Sore throat still

fishingirl
fishingirl Member Posts: 188
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I know there is no "normal" when it comes to cancer...but...does it seem right, to still have a sore throat after 3 months out of treatment? I do have an appt. for my first MRI on Feb.4. I am anxious, nervous, scared and all the rest:) It's not sore all of the time, and there is no rhyme or reason for when it is sore. Is there anyone that is or was the same?

Cindy

Comments

  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #2
    Biopsies or breathing Tubes perhaps?
    Hi Cindy

    Don't know your history but keep in mind that you may have had biopsies in the past to check if things are going well? I have them almost every time they have me under for any reason. These will hurt for some time afterwards. For several days after my disection I was spitting up blood from the biopsies although at the time they did not hurt. You'll just be sitting around and get a pain in your throat and then it's gone again. Have you had any surgery where they intubated you with a breathing tube. This can leave contusions in the throat and we sometimes forget it even happened because we are under anesthia? Then there is the lingering effects of the radiation. I wouldn't be too concerned or lose any sleep over this. Cancer normally does not cause pain when it presents. Something to ask your ENT next time around.
  • Landranger25
    Landranger25 Member Posts: 210 Member
    #3
    ratface said:

    Biopsies or breathing Tubes perhaps?
    Hi Cindy

    Don't know your history but keep in mind that you may have had biopsies in the past to check if things are going well? I have them almost every time they have me under for any reason. These will hurt for some time afterwards. For several days after my disection I was spitting up blood from the biopsies although at the time they did not hurt. You'll just be sitting around and get a pain in your throat and then it's gone again. Have you had any surgery where they intubated you with a breathing tube. This can leave contusions in the throat and we sometimes forget it even happened because we are under anesthia? Then there is the lingering effects of the radiation. I wouldn't be too concerned or lose any sleep over this. Cancer normally does not cause pain when it presents. Something to ask your ENT next time around.

    Me too
    Hi Cindy, I believe you and I are pretty close in when our treatments ended. I'm 3 months post now. Yes I still get sore throats and cannot really put my finger on the cause. Some days my mouth and throat are doing really well and I think to myself that I am finally normal. Then out of the blue sore for a couple of days. I do think what I eat has something to do with it. Foods with more texture like pizza or dry like cookies seem to cause the soreness to return. My throat always feels better the next morning though. I think the radiation is the culprit as no matter the amount of stretching I do every morning my neck and shoulders is always tender and sore. Probably same on the inside. Hang in there and keep doing what you know works for you. Good luck.

    Mike
  • GRAVEY
    GRAVEY Member Posts: 83
    #4
    Hi Cindy,
    Im a month
    Hi Cindy,
    Im a month and a couple of days out since my last radiation treatment, and I really hadnt had a sore throat. But for the past couple of days, I have all of a sudden had a sore throat, mainly in my tonsil area. My liquid hydrocodone only minorly helps, oh also it hurts on my tongue right where the "waterfall" area is, before you start to get down my throat. I have been trying to eat more food, so Im guessing this can be assisting in the pain. Have you been eating regular foods, extreme hot or cold stuff? just trying to throw some suggestions your way. Hope it gets better soon.

    GRAVEY
  • fishingirl
    fishingirl Member Posts: 188
    #5
    Landranger25 said:

    Me too
    Hi Cindy, I believe you and I are pretty close in when our treatments ended. I'm 3 months post now. Yes I still get sore throats and cannot really put my finger on the cause. Some days my mouth and throat are doing really well and I think to myself that I am finally normal. Then out of the blue sore for a couple of days. I do think what I eat has something to do with it. Foods with more texture like pizza or dry like cookies seem to cause the soreness to return. My throat always feels better the next morning though. I think the radiation is the culprit as no matter the amount of stretching I do every morning my neck and shoulders is always tender and sore. Probably same on the inside. Hang in there and keep doing what you know works for you. Good luck.

    Mike

    Thanks Mike. You know what?
    Thanks Mike. You know what? You are probably right. I was thinking the same thing. You confirmed what I was thinking:) Because some days it feels just fine, then boom! it's sore again. And it all started out with a sore throat. That's when I found out it was cancer:( So it scares me a bit. I go next month for a MRI, so I'll know more then. I'm always so nervous that the radiation didn't get it all, and I'll have to go through it all again. I know......it doesn't help to worry. And I have to keep positive. I know all of those words. And I do try!! lol!

