Swelling under the chin

Sergio1
Sergio1 Member Posts: 16
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I have been carrying quite a gobble since radiation to treat my throat cancer damaged the lymphatic system in my neck area. My drs. tell me it will go away but if has been 14.5 months and it is still there. At times it is smaller and soft. Other times it is larger and hard. It bugs me when I look down and acts like a pendulum when I rotate my head fast. A neighbor that went through this treatmen never got any swelling.

Is there anyone out there that has had this swelling go away?

Comments

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #2
    Turkey Neck Club...
    Perfectly normal and the main cause like you mentioned is damage to the lymphatic drainage routing.

    Usually and eventually, they find or make new routes and swelling decreases.

    Many if not most on here have also gone through it.

    Myself it lasted a good year, but never seemed to completely go away.

    MarineE5 posted a thread on a massage that might help you;

    Neck Massage

    Best,
    John
  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103 Member
    #3
    Skiffin16 said:

    Turkey Neck Club...
    Perfectly normal and the main cause like you mentioned is damage to the lymphatic drainage routing.

    Usually and eventually, they find or make new routes and swelling decreases.

    Many if not most on here have also gone through it.

    Myself it lasted a good year, but never seemed to completely go away.

    MarineE5 posted a thread on a massage that might help you;

    Neck Massage

    Best,
    John

    Thank you
    Thank you John. So glad you are a techie :) I knew that the Superthread had something on it. Lucky for me it is one thing that I didn't have to worry about. I bought a lot of scarves thinking that I would need to cover the scar and swelling. Didn't need to wear them long for that reason, now just a fashion statement.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #4
    Swelling
    S1,

    I have the same thing my treatments ended on Dec 30,2011..I just saw my rad doc this past tues and asked him about it, he said it is quite normal. Mine is softer in the mornings and gets worse sometimes thru the course of the day, the doc said it could take up to a year for it to go away, and that after that time if it's still bothersome to me we could try lymphodemia (sp) therapy.

    Linda
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
    KTeacher said:

    Thank you
    Thank you John. So glad you are a techie :) I knew that the Superthread had something on it. Lucky for me it is one thing that I didn't have to worry about. I bought a lot of scarves thinking that I would need to cover the scar and swelling. Didn't need to wear them long for that reason, now just a fashion statement.

    Radiation Thing...
    I'm pretty sure it's primarily a radiation thing. All of those zaps to that area....

    Another "side effect" as Sergio like to reference, LOL. Is L'Hermett's...that tingling sensation that almost feels like a small electrical shock.

    It mainly happens when you bend your head down, touching your chin to your chest.

    You'll feel this shock like sensation going through your arms, legs to your toes it seems.

    Like the above, it to usually goes away around a year or so post treatment.

    JG
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #6
    Skiffin16 said:

    Radiation Thing...
    I'm pretty sure it's primarily a radiation thing. All of those zaps to that area....

    Another "side effect" as Sergio like to reference, LOL. Is L'Hermett's...that tingling sensation that almost feels like a small electrical shock.

    It mainly happens when you bend your head down, touching your chin to your chest.

    You'll feel this shock like sensation going through your arms, legs to your toes it seems.

    Like the above, it to usually goes away around a year or so post treatment.

    JG

    yup
    I got this pretty significantly after my radical surgery 18 months ago. It was almost gone when they started rads in January. Now I have it Again. Time will probably make it better. If not, Ill live with it.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #7
    longtermsurvivor said:

    yup
    I got this pretty significantly after my radical surgery 18 months ago. It was almost gone when they started rads in January. Now I have it Again. Time will probably make it better. If not, Ill live with it.

    I agree
    Even though I can't stand the looks of this turkey neck, if thats the worst I have to put up with, then so be it.
  • dennis318
    dennis318 Member Posts: 349 Member
    #8
    osmotar said:

    Swelling
    S1,

    I have the same thing my treatments ended on Dec 30,2011..I just saw my rad doc this past tues and asked him about it, he said it is quite normal. Mine is softer in the mornings and gets worse sometimes thru the course of the day, the doc said it could take up to a year for it to go away, and that after that time if it's still bothersome to me we could try lymphodemia (sp) therapy.

    Linda

    Still deal with it
    Been out 2 years and it still with me, gets better than like a puffiness that goes softer through out the day, I am now having sove muscles under my chin to my collar bone tighten up on me and get sore...it really hurts when it locks, then releases, my doctor doesn't seem to concerned...over radiation is all he says....any one else....THANKS Dennis
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #9
    dennis318 said:

    Still deal with it
    Been out 2 years and it still with me, gets better than like a puffiness that goes softer through out the day, I am now having sove muscles under my chin to my collar bone tighten up on me and get sore...it really hurts when it locks, then releases, my doctor doesn't seem to concerned...over radiation is all he says....any one else....THANKS Dennis

    yes
    I am taking tai chi. The warm uo exercises have completely stopped this......


    Pat
  • CajunEagle
    CajunEagle Member Posts: 408
    #10
    osmotar said:

    Swelling
    S1,

    I have the same thing my treatments ended on Dec 30,2011..I just saw my rad doc this past tues and asked him about it, he said it is quite normal. Mine is softer in the mornings and gets worse sometimes thru the course of the day, the doc said it could take up to a year for it to go away, and that after that time if it's still bothersome to me we could try lymphodemia (sp) therapy.

    Linda

    I've been using
    this Velco fastening part Nylon/Cotton thingy called a Face Caddie. I strap it under my chin at night before bedtime, and sleep with it connected. It seems (for me, anyway) to totally reduce the swelling caused by lyphodema. Been using it for about 2 1/2 years now, and it's pretty much knocked out "Turkey Neck" problems for me. Might want to Google it, and check it out.

    Larry

Discussion Boards