Excessive Mucus with Esophageal Cancer

Posted by russparsons @russparsons, Oct 26, 2021

Does anyone suffer from excessive mucus after eating or drinking. I was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer one year ago. I started off with chemo, which did nothing and was switched to Keytruda every 3 weeks which has worked wonders. I am still stage 4 though. I was told that what I have is treatable, but not curable. I guess I can live with that. I have this excessive amount of mucus when I eat or drink. Does anyone else have this, and if you do, how do you deal with it?

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@mindyt

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 ….

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Can you tell me how many HBo treatments you had and how long you were in the capsule. My husband has had 35 treatments. Each one lasts 2 hours but the mucus is still coming constantly.

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Another thing I learned for help with swallowing- while eating drink a cold soda just when you’re having trouble - no straw…

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@mindyt

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 ….

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Thank you for mentioning googling foods that cause increased mucus production and foods that do not. My husband had Stage 3 Esophageal cancer treatment and surgery beginning in November with surgery in early March. He had heavy mucus initially and it seems to slowly be getting better ... however, just when we think it's going away it rears its ugly head. I am going to Google for this information. Thank you.

Any suggestions are so helpful!

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We keep experimenting but its really challenging. I would welcome any ideas. Spaghetti casserole and Chinese (without the crisp noodles) are the best for him so far. Scrambled eggs, fish, mashed potatoes, cheerios, oatmeal and softer fruits also work (watermelon, cantelope) also work. cheerios, oatmeal, these are just a few things that come to mind. Bread hasn't worked well for him.

He still does cough up phlegm but much less than before. Unfortunately, he also developed blood clots which traveled to his lungs so we are working to correct that now, too.

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@mindyt

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 ….

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I feel better after reading your message. My husband had a sarcoma of the tongue and throat and is cancer free now. But the mucus is non stop. He is on a feeding tube We are hoping that he will be a candidate for the HBO treatment.

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@mcmuck29

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.

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@mcmuck29, how are things going? Have you and your husband discovered more foods that work as the weeks go by?

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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.

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@mindyt

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.

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Thank you!

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@eric2941

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!

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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.

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@mindyt

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.

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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!

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