difficulty swallowing after radiation for throat cancer

Mucus Issues
Hi Amy,

I finished treatment Oct 9th 2009 for tonsil cancer. 7 weeks of radiation and Erbitux (Chemo). I had a PEG put in about week of treatment when I could no longer eat. They gave me 'Ensure' and other canned rubbish which produced huge amounts of mucus and made life miserable. I realised I was intolerant to the feeds the hospital were using. they sent in the Hospital 'Nutritionist' who had the kitchen make special mixes for me but they all failed.

I then found a product by Sunrider called 'VitaShake'. It comes in powered form in Sachets. I mixed it with 220ml (Approx) Rice Milk or Soy Milk and put that in the tube and that got me through and I still have one feed a day. You can google Sunrider or VitaShake and find a Sunrider shop or distributer as unfortunately it is a direct marketing company but the product worked well and I had my Naturopaths check it out and they all gave it a big thumbs up. We joined up as members and got the discounts so you can do that or find someone who is a 'seller'. You should find a distribution centre or be able to order and have it delivered as said google and find the nearest outlet.

I also was prescribed 'Flumicil' which was in a tiny sachet, you mix with water and drink or put in the tube and that help break up the mucus. Your Dr can prescribe that as it works well but I would say his mucus is related to the feed and Dairy /Whey products.

I hope this info helps.
Scambuster in China

amy_evan2005 said:

update
hi everyone. Just thought we'd let you know that Evan goes in for a Barium swallow study next Friday. I've been looking at this procedure on line & I'm curious if any has taken this test that was unable to swallow the barium liquid and if so what did they do? He can swallow in as much as it goes down to right below his adams apple then it just stops and has to come back up. I'm not sure if he will be able to get it down far enough to get an x-ray of the area needed.
Thanks,
Amy

Barium swallow test
Amy, I had my most recent barium swallow test within the last month (just prior to my first dilation, in fact).

There is no need for concern with respect to whether they will be able to capture the action. If my own many tests are the rule, then hub will be asked to stand for this activity, and you can consider it more like an ultrasound than an xray, as it is live rather than a still shot, so to speak.

He will be offered barium-'laced' stuff in various thicknesses, and as he tries to swallow them, the swallow experts will be watching the action on the screen as it takes place. I have watched it myself: you can see the stuff as it goes down, and you can see the throat muscles contracting and expanding and so forth, along with any possible aspiration (intake of the stuff into the wrong pipe, which is not a good thing).

It is not a pass/fail test in the usual meaning of the phrase, Amy. If hub has issues with swallowing ably, then this is the place to find out, and to find out why. The folks I have had work with me during these tests have been through it over and over and are quite proficient in pointing out to me what is going on and when.

(Yeah, they can see it live, but they can also play it back, like football replays, and may review the results with hub on the spot, maybe even asking him to perform some of them again while trying a trick or two that might assist him... in my case, this last time they were delighted that I had developed a mechanism of my own, a slight cough, an 'ahem', that forced stuff from slipping into my trachea (wrong pipe) and into my esophagus... they were quite pleased, and therefore, so was I.)

There is no pain involved at all, Amy. And it is always rewarding to learn the reasons for those things that are perhaps frustrating us most, along with possible ways to correct them.

Best wishes to hub, of course.

Take care,

Joe

Scambuster said:

Maybe seek Alternative advice
Hi Amy and Evan,

Have you though about seeing a Naturopath ? You might get some answers and even a remedy that will help Evan's condition. If you do seek one, try to find one that has experience with Cancer Patients as they will have a good handle on the situation.

I am 9 weeks out after tonsil cancer surgery, 7 weeks rads and Erbitux and eating fine now. I take a bunch of supplements and am now starting a course of homeopathic remedies to see if we can revitalized my damaged Salivary Glands. Homeopathic remedies can be very powerful. And may be your salvation.

I had my PEG out last week and also got clear result on my PET CT so all going well. I really think the Naturopaths advice and the supplements have helped me. Unfortunately your regular Doctors will pass them off as Witches and Warlocks which is a shame as they can help a great deal. At the same time the doctors have no answers to your problem. I'm sure a good Naturopath will have answers.
Good luck with it.

