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Should I see a ENT Specialist?
I've had severe dry mouth for approx 6 years now and have been prescribed Bioteen which provides a small amount of relief when I'm able to use it. During a CT for something different the radiologist noticed a dark spot on my Parotid so I was referred for a ultrasound. The resident I was assigned as my PCP let me know that the radiologist has diagnosed the dark spot as either:
1) Cystic Non-Aggressive finding in the substance of the right parotid gland.
2) Cyst
Or A
3) highly cystic lymph node
My PCP plans no additional followups per the radiologists diagnosis. Not sure what to think but it kinda freaks me out. I received chemo for Hodgkins Lymphoma 2016 and 2 Factions of HDR in 2019. Should I seek a second opinion or does the Radiologist Diag seem solid enough for me to sit tight and see what happens?
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bmadisonga, Personally, I would see a good ENT about this to ease your mind. Praying for you. Keep me posted. I care.
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1 Reaction@bdmadisonga
I agree with @covidstinks2023 about seeing an ENT. If you can, see someone in a practice that has a number of ENT specialists, that would be the place to make an appointment. Do some research on the Doctors there and bring any and all documentation or scans with you. Explain briefly to whoever schedules the appointment the reason for your visit. I regularly visit a large ENT practice here in Florida and what I like about it is that a provider will
know if another Doctor in that practice has more experience in a particular area than he or she has. From what you have said I wouldn’t worry too much. I also have dry mouth and tried Bioteen but it’s just temporary. If there are no issues or concerns, there is really not too much to be done. Try not to sleep with your mouth open and don’t rely on sucking on hard candy or anything like that…..not good for the teeth and feels worse when you don’t. I have a habit of keeping my mouth closed as much as I can and I keep water by my bed at night. You can train yourself to sleep with your mouth closed.
I would be interested to learn of what you decide to do.
FL Mary
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1 ReactionHello @bdmadisonga. I think you should be looking for a second opinion, not relying on a single radiologist for a diagnosis. We all make mistakes and radiology is an inexact science at best. We ran into radiologist error in misdiagnosing my husband's bladder cancer. Same scan revealed it to a radiologist at Mayo Clinic.
I also have dry mouth from my cancer surgery. The Xylimelt tablets are a huge help at night. They stick to your gum and slowly release Xylitol to stimulate saliva production. Just maintaining good hydration throughout the day is so important too. And try a cool mist ultrasonic vaporizer beside your bed at night.
Can you request an ENT referral from your PCP?
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1 ReactionThanks for the advise, I'll try to get some of the Xylimelt to use as I haven't been able to find anything on my own for times when I'm sleeping. The resident who is my PCP doesn't seem to think dry mouth is much of an issue. i.e., "just use some bioteen and you'll be fine". I sip water throughout the day just so i can swallow.
Hi @bdmadisonga ,
Second opinions help in so many ways. I have a great ENT and my night dry mouth was helped with a script of Singulair.
I also listened to James Nestor 's "Breath". I started to minimally tape my mouth shut with paper tape (The paper tape does not bother my skin, and Iike it as a suggestion to keep my mouth closed. My roughly one inch square is not enough to truly bother me. It is usually still stuck to my top lip or the pillow. I am sleeping better now, and I do not wake up as dry as can be. This also started about 5 years ago with my NHL.
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1 ReactionI would see an ENT. But I would also run this issue by your oncologist, have that doctor reign in on the issue.
And I would definitely have them consult with each other, until they discover a clear cause.
Generally, it's never a great idea to leave a medical issue unresolved. Always best to ascertain exactly what is going on.
sorry for the problems.
take care
bdmadisonga I would definitely contact the Oncologist that you were seeing and receiving chemo from in 2019 and let him/her weigh in on the CT results. Plus, I would either have your PCP refer or do a self-referral to an ENT physician. When I do self-referrals I always look at years experience, where they had their training- hopefully it wasn't all at the same institution. ie I want to see that a physician has gone to med school/internship at one institution, Residency at another institution and a third one for a fellowship. You then know that they have had a well-rounded educational exposure. Also read patient reviews, any publications they have written and if they are involved in any current research activity. Of course this does not always guarantee that you will find an empathetic, compassionate care-provider. They are so few and far between nowadays. It's a lot of work but YOU are worth it!