Vomiting from Mucus?

Kari2007

I'm almost through my fifth week of rads and have been experiencing an increase in mucus production. I've also been throwing up about once a day and I'm wondering if it's from all the mucus settling into my stomach and causing it to get upset. Sometimes trying to hack up the mucus will also set off a round of vomiting. Today, I felt pretty good, "ate" a good amount from tube feeding, and then an hour later, puked it all up. It's making it hard to keep the calories in and I lost five pounds in the last week. 

Has this happened to anyone else? 

Kari

cardoza33

Yes, this was a huge problem

Yes, this was a huge problem for me.  I threw up througout my treatment and for 3 months post treatment.  During recovery, I would throw up every morning.  I realized that if I got up early and ate something (oatmeal) it would settle my stomach and I did not throw up in the morning.  I have gotten up and ate oatmeal everyday since May 1st, the day I figured it out and stopped getting sick everyday.  I still have gotten sick several times in the morning from mucous.  It was horrible, but keep trying different things and you will figure it out and it will improve.  Honestly, that was the worst part of my recovery, it was so discouraging to throw up every morning.  I was so happy when I figured it out.  Good luck.

LiseA

Are you drinking enough

Are you drinking enough fluids to helo thin it out?  That helped me.  I came close to throwing up about four times, but was able to stop.  

Kari2007

LiseA said:

Are you drinking enough

Are you drinking enough fluids to helo thin it out?  That helped me.  I came close to throwing up about four times, but was able to stop.  

Fluids

I've definitely slacked on the fluids the last couple of days. I hate that even water tastes gross!

 

TracyLynn72

I was the same!

I hit my fifth week and was vomiting all day...every day.  They finally put a PEG in, but I had to go very, very slowly with the liquid food intake.  I also had to FORCE myself to drink water.  Lots of water.  It really did help thin that nasty stuff out.  I also took a little Musinex each day.  My mouth was so sore and burned inside that I used a straw to "drink" the Musinex.  I hope you can find some relief soon!!

Kari2007

mucinex

Is there a liquid version of Mucinex? My husband got me some, but the pills are huge. 

Kari

Runningwahine

There is a liquid version of

There is a liquid version of the mucinex. I take it everyday. Just finished ringing my bell for both chemo and rads! So ready to start healing. The mucous is so bad I can hardly get liquids down but I keep trying. I also have problems with the mucous making me throw up.  I just wish I could find something that didn't taste awful:(

Barbaraek

Yes, Kari nausea and vomiting from mucus

is very common. It was always the worst in the morning for my husband. You've received some good suggestions - Mucinex, and hydrating as much as you can. Sleeping upright in a recliner and using a humidifier may also help. Good luck! The mucus will eventually get better, but it does seem like it takes forever.

Barbara

Kari2007

Runningwahine said:

There is a liquid version of

There is a liquid version of the mucinex. I take it everyday. Just finished ringing my bell for both chemo and rads! So ready to start healing. The mucous is so bad I can hardly get liquids down but I keep trying. I also have problems with the mucous making me throw up.  I just wish I could find something that didn't taste awful:(

Congratulations!

Congratulations on ringing that bell!! I have 12 treatment days left and I am counting every minute. Keep us posted on your recovery. 

Kari

Kari2007

Barbaraek said:

Yes, Kari nausea and vomiting from mucus

is very common. It was always the worst in the morning for my husband. You've received some good suggestions - Mucinex, and hydrating as much as you can. Sleeping upright in a recliner and using a humidifier may also help. Good luck! The mucus will eventually get better, but it does seem like it takes forever.

Barbara

Thanks

I'll look for that liquid Mucinex. I'm still dealing with a head cold I caught last week, so the added mucus is difficult. I use a humidifier pretty much 24/7 when I'm home. It does help, especially at night when I'm sleeping. 

Kari

RottiesMom

Yup!

I've been taking the liquid Mucinex.  While I haven't thrown up from the mucus yet, I have come close a few times!  I use a humidifier too.  I know Kari...water tastes yucky!!  I am on total liquids now, but still taking everything by mouth.  I do put water in my peg tube if I find myself not drinking enough during the day!  I hope you head cold gets better fast!!

Joanne 

 

tomb247

Mucus Relief

Kari,

This is one of the short term side effects. Honestly, the only thing that really helped me during rads was sitting up sleeping or at least elevating head and spitting it out. (Gross I know but then it does not settle in stomach).

I also found that rinsing with flat, Diet Ginger Ale helped to temporarily clear the mucus. Had to rinse a bunch but it did seem to help.

{There have been posts on this in the past}.

Here is an artile from MD Anderson - https://www.mdanderson.org/transcripts/patient-education/hnradiation-sfx2.html

Hope this helps,

Peace and Blessings,

Tom

whaler2000

 

 

to everyone on this site. God bless you all and it WILL get better. 5 yrs out from stage 3 neck and throat. 35 rad. treatments on both sides of my neck and throat, 3 rounds of cisplatin. Had a peg tube, impossible to swallow, even with 'rons rum'.  I could not put anything except a sip of water in my mouth without heaving. Towards the end, lots of strappy mucus. As Kari said, spit it out. Lots of very harsh

coughing.  Takes time.  Be sure and continue trying to swallow, keeps your throat muscles working.  Biotine can give your mouth some relief. I still have some mucus issues, Dr. says from sinuses now. Probably side effect from radiation.  But, I can pretty much eat and drink anything except large pills. Chewables and liquids are my friend.     Truly, bless you all.  Sheryl

mose1952

Kari2007 said:

mucinex

Is there a liquid version of Mucinex? My husband got me some, but the pills are huge. 