Cheers
Scambuster

thoughts
Scambuster, you are on the money much of the time, but I must take exception with some parts of this post.

First, the statement that you are sure "a good Naturopath will have answers" is baseless and seems to presume that such a person is more qualified to treat the problem than licensed medical professionals. I dispute that notion strongly.

Second, the idea that doctors, today, toss off the notion of alternative therapies (whether 'Naturopath" is among them, I do not know) as the work of witches and wizards is also completely off-base. It happens that MDA in Houston, for one, has been working with doctors and others in China in consideration of the benefits of alternative therapies to good effect. And even though even the Chinese folks are strident in their insistence that one not abandon traditional Western medicine for the Chinese way, there is agreement that some of these alternatives seem to help.

That is but one effort that I am aware of. There is gathering wide-spread acceptance of alternative therapies, in fact, not as complete alternatives (as the Chinese docs themselves warned), but as additives in some situations.

Western medicine, scambuster, is science, and science does not, when it is true to itself, sell anything short.

As to Amy and Evan, please by advised that scar tissue from radiation and/or surgery is a very real possibility, as someone has suggested. I still, four years later, have surgical and radiation scarring and swelling, some of which is probably permanent.

Also, be advised, Amy, that even four months later, your husband may still be 'cooking'. Radiation treatment does not end with the last treatment. The 'cooking' continues, at least for a few months, probably more.

That said, if the docs and the nurses are finding nothing unusual, I would be curious myself as to the nature of the problem.

Perhaps patience is the answer?

Take care,

Joe

soccerfreaks said:

thoughts
Scambuster, you are on the money much of the time, but I must take exception with some parts of this post.

First, the statement that you are sure "a good Naturopath will have answers" is baseless and seems to presume that such a person is more qualified to treat the problem than licensed medical professionals. I dispute that notion strongly.

Second, the idea that doctors, today, toss off the notion of alternative therapies (whether 'Naturopath" is among them, I do not know) as the work of witches and wizards is also completely off-base. It happens that MDA in Houston, for one, has been working with doctors and others in China in consideration of the benefits of alternative therapies to good effect. And even though even the Chinese folks are strident in their insistence that one not abandon traditional Western medicine for the Chinese way, there is agreement that some of these alternatives seem to help.

That is but one effort that I am aware of. There is gathering wide-spread acceptance of alternative therapies, in fact, not as complete alternatives (as the Chinese docs themselves warned), but as additives in some situations.

Western medicine, scambuster, is science, and science does not, when it is true to itself, sell anything short.

As to Amy and Evan, please by advised that scar tissue from radiation and/or surgery is a very real possibility, as someone has suggested. I still, four years later, have surgical and radiation scarring and swelling, some of which is probably permanent.

Also, be advised, Amy, that even four months later, your husband may still be 'cooking'. Radiation treatment does not end with the last treatment. The 'cooking' continues, at least for a few months, probably more.

That said, if the docs and the nurses are finding nothing unusual, I would be curious myself as to the nature of the problem.

Perhaps patience is the answer?

Take care,

Joe

Heavy Reply
Joe,

I am a firm believer in 'Complimentary Medicine' which is what you have described where in the case mentioned (MDA Houston) are working with alternative therapists. I have done so for nearly 30 years. I also understand John Hopkins have adopted Complimentary Treatments which is very encouraging. But to say this was the 'norm' - I would have to disagree. I wish it were not so.

While some Doctors will openly accept and welcome 'alternative opinions' from non-Western medical practitioners, the bulk of them don't and many are extremely 'anti-alternative'. Hence the Witches and Warlocks comments. I did not intend to presume Amy and Evans' doctors were thinking that way so apologies if it sounded as such. I have struck a good many Western doctors including my own current team who dismiss anything but their own conventional advice and methods as Hogwash. (They are regarded as among the best in HK and 4 out of 5 are HK Chinese and they also dismiss Chinese Medicine as irrelevant in the field of Oncology)

To cut to the chase - Amy and Evan are screaming for answers to their problem. Their Doctor(s) have hit a brick wall. While in my last sentence(s) of the post above, I may have over stepped the mark by saying a Naturopath WILL have answers I should have written 'MAY'. As I recommended, seeking one with experience with Cancer patients is a key criteria, as there may be options with their treatments which may help.

