advice on esophogus pain from radiation

nanaof7

does anyone have help in what to eat that does not irritate throat radiation is starting to hurt my throat and I was told this would happen I would like to avoid the meds they gave me and just eat healthy. any advice?????

soccerfreaks

eating
nanaof7:

The first thing I would advise is that you seek a professional nutritionist who can suggest a proper diet during this problematic time. The second is to remember that the radiation continues to cook for some time after the last treatment.

That said, I would suggest some of the things we who have survived head/neck cancer (and 33 rad treatments, in my case) eat: yogurt, which is smooth and tasty AND good for the digestive system; ice cream (of course); creamy soups (you might want to avoid chunky and spicy soups for a spell); potatoes, baked or mashed; broiled fish (even better in a sauce!); a number of fruits, too, including bananas, fruit cocktail, and so forth, too...don't forget those. You can drink Boost or Ensure or one of the other protein-enhancers to give you some extra fortification, and don't forget smoothies and shakes.

These are a but a few. Basically, try to avoid sharp objects, so to speak, and spicy ones as well. You might want to consider a prescription for Nexium for a month or so, or even a daily dose of an over-the-counter anti-reflux product... the best of these tend to coat the esophagus, always a good thing during this time.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes and happy eating.

Take care,

Joe

nanaof7

soccerfreaks said:

eating
nanaof7:

The first thing I would advise is that you seek a professional nutritionist who can suggest a proper diet during this problematic time. The second is to remember that the radiation continues to cook for some time after the last treatment.

That said, I would suggest some of the things we who have survived head/neck cancer (and 33 rad treatments, in my case) eat: yogurt, which is smooth and tasty AND good for the digestive system; ice cream (of course); creamy soups (you might want to avoid chunky and spicy soups for a spell); potatoes, baked or mashed; broiled fish (even better in a sauce!); a number of fruits, too, including bananas, fruit cocktail, and so forth, too...don't forget those. You can drink Boost or Ensure or one of the other protein-enhancers to give you some extra fortification, and don't forget smoothies and shakes.

These are a but a few. Basically, try to avoid sharp objects, so to speak, and spicy ones as well. You might want to consider a prescription for Nexium for a month or so, or even a daily dose of an over-the-counter anti-reflux product... the best of these tend to coat the esophagus, always a good thing during this time.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes and happy eating.

Take care,

Joe

is this long term
will this pain go away or is it here for good mine is not a sore throat its like a bad cramp whenever I swallow makes eating very hard

soccerfreaks

nanaof7 said:

is this long term
will this pain go away or is it here for good mine is not a sore throat its like a bad cramp whenever I swallow makes eating very hard

More advice
nana07:

First, I cannot honestly tell you how long it will last. It will go away unless you have other problems they have not yet discovered. Let's assume that we are only dealing with what you have gone through to date, which is probably a good assumption at this point.

It will go away.

It will take time. But it will not last forever. Patience, my friend. Do not stop eating. Eat what you can. Chew, use your jaw muscles and your teeth and all of that mechanism there, so that this does not become a problem itself.

But do not, please, become frustrated by the time involved. I like to say that Tom Petty's song, "The Waiting is the Hardest Part" should be the cancer survivor's (and caregiver's) theme song. The sooner we recognize that, the sooner we ease our burdens, both psychic and physical.

I know this does not help. You want it to be behind you. Screaming and yelling and insisting and doing more than you can will simply not get it done. I know firsthand.

Hang in there.

Calm down.

Do not let it have more of you than it has taken.

That pain will go away.

Take care,

Joe

nanaof7

soccerfreaks said:

More advice
nana07:

First, I cannot honestly tell you how long it will last. It will go away unless you have other problems they have not yet discovered. Let's assume that we are only dealing with what you have gone through to date, which is probably a good assumption at this point.

It will go away.

It will take time. But it will not last forever. Patience, my friend. Do not stop eating. Eat what you can. Chew, use your jaw muscles and your teeth and all of that mechanism there, so that this does not become a problem itself.

But do not, please, become frustrated by the time involved. I like to say that Tom Petty's song, "The Waiting is the Hardest Part" should be the cancer survivor's (and caregiver's) theme song. The sooner we recognize that, the sooner we ease our burdens, both psychic and physical.

I know this does not help. You want it to be behind you. Screaming and yelling and insisting and doing more than you can will simply not get it done. I know firsthand.

Hang in there.

Calm down.

Do not let it have more of you than it has taken.

That pain will go away.

Take care,

Joe

thanks joe
it is very hard I started with such a good attitude and said I could handle anything as I lose weight and nothing tastes good and hurt to drink water there is nothing i havn't tried thank you for your support it help a great deal to know others have been thru this my husband tries but cant really understands

andmegab

nanaof7 said:

thanks joe
it is very hard I started with such a good attitude and said I could handle anything as I lose weight and nothing tastes good and hurt to drink water there is nothing i havn't tried thank you for your support it help a great deal to know others have been thru this my husband tries but cant really understands

sore throat & chemo and radiation
i remember how bad my sore throat was, so i can so relate about just wanting to get that part over and get on with the next step. slow down, take a deep breath, then call the doc. there is a stuff called magic mouthwash that can really help a lot. there is also a viscous lidocaine you can take. once you are good and numbed up with either of those things, get a pain pill in ya if ya can. doc will make sure you get a script for the right kind if ya let him know how bad you are feeling. then wait abuot 30 minutes before ya try to eat. i finally got to the point that nutrious or not, if i could swallow it...i did. i discovered the frozen fruit drink from taco bell went down really well, and it has real fresh fruit in it so its at least a lil healthy. i found myself eating really crazy and bizarre things...toast with ranch dressing...hot chocolate....by the gallon!! but i made it thru, and im pretty much of a wussy kinda gal, so if i can do it, i know you can! i believe in you!! just so ya know, the chemo and radiation they did before the surgery, had completely killed the tumor, so its definately NOT all worthless.

im keeping you and yours in my thoughts and prayers. you are a champion warrior...and you have come so far, i know you are gonna be able to get thru this leg of treatment...even when you arent sure you can.

hugs,
deb