How to control spitting up of copious quantities of mucous daily?

Posted by kelaine @kelaine, 1 day ago

My 81 year-old husband has Stage 4 esophageal cancer and is about to go into palliative care. He is a candidate for hospice because he is too frail to receive treatment, but is doing palliative care so he can receive blood to counteract blood loss from the tumor at the junction of his esophagus and stomach. He is extremely uncomfortable due to the quantity of mucous he needs to expectorate and to coughing, which interferes with sleep. He cannot swallow anything (even water) and is receiving nutrition formula via a G-tube. We are looking for symptomatic relief from the constant need to spit up and the nighttime cough.

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Lynn | @cometsmom | 19 hours ago

Hi Kelaine, my husband was admitted after his first attempt at chemo. He couldn't swallow water. He was spitting saliva into a cup constantly. In the hospital, they had a suction device (I think it's called a Yankauer) that he could put in his mouth and it helped immediately and tremendously when he couldn't swallow. The DME company set it up at home when they set up his feeding tube pump. Is your husband coughing up or vomiting the mucous? Or is it that it kind of pools in his mouth? If it's a matter of intense drooling/spitting, this device might help. Best wishes to you both,
Lynn