When I had chemo I found swilling the mouth with 1tsp bicarb of soda dissolved in a small tumbler of water much more effective than any of the mouth washes. I also found sucking icecubes/ice lollies soothing. If eating is difficult & your Mum starts to lose weight, she will need to add calories to whatever she can eat to keep her strength up. It is so important to do this otherwise the body struggles to overcome all these lovely chemo side effects. So if ice cream is all she can eat on the days her mouth is really sore then just go for it!

Best of luck!

When I had chemo I found swilling the mouth with 1tsp bicarb of soda dissolved in a small tumbler of water much more effective than any of the mouth washes. I also found sucking icecubes/ice lollies soothing. If eating is difficult & your Mum starts to lose weight, she will need to add calories to whatever she can eat to keep her strength up. It is so important to do this otherwise the body struggles to overcome all these lovely chemo side effects. So if ice cream is all she can eat on the days her mouth is really sore then just go for it!

Best of luck!

Hello everyone,

I thought I would also point you in the direction of this page on our website which is about treating mouth problems. Don't hesitate also to ring our nurses for advice on 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm - it's a free number from UK landlines.

There have also been several threads on the topic of mouth ulcers. Have a look here and also here  for our most recent contributions on the subject.

I hope this helps!

Best wishes,

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator