cant swallow

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jackflash22
jackflash22 Member Posts: 524 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

The last two days I cant swallow.  The water goes a little way i can feel it in my throat then it comes back up. I got my voice back a little bit yesterday but its gone again this morning. My throat feels tight and I have a smattering of tiny white spots in my mouth. I have mucous again. A week Wed I have a visit with my onocolgy team that did the first treatment ..the dissection. They will look down my nose and throat with a camera. Its two weeks past rads. My tongue is bright raspberry red and hot. At night my face and neck get very hot like the heats coming from the inside to the outside. I know you are going to say its normal and early days but I get reassuance off others who'se had the same symptoms.

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  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    #2
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    Jack, It sounds like the

    Jack, It sounds like the white spots are thrush and I do not think the complete closure of your throat is normal. Call your radiation doctor or go to the emergency room if you have to. I wouldn't wait two weeks. Yes the mucous is normal and even the red tongue, but the closure of your throat would scare me. Just mt opinion.

    Debbie

  • TracyLynn72
    TracyLynn72 Member Posts: 839
    #3
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    Throat

    Definitely get your throat checked out NOW.  No need for added misery!  If there is something they can give you or do...let them!  I will say this...at the end of treatment and for a week or 2 after I could barely swallow.  I had to carry a spit bag and tissues around because the mucus was SO thick in the back of my throat that it always felt "full" and when I'd try to swallow, it would gag me and come back up.  I had a PEG that I used during that time.  The rad onc checked me and said it was just horrible, thick saliva and to TRY to swallow as often as I could, but if it made me vomit, to rinse very often and try to thin it out.  I was so scared that I'd lose my swallowing ability, so I rinsed ALL DAY LONG.  And it seems like once I was as bad as I could imagine...it got better.  Literally, one day I woke up and the saliva wasn't so thick.  The white spots do sound like thrush, which I never had, so I'd get that checked for sure.  Keep us posted! 

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #4
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    I really think

    you need to call your rad doc, and get in there.  I think this is all from treatment, that you're swollen inside your throat and possibly have a case of thrush starting (it can add to the swelling)....Maybe pick up some acidofolus at the health food store and just chew them, let them sit in your mouth with a little added water, then spit them out since you can't swallow....they may help start hitting the thrush until you can get into the Dr.   

    You're getting hit hard with the after effects of treatment....I am so sorry....

    p

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #5
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    on your side

    JF,

    Check-in with your doctor, they may be just the help you need.  It is most likely a rough patch in recovery and will be short period of discomfort.

    Don’t be discouraged by these hurdles, you will get over them.

    Matt

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    #6
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    middle of the battle

    Hi Jackie,

     

    Timing-wise you are entering the worst part of the recovery. Most symptoms you describe seem pretty normal but if you feel somethng is beyond what you have read here, call the doc by all means. I suspect it is "normal" but can't hurt to see if there might be other remedies to ease the discomfort.

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #7
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    donfoo said:

    middle of the battle

    Hi Jackie,

     

    Timing-wise you are entering the worst part of the recovery. Most symptoms you describe seem pretty normal but if you feel somethng is beyond what you have read here, call the doc by all means. I suspect it is "normal" but can't hurt to see if there might be other remedies to ease the discomfort.

    Suggest you seek medical attention

    I would encourage you to seek medical attention. If I could not swallow, I would not wait two weeks. And, if the other is thrush, it only takes a couple of days for the right meds to work. Why be miserable when you don't need to? Better safe than sorry. 

  • jackflash22
    jackflash22 Member Posts: 524 Member
    #8
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    Peg

    I forgot to mention on this post I drink and feed tho, a PEG tube the swallow is what I do every day just to keep it going. I have only managed little sips but enough to know my swallower was still there when I get the courage to use it. I saw the onc last week, he was still pleased with me and said not to go in this week if I,m still OK? the next day I lost my voice and swallow. I will go on wednesday and see if he can hhelp. my voice comes and goes. I think it's down to the mucous it's so thick it's like rubber. I expect to start improving next week my 3rd week after rads forever optomistic

  • TracyLynn72
    TracyLynn72 Member Posts: 839
    #9
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    jackflash22 said:

    Peg

    I forgot to mention on this post I drink and feed tho, a PEG tube the swallow is what I do every day just to keep it going. I have only managed little sips but enough to know my swallower was still there when I get the courage to use it. I saw the onc last week, he was still pleased with me and said not to go in this week if I,m still OK? the next day I lost my voice and swallow. I will go on wednesday and see if he can hhelp. my voice comes and goes. I think it's down to the mucous it's so thick it's like rubber. I expect to start improving next week my 3rd week after rads forever optomistic

    It sounds just like

    what happened with me.  It was so thick in my throat that I felt like my throat was closing.  It actually wasn't but it was all that saliva choking me.  Wednesday, I'd mention it, but it may just be something that you have to unfortunately deal with a little longer.  It honestly just stopped one day.  I'll pray that it gets easier each day for you. 

  • peggylulu
    peggylulu Member Posts: 375
    #10
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    Jackie I had

    the same side effects that you are having except no white spots . I to lost my voice and it would come and go . That went on for 2 or 3 weeks . I was so worried that it would never come back but it did and it is back to normal now . I had to write notes and that got to really be tiresome . Hang in there it will get better with time . 

  • Ruben and Jude
    Ruben and Jude Member Posts: 155
    #11
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    WATER

    Make sure you get at least 1000 ml of water in your body, besides whatever nutrition you're getting. The water helps to thin the thick mucous and makes it easier to bring up and out, or swallow.  Think of mud, the less water it has the thicker and stiffer it is; the more water it has the thinner it is and has the ability to move and flow.

    This too shall pass. One day you'll wake up, and it will be gone! (at least that's how fast it stopped for Ruben)

    Take care. God Bless.

    Jude (and Ruben)

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