Ice Chips, Mucosistis & Chemo

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Bunnymom
Bunnymom Member Posts: 212 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I'm just starting my second round (2 of 7) 5 day inpatient, 5FU & Hydrea along with 1x day radiation To my neck. 

I did did pretty well the first round, however I had mouth & throat sores starting at about day 5 chemo and progressing into about day 5 post chemo. The mouth sores made it Difficult to eat And swallow. 

RX for MuGard did not help me with the mouth sores. I have read research that sucking on ice chips (cryotherapy) during and post chemo infusion helps to prevent or minimize mouth sores. I'm trying this but in my case, since chemo is 24 hour infusion over 5 days each round, the ice chips may be a challenge. 

Im wondering if anyone has had success with ice chips. 

Thank you!

BunnyMom

Comments

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #2
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    mugard isn't a miracle

    for these muth sores, although some have reported fair results.  You should request magic mouthwash, most of us have had good results with that.  There are several different formulations for this.  Make sure yours contains viscous xylocaine.    I would also talk to your oncologist about the ice chips.  Ice chips decrease blood flow to the mouth and throat, so at least theorectally they may decrease the effectiveness of chemotherapy designed to treat mouth or throat cancer.

     

     

    best to you

     

    pat

  • KB56
    KB56 Member Posts: 318 Member
    #3
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    Mucosistis & Chemo

    Bunnymom, week 2 starting soon and I hope you're few days off allowed you to recover a bit before restarting.   At the end of this week you'll have 2 down and getting closer to the finish line with every treatment.

    I didn't have the chemo you are having and i did not have MuGard either so I can't comment on them.   If ice chips seem to help them by all means use them to your heart's content.   I found gargling/swiching with warm salt water followed by cool baking soda helped me out about as much as anything, an you can do it as often as you want (like the ice chips).   As Pat mentioned, the Magic Mouthwash helped as well as it had some pain killer, benedryl, nystatin and one other item so it was like a cocktail of stuff that allievated the symptoms.   My doctor didnt' offer it until I had Thrush and some other symptons and it would have helped if I had it earlier.  

    Good luck this week as you start and finish week 2!   Before you know it you will have all of this behind you. 

    Stay Strong,

    Keith

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #4
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    i didn't have chemo so i

    i didn't have chemo so i can't help but i wanted you to know I'm praying for things to get better for you.  I'm sorry you're already having problems.  it just breaks my heart to see all the damage and pain this disease and tx causes.  will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

    God bless you,

    dj

  • PJ47
    PJ47 Member Posts: 376
    #5
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    Hello

    My mouth sores started on day 8 of radiation and they were so bad that my R/O stopped the rads for 4 days and said I was "hyper reactive"  whatever that means.  She revised my radiation plan and in the meantime, I used the Magic Mouthwash to survive but did not drink anymore than I needed  or talk much due to the pain.  It is bad.  I did go to my Dentist who used a diode laser (low level red spectrum light) on the sides of my tongue to try and heal the sores and guess what, I was able to eat and talk the next morning!  It worked great.  Dentists have this for canker sores and it works on radiation mouth sores.  Ask your team about it.  Good luck and it will pass.  

    PJ

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #6
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    PJ47 said:

    Hello

    My mouth sores started on day 8 of radiation and they were so bad that my R/O stopped the rads for 4 days and said I was "hyper reactive"  whatever that means.  She revised my radiation plan and in the meantime, I used the Magic Mouthwash to survive but did not drink anymore than I needed  or talk much due to the pain.  It is bad.  I did go to my Dentist who used a diode laser (low level red spectrum light) on the sides of my tongue to try and heal the sores and guess what, I was able to eat and talk the next morning!  It worked great.  Dentists have this for canker sores and it works on radiation mouth sores.  Ask your team about it.  Good luck and it will pass.  

    PJ

    BunnyMom

    I suffered terribly with sores on my lips during my initial rads/Cisplatin so I sympathize with you. I have heard others comment favorably about the diode laser PJ mentioned above. If I had known about it, I would have given anything a try when I was so miserable.

    Good luck

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #7
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    PJ47 said:

    Hello

    My mouth sores started on day 8 of radiation and they were so bad that my R/O stopped the rads for 4 days and said I was "hyper reactive"  whatever that means.  She revised my radiation plan and in the meantime, I used the Magic Mouthwash to survive but did not drink anymore than I needed  or talk much due to the pain.  It is bad.  I did go to my Dentist who used a diode laser (low level red spectrum light) on the sides of my tongue to try and heal the sores and guess what, I was able to eat and talk the next morning!  It worked great.  Dentists have this for canker sores and it works on radiation mouth sores.  Ask your team about it.  Good luck and it will pass.  

    PJ

    BunnyMom

    I suffered terribly with sores on my lips during my initial rads/Cisplatin so I sympathize with you. I have heard others comment favorably about the diode laser PJ mentioned above. If I had known about it, I would have given anything a try when I was so miserable.

    Good luck

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