I am going on my 3rd week of Radiation and not a happy camper. The first 6 treatments were fine.....no pain and no side effects. On day 7 ( I have 17 treatments), I started having difficulty swallowing. It is even worse when I eat or drink. The dr. Gave me Vicodin, but it does absolutely nothing for me. Each day is getting worse and I am sooooooooooooo hungry but can't swallow anything without chewing it a billion times before I swallow. Even then, it still hurts. It's unlike any soar throat I have ever experienced. Almost like swallowing razor blades!!! I am getting the RadiTion on my chest area, left pectoral, left armpit and collarbone/thyroid area.
On the upside, my eyebrows are coming back along with the hair. Thank God, I was looking very scary without my wigs and eyebrow pencil!
Has anyone been through Rads and can share with some remedies for the swallowing? I only have 7 days left but as you all know, when you are in pain, that seems like enternity!
Well, I took radiation therapy back in the day, but the stuff you're describing is a bit different than the problems I encountered.
All I can do for now is offer encouragement as a 30 year survivor, your hair will come back just as mine did.
Hang in there, you will be fine.
Best wishes, keep us updated.
Wow dougj,
That is awesome! Such positive hope!
Well, I have 7 days of this pain, then it's over. I don't know which is worse, chemo or radiation for me. Everyone kept telling met how easy Radiation was so either they were lying or they didn't have the same Radiation.
Thanks again for sharing.
Everyone reacts differently. As I said, I had it 30 years ago in 1980 and I am just fine today, you will be too.
So hang in there and let us know how it's going.
In May I had 4 weeks of radiation to my neck and upper chest, and like you it hit me hard in week 3. I couldn't eat, drink, or talk above a very horse whisper; every time I swallowed it felt like I was trying to swallow crushed glass. Vicodin didn't work for me either and the doc did offer to give me stronger meds - but since I was working and had to drive, was taking care of my kids, and coaching my son's two baseball teams I only took the vicodin at night to try to get some sleep and I turned him down on the stronger stuff. There was some nasty stuff called magic mouthwash that numbed the throat - but it tastes awful and also numbs everything it touches on the way down and is very hard on the stomach. Took it once and threw it away. Gargling with warm salt water did seem to help a little bit. I lost more weight with 2 weeks of radiation than I did with 4 months of chemo.....
The only thing that really did help was having lots of cold Smoothies. The cold would numb my throat and was really the only thing I could consistently eat or drink. I got mine with yogurt and extra protein added for extra calories and to help fill me up.
The only thing that kept me going was the thought that I was almost done. Good Luck - you are almost there!!!!!
THanks Dadof3!
This is the worst pain I have felt since I can remember! I go to Radiation again today and for the rest of the week and I just pray to get through it for 7 more days! I thought by having the weekends off I would start to feel better by Monday but, not true.
I thought of Chloroceptic spray??? I just don't know if it is good to take all the time.
I am still sensitive from Chemo so the Magic Mouth wash doesn't sound good to me. I have to work too so I will get the smoothies going...I keep dreaming of a nice big steak or burger but know that my poor esophegus can't handle that!
Thanks for sharing, I need all the luck I can get right now.
Just take one hour at a time, and one day at a time. I agree, the sore throat I had was the worst pain I've ever had in my life. Your throat is getting burned, so it is unlike any sore throat you've ever had before - you can't eat, drink, talk, or even just swallow. Keep a bottle of water with you every minute of the day and take frequent sips to help relieve the burning. You've made it this far -you can do 7 more days!! Just be prepared - my sore throat lasted about a week and a half to 2 weeks after treatment ended, but after about day 4 it got better and better every day. After that, you're home free.
My treatments ended the last week in May; I'm back to working out and in the best shape I've been in years. I feel 10 years younger than I did before I was diagnosed last November (I'm 41). Keep focusing on the positive and lean on the folks that love you - I had a fantastic wife, three beautiful kids, and a ton of friends to encourage me and cheer me on. Use as much positive energy as you can to keep those spirits up!
Now I only have 5 more days! I did get a prescription mouth wash which has Lidocaine in it but it really only helps a little. It's not too bad but not good tasting either.
Thanks for being so honest too! I like to know what I am in for the next week(s) to come. I am eating BABY FOOD right now along with the smoothies and some egg whites lightly scrambled. Dreaming of REAL FOOD soon so I can feel normal again.
I will keep the positivity and spirits up.
Have a great night!
I am on treatment 15 tomorrow and I have been taking Aleve. Tylenol might trick your pain but and Ibuprofen can reduce the swelling in your throat and might make it easier to swallow. I still have pain when I eat/drink and am also drinking alot of smoothies. But it is nice to have some relief.
The lydocain mouthwash really only works for a few minutes for me and doesn't really coat my throat, but does offer some relief to the mouth sores, even if it is just temporary.
Thanks for the suggestions Kmelick. I only have 2 more treatments after today! yeah! I can't stomach the mouthwash. Thinking about it is nausiating. I will try the alleve. I haven't heard about that but will give it a go. It has gotten better over the past few days but I have been numbing the sh*t out my throat with COLD stuff.
Try liquid tylenol or motrin. Have been cancer free for 16yrs -- I had 9 weeks of radiation starting at my pelvis then moving up to my chin. My doctor prescribed the lidocaine spray that I could spray down the back of my throat. Tried the liquid lidocaine but it only numbed my tongue. Milk, milk shakes and water was all that I could swallow. It will get better once the treatment stops.
My son had 24 radiation treatments with Stage IIIB after 6 mo. of chemo. They did his upper and lower body separately because he is over 6 ft. His dr. prescribed a pill that made saliva to help him swallow - plus the magic mouthwash. Ice chips, icecream/smoothies alleviate temporarily. The good news is that once the radiation stops, you recover pretty quickly. He also got a large, horrible looking burn on his neck. He lost his hair (which was just starting to come back from 6 mo. of chemo at the base of his head and took about 3 months for it to come back. He was also zapped under the armpit and that hair has not come back. It will be a year at the end of March. Hang in there!