excessive mucous production in throat following radiation

wbcgaruss · April 2023

Hello and welcome Elena.

If you are in treatment or just finishing treatment you will have a recovery period where you will deal with very thick saliva but as you recover it will get better but you may end up with thickened saliva and or mucous to some extent post-treatment.

Please give us some details of your case such as staging, treatment prescribed, cancer location, etc. and we can help you more.

In the meantime, I recommend you check out the Superthread Posting at the top of the Head & Neck Page, it is loaded with helpful information.

Take Care, God Bless-Russ

Windmill · April 2023

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1705224#Comment_1705224

I was wondering how staging, treatment and cancer location could provide more help with this question?

wbcgaruss · April 2023

Well, Windmill she, and I say she because the first part of the name handle is Elena asked if mucous would go away gradually. Not a lot of info there. So does she mean she is partially into treatment and the mucous is getting thicker? and if I know where she is at in the process I could estimate how much longer it may be before it diminishes. I would also recommend the baking soda salt rinse and give her the recipes for it. Is it for her or is she a caretaker for someone and I am asking so she may give a little more info and be accurate so we can provide help. Also is this even related to a head and neck cancer or is it just a thick mucous problem from something else. She may have thick mucous from another situation and is comparing it to the radiation thick mucous we deal with. Actually, we don't have a clue if this person even has a cancer situation or just a thick mucous situation and maybe they just signed on and were curious about the thick mucous everybody talks about on here, who knows it's open to anybody. So the more info we have the more accurately we can help. If someone needs advice a little background info is always helpful.

Take Care, God Bless-Russ

Windmill · April 2023

Thank you for your speedy reply. I think you answered the persons question in your first sentence but I was under the impression that thickened saliva and mucus are two things. As for staging I see no reason to enquire about that. As for your other comments in your reply to me they can be relevant or not, as you said this forum is open to anybody.

Thankyou

wbcgaruss · April 2023

Well, I will not debate whether thick saliva or mucous could be one of the same or different, it could be 6 of one and a half dozen of the other. Some of the questions I asked may not exactly be relevant to the subject at hand but they are in the ballpark and further discussion will work that out as a yes or no. If they do respond on an open forum anyone can chime in to offer help and give input. The more help and exchange of information the better. I know some of the things that helped me at times were things that were simply obvious but I didn't get it till I read it on here or I was asked a question to narrow down a solution. And let me say that people who join here and post or ask questions are in a group of sharing and helpfulness. They are in an open forum willingly. And I assume they will not be offended by a couple of questions in an effort to help them. The more info we have the better answer we can come up with. So relevant or not 100% of the time all the inquiries and back-and-forth information exchanged hopefully gives very positive results for everyone to see and share. When you go to the doctor or take your car to the garage they ask you a lot of questions about the situation that brought you there and some of them are not relevant but they are trying to narrow down a solution with the least amount of procedure pain and cost on your part.

Take care, God Bless-Russ

elenatoledo · April 2023

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1705224#Comment_1705224

Hi , thank you for replying, I just finished my treatment of radiation and erbitux chemo, just a week

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1705224#Comment_1705224

Hi, thank you for replying so fast.

I just finished my radiation with erbitux chemo a week ago, Ive been with mucus and phlegm for a few weeks now while doing treatment it started, now im done with the treatment but the mucus is so awful it makes me gag and vomit, I can't be still , using tones of tissues, and I still have my throat with sores that I can't eat. Im so depress and anxious I cry. 🥲

elenatoledo · April 2023

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1705224#Comment_1705224

Thank you for your reply, I had neck cancer and had radiation and erbitux chemo. Just finished my treatment, and I'm having a hard time with the mucus and everything I'm depressed and anxious. I try to deal with it but it's so hard I cry. 🙏🥲♥️

wbcgaruss · April 2023

Elenatoledo welcome to the CSN H&N forum. I understand you are in a very upsetting time and a real pain in the butt after effect of treatment. The thick mucous may continue for a week or two yet but it will diminish and be over so take heart. Don't be depressed it is best to keep a positive attitude as possible. You can do this by keeping in your mind of what's ahead, this will all be over and you will be recovered. The best thing to do for this mucous is to keep it cleared out by whatever means necessary such as you have been doing. The other thing you need to do is rinse with a baking soda and salt mix to help clear this out and help your mouth feel better. I will put the recipes for it below. Stay ahead of it and rinse every half hour, every hour, every 15 minutes if necessary to keep it cleared out. If you have one sleep on a recliner, if not prop up in bed, laying down heads the mucous right towards your throat. I had it where I woke up a couple of times and it had it where I had trouble breathing till I got it cleared out and that was sleeping on a recliner. This is tough to deal with but you can do it, many on here have traveled your path and they made it.

