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Nerve damage effecting tongue, muscle, swallowing.
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: 21 hours ago | Replies (61)Comment receiving replies
Hello Eric I read your response and even if it was not for me I felt I needed to reach out. I am 18 months out of diagnosis and 15 months post treatment. I have 35 radiation and 3 chemo.
So far I have improved a great deal but still dealing with many issues.
I am unable to swollow without some water or liquid to chase. I suffer greatly from dry mouth and my tongue is still swollen.
Any advice at all as to what may help? I wear a compression mask for neck/throat lymphedema with regular massage.
I use xylitol for dryness and also a dry mouth spray.
However I am so frustrated and just looking for some normalcy in life. Thank you Allison
Replies to "Hello Eric I read your response and even if it was not for me I felt..."
@lilypilly Hi, you are not alone on this journey! For me, the adjustment to my "new normal" is still a challenge, and I am a bit further out from my treatment than you are. I did see an improvement in my swallowing earlier this year when I began to focus on reducing my internal inflammation. While my inflammation markers remain in the high range, I noticed an improvement in my swallowing after starting acupuncture. The acupuncturist focused on reducing my inflammation through acupuncture and herbal teas. Once I started seeing improvements in swallowing, I began researching other anti-inflammatory techniques, so I "tried" to remove all sugar and salt from my diet. I also drink turmeric/ginger tea and started taking supplements such as beetroot and Omega-3, 6, 9. If I want to eat a meal with minimal challenges, I eat at level 3 or 4 food consistency (soups, etc.), but that is not always possible or satisfying.
Each person's body reacts differently to diet, so I can't say these things will help you, but for me, they have helped with my swallowing.
Best of luck! You got this!
Eric
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@lilypilly have you tried a mouthwash for dry mouth? Manuka honey helps with some symptoms. What type of compression mask do you use?