After 28 days of radiation treatment now I'm unable to drink
I have stage 3 esophageal cancer. I just finished my 28th treatment of radiation and chemo. I have been able to drink but after my last treatment I'm now unable to drink without pain in my chest. Is the normal
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Unfortunately yes. Radiotherapy and most chemo regimens for both adeno and squamous cell esophageal carcinoma are associated with significant inflammatory reactions and mucositis in the oral cavity and esophagus which can make swallowing cold liquids and solid/semi solid foods painful. It may take several weeks to months before you may see improvements.
Thank you for answering my question.
This happened to me as well. I was prescribed Viscous Lidocaine. I would take a table spoon a few minutes before drinking or eating & helped numb the pain. Didn't take it away completely but helped considerably.
The pain went away about 5 days after treatments were over. Then I was eating & drinking like an animal right up to the day of surgery.
I had that same problem. I drank through a tiny straw, the type that are used as stir sticks for drinks. Only a little bit of fluid could go through at a time, and I would drink very, very, very slowly. I don’t recall it lasting too long. But that was almost 12 years ago. I had chemo, radiation and surgery.
Thank you so much for your input. I tried this morning and the pain was out of this world. It feels like it hit a wall and won't go any further and I have to cough it up. I was able to drink liquid, milkshake and then the last to radiation treatments Mon and Tuesday I haven't been able to put anything down.
Thank you and I hope you are fine today.
What kind of surgery did you have? This is so new to me. Could you tell me a little about it? Thanks.
I had the open instead of the minimally invasive esophagectomy because I had a pulmonary embolism from the chemotherapy port. During the surgery they deflated my lung and it would’ve been too dangerous if there was a problem and they had to suddenly open me up.
I have the incisions on my neck, belly, and back where they broke my ribs to get the esophagus out. The incisions are about 6 to 8 inches each.
I had stage three squamous cancer.
I was in the hospital for 10 days. The surgery was successful, and there was no sign of the cancer when they did the biopsy of the esophagus and half the stomach that was removed.
I shopped around and got the best doctor I could find who had the most experience and I was confident and comfortable going into the procedure and happy with the results.
I have not had a recurrence. I have checkups as needed with my oncologist and I have had some CT scans and endoscopies to keep an eye on things. I feel fortunate to be in such good health 12 years later.
I wish you the very best! So many people successfully make it through this journey and are happy and healthy when they get to the other end!
I have Adenocarcinoma of distal third esophagus. They have me scheduled for Radiation 5 days a week for 5 weeks and Chemo 1 a week for 5 weeks. My concern is I presently have closure with opening the size of a dime. I’m on purée food, but as the treatment progresses everyone has said more closure. I’m very worried that they put me on a feeding tube. I also have a small Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm which they say is to small for surgery, I feel that when I have the Esophagus surgery why not take care of the aneurysm since it’s a few inches away. Also they told me I have a small Warthin’s tumor in my upper jaw but because it’s not cancerous it will be addressed a year or so down the road.
I just finished the 5 day a week radiation and 1 day chemotherapy. I was unable to even get water down and then at about treatment #22 I was able to drink and eat apples sauce. I was so happy. Then after my last one#28 and the was last tues, if I try to drink anything it just gets stuck and causing unbearable pain in my chest. They say this will get better but I'm very disappointed. Can't really even swallow my saliva and not hurt. Best of luck on this road we are on.