How to sleep with thick mucus?

ac
ac Member Posts: 88 Member
edited November 2011 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
The post treatment thick mucus is now making me really miserable. This is much worse than during treatments. How long does this last?

I can no longer swallow my saliva because the thick mucus is making me gag so much. Now it's also impeding my sleep. I'm worried that my recovery is going to be hindered because of the lack of rest.

I try to get it all out in a hot shower before bedtime. But it is endless!

I have tried sleeping upright but it has led to back ache. Sleeping on the side causes me pain on the PEG site.

I'm already taking Robistussin but not Mucinex.

Appreciate any advice and suggestions please!

Comments

  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #2
    Suction machine? There have
    Suction machine? There have been people here that have said that it worked very well for them. Don't know if the Mucinex is different.
  • Noellesmom
    Noellesmom Member Posts: 1,859 Member
    #3
    sweetblood22 said:

    Suction machine? There have
    Suction machine? There have been people here that have said that it worked very well for them. Don't know if the Mucinex is different.

    Mucinex
    WAs recommended and worked very well for Jim. I would certainly give it a try.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #4
    Hi Andrew
    You need to try using NeilMed Sinus Rinse and use it 3 or 4 times a day or more if needed to help clear mucus from out of the Sinus area. I am 6 years out and still have to use it twice a day to stay clean and keep the build up in my nasal clean.

    Go to the Sinus Rinse and Watch the Video

    NeilMed
    Sinus Rinse


    Wishing you the best
    Hondo
  • noelles_jim
    noelles_jim Member Posts: 12
    #5
    Mucinex
    Mucinex was like a gift from Heaven for me. I used the 12 hour stuff, and the first couple of doses didn't seem like it was going to work. By the third day, still had a lot of mucus but it was thinned out considerably. Still had to sleep in the recliner but I was averaging 3 to 4 hours of sleep before I would wake up.

    Hope it helps. Hang in there, things will get better.

    Jim
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #6
    More advice
    Just hope some of this helps you my friend

    Mucinex


    Suction Machines


    Hondo
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #7
    Hondo said:

    More advice
    Just hope some of this helps you my friend

    Mucinex


    Suction Machines


    Hondo

    How to sleep with thick mucus.
    Buy thick mucus flowers. Take thick mucus out to a movie. Show thick mucus you 'got game' and be charming. Romance and woo thick mucus.....

    Sorry. I had to do it. It's what I thought when I first read your post like an hour ago.

    As Joe (soccerfreaks) would say- Hope and Humor!
  • Luvncare
    Luvncare Member Posts: 4
    #8
    Anecdotal - but worked for my partner
    Hi Ac - did try to post to your last thread but didn't seem to go through - so I'll try again here...

    My partner developed really severe mucocitis after chemo/rad.

    He developed a technique where he had a twist-top emesis (sick bag) situated inside a bin on the floor next to his bed. As it built up he would just lean down over the edge and gently as possible 'hawk' it up - filling the bag at a rate of 1Lt a few times a day was not unusual first week post-rads. Poor guy didn't get much sleep and went through boxes of tissues wiping up the stringy bits.

    He tried the rinses, mucinex preps, and narcotics but found that dissolvable rapid panadol (paracetamol) was very effective in controlling the pain and seemed to regulate the amount and thickness of mucus produced, as long as I put them down his naso-gastric tube dissolved in plenty of water and as long as he took it regularly.

    On one very bad night - the mucus out of control, him gagging like crazy and then so nauseated he was bringing up what little ensure he'd gotten down - out of sheer desperation I remembered an article I read suggesting that Lorazepam (Ativan) could help control the gagging and nausea. I found some in a drawer, dissolved 2mg tablet in water and put it down the tube and it worked a treat. He got his first decent nights sleep in ages and has shown continual improvement ever since.

    Though many have probably seen it - link to article on Radiation Induced Mucocitis: http://oralcancerfoundation.org/dental/pdf/mucocitis-recommendations.pdf

    Anyway - from what I can tell his case was rather severe - hopefully you'll have an easier run. Best wishes and good luck!
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #9
    Luvncare said:

    Anecdotal - but worked for my partner
    Hi Ac - did try to post to your last thread but didn't seem to go through - so I'll try again here...

    My partner developed really severe mucocitis after chemo/rad.

    He developed a technique where he had a twist-top emesis (sick bag) situated inside a bin on the floor next to his bed. As it built up he would just lean down over the edge and gently as possible 'hawk' it up - filling the bag at a rate of 1Lt a few times a day was not unusual first week post-rads. Poor guy didn't get much sleep and went through boxes of tissues wiping up the stringy bits.

    He tried the rinses, mucinex preps, and narcotics but found that dissolvable rapid panadol (paracetamol) was very effective in controlling the pain and seemed to regulate the amount and thickness of mucus produced, as long as I put them down his naso-gastric tube dissolved in plenty of water and as long as he took it regularly.

    On one very bad night - the mucus out of control, him gagging like crazy and then so nauseated he was bringing up what little ensure he'd gotten down - out of sheer desperation I remembered an article I read suggesting that Lorazepam (Ativan) could help control the gagging and nausea. I found some in a drawer, dissolved 2mg tablet in water and put it down the tube and it worked a treat. He got his first decent nights sleep in ages and has shown continual improvement ever since.

