tonsil cancer

wbcgaruss

Eileencj said:

Xylitol mints or gum

Hi, Did anyone use this product for dry mouth or did you use something different?

My husband starts radiation on Thursday. Other than the special toothpaste and flossing did you do anything more to keep your teeth healthy?

Thanks kindly, Eileen

Most H & N Folks

End up using dry mouth products after their treatment because radiation has damaged their saliva glands so dry mouth should not be a problem for you now since you have not received any treatments yet. Unless you already have a dry mouth for some reason these products can be helpful to anyone. I had radiation twice and my saliva flow is low so I am good most of the time if I can sip coffee, soda, water, etc. but I use the Xylimelts tabs at night sometimes when that's not possible. It helps you not to wake up to a desert mouth. They are made so one side sticks to your tooth or gum once moistened so at night they stay put and you don't accidentally swallow them. I also chew Trident sugarless gum during the day at times that help stimulate a little more saliva. Any sugarless gum is good but make sure it has Xylitol in it and the closer to the beginning of the list of ingredients it is listed the better as it means it has a good bit of Xylitol in it. The gum I have now has Xylitol listed as the 3rd ingredient. I was told this by a lady that did a mouth care seminar for our local H & N support group. Concentrate on tooth care now and from here on out. My team wanted me to go to the dentist and make sure I was up to date on all repairs and cleaning and that I didn't have any bad teeth. I was already having regular checkups but went as a precaution. I believe there were some on here that had a lot of extractions of bad teeth before they started treatment. Hope this helps. Stay focused one day at a time and best of luck with radiation and hope everything goes smoothly. Take Care-God Bless-Russ

Wildman

Update

I just finished my last radiation yesterday and last chemo last week the problem I am having now is with thick mucous or phlem Im not able to sleep at night Ive tried running a cool mist humidifier at night bt nothing seems to help the continous up all night spitting. How long does it normally take this to subside.

BeagleDad

Wildman said:

Update

I just finished my last radiation yesterday and last chemo last week the problem I am having now is with thick mucous or phlem Im not able to sleep at night Ive tried running a cool mist humidifier at night bt nothing seems to help the continous up all night spitting. How long does it normally take this to subside.

Congrats Brian

Congrats on where you are.  Let the recovery begin.  My TORS also caused a lot of thick mucous ... doc told me that was a sign of dehydration ... I significantly increased my water intake and it has reduced a lot.  I get my NG tube remvoed today and replaced with a gastric tube.  Hopefully I can eat soft foods soon.  Chemo/Rads begin 1-7-21.  Two months to go till I begin recovery like you.  Glad you made it through, man.

Don (Beagledad)

motorcycleguy

Wildman said:

Update

I just finished my last radiation yesterday and last chemo last week the problem I am having now is with thick mucous or phlem Im not able to sleep at night Ive tried running a cool mist humidifier at night bt nothing seems to help the continous up all night spitting. How long does it normally take this to subside.

Wildman,

CONGRATULATIONS on completing radiation; I remember how good I felt, to get done!

I'm sad to hear about the side effects. For me, the mucous wasn't a big problem, and it took just 3-4 months before saliva started coming back.

I'm not a Doctor, but I certainly predict your side effects will slowly (and surely) subside.

Hang in there - you're officially a SURVIVOR, now!!

mg

wbcgaruss

Wildman said:

Update

I just finished my last radiation yesterday and last chemo last week the problem I am having now is with thick mucous or phlem Im not able to sleep at night Ive tried running a cool mist humidifier at night bt nothing seems to help the continous up all night spitting. How long does it normally take this to subside.

Congrats On Finishing Treatment

I also suffered from the thick mucous you are having. It just takes time to subside but I did not note how long as I felt pretty beat up and was just taking one day at a time. I slept in a recliner so I could lean back some but laying down in a bed I think makes it worse. I would fall asleep but it did wake me up as I think it got so heavy a couple of times I think it cut off my air and woke me up gagging and spitting to get it cleared out. it is definitely a nasty side effect to deal with for a while. What helped me the most was staying ahead of it with the baking soda and salt mix and rinsing my mouth as often as needed even 15, 20, 30 minutes whatever is needed to stay ahead of it.. it keeps it cleaned out mostly and thinned.

Here are recipes for mouth rinses--link takes you to a Pdf that tells you all about mouth care and has rinse mixes listed to try I just used the salt and baking soda.

https://www.uhn.ca/PatientsFamilies/Health_Information/Health_Topics/Documents/Taking_Care_of_Your_Mouth_during_Cancer_Treatment.pdf

Wishing you the best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ

 

wbcgaruss

Here Are Some Mixtures Also

Soda and Salt Mouth Rinse

1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup of warm water

 

Mix well until salt dissolves. Rinse your mouth gently, being careful not to swallow the mixture. Follow this with a plain water rinse to clean out any remaining salt or soda.

Soda Mouth Rinse: A Good Rinse for Before You Eat

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of warm water

 

Mix well to dissolve the baking soda. This is a good rinse to use before and after a meal because it may soothe any mucositis pain you have, making it easier for you to eat well. Swish and spit, but don't swallow this mixture.

Saltwater Mouth Rinse

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of warm water

Mix well to dissolve the salt. This saltwater rinse is close to the natural chemistry of your own saliva. This may make mouth sores feel better. Rinse well with plain water to remove excess salt.

Salt and Soda Rinse for Gummy Mouth

Some chemotherapy drugs can increase the acidity in your mouth, leading to thick saliva that can be very annoying. This rinse works well for "gummy mouth."

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking soda
4 cups of warm water

This rinse will help to neutralize the acid in your mouth and will help dissolve or loosen thick, gummy saliva. Don't drink it, just rinse and spit it out.

Hope this helps.

Wildman

Thank you all for the tips

Thanks and will give these a try.