Excessive Mucus with Esophageal Cancer

I am almost 1 1/2 years from treatment - I like you especially at the beginning had lots of mucus, for me it was exhausting coughing non stop from the mucus - I was able to to HBO therapy at 6 months cancer clear, after a few treatments I was healing - mucus was under control taste buds came back it was amazing. So now I get increased mucus after I eat and drink also but you can google foods that cause increased mucus production and foods that do not - this is really helping me and this is where I am - one more thing I’m learning - deep breathing it can clear - help with Speach - everything. I hope this helps ….

I am almost 1 1/2 years from treatment - I like you especially at the beginning had lots of mucus, for me it was exhausting coughing non stop from the mucus - I was able to to HBO therapy at 6 months cancer clear, after a few treatments I was healing - mucus was under control taste buds came back it was amazing. So now I get increased mucus after I eat and drink also but you can google foods that cause increased mucus production and foods that do not - this is really helping me and this is where I am - one more thing I’m learning - deep breathing it can clear - help with Speach - everything. I hope this helps ….

I am almost 1 1/2 years from treatment - I like you especially at the beginning had lots of mucus, for me it was exhausting coughing non stop from the mucus - I was able to to HBO therapy at 6 months cancer clear, after a few treatments I was healing - mucus was under control taste buds came back it was amazing. So now I get increased mucus after I eat and drink also but you can google foods that cause increased mucus production and foods that do not - this is really helping me and this is where I am - one more thing I’m learning - deep breathing it can clear - help with Speach - everything. I hope this helps ….

Yes, my husband does as well. He is 2 months out after surgery and is still coughing up lots of clear flem, primarily after eating pills or foot but sometimes just starts coughing out of the blue and coughs up a large amount of clear flem. We are hopeful this will eventually cease. If anyone has any suggestions, we'd welcome them.

Also, we are still trying to find good foods to eat ... we experiment with all sorts of things. Breakfast is the best meal by far and it progressively gets harder to eat as the day goes on. We also have dumping syndrome occasionally even though we are working hard to limit sugar intake. If any of you would share foods that have worked for you we'd love to give them a try.

Thinking of you all as we work through these things together.

I did not but maybe because my tumor was growing in my larynx around my vocal cords - so before diagnosis I suffered for years with laryngitis and about 4 months before diagnosis could not breath. We are all different so keep asking - it often goes missed diagnosed.

May I ask if you or any others who have had esophageal cancer had a lot of mucus and saliva BEFORE treatment? My sister quite possibly has it(either Stage 4 cervical cancer mets or a primary) and she gets choked and coughs with lots of mucus and saliva about every other day. No blood in it but LOTS of it. My understanding is it can go on for several hours and then seem normal. She has a lot of gas, as well as getting hiccups. No taste to the mucus-just clear. Thanks so much! God bless!

Hello Kelly, I am so sorry that your husband is going thru this. I am now 2 years out. The mucus gets bad I remember non stop coughing and using 2 large tissue boxes a day. I now clean and suction a couple of times a day but I live more normal as I was before. But keeping him taking in calories is important and keeping him hydrated. I pushed while I had pain medication to swallow - get a home nurse if you can to stop in and check on him daily- keep checking his oxygen levels- he needs to walk around the house to get up and he may need nausea medication and dry mouth spray. Some people have delay radiation side effects- so if he’s done with radiation and 3 months - 4 months he’s not feeling to hot it’s normal but keep taking him in to his doctors and checking his oxygen.