Phlem phlem and yucky taste!

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Jbrooks
Jbrooks Member Posts: 43
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi All...  Here I am 4weeks out of radiation for mandible cancer ! I am so grateful to be over with it , if I could eat I would go out and have a nice dinner to celebrate but as a lot of you have experienced during and after radiation , food has lost its great appeal so celebrating that way has no thrill four me. Here is my question...  Just saw last week my ENT and rad doctor. Everything seemed to be healing fine except I have a small piece of bone exposed in my gum that they say should heal over. For the past few days my phlem has increased again (it had decreased for 10 days) and now I have a terrible taste in my mouth all the time. Has anyone experienced this or has a  thought as to what could cause this?  Its nasty and at times i feel nauseated.Does the spit out kind of phlem wax and wane after radiation?  And the nasty taste ??? I do the baking soda and salt rinse...doesn't help.  Thoughts?

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  • Bob Watt
    Bob Watt Member Posts: 60 Member
    #2
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    It will go

    It takes time but what you are feeling and experiencing is pretty normal. Nearly 12 months out since finishing treatment I still have a phlegmy cough, but it isn't as bad as it was for those first couple of months after the radiation treatment was over. I had a piece of exposed bone after the ent had done a biopsy. I'm not sure what caused it, but my dentist fixed that up. Taste is one thing I relished getting back... but I do know what your mean... the after treatment tase was pretty bad, but it too faded with time. The dry mouth is the bane of my existence and I chew gum just about non stop during the day.

    Reasurrance is often hard to take but looking back now  I knew I had to give things time... So hang in there and you will soon be lokking back at this as an experience that you conquered.

  • Dean54
    Dean54 Member Posts: 160 Member
    #3
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    I'm close to 4 months out and

    I'm close to 4 months out and still have the nasty stuff in the back of the throat pretty much non-stop and even worse in the mornings plus having to get up 1-2 per nite to "spit".

    I can make myself eat some foods especially soup but instead of pleasure it's a chore and don't know how I will get the bulk of my calories when I run out of Ensure and Liquid Hopes that the ins. co pays for. Maybe things improve quicker for some people? I feel fine just the throat and mouth issues.

  • debbiel0
    debbiel0 Member Posts: 134 Member
    #4
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    Tori ?

     Are the bone chips you have Tori?  I had to have tori removed twice by my dentist. The bone chips were exposed, making it very painful to eat as my tongue rubbed against them.  It was a very simple procedure and not painful at all and I healed within 24 hrs.

    The second time they had to be removed by surgery, but again, it was easy and not painful. I was completely healed within 3 days.

    I hope you are a lucky as I was.

  • dwp155
    dwp155 Member Posts: 30
    #5
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    Yo are in a very weird stage

    Yo are in a very weird stage of recovery.  I am 13 weeks post treatment and I experience the phlem periodically.  We get so excited by the finish line that we don't realize that it is just the beginning.  My taste comes back a little more each day and I get a little more energy.  Just realize that you have a long road ahead of you and don't get discouraged.

  • Jbrooks
    Jbrooks Member Posts: 43
    #6
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    Thanks everyone for replying.

    Thanks everyone for replying. The doctors didn't say it was tori, just exposed bone.  I try not to chew on that side as it is the side of the surgery and got blasted with most of the radiation.  Sometimes though that area with the exposed chip of bone is painful but just by itself ....  no eating to aggrevate it. Its comforting to hear I am not alone in my healing process.  Sometimes I feel like I am the exception.  I will try and be more patient in this long healing process. This site really helps!

  • OKCnative
    OKCnative Member Posts: 326 Member
    #7
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    My phlegm came and went and

    My phlegm came and went and got really nasty at times. What helped the most for me was very warm baking soda and salt rinses (10+ times a day). I also used medicated mouth washes (over the counter). What I really enjoyed were those disposable mouth swabs (cheap on Amazon). Think a stick with a sponge square on the end. I'd dip it in mouth wash or baking soda salt solution and use it to clean all those hard to reach places. I could get my mouth completely clean and it would last for about 30 minutes. Gave me great relief and made eating more enjoyable. Went away for good after treatment ended.

  • JAL23
    JAL23 Member Posts: 88
    #8
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    I had BAD phlegm four about 3

    I had BAD phlegm four about 3-4 weeks. It very suddenly and abruptly stopped. It was so phlegm I was vomiting up huge balls of phlegm on the hour. Truly felt like I was dying. I can give a +1 to the salt and baking soda rinses, which would give some relief from the uncomfortableness. Scopalimine (anti nausea) also helped a bit.

  • Jbrooks
    Jbrooks Member Posts: 43
    #9
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    Hi JAL ... Good to see you on

    Hi JAL ... Good to see you on here again!  How are you doing?Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and responses.  I am still having lots of thick phlegm but hope it gets better soon and  just disappears as ast as it appeared.  One of the worst symptoms of rads for me.

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