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

Discussion

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

Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Mar 9 3:39pm | Replies (39)
Comment receiving replies
@kmlnj

I have the sticky mucous. It is very strange. I don't get much sleep at night. I keep a bowl on the bed that I spit into. I have a cup that I carry around the house to spit into. If I am out, I spit into a tissue.
I googled AI and AI said 1 to 2 years for recovery.
I try to drink water during the day. It is very painful to drink anything, but I do it very slowly. It may take me 1 hour to swallow 1 glass of water.

I am still here. My grandchildren are visiting today.

Jump to this post

Replies to "I have the sticky mucous. It is very strange. I don't get much sleep at night...."
thomason | @thomason | Mar 9 4:12am

Hello @kmlnj. After radiation treatments for a cancerous throat tumor, I suffer with severe mucus. After one tortuous year of constant antibiotic use, ER visits, inability to breathe, etc., it was discovered my vocal cords are paralyzed. All that mucus was trapped behind those closed "doors." That said, if it had not been for the saline nebulizer, I would be long gone. I would be up night after night trying to cough up the mucus. The nebulizer thinned out the mucus, allowing me some comfort. Ultimately, I ended up having a Tracheotomy, which has been an absolute Godsend. The mucus is readily accessible...and I can BREATHE!!! Please ask your doctor about a high-percentage Saline nebulizer. The lower strength saline solutions usually do not "cut it." You may try an over-the-counter saline-mist product first. They are not prescription strength but may help. You are in my thoughts.

VIEW AND REPLY