Difficulty swallowing, a radiation side efffect?

icebaby10

I did have a irritated throat for 3 or 4 days last week. but it is gone now..so maybe it was just something else  It felt like someone rubbed sandpaper down my windpipe

Hope14

hi there i actually started having difficulty swallowing as well   I was done my radiations in december and started having these symptoms about a month now. I didnt give it attention butvits starting bothering me and i should tell the dr. Did you get better? Did you know what cause it? Im having lots of complications lately that im not sure what to focus on.  

marianelizabeth

I still have what feels like a lump in my throat and my rads ended last June. I saw an endocrinologist in the throat clinic at one of our hospitals here in Vancouver in November and he suggested it could be damage to the swallowing muscles from radiation. I saw him again 10 days ago for for follow up and he put me on a couple of meds to rule out an acid reflux issue which he says can cause the feeling of a lump in the throat. Not too happy as he said no S/E but as all meds have, there can be. Am seeing my GP today to ask her what she thinks. But this is a trial anyway so not for long and no change so far. I think this may be what one of my friends who has had cancer, calls a cancer take-away. 

Twinmar

I finished my rads in early September 2012.  About a week later, I had the feeling my food wouldn't go down - like it was stuck and I had to drink extra water with my meal.  I also ended up with a lot of acid reflux especially when I slept on my right side.  I also asked my radiologist about this and he said no this wasn't from radiation but I don't believe it.   I have been much better in the past couple of months and have not had reflux any more either (unless I eat chocolate before bedtime!).  I was on Tamoxifen for awhile as well and started soon after rads were done so maybe there is some sort of link to the medication which I stopped about 7 months ago due to other serious problems.  As for the radiation, I had absolutely no other side effects from it (7 weeks - 1 w/boosts) - no fatigue, not even redness.  I even went on vacation a week after I was done.

slv58

I'm still experiencing the " lumpy throat" and have since been diagnosed with hypothyroid. I have been pushing for an explanation and got an ultrasound which showed no nodules. I have pushed some more and have an appointment in July with an ENT, so we shall see. All I know is that this feeling started within the first week of rads and has not gone away. I also am now experiencing an awful taste (?) once in awhile that seems to be coming from my lower throat, I'm not sure what to think. I hope everyone rules is doing well, but I must admit there seems to be a few of us that has experienced this so I don't think it's fair for ROs to dismiss this as not being from tx.

marianelizabeth

I agree that RO's should not dismiss this and mine definitely did and I have it in writing. I complained in Dec. to my MO and all she could say is write a letter and of course she is right~~not her fault. But I am over him yet not over the lump! But I saw my GP today and am going to stop taking one of the drugs the endocrinologist has me on to rule out an acid reflux issue~~Metoclopramide which has a S/E called tartive dyskanesia which can be permanent. I will take the proton pump inhibitor, Pantoprazole for a month then I am ruling out the acid issue. I see him again in July and may ask for what he suggested in November; a bronchoscopy I think it was and something else. But I do not see this getting better. My main complaints are swallowing over the lump, waking up feeling like I am choking at night and definitely a lower voice than before.

marianelizabeth

And forgot to say that my thyroid nodules found incidentally last summer are benign and no one thinks they are big enough to cause this problem.

Hope14

Before my bc i had benign thyroid nodules. That was 8 years ago. The swallowing problems are not persistent all the time. For instance today i didnt have any symptoms   It was thw first day. I think its related to rads after all the feedback im reading here and googling too. Good luck on your exams. 

MarieInOntario

I finished dose dense chemo March 27, had a mastectomy with lymph node removal May 8 and finished radiation (5 weeks - 5 x a week) July 22.

I have a bit of difficulty swallowing but the problem I have is a burning that goes from the back of my throat to my stomach and very bad acid reflux  (that's what my GP thinks it is). I feel quite nauseated. I wake up with very bad burning in my throat and a lot of burping. It's very uncomfortable and I have trouble sleeping.It also happens when I'm upright but it's not so bad then.

