← Return to Inability to swallow and never ending foamy saliva

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@joannemulholland7

I have had significant eating difficulties after my two months of Proton Therapy and Chemo for a nasopharyngeal carcinoma. My treatment ended a year ago and so far I am cancer free. However, I am still learning to eat with all the changes to my mouth and saliva glands. My ENT is my primary go-to person along with my SLP who specializes in swallow therapy and has shared many strategies for eating. I would encourage you to seek out an ENT who has experience with head and neck cancer patients. My oncologists are also very helpful but my ENT has an amazing understanding of what's going on and my difficulty with my eating and swallowing. And yes, my saliva glands were impacted during the radiation, they produce no saliva and probably never will. My swallow therapist is also amazing, I have learned so much from her. I have gone from a diet of liquids only to a diet of soft solid foods. I am finally starting to gain weight but really have to work at it. I have found that the recovery time has been much longer than I anticipated. Good luck to you and your husband. Wishing you both the best.

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Replies to "I have had significant eating difficulties after my two months of Proton Therapy and Chemo for..."

Can you share any sites or handouts which your swallow therapist or ENT have shown you? Is your swallow therapist an SLP?

I am also still having swallowing difficulties after 30 radiation treatments for thyroid cancer which ended in Dec 2023. Oncologist has not recommended chemo yet and have also not had radioactive iodine treatment. Last PET last month showed no cancer in my neck; cancer had spread to my lungs but its slow growing and not being treated.

Had to have one esophagus stretch in February and being scheduled for another.

I don't seem to have as much foamy saliva as before. When I feel a tickle in my throat, I spray simply saline into my neck stoma and take a small sip of water. I either swish it around and then spit it out or swallow it. I also have been using Biotene and Salivea Dry Mouth Toothpaste and sprays for 3 months. Not sure if that's why its improved or if my body is just recovering from radiation therapy.

Good luck to you and everyone enduring cancer and the treatments.