Saliva Question

2»

Comments

  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570
    #22
    SPRAY WORKS FOR ME
    Hey Tim,

    I had base of tongue cancer 10 years ago, and the radiation fried my salivary glands. I can't swallow, thanks to radiation, so no saliva is a mixed blessing for me. At any rate, the OTC product Mouth Kote is one of my best buds- I always have a spray bottle with me. Nights are the wild card, I usually wake up a couple of times with desert mouth.

    Patrick
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #23
    larryallen77 said:

    Saliva
    I am about six months out from treatment and lack of saliva continues to be a problem. I eat liquid based foods (soups, meat and mashed potatoes with gravy, Ensure). I have been on a pill for a couple of months to help with saliva but it does not seem to help. I pretty much have to eat by the clock because I never have an appetite. The doctors say it might improve as time passes. I use Biotene tooth paste and mouth spray which helps a bunch. Instead of Ensure I use Walgreens Nutritional Drink Plus (350 calories). It is equivelent to Ensure and costs a bunch less. It is normally priced two six packs for $12.00 but is often on sale for $4.95 for a six pack. Food is no longer a priority in my life and I have accepted that it may stay that way.

    Does anyone have numb and tingling hands and feet? I continue to have this and it does not seem to be changing much.

    For Larryallen
    The numbness and tingling in hands and feet is the "peripheral neuropathy" side effect of the chemo that they may or may not have warned you about. I didn't get it right away, but it subsequently kicked in for me, about two months after treatment ended.

    Here's hoping it subsides soon for you.

    Deb
  • Scambuster
    Scambuster Member Posts: 973
    #24
    timreichhart said:

    saliva and acupuncture
    should I wait intill I get couple more months in of heeling before I start acupuncture or should I start it now?

    Acupuncture
    Tim,

    When ever you are ready, you can seek treatment from an acupuncturist. I don't think there is a 'too early' or 'too late' rule here. They use very fine needles and it is virtually painless or at the very least you feel a tiny pin prick - but compared to what you have already had, its nothing.

    It is a bit hard to explain how or why it works as it form of Tradition Chinese Medicine (TCM) and hence works to balance the body Ying & Yang by stimulation through certain meridian (like pressure points). The Western idea is that Acupuncture works on your parasympathetic system and helps stimulate healing, pain relief etc.

    Mine has helped and I also now carry a small tin of the sugarfee mints which help get the saliva going in no time. I eat with a fluid but it not as bad as it was 6 months ago.

    Scam

Discussion Boards