My doctor put me on Tecta for the acid reflux but I broke out in big red blotches in my chest area so stopped taking it.  Then I took Zantac and it started doing the same thing.

I've tried baking soda and water, ginger tea, the anti-nausea medication I didn't need when I had my chemo and am really watching what I eat.

Does anyone else have this?  I'd sure appreciate any suggestions and some one to say that there is hope that this may go away.

yoga_girl

Reflux issues-

MarieInOntario,

Try using Nature's Bounty, Acidophilus w/ Lactis, chewable, Strawberry, it's portable and doesn't need refrigeration after opening (contains no soy). If the reflux is really bad it also comes in a liquid form at your health food store (but does require refrigeration after opening).  My cancer friends rave about how well it works for them.  I've had great success with it myself.  Watch for the BO/GO sales at Walgreen's, not all pharmacies carry this product.

I was put on all the meds you described, they didn't work for me either.

All the best. . .

MarieInOntario

Thanks yoga girl!

I don't know if I can get it in Canada but I'll check tomorrow. I'm going to Florida on Tuesday so will look for it there if I can't find it here.

I've been using prevacid 30 mg the last few days and it's helped. I'm also starting to think that the tightness in my chest (since mastectomy) might have something to do with my problem. Who knows. 

Thanks again.  When I can get some of the acidophilus I'll let you know how it works.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Longislandl8y

around halfway through rads I was caught off guard by the swallowing problem when I took a bite of a chicken sandwich while driving on the highway on a long distance road trip.  I couldn't swallow! Scared the crap out of me.  I then found that I had to take small bites as well as small sips of water or I couldn't swallow.  Told my Rad Onc about it and he said, "Yes, than can happen."  I've since had 3 or 4 more episodes that last 3-4 days at a clip.  I completed Rads this past Wed. and will let you know if the problem comes back post-Rads.  

BTW, this was also a sign of the chemo but it was different.  On the chemo I had trouble swallowing food but not liquid.  In fact, at times the only way to swallow food was to take a sip of liquid to help it go down...

Anonymous

I am so glad I found this thread because I am having the exact same problem! I have been getting rads to the supraclavicular nodes, as my pre-chemo PET showed pretty extensive axillary involvement and we wanted to make sure we wiped out any cells that may have escaped there. After 23/25 done, I woke up, started to eat breakfast and could barely swallow. I feel like there is a big lump strangling me and eating is intensely painful. I went to an ENT today and he did the super fun scope up the nose and down  the throat and said I had most likely radiation-induced swelling and inflammation. Unfortunately he didn't have much for me except painkillers - it's something that needs to work out on its own. I'm also on antacids as I suspect I have some acid reflux that is making the problem worse. The good news is that I'm done with neck radiation and start my boosts tomorrow. Almost done...

TaniaE

Finished rads in May and had a "knot in my throat" feeling during rads and for quite a few weeks afterwards. I was radiated up to the collarbone and my rads doctor told me that it was normal. In fact I was on a clinical trial where I had to fill out a questionnaire every day and give them a score between 1-10 on how my throat was feeling every day and how difficult it was to swallow. So yes, it is a common side effect of rads.

fizzdon52

Hey did you know that you can get this feeling in your throat from stress? I've had had it several times in my life and am going through it again now. My rads finished about 3 months ago. I'm still feeling a bit stressed out and have a constant lump in my throat and feel like my esophagus is narrowing. I went to an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist several years ago and he told me there is a stress related condition that can cause this. Just thought I would mention it. I think it's called globus pharyngeus. I am going to mention it to my Oncologists on my next visit though, just in case!

yoga_girl

Possible solution to swallowing discomfort. . .