Kari

Liquid mucinex

Liquid Mucinex is Robitussin or generic name is Guaifenesin,  usually called "Tussin" in store brands.     I do take it regularly via my G tube and it helps thin mucus but not lessen.   I try not to swallow it and just spit out.  It does causing gagging but so far I am able to get it out.   I use a pump for my tube feedings and run in slowly during night at 60 cc/hr so that my stomach isn't empty in the morning.   I have not had any nausea or vomiting during any of my treatment.  When getting the feeding over night the head of bed has to be elevated.  I have to admit that getting the mucus out orally does make the sores under my tongue hurt like heck.   Still looking for a way to heal them faster.

mose1952

Kari2007 said:

mucinex

Is there a liquid version of Mucinex? My husband got me some, but the pills are huge. 

Kari

Liquid mucinex

Liquid Mucinex is Robitussin or generic name is Guaifenesin,  usually called "Tussin" in store brands.     I do take it regularly via my G tube and it helps thin mucus but not lessen.   I try not to swallow it and just spit out.  It does causing gagging but so far I am able to get it out.   I use a pump for my tube feedings and run in slowly during night at 60 cc/hr so that my stomach isn't empty in the morning.   I have not had any nausea or vomiting during any of my treatment.  When getting the feeding over night the head of bed has to be elevated.  I have to admit that getting the mucus out orally does make the sores under my tongue hurt like heck.   Still looking for a way to heal them faster.

Tryinghard

Having same issue of gagging then vomitng

My husband seems to be having the same issue of cough gag vomit. He doesn't really have nausea.  Think he has a good day and then gags on the mucus and vomits all intake previously.  I was hoping for ideas to get him to relax. The office has him going in for daily IVs even with a peg. 

sparroweye65

Mucositis

This is what it's called. And it is one of the worse symptoms of radiation/chemo besides dry mouth.  Mine was worse once radiation was over.  I would gag until I threw up pretty much.  Cold food was easier.  At first all I could eat was cream of wheat.  then I added runny soft boiled eggs lukewarm. I could eat no hot food.  Even mashed potatoes gagged me.  I drank cooled off broth.  As the mucos scabs healed I had to keep what I called my spit cup nearby.  That is because the mucous overwhelmed my swallowing ability.  I would drool to keep from swallowing.  Slowly it got better.  And one day I ate a BLT on toast and I knew I was going to make it.  I lost a total of 54 pounds.  That is because I refused to allow a tube feeding.  I felt that if I went the tube feeding route it would be harder to introduce food again and my oral cavities would suffer from being so long off food.  I came close to being forced to accept a feeding tube after I was done with treatment and home.  At my lowest my weight went from 158 at start of treatment to 104 before I started gaining back my weight.  I am now at between 128 and 130 but at times my weight will drop to 120 if I get a virus and don't eat enough for a few days.
 You have to think high calorie food if your weight drops as low as mine did.  And to learn to be a couch potato.  An elderly man who belonged to a group of octogenarians who eat low calorie to keep their weight the lowest possible without malnutrition told me that my body had found a new set point and it wsa fighting to stay at 104.  That it would be a slow battle to get my weight back.  This mucous thing will get better.  I promise.

 

sparroweye65

Tryinghard said:

Having same issue of gagging then vomitng

My husband seems to be having the same issue of cough gag vomit. He doesn't really have nausea.  Think he has a good day and then gags on the mucus and vomits all intake previously.  I was hoping for ideas to get him to relax. The office has him going in for daily IVs even with a peg. 

Mucositis

Is your husband still undergoing treatments or finished with radiation? If he is finished then he is in the process of scabbing over, mucositis and it just

takes time.  My radiologist said I took longer to heal because I refused tube feeding and thus less nutrition meant slower healing. I remember he said my last mucous scab was taking a much longer time to heal than normal because of the route I chose.  But, I would do it again without it.  Because I cannot know for sure but a friend who did tube feeding had much more trouble swallowing and had to have stretching.  So, I wonder if my choice of continuing to put stuff in my mouth and eat whatever I could manage kept my throat from scarring and constricting.  But, I still suffered the gagging, vomiting from mucous for weeks until the throat healed.  I mean, imagine what a really bad burn looks like on your arm, the blisters etc.  Now think of that in your throat.  The throat needs to heal.  As you can you try and give your body the food, soft boiled eggs, milk shakes, high protein it needs to heal.  I wish radiologists would explain more of this.  And have a bit more compassion. 

sparroweye65

Liguids

Water tasted so horrible that I had to find something else.  I found SoBe water to mask the bad taste that regular water had.  I also sometimesdrank the aloe vera water for healing.  The best tasting foods were simple, one flavor, whole foods.  Fresh, not too many ingredients.  Like a soft
 boiled egg.  Anything with five ingredients, It just did not taste right or no taste.  I also cannot taste sweets, they don't taste right, and I am
seven years out.  Sure keeps your weight down when food is not great tasting.  I never eat dry snacks which are all flour based and my weight stays low.  So there must be something to that "wheat belly"  research.   Some things still have no taste.  I can't taste coffee. Tastes like water.