Help for burning tongue, thoat ache and stuck thoat

mehrdad357
mehrdad357 Member Posts: 66
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I have all the above. In cancer.net they say an injection of  amifostine (Ethyol) before radiation helps a lot. I want to ask my doc. to order that

injection before my radiation tomorrow vand going forward. Anyone knows anything about its side effects?

 

    Thanks for all the help

     Mehrdad

Comments

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #2
    I do....

    I had 34 injections of Amifostine before rads....I skipped the last one in celebration of the last day of rads.  For me, it was an instant "sick"....not throw up sick, but dizzy and weak I got mine via an infusion in my port, instead of a shot in my stomach).  It lowers blood pressure, I think that's why the dizzy/sick feeling...plus, I always had to take a half of lorazipam before the shot, which added a layer of sleepy to my body.  My husband had to take me to rads everyday because of the lorazipam/amifostine regime. 

    Amifostine is supposed to protect the saliva glands, but myself and others on here compared notes, and some had saliva coming back quickly...and others like me, saliva came back very slowly and still is not all the way back after 4 years.  However, none of us suffered the mucous problem that others without amifostine did...that was a wonderful "side-effect".  I don't think it will do anything for a burning tongue or throat ache, tho.  Ask for Magic Mouthwash, that would help the tongue.

    p

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