I too have this issue, but have found that once every two weeks I travel to my massage therapist and work through relaxation techniques and pressure points that improve the neck, throat, chest areas if restriction is experienced.  Hope this helps.

http://www.massagetherapy.com/articles/index.php/article_id/184/Cancer-Radiation-and-Massage

 

Grandee

Hi ladies, I can't believe this forum! I have had a problem swallowing too and didn't think too  much about it as I have thyroid tissue in my neck due to ? Anyways, I finished my radiation treatment all most two years ago this coming November and still have periods when water and milk of all things keep coming up. What I mean is I swallow and it's like they go down a little way and then just head back up so I end up swallowing quite a few times to try and get the liquid down. Eventually it's stays down. Some foods do the same but not as badly as the liquid. I'm hoping this goes away eventually.

Dee

agness

I started having what feels like partial paralysis of the muscles that control swallowing after my 13th dose of proton therapy, two days ago. My RO says it "should" go away after the end of treatment. This is an unacceptable effect of treatment to me, especially since I asked that we not treat that area as I was breast feeding at the time of diagnosis and the upper portion of my breast was lactating just fine and Ibelieve this is over treatment. My RO disagreed and I figured that I should assume that she would treat as little as necessary.

Given her original response which was to go seek treatment elsewhere I will have to confront her on this. If she won't eliminate the supra clavicle field then I am going to ask to speak to her boss and if they still won't treat me where I want I will stop all treatment.

Here is a medical article that discusses having throat nerves affected from radiation treatment.

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Silvia_Johanss...

Read about other areas of the body controlled by the vagus nerve

http://www.newhealthguide.org/Vagus-Nerve.html

-Ann

slv58

just wanted to update, I had a barium swallow test that showed early swallowing disorder-? I am now scheduled for an endoscopy at the end of Jan. Stay tuned! My symptoms have not gotten any better or worse. For me it just feels like there is some obstruction or swelling as I swallow. It's annoying, but hopefully the rads wiped out any C cells that may have been in the area.

agness

Why do you need an endoscopy when it is clearly evident that your vagus nerve was damaged from radiation treatment? Is there a therapeutic purpose to the endoscopy?

slv58

to be honest, I don't know! My ENT receptionist called with results of barium swallow and said the Dr. wanted to schedule an endoscopy. I am going to phone next week and try and find out more. I'm finding that most doctors aren't willing to admit treatment can cause unrelated "issues".

Rosiesride

wow...good thread! I have suffered from silent reflux for many years before my bc dx.in dec. 2013....Symptoms of it is difficulty swallowing, lump in throat, coughing, eating problems and choking, congestion and respiratory...all from reflux...laying down at night acid goes up to esophagus....you can wake up choking on it, and it also leaves a bad taste. If I didn't suffer with it before chemo and rads I would say it was the treatment for bc. But I have been on Prilosec 40 mg dailyfor about 7 years.

Fast forward to the past 2 months, beginning of October...2 months after rads to right breast and clavicle area....congestion and laryngitis like I always got in October and from teaching. BUT, it has only gotten a little better and I have a raspy voice with lump in throat as well. I am ready to go back to my ENT who first diagnosed me with silent reflux ...I am starting to follow my acid reflux diet again and paying attention to times I eat. I also wonder if tamoxifen can cause acid reflux...anyway, it sure is a common problem and I hope we all get answers! Peace and good health to all....Rosie

agness

Rosie,

I have heard that low stomach acid production can interfere with the biofeedback loops that control the valve at the top of the stomach leading to reflux issues. Have you heard anything about that possibility?

Shari,

I hope you get some good answers from your doctors. You might consider sharing that vocal paralysis article I linked above if they haven't heard about swallowing issues related to rads. Also, remind them that in medicine it is said that the cause if disease is often the most obvious thing. As in they shouldn't go looking for something rare or sudden when you just went through a pretty serious assault on your biology via cancer treatment.

