Mainly due to radiotherapy to a mass in my throat last year, swallowing is difficult and I struggle to drink much more than 1.5 litres a day. 

It is not getting easier and I wonder if water infusions would be practical or too expensive. Or do I just persevere and count my blessings.

Getting IV infusions is a stop gap measure in cases of acute dehydration.

 

Not a long term solution to your issue (though might be required briefly if you become dehydrated). 

 

Is it only water that you have trouble with? What about food? Liquids other than water (e.g. slightly thicker ones)?

 

Have you seen your doctor(s) again to inform them that you are still having difficulty swallowing?

 

In cases such as yours, if normal swallowing cannot be regained, tubes are sometimes placed into the stomach through which water and nutrition  can be given. Patients can usually learn to do this at home.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Sheryl, watery foods like porage and soups. and thicker liquids are not such a problem oddly enough. Although coughing fits can be regular.

I can only take very small sips of water and a 600 ml botttle will mean at least  an hours sipping if not two. Every day it's a bit wearing.

I was just wondering if a weekly or monthly infusion might ease things a bit. I've got a scan late next month and doc apps soon after so will leave it till then.

I had the tube for a while after the treatment and no rush to have it again.

Thanks again for your help.

Yes do discuss with your doctors.

 

You can offset limited plain  water intake by increasing intake of thicker liquids like soups.

 

Fluid is needed daily, unless you become dehydrated no reason for an infusion and in any case it will help only  briefly.  Your body will excrete any fluid taken in beyond what it needs at that moment.  So not possible to maintain adequate hydration  through once weekly or monthly infusions 

 

I'm a bit concerned about what you say about coughing, if there is any chance you are aspirating (the water going down the wrong wsy, into your windpipe) that is dangerous and you should go to the doctor now, not later.

 

 

Thanks Sheryl, coughing was one of the first symptoms that took me to the hospital initially, 18 months ago.

In the early days of the treatment one night I had a coughing fit lasting over 30 minutes and culminated in me vomiting up blood. Next day I spoke to the doc at the radiation clinic who looked all my details and said the tumour was not the cause of the cough and the cause of the blood must have been the volume of coughing.

He just advised normal cough medicine for the cough.

That was the only time the cough has been mentioned.

I'll see the ENT doc and oncologist soon enough.

Just had 3 weeks in the UK and the 2 flights plus the cold weather took it out of me, I forget how old I am. Used to anyway.

Thanks again.

 

Never had a coughing fit anything like that before or since.

 

On 11/6/2025 at 9:26 PM, saintdomingo said:

Mainly due to radiotherapy to a mass in my throat last year, swallowing is difficult and I struggle to drink much more than 1.5 litres a day. 

It is not getting easier and I wonder if water infusions would be practical or too expensive. Or do I just persevere and count my blessings.

Not knowing about your last checkup after the radiation I want to encourage you not to get impatient. 

There might be some small issues with your tissues in your throat. 

Sometimes it takes longer than a year to recover in full.

Train yourself to sip from time to time. 1.5 l fluids a day is just ok, depends on your age. Try to get some mls  more day by day.

After radiotherapy, swallowing can stay difficult.

A thickener is used for people who have dysphagia — difficulty swallowing liquids safely.
It slows the flow of water, making it easier to control and reducing the risk of choking.

Products like Resource ThickenUp Clear (Nestlé) are easy to find on Lazada.
They’re made from xanthan gum, a flavourless, plant-based thickener that doesn’t change the taste of drinks.

Thanks for the advice gents..

8 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

9 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

There might be some small issues with your tissues in your throat. 

Sometimes it takes longer than a year to recover in full.

 

Absolutely. Earlier this year a cold progressed to laryngitis which took months to shake.  It gave me a cough that worsened as soon as I lay down playing hell with my sleep cycle. And, yes, swallowing became difficult, fortunately not food. Whereas before I could upend a jug of water and drink half of it, my throat allowed only measure sips. A miserable few months it was.

 

Hang in there. OP. Throat issues take time. Probably because of the beating the passage takes constantly.

Yes I've been re-reading a lot of info which did not seem to make sense a year ago and problems can come and go over time and just have to be managed. Things could have been made clearer at the start. Printouts from scans mention bronchiectasis which was never explained clearly but I understand it more now. Self diagnosis can be harmful but I have more of an idea what is going on with me. Hang in there seems good advice and to accept that in my case it is a lengthy process.

Thank you.

8 hours ago, saintdomingo said:

Yes I've been re-reading a lot of info which did not seem to make sense a year ago and problems can come and go over time and just have to be managed. Things could have been made clearer at the start. Printouts from scans mention bronchiectasis which was never explained clearly but I understand it more now. Self diagnosis can be harmful but I have more of an idea what is going on with me. Hang in there seems good advice and to accept that in my case it is a lengthy process.

Thank you.

I have bronchiectasis for 25 years now.  I have a daily mucus thinner tablet and walk perhaps 10km every day to help to thin the mucus in my lungs so I can cough it up. Let me know if you want more info about this illness 🙂

12 hours ago, simon43 said:

I have bronchiectasis for 25 years now.  I have a daily mucus thinner tablet and walk perhaps 10km every day to help to thin the mucus in my lungs so I can cough it up. Let me know if you want more info about this illness 🙂

Many thanks Simon, I've not been keeping up scratch with my exercise and not been prescribed any thinners since the treatment finished. Must remedy both of those things today. You are perhaps being wise not to mention a thinner by name, so I'll just back my judgement. Thank you, it is not a common complaint - to me anyway. One other condition is that I seem to be developing insomnia, sleeping pattern is up the wall. It is now just after two, hope I am still awake at ten when the nearby pharmacies open.