Larry449 said:

Mucinex thru feeding tube

Thanks for your very timely respons. Mucus pretty bad today (but encouraging word from my radiation therapist- "All this is short term, you're doing fine" - hope she right!)

I was just getting up off the couch to suffer a shot to my throat, then decided to pick up the ipad to check... and there you are! Gonna give it a try.

 I know I'm not the worst case here, but I wasn't ready for this and answers can be hard to find.

Thanx Crystal 

Larry

Dear Larry,

I am very very sorry for the circumstances which bring you here ---- however, my hope is we can help by some small measure .  

The situation is really trying, isn't it?  Are you able to sleep at night? Maybe with the head of the bed elevated ?  That may help a little bit, with the choking at night.  I have a remote controlled adjustable bed at home given to me by the local Cancer Services. Because  I aspirate so badly, leading to pneumonia ...

Lying flat is really difficult isn't it, .  Hoping the Mucinex DM helps overnight, as well.

This site has wonderfully helpful people and you will be hearing from them too !!  Ask any and all questions ...

I have to break here for moment.... Nurse shift change, etc.

Crystal

Larry449 said:

Mucinex worked!

Mucinex thru the tube worked fine, actually faster than I'd expected.

Sleep at night? Between choking on mucus, 'should I get up and gargle with salt and soda?' Or... maybe some lidocane on my tongue to make me chok... I mean make it stop burning... then fall to sleep and dream about it.

 I tried piling up some pillows but it didn't take long at all to slide back down... I've never been able to sleep on my back so I finally fell to sleep on my side until I had to wake up and wipe my face off with a wash cloth - I guess that's a thing, too. Between 11:00 and 8:30, I maybe got two hours.

So if I can get the right combination - salt/soda rinse. Lidocaine? and maybe some Mucinex just before bed?? Fingers crossed.

Good luck to you, and thanx for the help!

Larry

Hi again Larry,

Yeah, it is tough when the Pain and coughing/ choking/ smothering keep one awake. And you are exactly right that a pile of pillows do not work!  As my doctor told me, it's too easy to end up flat, sleeping... Is there any way to Lift the head of your bed? OR, use one of those Triangular wedges?   As I've heard though, a lot of people just sleep in a Recliner.

With your Mucinex, if it contains a Decongestant , ---the bad news there is that it could cause insomnia if taken at bedtime.  I take Sudafed in the morning, but I cannot take it at night because it Will keep me awake.

So, read the label on that particular Mucinex to see if it will keep you awake. You surely want to sleep, so you can finish those last 3 radiation treatments ?

At night I use the Nystatin rinse, the Mucositis mouthwash ( which contains Nystatin but Crystal needs the double dose)--  and 1,000 mg Tylenol.  And I am so tired that I'm out within minutes. 

I like the baking soda/ salt water rinse too.  It helps the Pain and irritation.  Just stick to a recipe because too much salt will irritate the mouth and you don't need any more of that now!  So, just follow a recipe and mix well. 

And with that one, you are free to use it as often as you need to. Rinse and gargle with it over and over.

It will be a great feeling to finish your treatments this week!!!  ?

Crystal

I feel for you, as I recall as a Nasopharyngeal (nose) Cancer guy, my nose would get completely blocked, and my mouth would dry out, because of radiation / chemo. I was lucky to get 2 or 3 hours of sleep, due to dry mouth, needing water (and then, needing to get rid of the water, of course.)

I'm glad the Mucinex helped you!

Have you been able to eat or drink anything by mouth, yet - or are you totally dependent on the tube at this time?

As always, I wish you a speedy recovery. I know how tough it is .. but trust me - it gets BETTER! 

MG

 I bought the Walgreen's brand and poured 20ml down my tube in the late PM, and have noticed a difference in cough productivity. Thx.

For the salt/baking soda mixes.
Rinse as often or as little as needed to deal with thick saliva even the stringy stuff.
The trick is to stay ahead of it as best you can.
There are no easy solutions but this will eventually quit.
You may find it beneficial to sleep in a recliner to keep the thick stuff out of your throat and airway.
Laying down directs it to the back of your mouth/throat area.
Even in a recliner I would wake up at times with my air cut off and had to work at getting it cleared out.
Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ

Mouth Rinse Recipes to Use During Chemotherapy

Soda and Salt Mouth Rinse

1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup of warm water

Mix well until salt dissolves. Rinse your mouth gently, being careful not to swallow the mixture. Follow this with a plain water rinse to clean out any remaining salt or soda.

Soda Mouth Rinse: A Good Rinse for Before You Eat

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of warm water

Mix well to dissolve the baking soda. This is a good rinse to use before and after a meal because it may soothe any mucositis pain you have, making it easier for you to eat well. Swish and spit, but don't swallow this mixture.