If you are taking pain meds take them on a schedule, like every 6 hours or whatever your situation requires don't wait till you have a lot of pain to take them. If you have pain and it's not controlled get with your care team and let them know. If your throat is sore and you can't eat this is also a normal occurrence with this. Do you have a feeding tube? You say you are depressed and anxious and your throat is too sore to eat so listen I would recommend getting hold of your care team and make them aware you have a lot going on and they will help you. That is why they are there to get you through this no matter what you encounter. They have seen this all before they will help you deal with it. You can't go without eating and getting fluids in it is vital to your recovery.

So do what you can and be patient this mucous thing will end and your throat will heal and not be sore but it takes time and I want you to be aware this healing from chemo and rads is a slow process and is measured in weeks and months. Once you finish treatment the radiation is still affecting you some say up to 2 weeks, you are still cookin they call it. Once you finish treatment this has eliminated your cancer but now you are recovering from the treatment and feel lousy. This will continue for probably 4 to 6 weeks and maybe up to 8 weeks till you are feeling reasonably better. Then your longer-term overall healing will continue and you will continue to feel better and get your strength and stamina back.

Do the best you can and go day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute, whatever you need to do to get to that next time frame you are one more step to being through this. If you are having problems with pain, eating, or anything else you need to sustain yourself and push yourself through it.

If you think you just can't deal with parts of this don't hold off, absolutely get hold of your care team, they are there for you. My cancer team had someone I could call 24 hours a day on call to ask questions. I think it was a doctor on duty at the hospital. I felt bad I called a time or two, one time I had a high fever. If you are having real issues you think are not right and you need help call them and go in for an appointment. I did and the doc checked me all over and informed me that everything I was going through was part and parcel of the treatment and recovery but that I would make it and it just takes time.

This stuff is tough, it was the hardest thing I ever did in my life up to that point. Also, I looked to God for sustaining power and help and prayed a lot, it helps much. God watches over us I believe.

I hope in this there is something that helps and something you can use and I hope you find some comfort.

Take Care, God Bless-Russ

Here below are the recipes for the rinse. Rinse, rinse, rinse, and stay ahead of the mucous you will feel better and your mouth will feel better---NEGU (Never Ever Give Up)

Elenatoledo 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.

elenatoledo · April 2023

Hi Russ, thank you for replying, I tried the salt and Baking soda but it leaves me a salty taste in my mouth I can't stand. I'm only spitting the phlegm mucus out. I will try it again. It's been a week I finished treatment but I've been with this for more as you know how it is. It's so disgusting the mucus makes me gag and vomit. I do have a feeding tube for a month now I'm stabled in weight. Have no taste which is so hard to even try to drink anything. Not even water. I get water through the tube , I just get sips of water sometimes and sips of almond milk because I get acid reflux. I'm trying to stay calm sometimes it gets overwhelming I get anxious but I start walking in the house watch some tv although I don't care to watch anything. I pray too and clean up my room etc to keep me busy. I'm a bit weak so I can't do much. It's the hardest thing in my life and I've been in hard hard times before , I was diagnosed with lupus at 29 years old so you can imagine. I'm 62 now and cancer came to me, but I always trust in my God never question him why are these things happening to me. I just pray that I get back on my feet with strength. I'm so happy I found this place to talk about this with people that are in the same situation. Thank you for your help , God bless you. By the way I'm an Artist my Instagram is elena_toledo_artist ♥️🙏

wbcgaruss · April 2023

Thanks for the response and info on your situation. I see you can't stand the salt mix but that is the go-to for this situation I have not heard of another solution. Maybe if you do a follow-up swish with water it would get the salty taste out, give it a try, I think you would just need a small amount of water. As you say, I have been there and yes it does gag you and though it never caused me to vomit I can see how it could. I am relieved to hear you have a feeding tube so with your sore throat and problems eating or getting anything down, at least I know you are safe in the respect that you have a way to get nourishment, hydration, and meds in. It is good you are keeping busy and you pray and you are doing things around the house, this is all good because it keeps your mind occupied and makes the time go. I think you are doing everything right and most of what I originally mentioned you know about. You are right this is hard and I agree that it was the hardest thing I ever went through. So I know you got this it is just going to require you to get enough nourishment and hydration in, and the passage of time while your body heals and your system recovers from treatment. Also if you are mainly using your feeding tube for a while you are not swallowing so your care team or doctor should get you set up with a speech therapist, they do all things head and neck and they will help monitor you through this. But mainly using the tube, they say you can forget how to swallow and then have to relearn it again. The speech therapist will give you swallowing exercises to do so you don't lose your swallowing ability. And they can help with anything else going on in the H&N area. I know you are a bit weak, this takes a lot out of a person. I think you will get to a period where you will be very tired. I had a period with this recovery and most of us do that you get very tired, I had to do things and get them done before I sat down because I would fall asleep almost as soon as I sat down. Is your Lupus gone now or under control? I don't know what all that involves. I certainly hope so. I think you are actually doing well handling this just continue to lean on God he is there for you, keep nourished and hydrated, stay ahead of any pain, check with your doctor about a speech therapist, one day at a time and you will be through this and have it behind you in no time. Please if you didn't already check out the Superthread at the top of the H&N home page, lots of info and interesting stuff. From here on you are going to have to be fussy about tooth and oral care once you go through this radiation, be sure and mention this to your care team also, they can tell you about it. We are here for you so ask any questions you have and just chat or give updates. Also, there is a chat room you can go to on here which can be very helpful for some folks.