As for me, I have a family friend discussing my situation in the morning with a colleague at another proton center in NY. I also alerted my MO and surgeon that I wasn't confident in my RO being flexible so I might bail on her. A friend I know is an acupuncturist and is into energetic healing and she pointed out, FWIW, that the throat is the site of one of the chakras. She told me to sing and wear turquoise over my thymus. I'm still having some issues but it has subsided quite a lot today (turquoise or no?). I am declining treatment tomorrow until after I meet with my surgeon. Oh, and I just now got the hiccups and it doesn't feel good with this throat thing at all. Argh!

TTYL

Ann

agness

I got my RO to agree to adjust my field/a so that she isn't hitting my esophagus. She was trying to hit a cluster of nodes just next to my esophagus but I told her that the affects of pain and throat paralysis (even if temporary) was unacceptable to me. I am continuing with treatment this week while her team makes the changes.

She tried to assure me that it has nothing to do with nerves and that rads at the dosages they are giving can't harm nerves but as we know we are all unique and no, she couldn't promise me that there might not be a chance that I wouldn't recover in my throat.

As my partner pointed out to me, as a young woman, should treatment work, I also stand to live longer with any side effects or damage from treatment. I defend my right to quality of life even though I had stage 3B disease.

They move so slowly in their studies it seems to me. I wish those TSA supercomputers were instead crunching cancer patient data so that we could see patterns emerge of patient subgroups that can get by with less.

I hope you all get some relief.

Ann

kickin-cancersbutt-2014

I had the exact same thing during the last two wks of rads. I asked the doc to prescribe "Magic Mouthwash" it worked within 3 days, I could swallow and breathe without pain. It wasn't covered by my insurance so had to fork out $23 or so, but well worth it! Hope this helps anyone else expereiencing the pain.

agness

I saw a woman I got to who does energetic healing and she did some work on my vagus nerve and the lump in my throat went right away. You might try to find someone who knows about that. She does reiki and massage. She used something that clicked and gave dull tiny whacks to the base of my skull.

keldel

Just finished the last of 15 radiation treaments to lymph nodes in my neck.  I am managing the pain with ibuprofen and magic mouthwash.  Sticking to liquids and very soft foods.  They said to expect anothe 2 weeks like this before I see any improvement.  The worst is the top of the left side of my throat (like tonsilitis on one side).  Hope its better by Christmas as I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my Mom who lives out of town.

McKatherine

Shari & agness - I would love to hear updates on how you both are doing! Hope everyone else is doing well, too!

yoga_girl

Swallowing/Throat

My BC rads onc director would not accept the swallowing/throat/mouth/taste issue was from rads.  I didn't have it prior to, but did have it develop week 3 of treatments.  I was told it was because I had Sjorgren's Syndrome prior to, I did not have this prior to nor did I have it now.  So I took the blood test to prove it.  The blood work came back negative for Sjorgren's.

Sharing with everyone just in case you have this happen to you.

http://www.medicinenet.com/sjogrens_syndrome/page2.htm
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/coping/physicaleffects/radiation-side-effects - rads side effects

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_therapy

My dentist diag this five minutes into my first exam and cleaning 3 weeks after rads.  Had two more techs come in to verify.  Radiation scatter impact to mouth (so dry my tongue was stuck to my mouth when I got up in the morning), toothpaste would cause the top layer of skin inside my mouth to peel off, lost all feeling of gauging how hot food was and would burn skin, throat pain/swallowing, teeth (enamel damage, teeth started chipping off eating oatmeal), smell, vision, taste (only taste I had for months was metal), difficulty digesting food due to lack of salvia production, was put on all Biotene products.  Can't thank my dentist enough for being honest about what I was experiencing.

Will look into Magic Mouthwash.

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences. 

 

slv58

McKatherine, I had endoscopy and Dr. said she saw nothing of concern but as standard of care took several biopsies. I am awaiting results and have an apt. March 16. In the meantime I've been DX with a local recurrence and am awaiting a MX :-(

I still have that 'thickening' feeling every time I swallow. It's very frustrating not knowing what it is, but I have other things on my mind now. Hope everyone is well -easy swallowing!