Getting frustrated with throat pain post radiation

Posted by srm @srm, Nov 26, 2021

Now 5 months post radiation. 33 treatments of targeted radiation plus chemo therapy for my stage 3 Metastatic Squamish Cell Carcinoma back of tongue R/S. A few weeks ago my throat pain was subsiding enough whereas I finally started eating soft foods with some good success. This week the pain increased to where I have had to go back on liquids. The pain is either on the left side, right side or back of throat. Sometimes the entire throat hurts like strep. The pain is always present but is really bad when I swallow something. Seems to be 2 steps forward and a few back. My oncologist claims that the pain will eventually go away but cannot provide any kind of time frame. Has anyone with similar treatment experienced throat pain for an extended period post radiation? If so, how long did it last? I was getting really excited and optimistic for a couple of weeks while eating very saucy soft foods. I was finally making progress and then things just got worse again. Nobody said this was going to be easy but it gets discouraging when I appear to be making progress just to fall back again.

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davehutsell | @davehutsell | Mar 11, 2025

I went through the same frustration a couple of years ago. I told my radiologist they specialized in permanent strep throat. It was a good 6 month before i could eat much of anything solid. Soups, Boost, Yogurt, then peanut butter.
It will get better, take each day as they come and do the best you can. I lost a lot of weight which is good but the throat cancer method is not a good weight loss method. To this day there are certain foods that get stuck in my throat. French fries of all things!
Let us know how your doing as you go.. Others are encouraged by our stories.

scott519 | @scott519 | Mar 19, 2025

I'm experiencing that also mines from saliva glands fried throat is always dry and feels like cracks when i swallow also certain times when I breath through my nose feels like a flap in the throat is being pulled up and cuts off my air supply causing me to have to open my mouth to get oxygen temporarily scary sometimes and annoying

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Mar 22, 2025

In reply to @cancergotme2 "I’m still doing radiation and to read this just crushed me!" + (show)

@cancergotme2, how are radiation treatments going? How are you doing?

roadtecguy | @roadtecguy | Jan 14 5:00pm

I'm in the same boat. My 35th radiation treatment was on sept. 10th and the pain is showing no sign of letting up. My feeding tube came out in my sleep around the 8th but i was eating mostly soft food so I told them no sense putting one back in, so they agreed at the time, but now it hurts so much that I can't even gargle or move my tongue at all. Looking like another tube is in my near future since I'm having a hard time eating enough to maintain weight. I had to have my bottom teeth removed because they were worried about osteonecrosis, where if they have to pull it out after radiation, the bone will never heal, causing potentially deadly infection.

Frank | @fobarrett | Jan 15 10:22am

Amazon has belly “pouches” for protecting g-tubes that keeps them from getting pulled out.

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sepdvm | Jan 19 9:50am

In reply to @roadtecguy "I'm in the same boat. My 35th radiation treatment was on sept. 10th and the pain..." + (show)

Hello @roadtecguy and welcome to Mayo Connect. Are you seeing your medical team regularly with these issues? I would reach out to them and ask for more help in managing pain and swallowing. Perhaps a PEG tube thru the stomach wall would allow your throat to rest and heal. I know a lot of people need physical therapy with a swallowing specialist. It doesn't sound normal to have so much pain at this point so follow up with the radiation team and see how they can help. Radiation damage is a continuous issue even years later for many of us.

roadtecguy | @roadtecguy | Jan 19 3:07pm

In reply to @sepdvm "Hello @roadtecguy and welcome to Mayo Connect. Are you seeing your medical team regularly with these..." + (show)

@sepdvm I've been through all that. My peg tube came out on it's own and they didn't put another one back in. I go for an MRI on the 22nd to see if the PET scan missed anything

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jan 28 5:36pm

In reply to @roadtecguy "@sepdvm I've been through all that. My peg tube came out on it's own and they..." + (show)

@roadtecguy, how did your appointment go?

roadtecguy | @roadtecguy | 6 days ago

Had the MRI and they said cancer is gone, but alot of pain from radiation yet. It may be permanent, so we will see

sart | @sart | 6 days ago

Hello I am 9 mths post radiation treatment. I still get the piercing pain every now and then and the dull ache is always present. I do find if I am tired the pain is worse. Eating is still a problem but it is easier. Not easy hang in there
Icy poles are great for pain relief