Hi,
I am helping care for my 84yr old Father who is battling tongue cancer. He has 'lost' two thirds of his tongue in three separate operations over 10plus years. He has just completed 6weeks of radiotherapy. He is fed via a peg and is skin and bone. The major hassle and most distressing part of his treatment is the persistent unbelievably thick mucus that appears constantly in his mouth. He cannot swallow, he cannot spit, so my mother and I spend our day pulling this revolting stuff from his mouth in order to prevent him from choking. Has anyone ANY advice about how to lessen the amount of mucus and can anyone let me know if it ever subsides? As a proud and gentle man, Dad finds it very distressing and embarrassing.

Hello. I really feel for you and your Dad as the mucous issue was by far the most distressing part of my tongue cancer treatment. Although I could physically swallow, it was impossible to swallow it because it was so thick and stringy and clogged up my throat. What I did do is spit A LOT, but that only gave temporary relief. When it got really bad towards the end of radiotherapy, I tried Mucodyne, a type of syrup to thin the mucouse which was recommended on this site. It helped a bit and I know others have had a lot of success with it. I too had a PEG and had to resort to using it for 100% of my food and drink intake towards the end of radiotherapy and for a few weeks afterwards, due to the soreness of my mouth but also the fact food would get caught in the saliva web and not go down. Two months after the end of radiotherapy I had the PEG tube removed, as the mucous gradually improved and I was able to take in everything I needed nutritionally by mouth. Of course the time frame will be different for everyone, but please reassure your Dad there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am now 18mths down the line and my saliva is basically back to normal. Just to add, after my surgery when I couldn't swallow, I used a suction machine (no idea what the name was)in hospital to remove the saliva. Is it possible you could speak to your Dad's doctor about getting something similar at home so you don't have to do it manually? Hope that helps. I am sure other members will contribute with their suggestions. Let us know how he gets on.

Hi,

I know your Dad's dispair. The first week after I completed my RT and Chemo I wanted to die rather than face the horrendous saliva that my mouth was producing. I am now 4 weeks down the line and although I still have it a bit it is bareable. I use a solution of bicarbonate of soda, salt in boiling water to dissolve it then add cold water as suggested on this site (Dr Joshi will provide a link to previous suggestions once he reads this). Whenever it got too bad I washed my mouth out with this solution which really cut through it (I did spit it out after). I still use it now and gargle with it and it brings up stuff from down my throat. If you want to find the link before Dr Joshi posts look in Introduce Yourself and then Carl S post and you will find a link in there.

I hope this helps as i know how distressing it is. For the last 2 weeks of my 7 week treatment I refused visitors (except family and my best friend), could barley talk, was embarassed and wanted to die. But it does get better. There is a poll on this site and most peoples have cleared up by 5 weeks post treatment and I can feel mine get better daily!.

Best wishes

Love Chloex

Thank you both SO much. It'll help Dad and Mum tremendously to know there is light at the end of the tunnel. I found Dr Joshi recipe lastnight and Dad has had his first proper nights sleep. What I am finding particularly frustrating is that it would be SO easy for the hospital to put together a pamphlet of advice of info that other patients have found helpful. I seem to be doing so much research and finding out stuff too late for Dad, but would help others! I only found this site yesterday- surely the hospital could have given us details of it when he was diagnosed! One bit of info I found this morning is in a holistic guide
" How to Survive Medical Treatment" by Dr Stephen Fulder. He recommends (p145) that Vitamin E is marvellous for avoiding burned skin during radiation treatment. Rub wheatgerm oil onto skin before and after treatment. If it is only available in capsules, they should be pierced to apply contents. Aloe Vera is excellent apparently to help heal any burns afterwards, but can dry the skin, so other moisturising cream should still be used. Now, I have found first be of info out too late for Dad, but the 2nd will be useful. Hopefully it'll be helpful to others if I post it here!!
Vicki x