Sore throat?

RogerRN43
RogerRN43 Member Posts: 185
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I finished treatment Dec12/11 for left tonsil Ca and left lymph involvement.
I've had a sore throat the past week, it hurts a little to swallow near the top and down the right side.
I vaguely recall this sensation near the end of and shortly after treatment, and I wonder if I've aggravated the area recently by eating all sorts of different food.
I took some Advil for a couple of days and only ate really soft food and went to my liquid supplements again, seemed to have subsided a bit. I'm also coughing up a bit of mucus again.

If it's a bug, do colds take longer for us to get over now?

I talked to my rad onc's nurse and she said expect my throat to be sore off and on for about 6 months post treatment. True for some of you?
I see my onc next week who will probably scope me and I have a CT on Feb29.

Comments

  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #2
    Sore throat
    I fully expect my throat to be sore off and on for the remainder of my life (owing to my lack of saliva). Colds seem to bother me more, because the mucus is so thick I have trouble clearing it, but I seem to get over the colds very quickly.

    Deb
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #3
    D Lewis said:

    Sore throat
    I fully expect my throat to be sore off and on for the remainder of my life (owing to my lack of saliva). Colds seem to bother me more, because the mucus is so thick I have trouble clearing it, but I seem to get over the colds very quickly.

    Deb

    sore throat
    I seem to have a semi permanent semi sore throat... sugar free cough drops and fluids are helpful..sometimes I wonder if I will be able to differentiate when I need to get it checked out..
    Stacey
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #4
    Yes the food could do this to you
    and yes, I'm hammered now by colds beyond what I used to be. No protective mechanisms left in the throat area. Be of stout heart and resolute fortitude, my man. Other than this little bump, glad to hear you are doing so well .

    Pat
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
    Sore Spots, Aches and Pains...
    I also have sore spots, various aches and pains, and lately cramps...mainly on the side of my throat that I had the most radiation, (I didn't have a dissection).

    It's been going on off and on since finishing treatment in mid June 2009.

    ENT always attributes it to residual and that it could go on for several years.

    But, I guess I'm doing well compare to others with no tonsils.... I don't think that I've had more than one cold in over three years.

    Best,
    John
  • CajunEagle
    CajunEagle Member Posts: 408
    #6
    I'm gonna jinx myself, but....
    I haven't had a cold, sniffles, or sinus problem since the end of concurrent chemo/radiation treatment in June of 09. I do get an annual flu shot, and am prescribed to snort Nasonex and Astepro 0.15% on a daily basis, but I believe all that chemo sure got rid of alot of bad stuff along with some good. That's just the way it goes.

    Larry
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #7
    CajunEagle said:

    I'm gonna jinx myself, but....
    I haven't had a cold, sniffles, or sinus problem since the end of concurrent chemo/radiation treatment in June of 09. I do get an annual flu shot, and am prescribed to snort Nasonex and Astepro 0.15% on a daily basis, but I believe all that chemo sure got rid of alot of bad stuff along with some good. That's just the way it goes.

    Larry

    Agreed, LOL...
    Dawn and I have talked of that before....

    Same as you, regular flue shot ammually as well.

    But I think I've only had cold symptoms once in nearly 3 1/2 years.

    JG
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #8
    Skiffin16 said:

    Agreed, LOL...
    Dawn and I have talked of that before....

    Same as you, regular flue shot ammually as well.

    But I think I've only had cold symptoms once in nearly 3 1/2 years.

    JG

    Colds
    Roger- I swear I caught a Cold from the one rad Tech on the last rad session I had. She's the one who rushed into the room to unhook me, and had a Cold. Took over a month to get over the Cold, and my PCP had me on an anitbiotic.

    Some 2 3/4-years after my last rad I came down with a Cold. Still got it, it seems, and we're talking about it lasting for a month, now, and still have a lot of nasal and bronchial congestion. This Cold hit many in the area I live, including my PCP, and I am starting to worry if I have other issues causing the Cold symptoms to not go away. Maybe just the new normal, but up until this Cold bout I had been able to deal with such as that a lot better than now. Your being so soon out of treatment, your immune system has been maxed, so it is recovering, and Cold may very likely last longer for you.

    kcass
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #9
    Kent Cass said:

    Colds
    Roger- I swear I caught a Cold from the one rad Tech on the last rad session I had. She's the one who rushed into the room to unhook me, and had a Cold. Took over a month to get over the Cold, and my PCP had me on an anitbiotic.

    Some 2 3/4-years after my last rad I came down with a Cold. Still got it, it seems, and we're talking about it lasting for a month, now, and still have a lot of nasal and bronchial congestion. This Cold hit many in the area I live, including my PCP, and I am starting to worry if I have other issues causing the Cold symptoms to not go away. Maybe just the new normal, but up until this Cold bout I had been able to deal with such as that a lot better than now. Your being so soon out of treatment, your immune system has been maxed, so it is recovering, and Cold may very likely last longer for you.

    kcass

    this is pretty much what I've observed
    I don't get many colds now, in fact none for a number of years. I don't know but what that may be caused by the fact my life has changed to where I'm not nearly as exposed to them as I used to be. OTOH, when I get one, it is an absolute killer. Lasts weeks or months, sick as heck. I actually broke three ribs coughing a handful of years ago. Boy that was fun.

    Pat
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #10
    longtermsurvivor said:

    this is pretty much what I've observed
    I don't get many colds now, in fact none for a number of years. I don't know but what that may be caused by the fact my life has changed to where I'm not nearly as exposed to them as I used to be. OTOH, when I get one, it is an absolute killer. Lasts weeks or months, sick as heck. I actually broke three ribs coughing a handful of years ago. Boy that was fun.

    Pat

    Man...
    That's rough, three ribs.....

    I had a guy I worked with that was one of those that holds in sneezes. We teased him about having a bubble when he sneezed (head would ballon up from all of that air not being let out).

    He actually sneezed once like that and it had so much force and pressure, it blew the crown off of a tooth.

    Coughing so much as to break ribs, man that had to hurt bad....feel for you on that one.

    JG
  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #11
    We probably get more colds
    We probably get more colds because we spend so much time around people who are sick. Seems like everytime I'm in a waiting room someone is hacking and sneezing, occasionally not covering their nose and mouth.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #12
    jtl said:

    We probably get more colds
    We probably get more colds because we spend so much time around people who are sick. Seems like everytime I'm in a waiting room someone is hacking and sneezing, occasionally not covering their nose and mouth.

    Ironic....
    LOL, that was always ironic to me during treatment.

    They always want you to stay clear of sick people, isolate yourself from going out much and being exposed.

    The only time I was ever exposed during treatment, was always sitting in waiting rooms with the sick....doooohhhhhh.

    JG
  • robinleigh
    robinleigh Member Posts: 297
    #13
    sore spots
    Andy will experience sore spots intermittently but, every time a doc does a thorough look around, they say everything looks fine. His ENT did suggest trying to stretch the mouth but that was more for sore jaw/gum pain that could be scar tissue.

    I remember reading a while back about some folks here having to get their throats stretched? Would like to know more about the reason that would become necessary if anybody knows.

    BUT...it sounds like the sore throat is "to be expected" from time to time and isn't an indication of something wrong.

    Best wishes!
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #14
    My throat is always
    My throat is always irritated. I think it's because I cough constantly and my mouth is so damn dry. I've only gotten one cold, since treatment ended. It did take longer to get rid of, and especially because it went to my ears right away, and then that, too, took months to get rid of.

Discussion Boards