    Cindy
  • fishingirl
    fishingirl Member Posts: 188
    #6
    GRAVEY said:

    Hi Cindy,
    Im a month
    Hi Cindy,
    Im a month and a couple of days out since my last radiation treatment, and I really hadnt had a sore throat. But for the past couple of days, I have all of a sudden had a sore throat, mainly in my tonsil area. My liquid hydrocodone only minorly helps, oh also it hurts on my tongue right where the "waterfall" area is, before you start to get down my throat. I have been trying to eat more food, so Im guessing this can be assisting in the pain. Have you been eating regular foods, extreme hot or cold stuff? just trying to throw some suggestions your way. Hope it gets better soon.

    GRAVEY

    Hi Gravey!!
    Sometimes my
    Hi Gravey!!

    Sometimes my throat does feel sore after I eat. But I'm thinking that it shouldn't still. I think I'm trying too hard to heal and be "normal" like I was before cancer. Geesh, I hate that word "cancer". I can barely say the word.

    I have been eating regular foods for about 3 weeks now. Not alot at a time, and nothing spicy or acidic. And I usually have at least 2 Ensures a day. I'm trying to get my weight up to what it was. As healthily as I can.

    Cindy
  • fishingirl
    fishingirl Member Posts: 188
    #7
    ratface said:

    Biopsies or breathing Tubes perhaps?
    Hi Cindy

    Don't know your history but keep in mind that you may have had biopsies in the past to check if things are going well? I have them almost every time they have me under for any reason. These will hurt for some time afterwards. For several days after my disection I was spitting up blood from the biopsies although at the time they did not hurt. You'll just be sitting around and get a pain in your throat and then it's gone again. Have you had any surgery where they intubated you with a breathing tube. This can leave contusions in the throat and we sometimes forget it even happened because we are under anesthia? Then there is the lingering effects of the radiation. I wouldn't be too concerned or lose any sleep over this. Cancer normally does not cause pain when it presents. Something to ask your ENT next time around.

    Hi Ratface! No I didn't have
    Hi Ratface! No I didn't have any surgery. Just a biopsy when they were still testing me for cancer. That's how they found out that it was.

    Cindy
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #8
    YUP it still gets sore
    Hi Fishingirl.

    I'm almost 7 months out and guess what I'm having the same issues you have... It worries me also as mine started out the same way also.

    I haven't been bothered for a month or two, that makes me especially concerned.. But I know that in the first several months I was in to see the ENT several times with concerns and he said it was all part of healing and expect things going on for the next year or so....hoping and praying that's the case now.

    Mine's not necessarily sore, just a little irritated, and it hasn't went away for about a week.

    I see him for a regular probing next Tuesday....

    John
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #9
    Hi Cindy


    I still have a sore spot in my throat that I make the doctors look at all the time, they tell me they can’t see anything and nothing shows up on the PET, been that way for years now.
  • fishingirl
    fishingirl Member Posts: 188
    #10
    Hondo said:

    Hi Cindy


    I still have a sore spot in my throat that I make the doctors look at all the time, they tell me they can’t see anything and nothing shows up on the PET, been that way for years now.

    Thanks, I'm going to try and
    Thanks, I'm going to try and not worry about it. It's not unbearable:)
    Cindy
  • GRAVEY
    GRAVEY Member Posts: 83
    #11
    fishingirl said:

    Thanks, I'm going to try and
    Thanks, I'm going to try and not worry about it. It's not unbearable:)
    Cindy

    I had my first checkup
    I had my first checkup today, he didnt do the scope on me, but said I had thrush again, back on diflucan, it make my throat really sore.
  • fishingirl
    fishingirl Member Posts: 188
    #12
    GRAVEY said:

    I had my first checkup
    I had my first checkup today, he didnt do the scope on me, but said I had thrush again, back on diflucan, it make my throat really sore.

    Oh!! Well at least you know
    Oh!! Well at least you know what made your throat sore:) I hope the medication works for you.

    Cindy
  • thegirlfriend
    thegirlfriend Member Posts: 142
    #13
    fishingirl said:

    Oh!! Well at least you know
    Oh!! Well at least you know what made your throat sore:) I hope the medication works for you.

    Cindy

    pain and thrush
    the thrush can make the throat really sore? what makes the thrush all of a sudden just show up again. Isnt that sort of like a yeast infection?
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #14
    thegirlfriend said:

    pain and thrush
    the thrush can make the throat really sore? what makes the thrush all of a sudden just show up again. Isnt that sort of like a yeast infection?

    thrush
    Thrush IS a yeast infection, typically caused by a weakened immune system. I think the fact that many of us also lose salivary gland function has a great deal to do with it, as saliva is like the street sweeper of the mouth.

