Mouth Ulcers

[Mandy]

Hi, I am just wondering what treatments people use for mouth ulcers from chemotherapy. I have heard rinsing with salty water or bi carb soda is good. But how much and/or how often? Have you tried anything else and did it work for you? Thanks Mandy

[kj]

Mandy I used BI Carb during chemo so did a friend and it helped I gargled after eating sorry I can't remember if I used it more during the day kj

[Ron50]

Hi Mandy, I used to mix a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of bi-carb in a glass of warm water. Let it cool and use it as often as you like. I used to do it up to ten times a day and It kept my mouth in good shape.. You can try sucking ice whilst you are having chemo if it is via an infusion. That helps as well. Ron.

[Mandy]

Thank you to everyone for your help. Hubby never had problems with mouth ulcers but I will pass this onto my friend. She is already doing salt rinse but I will tell her to try bi carb. Mandy Xoxo

[ashes]

Hi I hope i am not too late in responding to this but it may help for the future. I use Sodium Bicarb Mouthwash. It help to clean all the dry and yucky crap from the tongue, cheeks and gums. Use it as often as you like. For the ulcers which are from low immunity and are like a type of thrush or other infection, get the doctor to give you a script for Nilstat Drops. They work really well and really quickly to kill the infection and stop the symptoms. Between these two things, and brushing every day, your mouth should be ok even when chemo, radiotherapy and low immunity try to make things miserable inside your mouth. Best wishes Ash

[caring_partner]

My husband suffered terribly from mouth ulcers one time so bad that he could hardly eat. We tried lots of things but nilstat drops worked almost immediately. I got the drops over the counter at the chemist. Take care Gail.

[brooklyngonzale]

Mandy, the salt and bi-carb rinses are usually the first things people recommend, and they can be quite soothing during chemotherapy. A common approach is about 1 teaspoon of salt or bi-carb soda in a glass of warm water, rinsing gently several times a day, particularly after meals and before bed.

Another thing that can help is keeping the mouth moist and avoiding spicy, acidic or very hot foods, as these can aggravate ulcers. A soft toothbrush is also worth using to reduce irritation.

Gentle oral hygiene and regular rinsing can make a real difference in keeping the mouth comfortable and reducing the risk of further irritation.

If the ulcers become severe or make it difficult to eat or drink, it would be a good idea for your friend to speak with the oncology team, as there are medicated mouthwashes and other treatments that may help. Wishing your friend all the best with treatment and recovery.

[Heids75]

I had terrible mouth ulcers. I started using salt water and tubes of bonjella. 
One day, I went into the surf and the next day I couldn’t believe all my mouth ulcers had gone. 
so, If you can brave the cold and get a big container  of water from the beach, or ask a surfer( like I did) to avoid sand in your container, I found it worked for me.