Swollen Jaw, All of a Sudden?

hey_carrieann
hey_carrieann Member Posts: 8
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Has anyone experienced sudden swelling of the jaw after finishing up radiation and chemo for SCC of the neck? I read a little about infections in bone and salivary glands, but I'm a little worried about the suddeness of the whole thing and I know my dad is too! Dad looks like someone socked him in the jaw real good, it's not painful, just a huge hard lump.

Thankfully he sees the doctor tomorrow, and dad is excited to get his port and feeding tube out. Hopefully they can still proceed.

Comments

  • stevenl
    stevenl Member Posts: 587
    #2
    Edema
    It may just be Edema, which is a buildup of fluids from the lymph system. With me it comes and goes and I do some massaging to help the fluid circulate.

    Best,
    Steve
  • team stevens
    team stevens Member Posts: 46
    #3
    stevenl said:

    Edema
    It may just be Edema, which is a buildup of fluids from the lymph system. With me it comes and goes and I do some massaging to help the fluid circulate.

    Best,
    Steve

    same here
    my swelling's mostly in the morning when i first get up.by afternoon gravity ususally takes care of some of it. i'm gonna try the massaging next time..never thoght of it
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #4
    Edema for me, too
    It took a few weeks after end of treatment for it to really kick in. Then it came out of nowhere. Big lump under my jaw and a puffy neck. Its the worst in the morning, and subsides during the day. Massage helps. I also get a good result by letting the warm water from my morning shower blast on it.

    Deb
  • pascotty
    pascotty Member Posts: 174 Member
    #5
    D Lewis said:

    Edema for me, too
    It took a few weeks after end of treatment for it to really kick in. Then it came out of nowhere. Big lump under my jaw and a puffy neck. Its the worst in the morning, and subsides during the day. Massage helps. I also get a good result by letting the warm water from my morning shower blast on it.

    Deb

    Blew Up
    I recently went on a holiday to Bali and had a few too many jungle juices, I woke in the morning looking like a baboon, my thoat had blown up, it was really scary being in a foreign country and not knowing what was happening, during the course of the day it went down, it seems we are all experiencing some kind of swelling, comforting to know that it's not just happening to you. xxxx
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #6
    Swelling

    Some swelling in the jaw is normal during and even after treatment, is there any pain with the swelling. Sometimes is it a lymph gland that is swollen normally the swelling will go down in a few days. If you are concerned give your Oncal doc a call and let them know. Steven gives a good idea, try to massage the area and see if that helps

    All the best to you
  • meinken
    meinken Member Posts: 38
    #7
    Happened to me about 2
    Happened to me about 2 months out of radiation. I got a compression strap that I wear for about an hour after I wake up. That seems to flatten it out and keeps my chin from being swollen for most of the day.

    But it does seem to be most swollen when I wake up in the morning.
  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #8
    meinken said:

    Happened to me about 2
    Happened to me about 2 months out of radiation. I got a compression strap that I wear for about an hour after I wake up. That seems to flatten it out and keeps my chin from being swollen for most of the day.

    But it does seem to be most swollen when I wake up in the morning.

    still scares me
    It's lymphedema caused by the build up of "lymph" draining too slowly and massage does help, There are specifically lymphedema massagist. You go a couple times a week and learn some of the techniques and then you just kind of live with it but it still has me looking in the mirror every morning. A company called "Solaris" makes a commpression mask that you can wear at night which helps but they are pricey, around $500 not covered by insurance. You get measured by the massage technician if you want. I went as far as the measuring and decided against it.

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