I have never suggested to abandon their conventional Doctors nor have I done this myself, but I believe I have benefited in my recovery with the help of Naturopaths. These benefits came from Homeopathics, Supplements and Nutritional/ Dietary advice.

I can site many a case to support what I am saying from experience personally, through friends, and with a Naturopath in my family, many a sad tale of what Western Doctors have left in the 'too hard basket' once they've exhausted their abilities.

Joe's suggested causes of Evan's dilemma may be spot on. I have no idea.

In closing I do hope Evan and Amy do seek an opinion from a Naturopath in the way I have recommended, to establish if there is any benefit or solution using 'Complimentary' treatments and/ or remedies for their problems.

A Naturopath with experience with Cancer patients will generally be very aware NOT to administer any treatment that may interfere with existing treatments/medications that the patient is on. The sharing of any new advice given with the Oncologist(s) will determine which camp they are in.

Thanks for your comments Joe.

All the best with your recovery Evan, I hope whichever way you go you find relief soon.

Regds
Scambuster

Scambuster said:

Heavy Reply
Joe,

I am a firm believer in 'Complimentary Medicine' which is what you have described where in the case mentioned (MDA Houston) are working with alternative therapists. I have done so for nearly 30 years. I also understand John Hopkins have adopted Complimentary Treatments which is very encouraging. But to say this was the 'norm' - I would have to disagree. I wish it were not so.

While some Doctors will openly accept and welcome 'alternative opinions' from non-Western medical practitioners, the bulk of them don't and many are extremely 'anti-alternative'. Hence the Witches and Warlocks comments. I did not intend to presume Amy and Evans' doctors were thinking that way so apologies if it sounded as such. I have struck a good many Western doctors including my own current team who dismiss anything but their own conventional advice and methods as Hogwash. (They are regarded as among the best in HK and 4 out of 5 are HK Chinese and they also dismiss Chinese Medicine as irrelevant in the field of Oncology)

To cut to the chase - Amy and Evan are screaming for answers to their problem. Their Doctor(s) have hit a brick wall. While in my last sentence(s) of the post above, I may have over stepped the mark by saying a Naturopath WILL have answers I should have written 'MAY'. As I recommended, seeking one with experience with Cancer patients is a key criteria, as there may be options with their treatments which may help.

I have never suggested to abandon their conventional Doctors nor have I done this myself, but I believe I have benefited in my recovery with the help of Naturopaths. These benefits came from Homeopathics, Supplements and Nutritional/ Dietary advice.

I can site many a case to support what I am saying from experience personally, through friends, and with a Naturopath in my family, many a sad tale of what Western Doctors have left in the 'too hard basket' once they've exhausted their abilities.

Joe's suggested causes of Evan's dilemma may be spot on. I have no idea.

In closing I do hope Evan and Amy do seek an opinion from a Naturopath in the way I have recommended, to establish if there is any benefit or solution using 'Complimentary' treatments and/ or remedies for their problems.

A Naturopath with experience with Cancer patients will generally be very aware NOT to administer any treatment that may interfere with existing treatments/medications that the patient is on. The sharing of any new advice given with the Oncologist(s) will determine which camp they are in.

Thanks for your comments Joe.

All the best with your recovery Evan, I hope whichever way you go you find relief soon.

Regds
Scambuster

check
Points well taken, scambuster. My response was indeed heavy in its tone, as I WAS making a presumption on your part. As always, my concern is for people burdened by cancer and I tend, admittedly, to get a bit overamped by the merest hint of, well, to borrow from your own moniker, scams aimed at people when they are most vulnerable.

Please accept my apology for the 'heavy reply'. It will never happen again, I assure you, until the next time it happens .

Take care,

Joe