Post Ivor Lewis Mucus

[Nancyinabif]

Hi, I’m really hoping someone can help me find a solution to the excessive mucus that causes coughing and then retching it up every time my husband moves around. He’s 5 weeks post Ivor Lewis...which followed 28 radiation treatments & 7 carbon platin infusions. Surgeon says everything looks great on chest X-ray & Barium swallow. 0/28 lymph nodes after biopsies. So we’re really fortunate about the results but he’s got this mucus that’s debilitating right now. He’s taking Guasefinen and Flonase and Zyrtec to dry up & thin the mucus but it hasn’t helped enough. I’m waiting to get scopolamine patches to help but hoping someone has found a solution and can advise us.

Thank you!

[brucemillar]

Please speak to your medical team about “Domperidone” tablets. Taken no later than 30 minutes before a meal/food.

I have just gone through what you describe and these worked for me. It takes two days for them to do their stuff.

Good luck.

Bruce

[Nancyinabif in reply to brucemillar]

Thank you for that advice! I’m glad you found something that works for you. I’ll ask the doctor for them. Hoping it will do the job.

Best wishes to you !

[docLocke]

I found some incidental relief with mints. Almost any kind of mint or peppermint. And with time, the reaction did lessen, mucous did diminish.

[Nancyinabif in reply to docLocke]

Thank you. Hard candies and cough drops have helped a bit. I’m relieved to hear that the mucus diminishes over time.

[Dadesmate]

From intensive scanning of the OPA posts this seems to be a phase in the healing process which lasts from a few weeks to several months. My partner found that upright posture in bed (raised mattress ~6cm + 1 curved pillow + 2 normal pillows placed diagonally + firm pillow under knees to stop sliding down) plus a small dose of antacid (Gaviscon) before bed plus antiemetic/ antinauseant meds metoclopramide (Maxolon) AND prochlorperazine (Stemetil) seemed to help. But perhaps the main factor was time! He was also on antireflux meds (Somac) and antiasthma puffers. There was a definite relationship between the mucous and the coughing but hard to work out which was chicken and which was egg!

Hard as it was I think a little gentle exercise (walking) and gradually getting on to more solid food also helped. He found crumbly biscuits (eg ritz) were the best at first.

He is now 7 weeks post IL and is still taking Somac and Stemetil at night but the mucous problem is over although he still has coughing spasms if he eats too fast or doesn't chew enough or lies at less than ~ 45 degrees.

I hope this helps you find an answer.

[Nancyinabif in reply to Dadesmate]

It’s been almost 6 weeks post IL for my husband and he finally got relief 2 days ago from the mucus by using a scopolamine patch. He’s still coughing when he moves but can now walk without fear of throwing up the mucus. His surgeon(Boston, MA-USA), said the body will adjust but offered no time frame or suggestions on how to live with constant mucus/coughing/throwing. It was on an EC support site that I found out about the scopolamine patch. It’s been a great help! I appreciate your advice and will hope time will heal both of our partners.