Hi there! My husband had SEVERE pain after the second radiation treatment. It was so bad, it literally brought him to his knees. I had nothing but Vicoden at home, and nothing was helping. Turns out he had an infection, and it's cleared up now. We were both freaking out, because it was just way too soon into treatment to be in that kind of pain. Today is treatment number 10 of 33, and he's just now starting to complain of a 'sunburn on the inside' of his throat, and he's having a little bit of stiffness in his jaw. My poor husband had gone from being healthy, to a biopsy, then tonsillectomy and neck disection two days later. 2 weeks after that all of his upper teeth were pulled. So, the natural balance of bacteria in his throat was all out of whack, which allowed the infection to take over.
Geez, I'm babbling.
In other words. No, it does not hurt to actually have the radiation treatment. And should take a few weeks before you start to feel the effects. My best advise is to read read read this entire board. Stock up now on things you think will help (L-Glutamine, cool mist humidifyer, etc.) Remember that everyone is different, and everyone reacts differently to these treatments.