Excessive saliva

fasu1948
fasu1948 Member Posts: 22
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hey, I have a problem. About 3/4 of the way through my radiation treatment for squamous cell in my throat and tongue, I developed excessive saliva. On April 15th, treatment ended but as of today I still have the excess saliva. Has anybody heard of this before. It's driving me crazy and keeping me from getting my swallow back and proper speaking. Anyone know what I can do? I consulted my doctors back in May and they were not concerned, even though its keeping me from getting my follow up PET scan.
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Comments

  • denistd
    denistd Member Posts: 597
    #2
    Saliva
    Believe me, we all had that, it's the body's system at work, it will subside
  • fasu1948
    fasu1948 Member Posts: 22
    #3
    denistd said:

    Saliva
    Believe me, we all had that, it's the body's system at work, it will subside

    When? Its been almost 4
    When? Its been almost 4 months of it!
  • Goalie
    Goalie Member Posts: 184
    #4
    fasu1948 said:

    When? Its been almost 4
    When? Its been almost 4 months of it!

    excessive?
    About 90% of the folks here on the list would like to have excessive saliva. Most of us are short by a little or a lot. (I would suggest that you pass the excess around but this is not that kind of a list. This is what most people say when I tell them I am still trying to gain weight: "YOu can have some of mine.") The last time I had excessive in my mouth was late in treatment when I had that thick ropey stuff you could have cut with a knife. Enjoy it while you can. Doug
  • fasu1948
    fasu1948 Member Posts: 22
    #5
    Goalie said:

    excessive?
    About 90% of the folks here on the list would like to have excessive saliva. Most of us are short by a little or a lot. (I would suggest that you pass the excess around but this is not that kind of a list. This is what most people say when I tell them I am still trying to gain weight: "YOu can have some of mine.") The last time I had excessive in my mouth was late in treatment when I had that thick ropey stuff you could have cut with a knife. Enjoy it while you can. Doug

    I'm sorry. I can't enjoy it.
    I'm sorry. I can't enjoy it. Its gone on too long and as I said its keeping me fro getting better because I can't get my swallow back nor my proper speaking.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #6
    fasu1948 said:

    I'm sorry. I can't enjoy it.
    I'm sorry. I can't enjoy it. Its gone on too long and as I said its keeping me fro getting better because I can't get my swallow back nor my proper speaking.

    Excessive saliva or excessive mucus?
    How is it keeping you from swallowing again? I understand how lack of saliva does (because I am as dry as dust) but how does too much effect your swallow? If it isn't saliva, but mucus, can you take something like mucinex?

    I know the third time I had an esophagus stretching, they gave me a shot that COMPLETELY dried out my mouth. (like I get at night) So dried out I couldn't swallow and was gagging with dry heaves. If they have medication that can do this before my proceedure, do doctors have something that they can prescribe you? Like the opposite of salagen.

    I am sorry that it's hard for you, I wish I could take some away from you, as I need it desperately, and we could both be better. If it is excessive mucus, mine lasted 6 months.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #7
    Hi fasu
    I have the same problems but it is just at night, I wake up and my pillow is wet with saliva. I am not sure what the cause is and why just at night but I have learned to live with it. I am afraid to go to my doctors about it as they may want to put me on something to dry it up and that would be a big mistake.

    Also welcome to the family here on CSN

    Take care
    Hondo
  • fasu1948
    fasu1948 Member Posts: 22
    #8
    sweetblood22 said:

    Excessive saliva or excessive mucus?
    How is it keeping you from swallowing again? I understand how lack of saliva does (because I am as dry as dust) but how does too much effect your swallow? If it isn't saliva, but mucus, can you take something like mucinex?

    I know the third time I had an esophagus stretching, they gave me a shot that COMPLETELY dried out my mouth. (like I get at night) So dried out I couldn't swallow and was gagging with dry heaves. If they have medication that can do this before my proceedure, do doctors have something that they can prescribe you? Like the opposite of salagen.

    I am sorry that it's hard for you, I wish I could take some away from you, as I need it desperately, and we could both be better. If it is excessive mucus, mine lasted 6 months.

