Has anyone gotten relief from esophageal cancer cough? Help.

Yes and it seems there isn't a thing that helps either!!! Tickly, scratch in the throat. I got me something called: "Magic Mouthwash". It's an oral lidocaine (numbing agent) that's rather thick so it has a coating effect on the throat. I put in a spray bottle and spray directly into / down the throat (I didn't want my entire mouth numb). Hope this helps. BTW: It's a prescription.
Lori L.
L

My cough and flem finally went away on its own after 28 days of chemo and radiation. The tumor in my lower esophagus is now gone and CT shows esophagus is cancer free.

I too went through the same regimen of radiation and chemo, and as with the previous post, my tumor is now gone, and as of two days ago, I was diagnosed as being cancer free. My last radiation treatment was in late may, but I still have an occasional coughing spell. Most of the mucous that I had previously been coughing up has now dissipated, but approximately every 2 or 3 days I still get that tickling in my throat and commence a 5 to 20 minute period of coughing. The frequency of these coughing "Spells" has greatly decreased, and hopefully will continue to decrease even more and eventually go away. I use two methods to alleviate them. I initially used "Halls Mentho Lyptus cough drops which helped. I now have learned to control the urge to cough, no matter how much the the tickling sensation, This is a very difficult thing to do, but it can be done. A persons mind can do miraculous things.

Hey I read that you are cancer free from the lower esophagus which is the same as my husband. Did you have the surgery? It’s the third phase of my husband’s regime at UCLA. Did you opt out of the surgery or did they not recommend it? Just wondering . Thank you!

At age 78 with high blood pressure but otherwise healthy, the surgeon recommended again me having surgery to remove the tumor from my lower esophagus. After the first 3 chemo treatments, the tumor shrunk 40% so it seemed like the right decision to just proceed with chemo and radiation.

Hi, husband is in almost same situation.. July was our 1yr anniversary of this surgery. The coughing is definitely better, but that’s not saying much.he used to spend 3 hrs standing at the sink with gut wrenching coughing.. To my INcredible frustration, his surgeon didn’t seem very concerned. We tried everything including monitoring what and when he ate.
Sometimes Tylenol cough syrup helped -soothe the throat muscle - sometimes nothing helped.. it’s very hard to watch this with no answers. 16 months post surgery and now in immunotherapy.coughing is much better, still happens but the intensity is much better. Have never gotten any real explanation or resolve from his medical team.. a lot of this recovery is maddening and unexplained. He often says “ if they would have told me all the recovery/side effects I wouldn’t have done this “. It’s just hard but I think we all get through it..

Love your results... and love they cannot see any traces of your esophageal tumor... nor any spread. But I assume you're going to be monitored every 3 months to start... scans and blood tests, because statistically, your cancer is not gone... not by a long shot. And it seems that you, like me, did the CROSS protocol of chemo and concurrent radiation. Almost without exception, the next step is the esophagectomy, and then usually, even with clear post-op pathology, a year of immunotherapy will follow. Was this not the recommendation of your oncologist, surgeon, and tumor board? I truly hope you never see your cancer again... but stay on guard... it's still out there, cells floating around trying to take up residence somewhere.

Be well.

Yes, I am scheduled to me monitored every 3 months. (P.E.T. & CT scans and bloodwork) and endoscopy if necessary. I was told that they ruled out any surgery for the foreseeable future. My tumor was located at the very base of my esophagus and top of my stomach lining. Supposedly attached to both. They earlier had talked about the possibility of a stent, but, now that the swelling caused by the radiation is slowly subsiding, a stent is no longer needed. Right now I feel like I am in the "Wait and See" stage. Not knowing with any degree of certainty what to expect. My last P.E.T. scan showed no signs of cancer anywhere in my body. Being 85 years old, I am grateful for every additional day that I can experience life pain free. I fully realize that recurrence is a very very strong possibility. I am hoping that with my daily Hydrogen Therapy, that this might not be the case. From all of the documented studies I have read regarding Hydrogen Therapy, more often than not NO recurrence is the case. According to the numerous studies regarding Hydrogen Therapy, I have found, the average incidence of recurrence is approximately 19.3%. It varies slightly from one study group to another. For now, everything is in God's and Mayo's hands.
God Bless
Darol

Please tell me your trick to stopping the cough!!!! Sometimes if I put my chin on my chest and take short breaths via the nose that seems to help.
Thank you in advance,
Lori L.

Lori
I do lower my chin slightly, force two deep swallows, and then I let my Mind take me to a place that requires deep thought and concentration to totally remove any thoughts of coughing.