I can't eat - tongue and inside of mouth is full of blisters

swartpb
swartpb Member Posts: 32
edited May 2011 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
If anyone can give me advice:

I can't eat - the tip of my tongue and the inside of my mouth is full of blisters caused by the radiation treatment.

It is now my 16th of 35 rad treatments and my mouth is on fire everytime I try to eat or drink.

Is there someone who can give me advice - will be much appreciated!

God bless us all!

Comments

  • Jimbo55
    Jimbo55 Member Posts: 590 Member
    Mouth Sores
    I used the baking soda/salt mixture to gargle several times each day. Also I used L-Glutamine as a swish and swallow several times each day. I didn't have an over-abundance of the mouth sores, perhaps because I started with these at the very beginning of the rads/chemo?

    My dentist gave me Solcoseryl, which is dental paste. It worked wonders on the mouth sores. I had a few persistent sores, primarily on the insides of my mouth. After applying the paste to the mouth sores the relief I felt from the pain was almost instantaneous and it lasted for hours. Cheers

    Jimbo
  • Scambuster
    Scambuster Member Posts: 973
    Jimbo55 said:

    Mouth Sores
    I used the baking soda/salt mixture to gargle several times each day. Also I used L-Glutamine as a swish and swallow several times each day. I didn't have an over-abundance of the mouth sores, perhaps because I started with these at the very beginning of the rads/chemo?

    My dentist gave me Solcoseryl, which is dental paste. It worked wonders on the mouth sores. I had a few persistent sores, primarily on the insides of my mouth. After applying the paste to the mouth sores the relief I felt from the pain was almost instantaneous and it lasted for hours. Cheers

    Jimbo

    L-Glutamine
    As Jimbo says, the L-Glutamine powder will help the mouth pain and help tissue heal as well as help you retain some muscle tissue if you are losing weight quickly. Buy the powder and get decent sized tub (1 lb or 2 lb). Toss a heaped teaspoon in a glass of water and swish n swallow it. You can do 3-5 glasses a day ++ no problem.

    Also you will need to use Salt Water / Baking Soda mix and rinse as often as needed. Also the Biotene mouth rinse is a very good and will become part of your bathroom fixtures.

    If you do not have PEG tube in, you may start to consider getting one if you have serious weight loss from the inability and lack of interest in eating. You need to keep nutrition going in to your body so you can endure this treatment, and if the mouth is broke, the PEG is the best option and while a hassle, not such a big deal.

    There is also no harm in asking the rad techies to recheck the dosages they are firing at you.

    It's a tough time, we know, but you can get through and come out the other side.

    Scam
  • swartpb
    swartpb Member Posts: 32
    Jimbo55 said:

    Mouth Sores
    I used the baking soda/salt mixture to gargle several times each day. Also I used L-Glutamine as a swish and swallow several times each day. I didn't have an over-abundance of the mouth sores, perhaps because I started with these at the very beginning of the rads/chemo?

    My dentist gave me Solcoseryl, which is dental paste. It worked wonders on the mouth sores. I had a few persistent sores, primarily on the insides of my mouth. After applying the paste to the mouth sores the relief I felt from the pain was almost instantaneous and it lasted for hours. Cheers

    Jimbo

    Mouth sores
    Thank you Jimbo much appreciated!
  • swartpb
    swartpb Member Posts: 32

    L-Glutamine
    As Jimbo says, the L-Glutamine powder will help the mouth pain and help tissue heal as well as help you retain some muscle tissue if you are losing weight quickly. Buy the powder and get decent sized tub (1 lb or 2 lb). Toss a heaped teaspoon in a glass of water and swish n swallow it. You can do 3-5 glasses a day ++ no problem.

    Also you will need to use Salt Water / Baking Soda mix and rinse as often as needed. Also the Biotene mouth rinse is a very good and will become part of your bathroom fixtures.

    If you do not have PEG tube in, you may start to consider getting one if you have serious weight loss from the inability and lack of interest in eating. You need to keep nutrition going in to your body so you can endure this treatment, and if the mouth is broke, the PEG is the best option and while a hassle, not such a big deal.

    There is also no harm in asking the rad techies to recheck the dosages they are firing at you.

    It's a tough time, we know, but you can get through and come out the other side.

    Scam

    Mouth sores
    Thank you Scam i do appreciate your input!
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member

    L-Glutamine
    As Jimbo says, the L-Glutamine powder will help the mouth pain and help tissue heal as well as help you retain some muscle tissue if you are losing weight quickly. Buy the powder and get decent sized tub (1 lb or 2 lb). Toss a heaped teaspoon in a glass of water and swish n swallow it. You can do 3-5 glasses a day ++ no problem.

    Also you will need to use Salt Water / Baking Soda mix and rinse as often as needed. Also the Biotene mouth rinse is a very good and will become part of your bathroom fixtures.

    If you do not have PEG tube in, you may start to consider getting one if you have serious weight loss from the inability and lack of interest in eating. You need to keep nutrition going in to your body so you can endure this treatment, and if the mouth is broke, the PEG is the best option and while a hassle, not such a big deal.

    There is also no harm in asking the rad techies to recheck the dosages they are firing at you.

    It's a tough time, we know, but you can get through and come out the other side.

    Scam

    Magic mouth wash

    Jim and Scam gave you a lot of good advice you might also ask your doctor about using Magic mouth wash. We all know the pain you are going through my friend so hope you find some relief.

