HELP! Swollen salivary gland

OK -- I thought I was doing OK, but have just developed a swollen salivary gland -- if I eat, it puffs right up.   I am 3 months post RAI -- anyone else have this happen?   How am I going to eat?   This sucks....anyone have it go away?

ouch!  it should go away.  most of us get this (no matter what your doctor says!), and it usually goes away...do you swell up after eating anything or just sour things???  try warm compresses and try "milking" the gland...take ibuprofen for pain and swelling if you are able...drink a lot of fluids to help the "flow"....time, warm compresses and massage, massage, massage.  good luck

Okay.  I was actually at my endo's office for 6 month check and my salivary gland was swollen...She said, oh, maybe you have a sinus issue?? Urgh!! Duh..Yes, they swell.  Get used to rubbing the saliva out and down.  Mine are still doing this and I'm 1 year out.  They do not swell..just have dry mouth and squeeze out saliva.  The swelling lasted about 2 weeks for one side, then the other side for about 2 weeks. Then, they stopped swelling, but I still squeeze saliva all the time.  Yeah!

Well, thanks for the help.   I actually did reach my endo and he was very nice, but told me he had never in his 25 years of practice heard of this 3 months post RAI  --Why can't they just admit it happens and offer some advice?   Told me to take ibuprofen and try to see and ENT after the weekend....admitted the gland sounded blocked, but said it had nothing to do with the RAI treatment (150mci) -- yeah right --

My swells no matter what I eat and is painful and I look awful.  I am able to drink some things without swelling -- coffee, tea and water.    Juice caused some swelling, but not as much as food -- once I have to chew, it's all over.

I sure hope this doesn't last -- maybe I'll lose weight -- can't stand eating....

My right parotid gland swelled up 6 months post RAI. My left one had very slight swelling a couple months later. The major swelling did not last long, but from time to time, eating certain foods (sour, tart, vinegar) causes it to swell enough so that I feel soreness but it is not noticable to others. My endo admitted that he has seen this maybe once or twice, but a lot of us here have had the identical situation, usually 4-6 months after RAI.

It is possible that more people have this and do not report it to the endo and never make the connection between the two, so my guess is the prevalence is higher.

Hang in there!

I have this problem too, started last April, seven months after the I131 treatment.  Both parotid glands are swelling now when I eat, very uncomfortable!!  It has been established that there is a stricture in the left duct from the gland to my mouth, presumably that is what is happening on both sides.

 I am seeing a ENT Specialist on the 24 Nov. having been referred to him by my first ENT Specialist who did not know anything about the gland swelling problem after I131 treatment - apparently I was the first patient he had seen with the problem!!.  The new specialist referral is to see if the glands can be cleared of scar tissue with a procedure called Sialoendoscopy.

Has anyone had Sialoendoscopy done?  Was it successful in restoring saliva flow from the glands?  Did the Sialoendoscopy cause you any problems?

I am considering having this procedure because I am concerned that having non-working/continually swelling parotid glands will cause me further problems in the future.

Good luck to all of you with this problem, drinking lots of water,massage and warm compresses does ease the discomfort.

I just replied to a post similar to this problem.  I too had a blocked salivary gland!  It was irritating.  Anytime a production of saliva started either side of my face swelled up!  The swelling has subsided now but I do have dry mouth and a pain on the right side of my jaw.  I guess just a byproduct of the treatment?  I saw an oral surgeon who didn't/couldn't help :o/  My endo told me if it ever happened again to use a warm compress on the affected area and kind of rub it to get the saliva flowing and perhaps move the blockage.  This happened almost immediately after my treatment.  Hope I helped-good luck!