Radiation longterm affects

LilPebbles7

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with loss of saliva production due to radiation therapy? If so, what have you done about it? Or, has it really affected how you taste foods, and your breath? If anyone can help, please let me know!

mc2001

Pebbles,
cotton mouth and a metallic taste is very common with radiation. However, not everyone experiences this phenomenon. It should be temporary, however, I used to eat fruit flavored hard candies to help with that constant taste and chewing on hard candies also promotes saliva production. Good luck.
-Michael

LilPebbles7

mc2001 said:

Pebbles,
cotton mouth and a metallic taste is very common with radiation. However, not everyone experiences this phenomenon. It should be temporary, however, I used to eat fruit flavored hard candies to help with that constant taste and chewing on hard candies also promotes saliva production. Good luck.
-Michael

Thanks Michael,
I did experience the cotton mouth when I had radiation. But I have been done with radiation since 1995 so I'm looking moreso for the later affects of the salivary glands. I would just like to know if anyone else has experienced such problems of these long term affects. Thanks for your help!!

mc2001

LilPebbles7 said:

Thanks Michael,
I did experience the cotton mouth when I had radiation. But I have been done with radiation since 1995 so I'm looking moreso for the later affects of the salivary glands. I would just like to know if anyone else has experienced such problems of these long term affects. Thanks for your help!!

OK, first of all, I am not a hypochondriac, but now that you mentioned it Pebbles, my mouth has been dry a lot. I have been drinking gallons of water for the past year or so. Always dry. I had Leukemia andhad cranial and spinal radiation. A lot, like a super sized Hungry Man meal. But along with being saliva challenged (jk) do you still have chronic fatigue or short term memory loss? I still do and was wondering how much longer I will have this. Like you, I had my radiation in 1995. Was treated at UCSF. Take care.
-Michael

maemaebears

hi pebbles i went through radiationas well back in 95 and 96 it destroyed my taste buds completely and i had a very dry mouth..i found that drinking a lot of liquids helped and some mouth rinses helped...and sucking on hard candy since being off chemo and radiation my tastebuds have come back but i still notice i have a dry mouth.. Good luck

maemaebears

mc2001 said:

OK, first of all, I am not a hypochondriac, but now that you mentioned it Pebbles, my mouth has been dry a lot. I have been drinking gallons of water for the past year or so. Always dry. I had Leukemia andhad cranial and spinal radiation. A lot, like a super sized Hungry Man meal. But along with being saliva challenged (jk) do you still have chronic fatigue or short term memory loss? I still do and was wondering how much longer I will have this. Like you, I had my radiation in 1995. Was treated at UCSF. Take care.
-Michael

hi michael,i still have the dry mouth and fatique,but now my short term memory seem to be acting up and i''m not sure if it was due to radiation or if i have something else going on.. my last radiation treatmenet was in 95 and my chemo ended in 96.and i ahven't been healthy since so now they are having a hard time oinpointing what is going on .if its effects of chemo and radiation or if i have something else going on.. please take care
~mae-mae bears~

dpomroy

I had radiation to the chest and neck, so I suppose it would be more surprising if there WEREN'T something that was affected. Many things over 2 years later just don't taste the same. Pop for example tastes very salty to me (that's probably a good thing since it's not particulary good for us). Everything about me is drier these days...hair, skin, and yes mouth. I compensate by drinking lots of fluids and sometimes even sucking on hard candies like jolly ranchers.

kawilson

Go to your dentist, they can prescribe you a spray that helps with dry mouth and loss of saliva.