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Sore tongue and trouble swallowing

fandaj
fandaj CSN Member Posts: 81
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi to all the regulars out there. Your advice has all been helpful so far. I have had 8 chemo treatments and during the last treatment I did not suck on ice chips during the session. (That was advice I got from someone to help avoid mouth sores) I don't have any visible sores but the back of my tongue is sore and very tender and I also have difficulty swallowing. This started the afternoon of the chemo session (3 days so far). Could it be because I didn't have the ice or is this just something I will have to deal with. I have started rinsing my mouth with baking soda and salt in warm water. Any advice out there? Thanks, Arlene
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Comments

  • spongebob
    spongebob CSN Member Posts: 2,565 Member
    #2
    Arlene -

    Try Ora-Jel swabs. They contain a numbing agent as well as an antibacterial agent. You can get them OTC (be sure to check with your doc first) and they work very well.

    Be well.

    - Sponge Bob
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  • StacyGleaso
    StacyGleaso CSN Member Posts: 1,233 Member
    #3
    spongebob said:

    Arlene -

    Try Ora-Jel swabs. They contain a numbing agent as well as an antibacterial agent. You can get them OTC (be sure to check with your doc first) and they work very well.

    Be well.

    - Sponge Bob

    Hi Arlene!

    Although I never had mouth sores, I believe SpoongeBob is right (as usual!)...And wasn't it thoughtful of him to wake up at 5:33 AM to post that message for you? Take Care & Good Luck,

    Stacy
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  • cheer3
    cheer3 CSN Member Posts: 105 Member
    #4
    Bless you, I think its just part of the chemo.Have you called your Dr? He can give you a magic mouth wash that is wonderful. I did not know about the ice when I was on the 5FU/L.I also had throat troche(MYCELEX)plus he had me on bland food. I found liquid worked best.Hope this helps.
    Cheer
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  • fandaj
    fandaj CSN Member Posts: 81
    #5
    cheer3 said:

    Bless you, I think its just part of the chemo.Have you called your Dr? He can give you a magic mouth wash that is wonderful. I did not know about the ice when I was on the 5FU/L.I also had throat troche(MYCELEX)plus he had me on bland food. I found liquid worked best.Hope this helps.
    Cheer

    Hi Cheer (Nice name): I went to chemo today. Didn't see the dr. but the nurse checked my mouth (said it seemed red), checked my blood (numbers were OK). She spoke to dr. and he prescribed antibiotics. Hopefully it is just symptoms of a bad cold I can't get rid of and will go away soon. Thanks for your advice and concern. Arlene
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  • jatag
    jatag CSN Member Posts: 6
    #6
    Hi fandaj.... I have been on 5fu at varying strengths for about 4 years..... when they are hitting me really hard with the 5 fu my mouth gets really sore and it feels like a sore throat and more..... my doc prescribed a mouth rinse called "Stanford Formula" it helps a lot when my mouth is really irritated..... hope it helps.... laters..... jatag
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