Water coming out the nose while swallowing???

cureitall66
cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Just curious,  now that we are getting the swallowing down pat here after tx, he is noticing whatever he swallows sometimes comes out of his nose. Is this normal? How do you prevent this from happening. Also he says it seems to create more mucus/phlem afterwards. 

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Comments

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #2
    This drove me nuts for quite

    This drove me nuts for quite awhile.  I had lots of trouble with reflux coming out my nose that started about when my chemo/rads began.  Of course, it happens because of incomplete closue of the back part of the soft palate against the roof when he swallows.  I finally found some ways around this, by experimenting with holding the bolus of fluid farther back in my mouth to initiate swallowing, and how to position my head/neck during swallowing.  Eventually, for me, this problem went away.  At least, it went away so long as I'm a little careful about swallowing now.  Otherwisee, I can still get some back out my nose.  It is also important to maintain a sense of humor about this, ya know:)

     

    Pat

  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    #3
    longtermsurvivor said:

    This drove me nuts for quite

    This drove me nuts for quite awhile.  I had lots of trouble with reflux coming out my nose that started about when my chemo/rads began.  Of course, it happens because of incomplete closue of the back part of the soft palate against the roof when he swallows.  I finally found some ways around this, by experimenting with holding the bolus of fluid farther back in my mouth to initiate swallowing, and how to position my head/neck during swallowing.  Eventually, for me, this problem went away.  At least, it went away so long as I'm a little careful about swallowing now.  Otherwisee, I can still get some back out my nose.  It is also important to maintain a sense of humor about this, ya know:)

     

    Pat

    Thanks Pat...

    I'll pass this onto him. Is it possible he may need a simple dilation if his esophagus is somewhat restricted?

    Always room for humor when we know it's nothing serious.. Laughing

     

  • blackswampboy
    blackswampboy Member Posts: 341
    #4
    milk and soup

    heh. I've been dealing with this lately too. water, milk, soup...all have found their way out the nose. and of course it never happens when I'm alone, but only in company of others.

    happens when I'm trying to wash down a difficult bit of food, or take too big a mouthful of liquid. helps to eat more slowly, avoid chewy pork, and take smaller sips.

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #5
    been there

    Cris,

     

    This is an easy solution, take your index finger and middle finger (of either hand) and stick them up his nose (this is a joke; do not stick anything up his nose).

     

    I had the same occurrence of liquid and like Pat’s answer.  What is worse for me is incomplete swallowing of foods followed by a sneeze.  I’ve had bread and carrots coming out my nose.  As BSB said it has a way of happening in public, so please tell him to find humor in his embarrassment.

     

    Life after cancer is different, but still fun.

     

    Best,

     

    Matt

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #6
    Same as Matt...

    Not only had liquids coming out my nose, but solids, too...Smile  I guess I just thought it was part of treatment blues, so didn't pay much attention to it, except to have an extra paper towel handy....one for wiping my mouth and one for my nose.  It wasn't painful, just messy...

    p

     

  • George_Baltimore
    George_Baltimore Member Posts: 303
    #7
    cureitall66 said:

    Thanks Pat...

    I'll pass this onto him. Is it possible he may need a simple dilation if his esophagus is somewhat restricted?

    Always room for humor when we know it's nothing serious.. Laughing

     

    It could also be...

    an esophageal stricture that is closed pretty tightly.  That is what causes me to do it.  I've been going through some painful chiropratic treatments to break up the fibrosis in my neck.  Hopefully that will free up my hyoid and allow the bone to move forward to begin the swallow mechanism.  So far, I have regained a little range of motion in my neck.  On Jan. 10th, I will have my stricture dilated.  I'm anxious to see whether the month of pain I've endured has been worth it.  I know it's no sense in trying to swallow anything right now because it will come right out my nose or try to go down my trachea causing me to cough because the stricture is closed tightly.  And yes, last year when I could swallow, I even had food come out of my nose because of the stricture.

  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #8
    I TOO SPRAY FROM MY NOSE

    My ENT told me that due to the amount of tissue he ended up removing in the back of my throat, some of the passages that were intact are now all opened up, and this can lead to not only fluids for me, but from time to time when I eat too fast and choke, I find that I can also accurately shoot food all over the place.

    Gotta love the "new normal."

    Mike

  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    #9
    Noodle nose

    There is a reason my kids sometimes call me "noodle nose".  I found that bending my head foreward and a bit to the left helped prevent this when I sawllowed.

  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    #10
    CivilMatt said:

    been there

    Cris,

     

    This is an easy solution, take your index finger and middle finger (of either hand) and stick them up his nose (this is a joke; do not stick anything up his nose).

     

    I had the same occurrence of liquid and like Pat’s answer.  What is worse for me is incomplete swallowing of foods followed by a sneeze.  I’ve had bread and carrots coming out my nose.  As BSB said it has a way of happening in public, so please tell him to find humor in his embarrassment.

     

    Life after cancer is different, but still fun.

     

    Best,

     

    Matt

    You have a way with words...

    Matt,

    You got this girl giggling again! I was starting to make more notes for him as I was reading your post...and thought OMG he got me again! I'm trying to bring as much humor to our situation as I can...sometimes it goes right over his head....but, I always think well maybe next time. Funny that after posting this topic, I actually experienced some "out the nose" with the food...it was applesauce. I don't know what I did...inhaled it or what, but it flew out. When I told him what happened he said to me "did you get any on you?". LOL

    ~C  

     

     

  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    #11
    So ....this will go away then?

    So can we expect this to go away anytime soon? Or is this a lasting thing?

