mouthcare with chemo

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1

Hi
I wondered if anyone has any tips on mouthcare with chemo. I had my first session last week and now have the foulest taste in my mouth and it feels all rough, dry and wooly. I’ve tried mints and keep drinking lots but its not working. I also have a really sore nose to go with it. Any tips please??
Helen x

2

Hi Lolly

There is a thread called ‘Top tips for chemo’ which you can access here, users have put helpful info and advice here which you may find helpful:

breastcancercare.org.uk/forum/top-tips-to-help-get-you-through-chemotherapy-t19110.html

Best wishes
Lucy

3

Hi lolly

On my first chemo my mouth completely dried out after I used the mouth wash from the chemo unit. My gums were dry and my taste buds disappeared. So after reading top tips for chemo I changed to using pineapple juice for chemo two. It was much better. My gums and mouth was much less dry and although it didn’t get rid of the awful taste I still kept some taste buds. By the way I personally found the taste was worse when I ate lots of carbs so tried more veg and protein. Top tips is very useful though, but not everything works for everyone. Good luck dx

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It’s horrid isn’t it? I found cold juicy fruit helped like water melon and grapes. It does get better tho. Am on fifth cycle and during the last week of each cycle do far my mouth has settled and I could enjoy food and drink again. Good luck.

5

Hi

Not sure if this is true but think I read that fresh pineapple is better than tinned. Certainly for mouth ulcers I think this is so as it is an enzyme in the fresh stuff that encourages healing. The enzyme may be destroyed on heating during canning process I guess. That came from the hospital oncology unit leaflet so must be safe to eat. and it worked for me last time, ulcers went overnight. Not had any this time, mouth furry and bad taste.

Same leaflet said for bad taste use Weleda Medical Gargle , it has Myrrh in it, waiting for it to arrive, I ordered from Weleda website, will try anything - about £7 but about £3 postage - Boots would prob order it in . or any other chemist I expect. Hope it works, will just get it all sorted by Chemo 6 !!!

Yep - i sleep with box of grapes by the bed (keep in frig to really cool down), keeps me hydrated at night but I get rid of the skins in case fall asleep and choke.

Will try cutting down on carbs but crave them after chemo. Also crave soup, so thats good.

Best Wishes Kirsty

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Hi Weleda Medical MOuthwash - contains Myrrh - tried if for first time tonight as bad taste in mouth getting to me - IT HAS WORKED but could be a short term thing. will use it several times tomorrow and see what happens.

Day 1 today after FEC 3 yesterday.

Kirsty

7

Hi all

I found that cutting fresh pineapple into chunks and freezing them so I could suck them helped a great deal and stopped me getting mouth ulcers. As previously said there is something in fresh pineapple and having it frozen was lovely on a sore mouth.

All the best Anne x x