So, hang in there, stay strong, you got this and NEGU (Never Ever Give Up)

Take care, God Bless-Russ

elenatoledo · April 2023

Aww thank you so much for so much support and love, I already finished all radiation I had teeth taking out before the radiation. It's good. Today I'm very anxious because sometimes I feel weird things in my mouth like swelling and numb inside my throat. They say radiation does that. I'm just so scared. I would love to see you in my Instagram page. Thank you ♥️🙏 I hope this end soon in Jesus name.,

s4tchusband · September 2023

My wife has stage 4 throat cancer. She has had her treatments of radiation and chemo and finshed 6 weeks ago. She had to have a trach tube installed when this started, as well as a feeding tube. Since she had her treatments she has he excessive amounts of plelm and mucous coming out of her trach tube. We saw her ENT doctor who said she cannot have the trach removed until she is able to get rid of the excessive mucous. That is why I was went on my computer to see how to get rid of excessive amounts of mucous and was sent here. She also sees a speech therapist weekly to help with throat exercises and to get her use to swallowing again. I have seen the discussions on baking soda/salt solution gargleing, but she is concerned with using it with a trach tube. Has anyone else had this and used the solution to help?

wbcgaruss · September 2023

s4tchusband, welcome to the CSN H&N discussion board. As we always say sorry you have to be here.

I have gone through stage 4 throat cancer and was close to getting a trach. I would have needed one except my care team shrunk down my tumor with chemo treatments before starting radiation and more chemo. Years later I did have a trach for a while so I know what she is dealing with.

OK, the trach tube is now how she breathes for the most part. She may get a little air through the nostrils and the mouth a little but possibly not. The thick phlegm is in the mouth a lot I know it can build up and cause coughing, and gagging, and I woke up a couple of times with my air cut off, mind this was when I had no trach so the thick phlegm blocked my breathing and it took quite some coughing and hacking to clear it and breathe well again.

I would say for her or anyone in this situation your trach is below taking the place of the normal path of airflow so I don't think the rinsing would affect it. You may actually be dealing with 2 areas here and you and her should be able to tell.

First off the thick phlegm in the mouth area, she needs to spit and keep it cleared out as much as possible and follow up with the salt and baking soda rinse as often as necessary. I think she should be OK because she is just rinsing with the solution and spitting it out so it is restricted to the mouth area and ejected. Start out using a small amount and get used to it and as you go you can take in more as is possible to get a clean rinse. Stay ahead of it and be proactive and don't let it build up. She will find it is more pleasant all around to do this, clearing the gunk out and making her mouth feel better. I always recommend sleeping in a recliner because laying down tends to move the mucous to your throat, if you don't have a recliner do some inventive pillow propping up in bed. I also used to cut paper towels in quarters and they made a perfect phlegm spitting size and helped with other little wiping jobs and spills. I generally had a waste can beside the chair with a disposable bag in it and rolled up balls off the newspaper to absorb phlegm or liquid and that was my spitoon till the bag needed changed.

OK that's the mouth, now the next item is the trach. If she has excessive mucous in her trach she should have a suction machine, I know I did just to do the daily maintenance to clean it. Use the suction machine as necessary to remove excess gunk. If the one you have for maintenance is not good enough to clear the phlegm talk to your care team and they should be able to get you a suction machine just for that, I know I had one in the hospital at one time or call a medical supply place.

This is certainly one of the worst things to deal with during this recovery period but she can and will do it many before her have. That doesn't mean it's going to be easy but trust me you folks will be seeing this in the rearview mirror before you know it. Every case and treatment is different but at 6 weeks post-treatment she should be through this soon but it is of course different for each person so just bear with it till she gets through it and rely on your care team that is what they are there for. And possibly we can help also.

I hope this helps somewhat in some way. If you have any more questions please let us know. I will post the salt and baking soda solution below. I always trusted and leaned on God and prayed a lot, such a help.

Also our motto here is NEGU (Never Ever Give Up)

Wishing You The Best

Take Care, God Bless

Russ

s4tchusband 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