Curiosity: The Unexpected Connection Between Cancer Treatment and Dry Mouth

In this video, we discuss the challenges of managing dry mouth during cancer treatment. Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, can be a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. We will provide practical tips and solutions to alleviate this uncomfortable symptom and improve your overall quality of life during your cancer journey.
Learn about the various causes of dry mouth, and the impact it can have on your oral health and daily activities. Explore different strategies such as staying hydrated, using saliva substitutes, and practicing good oral hygiene to help combat dry mouth symptoms effectively.
Join us as we empower you with the knowledge and resources to navigate through the challenges of managing dry mouth while undergoing cancer treatment. Your comfort and well-being are our top priorities, and we are here to support you every step of the way.
For more informative videos on cancer treatment and oral health, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to our channel. Together, we can combat dry mouth and enhance the quality of life for cancer patients everywhere.

[@lancesobczak1410]

I watched all your videos and your dead on. I’ve dealt with it twice in 2 years. Found things getting harder to swallow went to an ENT and he said at the time of the biopsy he knew it was squamous cell cancer. I found out I had a 4 1/2 cm tumor stage 4 squamous cell / HPV tumor. My wife and I opted for surgery and after about 10 hours they had removed the tumor and also removed about 40 Lymph nodes from the right side of me neck. I should also say they removed both tonsils and the back side of my tongue. I finally got home 5 days later and thank god they let my wife stay with me the whole time because it was prime time with COVID. I had all the same type of pain just not the lost taste or saliva. Extremely painful lost 40 pounds couldn’t eat or drink, I was so happy when I could actually take two gulps of water and swallow it. Well fast forward 1st year pet scan was good. 2nd year not so good, same spot so biopsy time and sure enough it was back. Only option now was chemo and radiation do to the extreme surgery the last time. So I’ve finished my 7 weeks of radiation and could only do 5 of the 7 chemo treatments do to my blood levels and now I’m going back down that same road just add in the dry mouth and no taste along with the lack of eating and drinking and having to go in for fluids 2-3 times a week. I had my last radiation treatment on 11/3/22 and still have the dry mouth and no taste. I know the recommended a spray biotene just like the toothpaste but it’s good for about 15 min so you always need that water bottle with you at all times.. I’ve got my next pet scan the first week on February so let’s hope the second times a charm. More then happy to share more with you or anyone else that might have questions since I’ve gone through it twice… BTW Keck hospital & Norris in LA are top notch. Hope this helps

[@theregularguy141]

Hi Lance, Wow. WHAT. A. STORY. Twice in 2 years... I can't imagine how tough that was to hear and then deal with especially after the really extreme surgery you had. This has been something on my mind as well. Your story is a real inspiration. If you don't mind, drop me an email. My email address is in the bio. We are all looking forward to hearing the results of your scan in February! Lee

[@jamesburris8803]

Hi Lance - here is the best advice. Watch all of Professor Thomas Seyfrieds' videos he posted in the last 5 years.

[@susanbrindisi8197]

Thank you for these videos. You are a great resource.

[@theregularguy141]

Thanks Susan. I'm glad you find them helpful! Lee

[@markgreenwood6630]

Hey buddy love what your doing. I had same as you on the tonsil.stage 4. 30 doses of radiotherapy and 3 chemotherapy. This was back in 2007 at the Christie hospital in Manchester England. Moved to Boston Mass in 2013. Go get my checks still at MGH Boston, they are fantastic. With regard to dry mouth it will not get any better, regards to teeth and oral hygiene it’s the pits. My mucus levels in the morning have me coughing until midday. I also have allergies in summer which makes it even worse. It’s not nice at all but I am alive and that’s through my wonderful wife of 26 years. I’m 62 now and she still is so considerate of my dogs breath and bad teeth. You are doing a fantastic job of sharing something I thought of doing but got sidetracked. Keep it pal. Stay well , Mark

[@theregularguy141]

Hi Mark, Thank you for the nice message! Cancer free for 16 years is fantastic news! I think we are stuck with the dry mouth etc forever, unless they come up with a real fix. Keep watching and pass the channel on to others who may need to hear the message! Thanks again Mark! Lee kzbin.info/door/Fu8ZmskR9pFnX53mA9q_Ug

[@kattycat33ncali]

Thanks for sharing your journey

[@theregularguy141]

Absolutely, and there are more videos to come!

[@vijayp3006]

Thank you for the video.

[@theregularguy141]

Thank you for watching Vijay! I'm glad they are helpful. Lee

Had stage four back of the tongue cancer 2009. Treatment was chemo and then chemo and radiation together. After treatment carried the water bottle around for the first year or so. every night I use Colgate Gel Cam for about 5 to 10 minutes in trays before I go to bed. This will keep my mouth from being dry up for about 3 to 4 hours. Then I wake up with a dry mouth and take two or three swigs of water and chew mentos gum, keeping the gum in my mouth which helps keep my mouth closed and will last at least another couple hours. If I wake up again, I repeat with the gum and water. Before I left MD Anderson, the head dentist said do not let your mouth get dry or you’ll have cavities and if you have cavities, it may cause your jawbone to disintegrate. Scared the H out of me. They recommended to me the Gel Cam and I haven’t missed a night taking it in 15 years.

