Fatigue in jaw and neck long after TX...

JC F

Coming up on 3 years since the chemos and 35 rads for stage 4 base of tongue cancer and metastasis to the right lymph nodes. Obviously my jaw and neck took the brunt of all the rads and now in the last month or so my jaw and neck muscles are feeling quite different. They feel very fatigued, tired and weak. Now numerous times when I eat and chew, or even blow my nose hard, or sneeze hard, I often get cramping in the back of my jaw, usually on the left side even though it was the right side lymph nodes getting more of the rads along with the primary tumor at base of tongue. Back of neck going up into back of my head feels tired all the time. Has anyone else had these side-effects years after tx? Seeing onc in a couple of weeks but would really like to know if others have had this and what they did about it...thanks for any help.

tomb247

Neck Fatigue

I am 2 years post treatment. 30 Rads 7 Fields. I have fatigue, cramping and spasms on the left side (although this was side most treated). I am going to push for Lymphedema Massage since I think they work with these issues. I am thinking it is the tissue that treated and it is now a bunch of scar tissue and needs to be worked out.  My jaw also pops on occasion. DMD, ENT and GP do not feel any issue with jaw function and only happens occasionaly.

Good luck,

Tom

 

 

JC F

Fatigue

Thanks for the response. I was starting to wonder if no one else ever had these problems as they got further removed from the treatments. I'll have to ask about massage on the affected areas.