Saltwater Mouth Rinse

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of warm water

Mix well to dissolve the salt. This saltwater rinse is close to the natural chemistry of your own saliva. This may make mouth sores feel better. Rinse well with plain water to remove excess salt.

Salt and Soda Rinse for Gummy Mouth

Some chemotherapy drugs can increase the acidity in your mouth, leading to thick saliva that can be very annoying. This rinse works well for "gummy mouth."

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking soda
4 cups of warm water

This rinse will help to neutralize the acid in your mouth and will help dissolve or loosen thick, gummy saliva. Don't drink it, just rinse and spit it out.

Peroxide Rinse for Crusted Sores

If your mouth sores are crusting over, it's important to allow the natural healing process in your body to continue, so a peroxide rinse should be used for no more than two days consecutively.

1 cup hydrogen peroxide
1 cup water or
1 cup salt water (1 teaspoon of salt in 4 cups of water)

If you have crusty mouth sores, try using this rinse three or four times a day for two days. Don't use it for more than two days at a time, because it could prevent mucositis from healing.

Use a non-peroxide rinse for two days, before returning to this mixture.

wbcgaruss said:

John Here Are Recipes

For the salt/baking soda mixes.
Rinse as often or as little as needed to deal with thick saliva even the stringy stuff.
The trick is to stay ahead of it as best you can.
There are no easy solutions but this will eventually quit.
You may find it beneficial to sleep in a recliner to keep the thick stuff out of your throat and airway.
Laying down directs it to the back of your mouth/throat area.
Even in a recliner I would wake up at times with my air cut off and had to work at getting it cleared out.
Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ

Mouth Rinse Recipes to Use During Chemotherapy

Soda and Salt Mouth Rinse

1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup of warm water

Mix well until salt dissolves. Rinse your mouth gently, being careful not to swallow the mixture. Follow this with a plain water rinse to clean out any remaining salt or soda.

Soda Mouth Rinse: A Good Rinse for Before You Eat

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of warm water

Mix well to dissolve the baking soda. This is a good rinse to use before and after a meal because it may soothe any mucositis pain you have, making it easier for you to eat well. Swish and spit, but don't swallow this mixture.

Saltwater Mouth Rinse

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of warm water

Mix well to dissolve the salt. This saltwater rinse is close to the natural chemistry of your own saliva. This may make mouth sores feel better. Rinse well with plain water to remove excess salt.

Salt and Soda Rinse for Gummy Mouth

Some chemotherapy drugs can increase the acidity in your mouth, leading to thick saliva that can be very annoying. This rinse works well for "gummy mouth."

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking soda
4 cups of warm water

This rinse will help to neutralize the acid in your mouth and will help dissolve or loosen thick, gummy saliva. Don't drink it, just rinse and spit it out.

Peroxide Rinse for Crusted Sores

If your mouth sores are crusting over, it's important to allow the natural healing process in your body to continue, so a peroxide rinse should be used for no more than two days consecutively.

1 cup hydrogen peroxide
1 cup water or
1 cup salt water (1 teaspoon of salt in 4 cups of water)

If you have crusty mouth sores, try using this rinse three or four times a day for two days. Don't use it for more than two days at a time, because it could prevent mucositis from healing.

Use a non-peroxide rinse for two days, before returning to this mixture.

 

First post but have been lurking for a few days. Thank you for the rinse recipes. I wish I  knew of it prior to surgery and radiation. Helping now 10 days post radiology

Glad to have you here but sorry you have to be here.
But it is a great place to be for support for sure.
I am glad the rinse recipes were such a big help to you.
Also as Crystal said it would be good to make a new post with a brief description of your cancer discovery and treatment, the type of cancer and staging if possible.
Also, I was wondering where you had treatment was it at a cancer center or your local hospital, etc.
Either way, we are here for ya.
Below are instructions to make a new post if you want.
Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ

Below are instructions on how to start a new topic taken directly from the help section at the top right of the page CSN Help.

To post a new discussion topic on a discussion board:

• Log on to your CSN account at www.cancer.org/csn using your username and password; you will be directed to the CSN Home page.

• Click on ‘Discussion boards’ on the left navigation menu or under ‘Connect and Communicate’

• Locate the discussion board of your choice.

• Click the ‘Add new Forum topic’ link at the top of the discussion board page.

• On the ‘Create Forum topic’ page, enter a title into the ‘Subject’ field and your message into the ‘Body’ field.

• Select ‘Preview’ to see your completed message before it is posted.

• To submit your message, select ‘Submit.’

• When you select ‘Submit’ the message will be posted on the discussion board of your choice.