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #12
    cureitall66 said:

    So ....this will go away then?

    So can we expect this to go away anytime soon? Or is this a lasting thing?

    My new found ability....

    dwindled and finally vanished after I got some healing time in....For me, it wasn't a lasting thing.

    p

  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    #13
    phrannie51 said:

    My new found ability....

    dwindled and finally vanished after I got some healing time in....For me, it wasn't a lasting thing.

    p

    Good to know...

    Thanks Phrannie....hopefully the same will happen here then! Hope you're doing well!

  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    #14
    phrannie51 said:

    My new found ability....

    dwindled and finally vanished after I got some healing time in....For me, it wasn't a lasting thing.

    p

    OOPS Double post....How do we delete these?

    Thanks Phrannie....hopefully the same will happen here then! Hope you're doing well!

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #15
    cureitall66 said:

    OOPS Double post....How do we delete these?

    Thanks Phrannie....hopefully the same will happen here then! Hope you're doing well!

    no way to completely delete

    It helps the board if you hit "edit"  and delete the content of one.  This is one of those things the board upgrade should have fixed.

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #16
    cureitall66 said:

    Good to know...

    Thanks Phrannie....hopefully the same will happen here then! Hope you're doing well!

    After treatment....

    so many "new" things become habit...small bites, eating slow, etc.  It's not like a person has to work at the new "new".....little by little we compensate for things that aren't like they used to be, and hardly even notice we're doing it.  Even taste fatigue becomes kind of normal.....I look SO forward to my first few bites, then I eat the rest because it's there and I don't want to waste it.  The only thing I'm having trouble adjusting to is the tingling (neuropathy) in my hands....that does drive me crazy. 

    p

  • SASH
    SASH Member Posts: 421 Member
    #17
    cureitall66 said:

    So ....this will go away then?

    So can we expect this to go away anytime soon? Or is this a lasting thing?

    Nose liquids

    I still get them occassionally after 12 1/2 years.

     

    When my wife and I had our first date, I told her to wear a raincoat as I sometimes drool, expel from my nose, cough out food, et al.

  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    #18
    SASH said:

    Nose liquids

    I still get them occassionally after 12 1/2 years.

     

    When my wife and I had our first date, I told her to wear a raincoat as I sometimes drool, expel from my nose, cough out food, et al.

    Sash...

     

    Congratulations on your 12 1/2 years! And thank you for posting and sticking around on this forum. You're truly an inspiration with your advice!

    Sounds like your wife has been very accomodating....Laughing . Do you try different movements with your head/mouth when you think it's going to happen? 

    Really hoping it goes away...some days are a little worse than others. 

     

    God Bless,

    ~c

     

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #19
    cureitall66 said:

    Sash...

     

    Congratulations on your 12 1/2 years! And thank you for posting and sticking around on this forum. You're truly an inspiration with your advice!

    Sounds like your wife has been very accomodating....Laughing . Do you try different movements with your head/mouth when you think it's going to happen? 

    Really hoping it goes away...some days are a little worse than others. 

     

    God Bless,

    ~c

     

    why not?

    Cris,

     

    You could take up the habit of “water out the nose” too (or food if you prefer).  That way it will look more normal.  Just trying to share with the caretakers.

     

    Matt

  • Tim6003
    Tim6003 Member Posts: 1,514 Member
    #20
    CivilMatt said:

    why not?

    Cris,

     

    You could take up the habit of “water out the nose” too (or food if you prefer).  That way it will look more normal.  Just trying to share with the caretakers.

     

    Matt

    Well, what do you know ...

    Never had this!!  However, lately it seems I am "coughing" more lately now than ever.  Unless my lung scan shows cancer, then that may be why my last lung scan showed the granulated glass and 3 nodes in my left lung (does it sound silly if I say my base of tongue tumor was on the left side of the tongue and when I feel fluid going in my throat / into my lung it seems to go down the left side of my throat in my left lung?) .....I was told swelling / scarring can continue for some time....

    We shall see, but I feel left out about not having that talent to spew fluid out my nose ;)  jk

     

    Tim

  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    #21
    Tim6003 said:

    Well, what do you know ...

    Never had this!!  However, lately it seems I am "coughing" more lately now than ever.  Unless my lung scan shows cancer, then that may be why my last lung scan showed the granulated glass and 3 nodes in my left lung (does it sound silly if I say my base of tongue tumor was on the left side of the tongue and when I feel fluid going in my throat / into my lung it seems to go down the left side of my throat in my left lung?) .....I was told swelling / scarring can continue for some time....

    We shall see, but I feel left out about not having that talent to spew fluid out my nose ;)  jk

     

    Tim

    Lessons....if you wish... : )

    Hey Tim...sorry you missed out on this wonderful experience. We could hook up and give you some lessons!...LOL. then when you have it down pat, we could ask others to join us in a nose spitting contest. Whoever shoots the farthest WINS! I hope your not trying to drink something right now as you read this, you may have just received your first lesson. Laughing

    I thought someone else on the forum here mentioned that when they ate it sometimes felt like it was going to their lung...can't remember who that was. I don't think it sounds silly to say that either. It's also interesting that my son is getting over some bronchitis and was coughing up a storm and said sometimes when he ate it felt like it was going to his lungs too.  When I read up on the bronchitis it says its a virus and that it can be caused by low resistance of your immune system just as a flu virus. It can last as long as several weeks. They put him on an antibiotic even though it typically has to run it's course. I'm hoping that maybe yours will be as simple as this.

     

    Keep your faith  and let your worries rest my friend...

     

    ~C.

     

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