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Humidifier - does it help with dry mouth during radiotherapy?

Justjulie
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Hiya, 

Just wanted to ask if anyone has used a humidifier to assist with dry mouth during Radiotherapy? 

I'm sure I read somewhere that someone has said they had bought one and found it invaluable during treatment and helped massively with dry mouth and soreness 

I am currently week 2 of 7 with Radiotherapy and one chemo to go but the mouth and tongue side effects are slowly kicking in. I have lotions, potions mouthwash etc which I use but during the night it's worse.. 

Any tips, help and advice from actual people going through this would be welcome 

Kind regards Julie 

  • Hello Julie, and thank you for posting,

    I’m really sorry to hear that you’re going through cancer treatment at the moment. This must be an incredibly difficult time for you.

    I hope that others who have experienced something similar will be able to share their tips and support. You may also find it helpful to post in the Living with Cancer section, as more people in a similar situation might see your message there.

    You may have already seen our information on mouth care and cancer, which includes practical suggestions for managing symptoms such as a dry mouth. Macmillan Cancer Support also has a helpful page on dry mouth, which mentions using a humidifier and other measures. I hope these links are helpful.

    Another organisation you might find supportive is the Mouth Cancer Foundation, which provides additional advice and information.

    Please do get back in touch if you need more help or would like to talk things through. If you would prefer to speak to a nurse, our helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and you can call us free on 0808 800 4040.

    Take care,

    Jemma

  • Hi Julie

    Yes night is the worst time for dry mouth I was given BioXtra artificial saliva which helped, plus the ever present glass of water. If you breathe through your mouth at night, I often do, I found snore strips helpful to keep nostrils open and mouth shut which reduced dry mouth symptoms. I dont know about using humidifiers but anything is worth a try to alleviate this miserable condition.

    Ed

  • Offline in reply to CRUK Nurse Jemma

    Thank you for this information 

    Julie 

  • Offline in reply to Farmer_Ed

    Hi Ed, 

    Thanks for your advice. I'm willing to try anything.. I have bought a humidifier and I have to say it does make a difference. 

    I will ask about the BoiXtra. 

    Kind regards Julie 

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