Mouth Sores from chemo: When do they go away?

Posted by walkingmom @walkingmom, Dec 24, 2022

Any suggestions for mouth sores? Mine started a few days after my first infusion of Taxotere and Cyclophosphamide. Am using Magic Mouthwash consisting of lidocaine, maalox and benadryl with baking soda, salt and water rinse in between. Day 4 and no relief. For those of you who've had them, do they not go away until all infusions are complete? If so, I don't think I can handle it 🙁

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I have invasive ductal carcinoma and am doing 4 infusions. I finally started noticing an improvement yesterday and am much better today. So I guess my duration is 5-7 days. Got a plan for prevention next infusion which is the salt, baking soda and water rinse followed by StellaLife rinse and gel 4X a day.

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@colleenyoung

Welcome @walkingmom, in addition to @latebloomer’s suggestion, I think @loribmt @adanab @esperanzam and others have experience with chemo-related mucositis (mouth sores) and may have helpful tips and how long they had mucositis.

Walkingmom, may I ask what type of cancer you have? How many infusions are planned for your treatment?

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I have Essential Thrombocythemia. I take oral Hydroxyurea capsules twice daily. I also take an oral inhaler for a separate pulmonary condition. SO I have several possible reasons for occasional mouth sores. Right now they seem to be a little better. I do get heartburn with the oral chemotherapy and have ever since I first started taking it 7 - 1/2 years ago. SO I hava to take an acid reducer as well. When I have mouth sores, using a solution of 1/2 water 1/2 peroxide for 3-4 days several times a day seems to help.

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@esperanzam

I have Essential Thrombocythemia. I take oral Hydroxyurea capsules twice daily. I also take an oral inhaler for a separate pulmonary condition. SO I have several possible reasons for occasional mouth sores. Right now they seem to be a little better. I do get heartburn with the oral chemotherapy and have ever since I first started taking it 7 - 1/2 years ago. SO I hava to take an acid reducer as well. When I have mouth sores, using a solution of 1/2 water 1/2 peroxide for 3-4 days several times a day seems to help.

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P.S. From esperanzam: So far I have had this blood type cancer I have in control with this treatment. I have regular bloodwork to make sure the chemo dose is enough to keep the platelets from proliferating to a dangerous level. It has been a roller coaster at times but for my age (72) I am doing fairly well. What I have is not curable but it is treatable. If not treated I could have blood clots/stroke/etc.
I have read a lot about it and other similar type cancers and I try to be aware of any changes in my body. I think it helps to know more about the type of cancer one has and what to do and not do in order to help in the treatments.

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my sister gets infusions for 3 years now for lung cancer and she keeps having really
bad soars in her mouth, she has tried a lot of rinses for the mouth, nothing has worked.
they kill, but nothing she can do about it, it is a side effect. look it up.

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I take chemo pills, vs infusions, and for that found that wrapping the pills in pieces of marshmallow ended the mouth sores. Sorry this won’t work for
you 🙁

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@walkingmom I had a ton of mouth sores with chemo. I used the magic mouthwash when I got them, as often as I needed it to remain comfortable. Like you they typically resolved in about 5 days until the next infusion. The other rinses used for prevention tended to make them more painful. I would use the prevention which did make me get less of them and smaller. Then when I got a sore, I switched to the magic mouthwash for comfort and healing.
If I read your post right, you only have 3 more infusions, is this correct? How are you doing with this otherwise, any other side effects?

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Yes, 3 to go. I felt the baking soda and salt rinse gave me the most healing. The magic mouthwash just numbed. I’m thankful my side effects have been minimal. The mouth sores were the worst of it. I’ve had blurry vision and neuropathy but even that’s improved the past couple days.

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My integrative medicine doctor recommended honey in addition to the baking soda/salt rinse. I feel it helped and it’s pleasant. Manuka honey is beneficial but expensive.

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What is the magic mouth wash? Is it for people who get mouth soars from HU?

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It’s for mouth sores from cause I think. It numbs (lidocaine) and for some people heals the sores. Others say baking soda & salt & Ive heard but not tried with honey heals. Magic Mouthwash needs to be mixed at a compounding pharmacy and my insurance (Medicare) won’t cover it. About $60.

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