Has you tongue ever gone numb and turned white?

Bkanter72
Bkanter72 Member Posts: 39
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I posted this last week but recieved only a few replies. Hoping that ppsting under a new title will cause for someone similar to read and respond.

I finished my treatment about 19 months ago. Have gained my weight back and life is beginning to return to my "new" normal.

So I'm pumping gas yesterday and my tongue starts to tingle a bit. I should mention it was chilly out.the tingling seems to be progressing and moving to numbness. So I head to the gas station bathroom and stick my tongue out to see if I can notice anything. To my horror the front half of my tongue is off-white. So after staring in the mirror for a long 10 seconds or so, I head to my car trying to consider my options. Well by the time I get to my car and look into the rear view mirror my tongue is beginning to turn to pink and eventually back to normal. After googling I found Raynauds syndrome which can come secondary as a result of connective tissue and nerve damage from chemotherapy. Have any of you experienced or heard of this? If so, what was your course of action? I have an appointment with my ent next week, but since I have no symptoms I doubt he'll be able to diagnose. I waited for the same thing to happen today and it never did. Even stood out in the cold to try and trigger it....nothing. Any insight?

B

Comments

  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    #2
    Tongue
    My tongue has never turned white, in fact I have had black tongue (I think from too much peroxide gargle) but yes mine is numb. I was told tis is from nerve damage from radiation to the trigenial nerve. They had no remedies.

    Denny
  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #3
    Greend said:

    Tongue
    My tongue has never turned white, in fact I have had black tongue (I think from too much peroxide gargle) but yes mine is numb. I was told tis is from nerve damage from radiation to the trigenial nerve. They had no remedies.

    Denny

    Sorry
    No help here but my cancer was in the jaw.Hope your ENT has some answers for you.
  • IAmStrong
    IAmStrong Member Posts: 58
    #4
    hwt said:

    Sorry
    No help here but my cancer was in the jaw.Hope your ENT has some answers for you.

    Yes...on both counts
    My tongue turns numb, now I can tell it is more "nervy", so that is good. But I remain numb in areas after over 2 1/2 yrs post chemo/rads. 3 1/2 yrs since partial glosectomy.

    Sometimes, its just that, white. My oncologist sees it, I did go in when it first happened. It is benign.

    Another reason, thrush, ie yeast infection. I have been informed I need to take probiotics ANY time I take antibiotics from now on. Wow, was this painful! Due to decreased salivary production, I am not making the good enzymes etc to keep my mouth in proper ph balance.

    Hope you rest fairly well. For me, its the norm to have this occur. Sometimes its because I've eaten something that has "roughened" it up a bit.

    Good luck, I feel you will come out ok. It is different than the original SCC for me. But all is scary, right? I feel good about this. Let us know...
  • Tim6003
    Tim6003 Member Posts: 1,514 Member
    #5
    IAmStrong said:

    Yes...on both counts
    My tongue turns numb, now I can tell it is more "nervy", so that is good. But I remain numb in areas after over 2 1/2 yrs post chemo/rads. 3 1/2 yrs since partial glosectomy.

    Sometimes, its just that, white. My oncologist sees it, I did go in when it first happened. It is benign.

    Another reason, thrush, ie yeast infection. I have been informed I need to take probiotics ANY time I take antibiotics from now on. Wow, was this painful! Due to decreased salivary production, I am not making the good enzymes etc to keep my mouth in proper ph balance.

    Hope you rest fairly well. For me, its the norm to have this occur. Sometimes its because I've eaten something that has "roughened" it up a bit.

    Good luck, I feel you will come out ok. It is different than the original SCC for me. But all is scary, right? I feel good about this. Let us know...

    I did read your post ....sorry I did not respond......
    sometimes a low or no response just means folks have not had what you are experiencing and we wait to see if someone comes along that has ....

    But for purposes of responding...I have not had what you are experiencing ...I'm sure you have or will share with your team of docs ...I bet it will be tx related .....

    Keep us posted ....

    Best,

    Tim
  • Crazymom
    Crazymom Member Posts: 339 Member
    #6
    Tongue
    My tongues never gets numb, but my right hand does. I had radiation on the left side so I am thinking this side effect is from the chemo. I wake up at night and my right hand is almost totally numb. I have to shake it around before I can move my fingers. Sorry...I am no help. In suspect it is from the chemo. Ann
  • seod
    seod Member Posts: 1
    #7
    I know this is an old thread,

    I know this is an old thread, but I just came across it. 

    Did you ever find out what was happening with you tongue?  I just started having identical symptons as you. I am 10 months out of diagnosis and surgery and 5 months after radiation from oral cancer. 

    My doctor is thinking it is a a result of scar tissue, surgery and radiation.  

     

    I hope to hear back from you what happened to you. 

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #8
    seod said:

    I know this is an old thread,

    I know this is an old thread, but I just came across it. 

    Did you ever find out what was happening with you tongue?  I just started having identical symptons as you. I am 10 months out of diagnosis and surgery and 5 months after radiation from oral cancer. 

    My doctor is thinking it is a a result of scar tissue, surgery and radiation.  

     

    I hope to hear back from you what happened to you. 

    i haven't seen that person on

    i haven't seen that person on here at all over the past yr.  start a new thread and maybe others can answer ur questions.

    good luck.

    dj

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #9
    seod said:

    I know this is an old thread,

    I know this is an old thread, but I just came across it. 

    Did you ever find out what was happening with you tongue?  I just started having identical symptons as you. I am 10 months out of diagnosis and surgery and 5 months after radiation from oral cancer. 

    My doctor is thinking it is a a result of scar tissue, surgery and radiation.  

     

    I hope to hear back from you what happened to you. 

    I guess I missed this

    last year when it first was posted....but reading it made me think of Raynards Syndrome.  I have it in my hands....when I touch something cold, my fingertips will turn white, and start to tingle...almost to the point of being numb.  Doesn't make much difference now days, since neuropathy has my fingers feeling like that all the time...but the pure white thing is scary.  I looked it up on the internet, and it can affect other parts of the body other than finger/hands, feet and toes.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/raynauds-disease/DS00433/DSECTION=symptoms

    p

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #10
    try again

     

    Seod,

    Bkanter72 has not checked (logged on) in since November 15, 2012.  You may not hear from them.

     As dj mentioned, start a new thread, you will have better luck at a response.

    Matt

     

  • bitpimpin
    bitpimpin Member Posts: 1
    edited September 2016 #11
    Raynaud's Phenomenon

    I have the same thing and found out what it is -- it is rare, but sure enough harmless... Raynaud's Phenomenon (pronounced "ray-nodes") usually happens in the fingers and toes, but rarely happens in the tongue, known as lingual Raynaud's. Best wishes!

Discussion Boards