with the lysine cream that i apply directly to the sores about 4 times a day. I also take the lysine pill (when I can get it down) twice a day. My doc gave me swish and sallow which nums for about 30 min.I use this about 4 times a day also. Sounds like the magic mough wash you take. My throat is very sore, but I can still sallow. Appetite is gone, as most things taste like ****. But I still try to eat something, mostly soups or something soft. Voice is very raspy at best. The outside of my neck looks like a blow torch got it. IT is very sore. THe neck and tongue are giving me to most discomfort. Good Luck to you as you approach the finish line. Deb

    We're so close!
    Deb -

    I'm on 29/35, only 6 more to go. I'm right there with you on the sore throat, lack of appetite, mincemeat tongue and blow-torched neck. My voice is ok, but my soft palate is swollen so talking is uncomfortable. I try for one meal a day via mouth and find that soft non-acidic based foods work best. I'll ask about the lysine.

    Best wishes to you! - Grace

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