    I can tell you from personal experience that it is not uncommon to get it, get rid of it, and then find it resident again.

    Take care,

    Joe
  • donna Hoyem
    donna Hoyem Member Posts: 5
    #15
    sore throat
    I know how you feel. It was so sore that I wanted to cry. On top of it they removed 4 teeth that were in the way of the radiation. I certainly couldn't eat, I had no saliva from radiation, but I couldn't swallow anyway. My sore throat lasted 4 months after my treatment. The thing that did help was "Magic Mouthwash" you can get it from your doctor. It doesn't cure it but it's a great relief. Hang in there, the sore throat will be gone soon. Just don't try to eat anything that would scrape.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #16
    donna Hoyem said:

    sore throat
    I know how you feel. It was so sore that I wanted to cry. On top of it they removed 4 teeth that were in the way of the radiation. I certainly couldn't eat, I had no saliva from radiation, but I couldn't swallow anyway. My sore throat lasted 4 months after my treatment. The thing that did help was "Magic Mouthwash" you can get it from your doctor. It doesn't cure it but it's a great relief. Hang in there, the sore throat will be gone soon. Just don't try to eat anything that would scrape.

    Hi donna
    Welcome to CSN I am glad you are here with us please plan to stay and help lend support.

    Take care
  • thegirlfriend
    thegirlfriend Member Posts: 142
    #17
    soccerfreaks said:

    thrush
    Thrush IS a yeast infection, typically caused by a weakened immune system. I think the fact that many of us also lose salivary gland function has a great deal to do with it, as saliva is like the street sweeper of the mouth.

    I can tell you from personal experience that it is not uncommon to get it, get rid of it, and then find it resident again.

    Take care,

    Joe

    thanks Joe, how about the
    thanks Joe, how about the pain with mouth sores? do they just appear at random at times like thrush, or have they just not healed all the way or what? do you suppose for either
    (4 thrush he has an antibiotic) that aloe juice would help? We got some, i just wondered if you had heard of it or tried it. aloe has just incredible healing properties, we also upped his protein content, since his formula for the tube is basically for people on their last legs. like the small cans have only 15 gr of protein. so we got something with like 75 grams of protein per scoop, something like that. we also got him some glutamine. he took it once and said he didnt feel a difference. I told him he would have to take it a few more times! lol!
    i wonder if there is some kind of protein drink that he could take with all the vitamins, and nutrients one needs without having to spend money on those useless formulas that cost so much.


    I swear, there is just no protocol for the after life of cancer treatment. No real food plans to speak of, tube or no tube, no excersize or physical fitness program for after effects, there really isnt anything. Now that would really be something, for physical therapists to have a specialty like that, and then to have insurance pay for it. wouldnt that be great??


    Thanks,
    Kathy
  • Scambuster
    Scambuster Member Posts: 973
    #18
    thegirlfriend said:

    thanks Joe, how about the
    thanks Joe, how about the pain with mouth sores? do they just appear at random at times like thrush, or have they just not healed all the way or what? do you suppose for either
    (4 thrush he has an antibiotic) that aloe juice would help? We got some, i just wondered if you had heard of it or tried it. aloe has just incredible healing properties, we also upped his protein content, since his formula for the tube is basically for people on their last legs. like the small cans have only 15 gr of protein. so we got something with like 75 grams of protein per scoop, something like that. we also got him some glutamine. he took it once and said he didnt feel a difference. I told him he would have to take it a few more times! lol!
    i wonder if there is some kind of protein drink that he could take with all the vitamins, and nutrients one needs without having to spend money on those useless formulas that cost so much.


    I swear, there is just no protocol for the after life of cancer treatment. No real food plans to speak of, tube or no tube, no excersize or physical fitness program for after effects, there really isnt anything. Now that would really be something, for physical therapists to have a specialty like that, and then to have insurance pay for it. wouldnt that be great??


    Thanks,
    Kathy

    Books Galore
    Kathy, there are many books and guides and online information on how to manage life after Cancer. These include guides on Nutrition, Diet, and basic physical exercise which I believe is a key to survival and recovery as well as information regarding your attitude and general well being.

    Many folks on these pages can recommend books etc so just 'Post the question' and you will get plenty of feedback. Re the Glutamine, it does take time and he needs to take it every day to get the benefits - as he will if you decide to use vitamins and supplements.

    The key is to rebuild his immune system and that takes time and perhaps a big change in lifestyle and diet.

    I hope you find the answers and results.

    Regds
    Scambuster

Discussion Boards