Getting frustrated with throat pain post radiation

I to had the P16 cancer in my right tonsil witch went into my tounge and upper pallet its been 10 weeks since my last radiation treatment I had 42 treatments no chemo or surgery I thought I was starting to do better eating some soft foods then it got worse, I'm back on my protein shakes and that even hurts I'm 61 I've lost close to 50 pounds and just had a new Pete scan ,doc said the lymph nodes look good how ever he cannot say I'm cancer free as it shows still active he claims this could be do to the inflammation I've also been dealing with a swollen neck that makes me look like a bullfrog ,possibly lymphonema if any one else has had this let me know, my energy levels are low I wish I could workout but my calorie intake is to low I just found this group and reading through the post really helps. I'll pray for everyone on here ,I'm a painting contractor its just me and my partner and I had to work through the treatments and only took two weeks off when my partner was sick I try not to work full days as I'm exhausted but I raise to grandkids and take care of my mom so I don't have a choice, the dry mouth is insane and my teeth are now hurting, but this to shall pass at least that's my hope . I will be checking these post to see if I can find some new answers to what helps .on another note I'm checking into stem cell regeneration of Saliva glands they have grants in San Francisco that are doing this

@roblem I think you have a great suggestion here with honey. I might go a bit further and suggest Manuka honey as a stimulant for healing as well as soothing the throat. This honey is often quite thick so dilution with some warm water or tea would enable it to coat and soothe the throat. I wish I had thought to try this when I had mouth ulcers with radiation. And @noni777777 you seem to be well versed on the complementary therapies so might already be aware of the healing properties of Manuka honey. It is a soothing remedy for cough that equals or surpasses some cough suppressants in a recent study. The benefits likely outweigh the risks of the sugar consumed in this honey.

Welcome, @roblem. As a long time survivor of tonsil cancer, I'm confident your experience would be appreciated by members talking about tonsil cancer here:
- Just Diagnosed with Tonsil Cancer - How to Treat?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/just-diagnosed-tonisl-cancer-how-to-treat/

There are several discussions related to tonsil cancer in the group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/head-neck-cancer/?search=tonsil%20cancer&index=discussions

May I ask what stage your cancer was at time of diagnosis? Did you have surgery prior to radiation?

Sure, in 2008 I was officially Stage IVB T2N3M0 on left tonsil caused by HPV and one of my lymph nodes was over 7cm and that is not a typo. I had no surgery whatsoever as I got a second opinion from Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center who said I wouldn't need it and were extremely confident I wouldn't need a feeding tube either and they were correct. In addition, cancer free in March of 2009.

Unfortunately, just diagnosed with Tongue cancer on my left side of my mouth on March 1, 2024, and am finishing my research and second opinions. I have left partial glossectomy with a radical forearm free flap surgery scheduled for April 3. Also, includes a modified radical neck dissection. This one was not caused by HPV and was most likely from too much radiation from the first cancer as it is literally adjacent to my left tonsil.

One thing I am finding out is this big de-escalation cancer treatments coming about especially for people who got it as a result of HPV. I just talked to my oncologist a few days ago and he said I would have four different options if I had tonsil cancer today.

Once I have more time as I have a big decision coming up in a few days, I will definitely try to help where needed. I can tell them what to expect over the years and when as there were plenty of side effects from the 70Gy of radiation I had.