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Excessive mucous after throat cancer treatment: How did you cope?

Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Mar 9 3:39pm | Replies (39)
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@philip123

Yes. I'm day 2 though.i hope it clears up. I'll be praying for your husband. I'm just trying to stay calm and hydrated. I'm blowing some of it out my nose before I lay down and clean my nose with a moist swab. It still seems to be stuck in my throat though. I try to keep my mouth closed when I sleep. I actually got some sleep last night .good luck. Send some tips if you got any. This is rough.....I had Tors surgery base of tongue and one tonsil not sure how many lymph nodes they took in the neck dissection.

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Replies to "Yes. I'm day 2 though.i hope it clears up. I'll be praying for your husband. I'm..."
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Mar 6 8:02pm

Hi @philip123, I'm tagging fellow members like @hrhwilliam @sepdvm @srm @sapphire1158 and others to share more tips with you.

Am I understanding correctly that you just had TORS surgery at the end of February? How are you doing?

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sepdvm | Mar 6 9:08pm

Hello @phillip123,
I did not have throat cancer, but parotid gland removal and radiation have left me with a dry mouth. Nighttime is the hardest, but during the day staying hydrated helps so much. An ultrasonic cool mist humidifier right beside the bed is helpful. An ultrasonic essential oil diffuser can also help. Certain oils can help to thin mucous, I believe Eucalyptus is one. I use a combination which includes that when I have respiratory congestion. I use Xylimelt tablets at night to increase saliva production. Overall, though, I feel like staying hydrated makes the biggest difference. I would think that warm saline gargle before bed would be helpful for throat mucous. I like the NeilMed packets for nasal flush for convenience and comfort.....no mixing or measuring, just add water. Good luck and rapid healing.

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William Olsen, Volunteer Mentor | @hrhwilliam | Mar 6 9:18pm

This isn’t uncommon but usually doesn’t last as was my case. I slept sitting up in a recliner for a while. Certainly a humidifier or cool air mister helps.
Try to gage day by day and week by week. I think you will see improvement although rather slow at first. I know this isn’t easy nor is it impossible, but sometimes it seems nearly so.

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