    Hondo
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    H2O2 & Baking Soda
    My rinse and spit was Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda Mix...

    About a teaspoon of baking soda and two of the H2O2 in about 1/3 glass of water was my rinse and spit solution.

    Thoughts & Prayers
    John
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    Skiffin16 said:

    H2O2 & Baking Soda
    My rinse and spit was Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda Mix...

    About a teaspoon of baking soda and two of the H2O2 in about 1/3 glass of water was my rinse and spit solution.

    Thoughts & Prayers
    John

    Glad to see your post. Been thinking of you.
    Cannot really add to what was suggested already. Just wanted to let you know ive been thinking of you.
  • adventurebob
    adventurebob Member Posts: 691
    PEG
    I'm guessing you don't already have the PEG or you would just be using that. So; get the PEG. 19 more treatments is 4 weeks. Your sores will most likely level off or increase but probably won't get better, sorry to say. And then there's the month or so after treatment before anything really starts healing. So, you're probably looking at 2 months before improvement. That's way too long to go without good nutrition and especially hydration. Just get the PEG. Not sure why docs aren't insisting on putting it in prior to radiation but they should be. I'm sorry for your pain. I know what it feels like. No need to be in pain or to be lacking in nutrition and hydration. Let us know what ends up working for you and how you're doing. Hang tough,

    Bob
  • Dazey
    Dazey Member Posts: 91
    blisters
    check with your doctor to make sure it is not thrush - I developed thrush and thought it was something I would have to deal with. The doctor gave me a medication that cleared it up so quickly and that pain disappeared. Dazey
  • Bkanter72
    Bkanter72 Member Posts: 39
    Sore mouth
    I had the same issue. I am currently going into my seventh and final week. Needless to say my tongue is killing me yet I do not have the peg and continue to choke down the ensure drinks. I agree with all of the previous advice. I would add to ask your dentist to make you a flouride tray asap. Wear it during rad treatment to decrease the rad scatter. I wish someone would have given me this advice early as I truly think it helps. Good luck and God bless. You'll get through.

    Brian
  • tonyb
    tonyb Member Posts: 69
    Keep hanging in there. I
    Keep hanging in there. I too had the problems with blisters. They made it really hard to eat. I can't say that anything helped me, other than remembering which foods hurt the worst and avoided them untill the blisters subsided. Keep on drinking water , lots of it.
    For me water was not very painfull to swallow, for you it may be, but the water is bigtime important. I was drinking 6 or 7 20 oz. bottles per day. What i am saying is, even if you cant eat, drink lots of water. Keep hanging on, the blisters will ease up in time.
    Use the magic mouthwash,10 minutes before meals. It will numb you mouth and let you eat more comfortably. Best of luck to you, tonyb
  • swartpb
    swartpb Member Posts: 32
    tonyb said:

    Keep hanging in there. I
    Keep hanging in there. I too had the problems with blisters. They made it really hard to eat. I can't say that anything helped me, other than remembering which foods hurt the worst and avoided them untill the blisters subsided. Keep on drinking water , lots of it.
    For me water was not very painfull to swallow, for you it may be, but the water is bigtime important. I was drinking 6 or 7 20 oz. bottles per day. What i am saying is, even if you cant eat, drink lots of water. Keep hanging on, the blisters will ease up in time.
    Use the magic mouthwash,10 minutes before meals. It will numb you mouth and let you eat more comfortably. Best of luck to you, tonyb

    Thank you so much
    Thank you so much, "Sweet", John, Bob, Dazey, Brian, Tonyb for your words of comfort.

    God bless all of us!
  • swartpb
    swartpb Member Posts: 32
    Hondo said:

    Magic mouth wash

    Jim and Scam gave you a lot of good advice you might also ask your doctor about using Magic mouth wash. We all know the pain you are going through my friend so hope you find some relief.

    Hondo

    Thank you
    Thank you so much Hondo for the words of comfort.
  • Noellesmom
    Noellesmom Member Posts: 1,859 Member
    swartpb said:

    Thank you so much
    Thank you so much, "Sweet", John, Bob, Dazey, Brian, Tonyb for your words of comfort.

    God bless all of us!

    another for swish and swallow
    It was a numbing solution my husband used when things got too rough and he needed topical pain relief.

    Agree with the post about thrush - that's very common.

    Jim's rinse of choice, although he did try the baking soda, was good old warm salty water. Cut the mucus, "sterilized" the inside of his mouth and just helped in general.

    Hang in there - you are doing fine.
  • robinleigh
    robinleigh Member Posts: 297
    My husband almost made it
    My husband almost made it through treatment but ending up with PEG tube which turned out to be a HUGE blessing. He didn't have much weight he could afford to lose and your body uses tons of calories to heal. He is 4 weeks out from radiation and the mouth sores are subsiding and he is able to start various things by mouth but the PEG tube is still in place to ensure he gets adequate nutrition. The best of both worlds in our opinion.
  • jeepman
    jeepman Member Posts: 109
    Caphasol
    A friend recommended that I get my oncologist to prescribe Caphasol. He said he found out about it half way thru treatment and it was an immediate relief. I dont have sores yet , just about to have my tonsils removed/a small portion of BOT. Two weeks later rads/chemo. I will let you know how it works for me.

    Mike