Intense sore throat

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rthornton
rthornton Member Posts: 346 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I completed chemotherapy cycle six last Friday, and over the weekend started to experience really bad acid reflux. The next day I had a sore throat, which has gotten more intense over the past couple of days. My oncologist's nurse thinks the sore throat is due to the acid reflux. I'm only curious if anyone else has experienced intense acid reflux and/or intense sore throat after completing a chemotherapy cycle. This sore throat is so bad I can hardly eat and drink. I had some wisdom teeth removed the week before last, but I have been taking antibiotics sinse then so I don't think it's an infection. It only hurts when I swallow, but it hurts a LOT when I swallow!

Any info would be welcome.

Rodney

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  • jana11
    jana11 Member Posts: 705
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    Hmmm, I haven't heard of this before. BUT, reflux can cause sore throat and a dry cough. My husband had such bad reflux one time when we were on vacation (eating and drinking bad things) that he developed a granuloma in his throat! Took a little while to heal.

    Did this helpful nurse offer any meds or treatments? Avoid acid foods (tomatoes, oranges, etc) caffine, soda. Eat smaller portions, but more frequently. Don't eat fatty or spicy foods. Don't lay down for at least 2 hours after eating. And try some Pepcid for relief.

    If these tips don't help, talk to the oncologist; not the nurse to see if it could be anything else.

    Hope you feel better very soon. You have had such a tough month!!

    jana
  • jsabol
    jsabol Member Posts: 1,145 Member
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    Hi Rodney, Sorry to hear about this latest trouble for you. Not what you need as you try to keep up nutrition! I would pop into the office for a quick check of the throat; there is a possibility that you could have a fungal infection (thrush), which needs an anti-fungal rinse to cure. I had one early in my chemo, treated it, and it never returned.
    Hope they find the cause and cure quickly. Judy
  • Btrcup
    Btrcup Member Posts: 286
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    Rodney, my hubby, Scott, had/has very bad reflux with a slight sore throat. He is now on Protonix, Zofran & Reglan for the reflux and it does help.

    Linda
  • HisJoy
    HisJoy Member Posts: 113
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    Rodney! Good grief, fella! You've gone from a pain in one end to another pain in the other end! Get thee to thy oncologist with this throat to see what's up - could be the reflux and they can give you a rinse to gargle for that, or the thrush sounds like a possibility, too, so that would need an anti-fungal. Knowing how things have gone with you, it could be a whole, new, rare thing like a throat fissure or something. Keep us posted!

    Bonny Buffington
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
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    Hi Rodney,
    I am on the same chemo regime as you, and following right behind you (soon to start cycle 6 -- as soon as my white blood cell count cooperates, that is!).
    I have experienced sore throat a couple of times after the chemo -- but mine has been quite mild -- doesn't sound nearly as bad as yours. I mentioned once to my doc, who had a look but didn't seem too concerned. I also sometimes experience mild hoarse voice for a couple of days after each cycle. So I think there is something going on there, but not sure what. I hope you get feeling better soon -- I'm concerned about your difficulty eating/drinking with this....I haven't had any acid reflux....
    Tara
  • nanuk
    nanuk Member Posts: 1,358 Member
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    infection or not, you need an ENT doc to look and see what kind of damage, if any, there is.. they can scope you in the office w/o any problem.