Getting frustrated with throat pain post radiation

Been year and a half since I’ve been done also lots of ups and downs like people say 1 step forward 2 back each month would get a little better I kept telling myself I’ll be better next month. Still suffering from some pain and dry mouth hope in time it gets better,taste is getting better but still can’t eat a lot of things I use to eat nothing seems to taste the same,what’s really bad is I’ve been a picky eater my whole life and I’m 71 hope this helps as it’s a long road as everyone says but it’s still better than the alternative

In reply to Dave Hutsel
Thanks for your info and post. I am sitting at 3 months post radiation and am dealing with what is described, throat pain… burning when trying to eat. This is despite eating soft foods. There are days I get by with only one tube feeding other days up to four.
It is encouraging to hear that you are pain free after 6 months and hopefully this will be my case.
I have a follow up today for scoping of throat as next step to determine throat pain. I’m dreading the procedure and have little hope they can do anything for me. I just need to be patient. Sigh…

egray67
what did they say about your throat after the scope? I am also 3 months post with a lot of throat pain back again. My ENT and rad Onc both said that I have a throat ulcer. "It should get better..."

Has anyone here had their throat pain increase again after starting to get better?
2 mos after finishing treatment I got Covid and throat got really bad again. Now it’s been bad for almost 2 months. Ent said that I have an ulcer in my throat . Pet scan was clear.
Rad/onc says it will get better…. Nothing seems to help healing…..

I'm on day 16 of 35 radiation treatments. My throat is getting a bit sore. I can only drink Goat's milk but now it acts like it went a bit into my lungs and it starts me into a dry cough that doesn't produce anything. I do get lots of phlegm and thrush. I have a suction machine that helps get a lot of that out. Sometimes in the morning when I am getting this gunk out there is bits of blood. So far nothing is stopping the thrush. So maybe some of this is getting dried in my throat? I would like something to sooth the throat so I can get the Goat's milk down without choking and coughing. I've lost a ton of weight. But reading here that so many had to go about 2 years to get past it all is disconcerning. I've been rearranging and restocking my kitchen for the day I can cook again. I found Ancient Whole Grains to grind myself to get away from the bad flour the US grows. I'm going with a monthly service to get my meats from healthy animals. Luckily, I have enough grocery stores around with organic produce. All this research right now so looking forward to the day I can start cooking again. When does the throat open back up after all the radiation? I also have a holistic doctor alongside this Radiologist and he got me off sugar, onto doing coffee enemas weekly that cleanses the liver that helps the body with the radiation, Mistletoe injections, Helleborus niger injectons and the nebulizer version. There is a good book on it called "Mistletoe and the Emerging Future of Integrative Oncology". Germany and Switzerland use this method intensely. I invested in a live blood microscope and discovered after a Pet scan I lost all my white blood cells but they are coming back slowly. So the radiation is a necessary evil and it will take a lot to recover from it in itself. I also do a lot of IVs at the holistic center like Vit C. The Pet scan immediately caused my ankles to swell which never had I had that. They tell me it is not the radiation but I wonder. So far the best pain meds that work for me is 2 Advil and 1 Tylenol which I was a 3 times a day and down to 1 time a day. But this throat urge to cough when I drink is getting to me. It restricts my intake that I can't afford. Someone wrote Marshmellow Root Tea. I will get that in and try it. I have decided never on Chemo and was confirmed with my holistic doc for radiation but never chemo as my heart rate is too high although blood pressure is always good. How does that work?

I'm on day 16 of 35 radiation treatments. My throat is getting a bit sore. I can only drink Goat's milk but now it acts like it went a bit into my lungs and it starts me into a dry cough that doesn't produce anything. I do get lots of phlegm and thrush. I have a suction machine that helps get a lot of that out. Sometimes in the morning when I am getting this gunk out there is bits of blood. So far nothing is stopping the thrush. So maybe some of this is getting dried in my throat? I would like something to sooth the throat so I can get the Goat's milk down without choking and coughing. I've lost a ton of weight. But reading here that so many had to go about 2 years to get past it all is disconcerning. I've been rearranging and restocking my kitchen for the day I can cook again. I found Ancient Whole Grains to grind myself to get away from the bad flour the US grows. I'm going with a monthly service to get my meats from healthy animals. Luckily, I have enough grocery stores around with organic produce. All this research right now so looking forward to the day I can start cooking again. When does the throat open back up after all the radiation? I also have a holistic doctor alongside this Radiologist and he got me off sugar, onto doing coffee enemas weekly that cleanses the liver that helps the body with the radiation, Mistletoe injections, Helleborus niger injectons and the nebulizer version. There is a good book on it called "Mistletoe and the Emerging Future of Integrative Oncology". Germany and Switzerland use this method intensely. I invested in a live blood microscope and discovered after a Pet scan I lost all my white blood cells but they are coming back slowly. So the radiation is a necessary evil and it will take a lot to recover from it in itself. I also do a lot of IVs at the holistic center like Vit C. The Pet scan immediately caused my ankles to swell which never had I had that. They tell me it is not the radiation but I wonder. So far the best pain meds that work for me is 2 Advil and 1 Tylenol which I was a 3 times a day and down to 1 time a day. But this throat urge to cough when I drink is getting to me. It restricts my intake that I can't afford. Someone wrote Marshmellow Root Tea. I will get that in and try it. I have decided never on Chemo and was confirmed with my holistic doc for radiation but never chemo as my heart rate is too high although blood pressure is always good. How does that work?

Jclassey
I know how frustrating it is and what you are experiencing having been there just weeks ago. J believe I have finally turned a corner. That awful throat pain after trying to eat would be me to tears and bouts of anxiety and depression. I am now over 14 weeks post radiation and on very day of 14 weeks I finally had a day where I did not need the feeding tube. (I too caught Covid just after Christmas which was a setback.) Yesterday was day 2 where I got by without feeding tube and I pray to god i am hopefully done. My throat is not perfect still sore here and there and eating does aggravate it especially anything coarse. I do still need lots of water to get to swallow because of dryness.
I hope you get there soon. My only advise is eat very soft foods and try to be patient by keeping busy if you can. For me daily walks, light exercise and home projects were key to filling my time.