    THere's too much. When I try
    THere's too much. When I try to swallow it, I gag. Most of the swallow problem is due to my swollen tongue. The only thing I'm able to swallow is small amounts of miracle mouth wash to numb my throat when its hurting. As I said, My doctors don't seem too concerned but I am going to press the issue next time I see them.
  • fasu1948
    fasu1948 Member Posts: 22
    #9
    sweetblood22 said:

    Excessive saliva or excessive mucus?
    How is it keeping you from swallowing again? I understand how lack of saliva does (because I am as dry as dust) but how does too much effect your swallow? If it isn't saliva, but mucus, can you take something like mucinex?

    I know the third time I had an esophagus stretching, they gave me a shot that COMPLETELY dried out my mouth. (like I get at night) So dried out I couldn't swallow and was gagging with dry heaves. If they have medication that can do this before my proceedure, do doctors have something that they can prescribe you? Like the opposite of salagen.

    I am sorry that it's hard for you, I wish I could take some away from you, as I need it desperately, and we could both be better. If it is excessive mucus, mine lasted 6 months.

    THere's too much. When I try
    THere's too much. When I try to swallow it, I gag. Most of the swallow problem is due to my swollen tongue. The only thing I'm able to swallow is small amounts of miracle mouth wash to numb my throat when its hurting. As I said, My doctors don't seem too concerned but I am going to press the issue next time I see them.
  • fasu1948
    fasu1948 Member Posts: 22
    #10
    Hondo said:

    Hi fasu
    I have the same problems but it is just at night, I wake up and my pillow is wet with saliva. I am not sure what the cause is and why just at night but I have learned to live with it. I am afraid to go to my doctors about it as they may want to put me on something to dry it up and that would be a big mistake.

    Also welcome to the family here on CSN

    Take care
    Hondo

    I don't have it much ao do t
    I don't have it much ao do t night, just a little. My doctors have got to do something or they'll never find out how my treatments went because I can't have the PET scan.
    And thanks for the welcome, Hondo.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #11
    fasu1948 said:

    I don't have it much ao do t
    I don't have it much ao do t night, just a little. My doctors have got to do something or they'll never find out how my treatments went because I can't have the PET scan.
    And thanks for the welcome, Hondo.

    I must be missing something
    I must be missing something here. You cannot have another PET Scan because of the excess saliva or mucus? Why? There are a few of us that have not had any Pet scans after our radiation. I am only getting scopes, physical exams, and chest X-rays.
  • BeacherBum
    BeacherBum Member Posts: 32
    #12
    fasu1948 said:

    THere's too much. When I try
    THere's too much. When I try to swallow it, I gag. Most of the swallow problem is due to my swollen tongue. The only thing I'm able to swallow is small amounts of miracle mouth wash to numb my throat when its hurting. As I said, My doctors don't seem too concerned but I am going to press the issue next time I see them.

    Allergy Medacine
    When i was struggling with too much mucus, I used allergy medicine to help dry me up. That was counter productive because it also dried up my saliva so it was a toss up. Call and ask one of you nurses and toss the idea out there. i honestly get the best info from them more so than from my actual doctors.
  • fasu1948
    fasu1948 Member Posts: 22
    #13
    sweetblood22 said:

    I must be missing something
    I must be missing something here. You cannot have another PET Scan because of the excess saliva or mucus? Why? There are a few of us that have not had any Pet scans after our radiation. I am only getting scopes, physical exams, and chest X-rays.

    You know for the PET scan
    You know for the PET scan you have to lie perfectly still. Well if my mouth is full of saliva and I can't spit, then I can't breath so I can't stay still. That's why I can't do the PET scan. IT takes about 25 minutes of which I could not stay still for that amount of time.
  • fasu1948
    fasu1948 Member Posts: 22
    #14
    BeacherBum said:

    Allergy Medacine
    When i was struggling with too much mucus, I used allergy medicine to help dry me up. That was counter productive because it also dried up my saliva so it was a toss up. Call and ask one of you nurses and toss the idea out there. i honestly get the best info from them more so than from my actual doctors.

    Odd you should say that. I
    Odd you should say that. I just started taking some children's Allegra yesterday ( I have a feeding tube). So far its not drying me up.
  • hawk711
    hawk711 Member Posts: 566
    #15
    fasu1948 said:

    You know for the PET scan
    You know for the PET scan you have to lie perfectly still. Well if my mouth is full of saliva and I can't spit, then I can't breath so I can't stay still. That's why I can't do the PET scan. IT takes about 25 minutes of which I could not stay still for that amount of time.

