Now the big problem is the pain.

Don't get discouraged. For a few weeks or so after treatment it does seem to get worse. The rad tx is still "cooking" so to speak. It sounds like he's doing everything he should. About week 4-6 after tx it will lighten up. You just have to do what you can to make him comfortable. Take the meds regularly, rinse regularly, and be sure to swallow. I know that can be a challenge too because it hurts so darn bad, but he has to try to get some water down. And he must utilize his swallowing ability....if he doesn't use it, he may lose it.

The best thing to do is try and get a routine down the best you can. At first, it may be trial and error. What works one day many not necessarily work the next. Unfortunately, he is going to have pain. Work with the doctors to manage it. Tell him it gets better....it really does. It's a hard price to pay to get rid of the beast, but it's worth his life!

Hang in there...

~C 

sounds like he is on track to do what needs to be done at this point....I finshed my last treatment of rads on 4/29/13 and it was tough the few weeks after with mouth pain and sores....just got rid of wicked sore throat, blisters on tongue...still feel weak but getting a little stronger each day...it is a slow process of recovery and will take time to fully recover from what I hear...I stopped all pain meds as I did not like the side effects including bad constipation...I stopped cold turkey but was told some need to be weened off them especially the fentanyl patch as I took 37 mg of the patches and wanted out of that mess..each week is a set of new challenges...best of luck to Chris!

It does get better, it takes a while.  Just make sure he doesn't  have thrush. That can cause a lot of extra pain.

Janetyoung said:

After treatment pain.

It does get better, it takes a while.  Just make sure he doesn't  have thrush. That can cause a lot of extra pain.

This is his second bout and it is bad. They can not get rid of it and he can not eat. His tongue is in a lot of pain. Just get him to keep drinking and get a doc to look

If Rob did not have the thrush he could eat even with the tongue burn.

Good Luck

Sandy

Chris and Marianne said:

Pain / thrush / mucus

Chris is on his 3rd Thrush medicine :-(  Yesterday they prescribed Caphosol for Mucositis which they say can also be causing pain. The pain just gets worse every day. They increased him to 2 pain patches too.

 

but my mouth is a MESS.  I do the magic mouthwash and my doc prescribed liquid hydrocodone that I can swish and swallow if need be.  I was doing the baking soda rinse about every hour, but found it didn't really help me until I added salt to it.  I was thinking "Salt?? Are you kidding me?"  But, I promise it made a huge difference!  I take a quart of warm water and add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon baking soda and mix it up.  I use that quart in a day's time.  Hope his pain is relieved very soon!  

When people asked me what it felt like I would say its like sun poisoning in my mouth and throat. There is no pain killer for it, although the meds you describe seem to be the normal that are dispensed . When I asked why there wasn't anything they could give for the pain the answer I was given was that the two passage ways in the throat air and solids can not be numbed because you could choke If they numbed it. My experience was it got worse for about three weeks after treatment. I am not a pain killer fan, but for me the magic mouth wash was really the only thing that helped me eat. All the other crap oxy this and fentinyl that only helped pass the time. I am 5 months post treatment and still must watch what I eat as eating foods with high acid levels still gives me throat sores and pain. I did everything you mentioned above and all you can do is take one day at a time. It will get better- it's just frustrating. I clearly remember feeling very angry that I could not eat- life doesn't stop because you have cancer. The rest of your familly has to eat. And the smell of all those foods and not being able to eat is very frustrating.