Dry Mouth 5 Weeks Out

Chicklette
Chicklette Member Posts: 225
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hello!  I haven't been on here in a while.  My husband is almost 6 weeks out of treatmet and doing very well.  His one month check-up was great and he is healing nicely.  He is eating just about everything.  He is noticing some tightness in his jaw so I told him to be sure to stretch it every day.  One thing he is just starting to notice is the dry mouth.  We were well aware that  dry mouth is a common side effect of treatment, but we tought it was odd that it was not an issue until now.  (And it's still not 100% dry ... just much drier).  I told him that I thought it might be because he had all of that thick stringy mucous before so his mouth didn't seem as dry.  Now that the mucous has cleard up, his mouth is dry.  Just wondering if others have had a similar experience.  I also notice that he coughs sometimes when he eats.  (He has not mentioned this so I don't think he even realizes it).  Does this tend to get better with time?  (He did not have a PEG and pretty much kept a normal diet throughout treatment).

~Chicklette~

 

Comments

  • AnotherSurvivor
    AnotherSurvivor Member Posts: 384 Member
    #2
    It's an 'it depends' item,

    It's an 'it depends' item, very much related to the tumor location.  Mine was completely on the right side, my left side glands got missed, so I start out with 1/2 normal.  From there things vary.  I have days when things are sorta normal, days when drymouth is very evident.  I am noticing improvements, but at the usual glacial pace.  I expect long term I have some permanent loss, my rad oncol told me to expect some, and he is pretty good at this.  Chemo can cause some drymouth, and the affects can linger for months.  At six weeks my mucus was much diminished and things got dryer.  I thought about missing the mucus, but drymouth is generally less misery.  As his radiation damaged tissue heals, it will get dryer and tighter.  Neck stretching exercises helped with that.

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #3
    turn your head and cough

    Chicklette,

    At 5 years+ post, I do have dry mouth and it is hit or miss whether it bothers me or not (during  the day). During the day I rely mostly on a water bottle and bring out the xylimelts for bedtime.  If I use nothing at bedtime my mouth will dry shut.

    I do cough, sometimes.  Coughing is about the only way for me to clear my throat.  I cannot hack up spit like the old days, it doesn’t work, but I can cough and shake things loose.

    I eat very normal and anything I want. Hot foods are a NOT want.  Drinking a pop is very different; the carbonation is strong, but kind of fun.  Normally, I drink 2 glasses (of whatever) with lunch and dinner.

    Your husband is very early in the recovery process; I would not dare to guess where he ends up.

    I think I ended up with pretty good taste buds and maybe average saliva.

    Matt

  • Chicklette
    Chicklette Member Posts: 225
    edited August 2017 #4
    AnotherSurvivor said:

    It's an 'it depends' item,

    It's an 'it depends' item, very much related to the tumor location.  Mine was completely on the right side, my left side glands got missed, so I start out with 1/2 normal.  From there things vary.  I have days when things are sorta normal, days when drymouth is very evident.  I am noticing improvements, but at the usual glacial pace.  I expect long term I have some permanent loss, my rad oncol told me to expect some, and he is pretty good at this.  Chemo can cause some drymouth, and the affects can linger for months.  At six weeks my mucus was much diminished and things got dryer.  I thought about missing the mucus, but drymouth is generally less misery.  As his radiation damaged tissue heals, it will get dryer and tighter.  Neck stretching exercises helped with that.

    Unknown Primary

    My husband had an unknown primary, so they mostly targeted the left side because that is where the lump in his neck was.  They did treat both sides, but they were trying to salvage the salivary gland on the right side by aiming most of the radiation under it.  Of course, they could not avoid it entirely.  I don't think his dry mouth is toooo bad mainly because he can eat without having a drink with him.  (I told him he really should carry water with him since it's starting to bother him more).

  • Dennis from Kansas
    Dennis from Kansas Member Posts: 46
    edited August 2017 #5
    Always dry

    I have had dry mouth since about the thrid week of treatment and im almost 8 months post last treatIt sounds like he is doing pretty good concideringI think it ust takes time

    ment.Im starting to eat a few things but with out water it will not go down.I had to have all my teeth pulled before treatment ,so i cant chew my food .Im getting better its just been a slow road.

  • SuzJ
    SuzJ Member Posts: 446 Member
    #6
    always

    Always dry here too, I drink gallons of water

  • LiseA
    LiseA Member Posts: 266
    #7
    One year out and dry mouth is

    One year out and dry mouth is still an issue. i wake a lot at night to drink water.

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #8
    5 years out....

    and still drinking water with meals.  I do some choking, also....What happens to me, is there isn't enough spit to soak the food in my mouth....if I inhale at all while I'm eating some things, I inhale a tiny amount of food, but only as far as the "choker"....like it never goes into my lungs, just far enough to start choking.  I tend to eat mostly soups, partly because I love soup (lucky me)....and because I don't ever choke.  Eating slowly and delibertly also helps....

    p

  • yensid683
    yensid683 Member Posts: 349
    edited August 2017 #9
    5 years out too

    And drier mouth is always an issue.  I went through similar experiences, things didn't seem so dry until after the thick and stringy crap went away.  I usually need to have some type of liquid with me whenever I eat, it doesn't take but a tiny sip but without it I chew forever and even then I'm not getting enough wet.

    It took over a year to get taste back, able to tolerate anything other than bland and luke warm foods.  Ice cream was impossible for that first 12 months.  I do have some foods that work without having to have that water bottle, but for me it is my new normal.

    I am a little jealous at times when i watch someone just grab a handful of popcorn or chips or a hot dog and watch as they eat with gusto and don't need to sip.

    I look at it as a 'dry badge of courage' in that I was successful in reaching my 5 year point and no longer have regularly scheduled revisits!

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