    Hey fasu
    I, like others, had loads of mucous during and right after treatment. I got a suction machine and that made all the difference in the world to me....I vomited up the swallowed mucous, sorry for the grossness, but I needed to get it out before it was swallowed. the machine was delivered to me and is easy to use. After 4 weeks of using it, my mucous dried up and now I have NO salive, or very little I should say. From one extreme to another, but now I feel good and can eat 80% of what I want. It just all tastes the same really and I never get hungry, strange.
    keep the faith fasu, it will go away, but the machine can help you....
    all the best Steve
  • Maxs gramma
    Maxs gramma Member Posts: 3
    #16
    hawk711 said:

    Hey fasu
    I, like others, had loads of mucous during and right after treatment. I got a suction machine and that made all the difference in the world to me....I vomited up the swallowed mucous, sorry for the grossness, but I needed to get it out before it was swallowed. the machine was delivered to me and is easy to use. After 4 weeks of using it, my mucous dried up and now I have NO salive, or very little I should say. From one extreme to another, but now I feel good and can eat 80% of what I want. It just all tastes the same really and I never get hungry, strange.
    keep the faith fasu, it will go away, but the machine can help you....
    all the best Steve

    Mucus
    My husband also has lots of ropey crap in his mouth that he cannot swallow, but he cannot swallow ANYTHING. The mucus has been with him for over 6 months now. He has days when he says it seems better, but it has never gone away. Drs say it will over time, but it must be different for everybody. We have tried musinex and lots of other stuff. The thing that seem to work on and off for my husband was a patch worn behind the ear. I don't have the name of it with me as I am at work, but its for motion sickness. Might ask your dr about that. The nurses suggested that when he was in the hospital.
  • adventurebob
    adventurebob Member Posts: 691
    #17
    Cruel Irony
    You've got too much and some of us had too little. And no way to correct the imbalance between us. Just another reason to really hate on cancer. Sorry to read about your discomfort. It'll pass someday soon I'm sure. If I was in your shoes I would be eating so much bread.

    Bob
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #18
    Maxs gramma said:

    Mucus
    My husband also has lots of ropey crap in his mouth that he cannot swallow, but he cannot swallow ANYTHING. The mucus has been with him for over 6 months now. He has days when he says it seems better, but it has never gone away. Drs say it will over time, but it must be different for everybody. We have tried musinex and lots of other stuff. The thing that seem to work on and off for my husband was a patch worn behind the ear. I don't have the name of it with me as I am at work, but its for motion sickness. Might ask your dr about that. The nurses suggested that when he was in the hospital.

    Patch
    Transderm Scōp® (Scopolamine) ~ Motion Sickness Patch
  • Lelia
    Lelia Member Posts: 98
    #19
    Maxs gramma said:

    Mucus
    My husband also has lots of ropey crap in his mouth that he cannot swallow, but he cannot swallow ANYTHING. The mucus has been with him for over 6 months now. He has days when he says it seems better, but it has never gone away. Drs say it will over time, but it must be different for everybody. We have tried musinex and lots of other stuff. The thing that seem to work on and off for my husband was a patch worn behind the ear. I don't have the name of it with me as I am at work, but its for motion sickness. Might ask your dr about that. The nurses suggested that when he was in the hospital.

    mucus relief
    OTC generic Guaifenesin helps a lot to thin mucus, it's sold at Walgreens/CVS etc as store-label 'Mucus Relief' tablets (easy to crush if you're using a peg), just make sure you get straight Guaifenesin and not a compound intended for colds/allergy. Nearly 8 weeks after tx my husband's radiated throat still produces copious mucus and we've found a lot of relief with both the home suction machine and the Guaifenesin.
  • DominicM
    DominicM Member Posts: 18
    #20
    Doc's gave me Hyoscyamine and I would adjust the dose as needed....worked very very well. My saliva/mucous was so much that I had to basically sleep in a sitting up position for a few months so I would'nt gag. Before the meds I was lucky to sleep 15-20 min before waking up gagging. (It's basically the same stuff as the anti-motion-sickness meds)
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #21
    adventurebob said:

    Cruel Irony
    You've got too much and some of us had too little. And no way to correct the imbalance between us. Just another reason to really hate on cancer. Sorry to read about your discomfort. It'll pass someday soon I'm sure. If I was in your shoes I would be eating so much bread.

    Bob

    Yep, Bob
    French Bread and chicken breasts.

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