    Though many have probably seen it - link to article on Radiation Induced Mucocitis: http://oralcancerfoundation.org/dental/pdf/mucocitis-recommendations.pdf

    Anyway - from what I can tell his case was rather severe - hopefully you'll have an easier run. Best wishes and good luck!

    Hi Luvncare
    Thanks for the information and Welcome to CSN.

    Hondo
  • Luvncare
    Luvncare Member Posts: 4
    #10
    Hondo said:

    Hi Luvncare
    Thanks for the information and Welcome to CSN.

    Hondo

    Hi Hondo
    Thanks for the welcome.
    Been watching from the shadows for a while and have found the info here incredibly helpful - got me through some of my darkest caring days. I did make an earlier post that had bit more by way of introduction, but seems to have gotten lost somewhere...
    Anyway, hi to all the HNC contributors, and thanks so very much for helping us through the treatment phase. I'm sure I'll find the site just as helpful in the months ahead during my partner's recovery. Inspirational stuff!

    Luvncare
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #11
    Luvncare said:

    Hi Hondo
    Thanks for the welcome.
    Been watching from the shadows for a while and have found the info here incredibly helpful - got me through some of my darkest caring days. I did make an earlier post that had bit more by way of introduction, but seems to have gotten lost somewhere...
    Anyway, hi to all the HNC contributors, and thanks so very much for helping us through the treatment phase. I'm sure I'll find the site just as helpful in the months ahead during my partner's recovery. Inspirational stuff!

    Luvncare

    Still got thick mucus here
    Hi Luvncare,

    I still struggle with thick mucus at night, and I'm 18 months out from treatment. I got one of those bed wedge pillows, the longer kind that are sold to help folks with acid reflux. I put my regular tempurpedic pillow on that, and it seems to help me breathe better at night. I still wake up a few times a night, and need to take a drink of water to wet my really dry mouth and thin out the mucus. I cough and hack a bit. Then I go back to sleep, which fortunately isn't a problem for me. It's just a new normal.

    Deb
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #12
    D Lewis said:

    Still got thick mucus here
    Hi Luvncare,

    I still struggle with thick mucus at night, and I'm 18 months out from treatment. I got one of those bed wedge pillows, the longer kind that are sold to help folks with acid reflux. I put my regular tempurpedic pillow on that, and it seems to help me breathe better at night. I still wake up a few times a night, and need to take a drink of water to wet my really dry mouth and thin out the mucus. I cough and hack a bit. Then I go back to sleep, which fortunately isn't a problem for me. It's just a new normal.

    Deb

    Hi Debbie
    I also use one that is called a Mattress Genie, works so well when I need it and I can adjust it to what ever level I need at night.





    Thanks
    Hondo
  • dennis318
    dennis318 Member Posts: 349 Member
    #13
    Hondo said:

    Hi Debbie
    I also use one that is called a Mattress Genie, works so well when I need it and I can adjust it to what ever level I need at night.





    Thanks
    Hondo

    Breathing and Thick Mucus
    I have returned from a short leave....Hope all is well and see some old friends here as well, the nights are the worst for me, my breathing and the the mucus still haunt me, like it's suffocating, i still going to the bathroom every hour on the hour and drinking water to open upmy breathing, I have a humdipher, and also use a small air conditioner unit in my den to cool the room down, I find out the warmer the room the more congested I get. If anyone by chance has a better plan, I do the prop and sleep on my left side to keep open, Take care everyone, I know there are others like myself, cancer l/s Larnyx stage 4, Take Care Dennis from Tennessee
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #14
    Luvncare said:

    Hi Hondo
    Thanks for the welcome.
    Been watching from the shadows for a while and have found the info here incredibly helpful - got me through some of my darkest caring days. I did make an earlier post that had bit more by way of introduction, but seems to have gotten lost somewhere...
    Anyway, hi to all the HNC contributors, and thanks so very much for helping us through the treatment phase. I'm sure I'll find the site just as helpful in the months ahead during my partner's recovery. Inspirational stuff!

    Luvncare

    Luvncare

    Lost Post is normal until you have been here for a while and learn where the lost post goes, just joking. I been here for a few years and still can’t find a lot of the old post I did, there is a Search tab if you remember a little of what you posted too. Any way I am just glad you are here and part of the Family now. As you already know a lot of good information here but not from doctors from people who lived it and want to help others just like them do the same.

    Take care
    Hondo
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #15
    dennis318 said:

    Breathing and Thick Mucus
    I have returned from a short leave....Hope all is well and see some old friends here as well, the nights are the worst for me, my breathing and the the mucus still haunt me, like it's suffocating, i still going to the bathroom every hour on the hour and drinking water to open upmy breathing, I have a humdipher, and also use a small air conditioner unit in my den to cool the room down, I find out the warmer the room the more congested I get. If anyone by chance has a better plan, I do the prop and sleep on my left side to keep open, Take care everyone, I know there are others like myself, cancer l/s Larnyx stage 4, Take Care Dennis from Tennessee

    Hi Dennis

    I sleep on a 30degree angle to help keep the air way open at night; I use what is called a Mattress Genie. Also if there is any excess mucus it will allow it to drain but some times out of my mouth on to the pillow. Lately I have been having a lot more problems with dry mouth them mucus but it is because of some medical that I am taken keeping me too dry up top.

    Lessons learned there is always something that will interfere with something else

    Take care
    Hondo

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