Does acupuncture help saliva glands damaged from radiation?

I'm tagging fellow head and neck cancer members like @alpaca @srm and @melanchete, who I believe have experience with relieving side effects with acupuncture and can share more.

I had 9 sessions of acupuncture to help with my saliva glands and saliva output. Although no immediate improvement, over time my dry mouth has gone from severe to moderate. I am not sure if I can attribute this to the acupuncture or just improvement over time.
I have found that Akabutus (magic mouthwash in the U.S.) is the best thing ever to help my dry mouth. Even though it is not necessarily designed for such. Also, I use Colgate Prevident toothpaste as it is high fluoride. Colgate recently came out with a Prevident for dry mouth as well.
Back to acupuncture. There are a number of people that have had good success with acupuncture to help with saliva output. I was hoping for better results. However, my Chinese Medicine Doctor has helped me with numerous other post cancer treatment issues with tremendous success.
Following my radiation induced aneurysm of my Lingual Artery I was told that I would be on a liquid diet the remainder of my life and that I would be taking opioids for pain management the rest of my life. I am happy to state that I have not taken opioids, or anything for pain management for 15 months. In addition, I have had tremendous success with soft foods for over a year. I have not had a protein shake since February 2023 and I hope to never have one again.
I highly recommend trying Chinese Medicine for the saliva issue. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. In addition, utilize the source for other symptoms as well.
Prior to experiencing it myself I believed that these methods were nothing but quackery.
I am now a true believer. I call Dr. Caruk my miracle worker. I have turned others on to her with reports of nothing but positive results. It’s not all about acupuncture. They use a variety of different treatments.
My most important recommendation is to do your research. There are a number of people out there that claim to be experienced but don’t have the expertise or qualifications.
I am pleased to say that I have progressed much further than anyone on my treatment team ever thought I would and am living a life as close to normal as pre-cancer.
I attribute this to the great team at the cancer centre but mostly to Dr. Caruk who has had extensive training and is ultra passionate about helping others. This is the website. No help unless you live in Southern Alberta but at least you can see what training she has attained and it might give you some direction if you look for a specialist of your own.
https://branchtorootmedicine.ca

I'm glad you found that acupuncture helped you! I myself was in distress as my lymph glands were burned to a crisp. Within 24 hours of my last round of radiation treatment, my neck was as big/if not larger than my big head. I was not having a medical emergency, but I was not getting help as everyone at the Cancer center directed me to the ER. Upon entering the ER, they wanted to perform tracheotomy me as they thought that I would succumb to respiratory distress/arrest. Almost 8 hours waiting for my oncologist to reachout to the ER. Once my oncologist contacted the ER doctors, his advise was to discharge me and to see the oncologist on Monday morning (now Saturday afternoon). As soon as I left the ER, I called a local acupuncturist and explained what happened and current condition, and he said that he would open up for me and work on me. Within 40 minutes after having acupuncture the lymphedema was half the size it was, and Sunday morning it was even smaller. Monday the oncologist and his PA/head nurse said that I was the worst case of lymphedema they has seen in 15 years. My problem is that they could see it coming in my last two daily rounds of radiation, but they kept on cooking me... < -- burning the cookies...

As for fluoride, I quit all fluoride. As my acupuncturist recommended. He also suggested that a high alkaloid water was going to help. So, I only drink RO water with a pH of 9.5. My salivary glands have improved and my tastebuds are somewhat better, but it is now almost 4 years since my last treatment (radiation/chemo) March 11. I stopped all rechecks within 6 months, as I had decided that I was not going to go any further and I would leave this world as I came into it. God will decide my time. Things that have helped (me) lymphatic pump, nebulizing 500mg of Reduced Glutathione with 3.5% saline 2x daily), no flouride, RO 9.5 pH water, acupuncture, staying away from sugar (it's like jet fuel for cancer). yoga, good thoughts, God and family, non-processed foods, exercise/walking about 5+ miles a day (depending on the weather and my pain level). I have OA and PsA which makes life harder. Post chemo/radiation I contracted a autoimmune disorder. It started with psoriasis and then shingles... I stay away from any narcotics (pain killers). My VA dermatologist has saved my bacon, as I was starting to look like Ben Grimm (The Thing). I don't wear a mask, as I need to expel all the waste and get clean air into my body. Sleeping on a Medcline wedge pillow helps drain the lymphatic fluids during rest/sleep.

If I had to do it all over again, I would not. (This is my opinion and does not discredit anything that you do or have done). I did it all for my wife, and she has seen enough to understand and that the damage done is only the beginning. Radiation collateral damage is the gift that keeps on giving...

The picture below is about 6 hours into my ER stay. I pray for everyone, and would never wish this on anyone, even the worst person on Earth. Be good to each other and happy thoughts.

Please don’t give up I had 7 chemo sessions a 35 radiation and a traechea that had to be redone and the radiation absolutely destroyed my saliva glands and burnt me behind believe I had a 4.5 x 3.5 tumour on my larynx they were going to remove my voice box which I refused .What I did was went for Hyperbaric treatment where I breath 100 % oxygen 2 hrs. a day 5 days a week for 6O treatments and believe when I say it the best decision I have ever made it created new blood vessels and minimized the damage that was cause by radiation If you check this treatment out a go for a consultation you will be more then happy and the results will amaze you I can’t stress that enough for everyone that has under gone throat and neck radiation.Please check into it .Good luck 🍀

My husband is recovering from Tors surgery for cancer of tonsils, base of tongue and back of throat. Plus removal of lymph nodes on right side. He is trying to relearn to swallow with great difficulty. Part of problem is foamy mucous which he spits out. He can't swallow it andcends up spitting in a cup. I've read that dry mouth causes foamy saliva. Anyone else had a similar experience and found any kind of relief? Thanks!

Hi @phyllisg and welcome to the Head and Neck group. It sounds like there was a lot of cancer going on there when you said tonsils plural and base of tongue, back of throat. It's going to be a struggle for a while, not forever but for a while. Gross as some of the things we have to deal with may seem, it's part of the healing process. It most likely will not last too long.
Dr. Robert Schuller wrote a book entitled Tough Times Never Last But Tough People Do. It aptly applies to what your husband is going through. Just take it one day at a time, or at times one morning, one afternoon, etc. Eventually the body repairs itself.
Let us see who recently has dealt with dry mouth. I personally carry a water bottle like a toddler. If he is having a lot of issues which brings you to wits end you can and should just start your own Discussion which will attract many more readers of the H&N group.
Was this Squamous Cell Cancer? If so was it HPV 16+ based? Any followup Chemo and/or radiation or maintenance drugs such as Keytruda?

It was squamous cell carcinoma. HPV 16+. One of his big issues besides not being able to swallow is the foamy saliva. He can spit and spit and it's just always there. No break. So far no radiation but we meet with radiation oncologist next week. No chemo.
Some things I have read indicate dry mouth is the culprit so I've gotten a couple of mouth moistening sprays and we are weaning him back on the hydrocodone to see if that helps any. Thanks!

Great. And I see you posted a discussion which should get you some information in the next few days.
HPV 16+ subgroup appears to be a cancer most successfully resolved, some have done it with drugs instead of radiation. Of course that depends on specific cases. If radiation is on the menu then I hope he has a chance to heal well from the surgery prior to being blasted.
Anyway thanks for the info and good luck. I and others will be monitoring your progress.

I had chemo radiation for left tonsil cancer back in 2008 and tried electrical stimulation acupuncture in 2015 where I was tested to get a baseline and retested after 8-10 appts. and had great results. Never needed to go back.