Has anyone had problems with mouth sores etc while having chemotherapy ?? and can they give any advice in how to cope with this problem as i read that it is a common side effect with chemotherapy
It's a common thing with some chemos because chemo tends to target fast growing cells, and you have fast growing cells in your mouth. The drugs can't differentiate between the two. A lowered immune system can also cause ulcers in cancer patients whom receive chemo. That's it explained in a simplistic manner, but that's the gist of it.
Mouth care. Once your mouth gets sore, you want to use a soft bristled brush. Not a medium or above. Some people even use a bona fide baby toothbrush. If you find toothpaste begins to hurt your mouth because of the mint, there's a toothpaste called "Oranurse" which can be bought from Amazon. It's made for people with painful oral conditions, people with altered taste and for people on chemo. It's tasteless. Alternatively, kids toothpaste works too. Because of the Uk's history with cavities in kids, kids toothpaste is fine for an adult.
Food, you want to stay away from tomatoes and tomato soups. They can really hurt. The other foods to avoid are just the more common sense ones such as spicy foods etc. Try to lay off coarse foods such as toast etc until things heal. Eggs and white meats are good.
If things get worse, you need to see your treating doctors again because things can get so bad that you just stop eating. you obviously want to avoid things getting to that point.
Not everyone who gets chemo gets ulcers or mouth problems. If problems do begin to occur, nip them in the bud straight away. Don't let the problem fester because it can stop you from eating. It's easier to treat an ulcer or 2 than it is a mouthful of ulcer and gum problem.Thrush is also a concern during chemo too.
You should also get a dental check up before any treatment begins. Once chemo starts, dental treatment is more risky. So get that check up prior. If you needed a tooth pulled during treatment, for example, you'd probably have to get that done at a dental hospital. Any teeth the dentist may have been watching or giving you problems here and there would either need fixed or pulled prior to any cancer treatment commencing.
Try to lay off the salt too because that dries your mouth out, and coupled with your treatment you want to avoid dry mouth.
Sorry to hear about your mouth sores - I also suffered with these thru chemo. Most definitely use Difflam mouth wash, without fail - twice daily. Drink plenty of water and avoid acidic foods. This really helped me. Good luck x
What i mean is if you have any old problematic root canals, loose fillings or decay, it needs fixed before the chemo starts. However, since you've just been to the dentist, all sounds fine.