[@julianaawah2271]

Thanks for the info

[@theregularguy141]

Any time!

[@jabongcasinsinan4790]

Thank you for this video its help me alot, all that you said i feel after my chemo and radiation treatment, all question in my mind is answer so my worry is gone.

[@theregularguy141]

That is the reason I am doing the videos, so that people will see what I did/didn't do and what I experienced. Hopefully they would help someone going through the same. Thank you for the kind comment! Lee

[@sandradennison3022]

Your videos have really helped me, so thank you very very much. I use biotene gel and biotene mouth wash for dry mouth and it works great. The Biotene spay is supposed to be very good but I haven't been able to try it because it's always on back order. Keep the video's coming 👍

[@theregularguy141]

Thank you Sandra! I have not tried Biotene, but I will now! Lee

[@jasonginsberg893]

Thx for the videos friend. Really helpful to hear from real people what’s going on. I’m on day 11 of 30 treatments. Just lost my taste about 4 days ago. Super dry mouth. I live in Hong Kong so the food here is conducive to cancer patients. Look up congee when you get a chance.

[@theregularguy141]

For a while noodles were a staple until I just couldn't eat anymore. Just checked out congee. Man, I wish I had known about that before! I may have been able to get that down! Lee

[@kellystevens1342]

Have you got your taste back yet?

[@KeithJamesDesigns]

I finished 33 radiation treatments 9 days ago. I had my left parotid gland and lymph nodes removed. I got a really cool scar out of the deal. I sure do miss my taste buds. I used grape Healios to help prevent sores and keep my throat in good shape. I use Thera Breath mints to help with the nasty taste and dry mouth. Thanks for making these videos. It really helps with the recovery. I was so blessed to be able to maintain my weight and not need a PEG tube. God bless and good luck.

[@theregularguy141]

Hi Keith, Congratulations on finishing up treatment! My taste buds were gone for about a month after treatment and then slowly came back in. I'm still missing about 1/3 of them, so food doesn't taste quite right and I am now really sensitive to spicy foods. Strange... I was definitely in need of the PEG and STILL lost weight. Strange how the treatments affect us differently! Lee

[@kellystevens1342]

I'm 3 weeks post treatments. Wondering how you are doing now and trying to understand when taste might come back. Please let me know if you would.

[@KeithJamesDesigns]

@@kellystevens1342 I'm doing fine. Starting to get my beard back. I got my taste back pretty quick. After a month, food was pretty normal. It took about another month before I could taste sweets. Hope you are doing well and get your taste back soon. Let me know if you need anything else.

[@kellystevens1342]

@@KeithJamesDesigns Thank you for the quick reply. I am so very glad to hear your progress. Hope I have a similar journey back to good health. One more question, seems that salivary glands take it pretty hard. Have you been able to get some function back?

[@KeithJamesDesigns]

@@kellystevens1342 Yes, I don't wake up with a dry mouth or throat anymore but I still eat mints to keep my mouth moist. One thing that helped bring my taste back was eating garlic. I know it sounds weird but I saw people that lost their taste after COVID found it helps. I have a pizza place that serves a garlic/oil dipping sauce with their pizza. I can't say for sure it worked or it was just a coincidence.

[@truthb4ureyesgoodgrl911]

They gave me what's called magic mouthwash. If you haven't heard of it,it does help to some degree with swallowing.. I'm halfway through radiation treatment for tongue cancer... I'm sorry for all of you going through this, and I hope only the best for you 🙏 cancer sux, but we can all help one another. Thank you for this video. God bless...

[@theregularguy141]

Magic Mouthwash was a real saving grace during treatment for sure!

[@pedrogarcia7176]

Thank you for sharing. My cisplatin chemo and radiation treatment ended in october 2021. Have to constantly drink water and chew sugarless gum.

[@theregularguy141]

Sounds like you were a month behind me! I am still swilling water and chewing gum. Did you have any noticeable hearing loss from the Cisplatin?

[@tinalander2794]

Thank you!

[@theregularguy141]

Hi Tina, How is your husband doing with his treatments, AND how to you guys survive that massive cold blast?? Great to hear from you. Lee

[@tinalander2794]

@@theregularguy141 so far so good, 12 radiation down and 3 chemo, his throat hurts, he’s just about to shakes only, food is horrible but he tries, chemo doesn’t seem to effect him which is great! The first week of February his treatments end, we are hopeful but also realistic about what’s to come, thanks for reaching out, it feels a bit less lonely knowing someone understands

[@theregularguy141]

@@tinalander2794 Well I certainly do understand every single bit of what you and your husband are going through. Don't either of you hesitate to reach out, my email is in the bio. Keep us all updated!

[@e.j.c1795]

I'm about to start radiation and not looking forward to it, your videos are extremely helpful

[@theregularguy141]

Hi EJ! That's the reason I'm doing the videos, to get info out to those who are or have been affected by cancer and cancer treatment. Good luck going forward, and as always, keep us informed of your progress. We are all here to help! Lee

[@e.j.c1795]

@@theregularguy141 I'll keep you posted and let everyone know how things develop

[@kentyler966]

Biotene gel. Unfortunately long story, no longer available.Same for a similar sold by CVS pharmacy. I have previously used the biotene gel for about 3 years exclusively while sleeping, it worked great.

[@theregularguy141]

Thanks for the info!

[@faithdenelzen8808]

I still have that problem Lee

[@theregularguy141]

Yeah, unfortunately it seems to stay. I have the same issue and it's now 18 months post treatment. I'm convinced it's here to stay... aggravating.

[@elingullie4952]

Suffering the same after my nasopharybx cancer treatment..

[@theregularguy141]

Man, Two things I want back.... 100% taste buds and NO DRY MOUTH!! Ugh... Lee

[@andrewhumphreys1232]

I had treatment 21 years ago to both sides of my neck area totally destroying my saliva glands , I always have a bottle of water with me for eating and every day living , as a result of loosing my glands over the years my teeth have fallen to pieces my latest problem is two months ago I had a wisdom tooth removed and it still hasn’t healed I’ve been in agony with this , I go back to the dentist Monday hope they can help

[@theregularguy141]

Hi Andrew, Thanks for commenting. Mine wasn't 20 years ago, but I am now starting to experience the tooth decay. Not something like cavities etc, but just general decay. At first I attributed this to the radiation, but now that you mention it, I believe the loss of about half of my saliva may be the culprit. I see further research on this, possibly a video... Lee

[@user-eo7vq1zd2k]

Are you being able to enjoy steak at this point after the treatment ? Am 6 months since my 7 weeks of radiation ended and am not being able to sallow any solid food till now.

[@theregularguy141]

I have to say yes, absolutely. I still have to chew a bit more and I drink a lot more water to help wash everything down, but I can absolutely enjoy steak! Lee

[@deanwoodland1991]

Everyones different so dont focus too much on how hes handling it i had 6 weeks of chemo amd radiotherapy i was only in a bad way at week 6 and it lasted 3 weeks max im eatting normal now my taste is still abit sketchy and i do get fatugue but im about better. Im 36

[@theregularguy141]

Exactly. My experience is certainly different than Dean's whose is also different than others. Take a bit from each person and use their experiences to help you move forward. Lee

[@deanwoodland1991]

@@theregularguy141 no offence intended by the way i appreciate all forms of information regarding this issue

[@leeh2351]

@@deanwoodland1991 None taken Dean! You are correct. Everyone's journey is different. I appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@inderjeetverma2536]

Ayurvedic treatment may help

[@theregularguy141]

Very interesting. I will have to look into that. Thank you for the information! Lee

[@ATOMSHAMRADIO]

Been thier feels like i swallowed a cactus

[@theregularguy141]

Yeah, not my favorite thing!

[@julianaawah2271]

I don’t have dry mouth

[@theregularguy141]

I have to admit, I am jealous of this!!

[@fernandopichardo122]

I got cancer in 2018 I a know how that feels with not saliva I use xylimelts for dry mouth help me in the night I start losing my teeth in pieces in march 2023 got cancer in my tongue the good thing barely started but still I’m getting my pet scan in march I hope everything goes well I sad can’t es like before but Thanks GOD We still here God bless To all we passed through this chapter in our lives🙏🙏🙏

[@theregularguy141]

Good luck going forward and I'm glad you caught it early! Was it a routine exam or did you feel like something was off? Lee

[@angeladawn5894]

I had tounge cancer 10 years ago. Had radiation for 30 days 2x a day! Was tough. The only thing that helps me with the dry mouth are xylimelts, especially at night. Gamechanger for me. Otherwise water water water, and avoiding very salty, spicy and sour foods.

[@crackermcwhitey1364]

Nothing worse than desert mouth! Finished treatment for parotid cancer 4 months ago and like you Mucositis is an ongoing issue.

[@theregularguy141]

Yep! I hate waking up in the middle of the night with the super dry desert mouth...

[@crackermcwhitey1364]

I started using Xylimelts for saliva stimulation thru the night. They are made by a company named Ora Coat. @@theregularguy141

[@michaelpondo-nv9yy]

Drink two tablespoons olive oil a day and add aloe to drinking water with honey

[@theregularguy141]

Hmm... Does that help all day? My issue is that I had some salivary glands quit working due to the radiation therapy. Lee

[@michaelpondo-nv9yy]

@@theregularguy141 twice a day. And just small amts will do.