I've got Thrush so bad. What can I do?

Trubrit
Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

I've had Thrush (tongue fungus) for the last four chemo treatments. I've been on Nystatin and Diflucan but this session it has been the worst yet.

My tongue is just covered with fuzz, it feels swollen and numb, I hate not being able to taste my food.  And I have that lump feeling at the back of the tongue. 

Anyone else had Thursh really bad? And what did you do to make it feel better or get rid of it.

A plea from someone who wants to taste food again.

Comments

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #2
    My beau has had the 'pleasure'....

    And he would swish warm salt water around in his mouth, gargle it, and spit it out...

    Along with the meds (I think they were the same as yours...he's asleep, I will ask him later), that seemed to do the trick...

     

    Sending comforting hugs, Kathi

  • angelsbaby
    angelsbaby Member Posts: 1,165 Member
    #3
    miracle mouth wash

    ask your dr  it helped my husband

     

    michelle

  • PatchAdams
    PatchAdams Member Posts: 271
    #4
    Gentian Violet is used for infants with thrush

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DR600723

  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #5
    ahhh

    ahhh you poor thing.....thrush is miserable....I still get it after no chemo for 4 years.  I find the anti-candida diet really helps....you have to cut out all sugar....no soda no nothing....try googling the diet and you will get a feel for it....so no yeast so no bread products, no fungus of any kind, no sugar.....I try to eat just protein and fresh veg and usually feel better within 3 or 4 days.  Oil of oregeno in water, apple cider vinegar, yogurt with lactobacilus....are some of the other things I use

    best of luck Brit

    mags

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #6
    maglets said:

    ahhh

    ahhh you poor thing.....thrush is miserable....I still get it after no chemo for 4 years.  I find the anti-candida diet really helps....you have to cut out all sugar....no soda no nothing....try googling the diet and you will get a feel for it....so no yeast so no bread products, no fungus of any kind, no sugar.....I try to eat just protein and fresh veg and usually feel better within 3 or 4 days.  Oil of oregeno in water, apple cider vinegar, yogurt with lactobacilus....are some of the other things I use

    best of luck Brit

    mags

    NOOOOOOOO!

    That is not what I wanted to hear.  HA!

    I want ALL side effects to cease once I'm done with Chemo. 

    Oh gosh! How I hate all of this. My life has been turned upside down.

    Thank you for your advice, mags. I might not like it, but I will do what I can to follow it. 

    SUE

  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    #7
    Trubrit said:

    NOOOOOOOO!

    That is not what I wanted to hear.  HA!

    I want ALL side effects to cease once I'm done with Chemo. 

    Oh gosh! How I hate all of this. My life has been turned upside down.

    Thank you for your advice, mags. I might not like it, but I will do what I can to follow it. 

    SUE

    Do you swish daily with

    Do you swish daily with baking soda and a bit of salt ..... I'm supposed to do this a couple of times a day to prevent mouth sores  (honeslty haven't had any mouth issues other than that cracked tooth that got infected) .... but they still insist I do this to prevent anything .....  I'm guilty of not following through with their instructions but I will at first sign of anything.  So, give that a try if you haven't  baking soda with a bit of sea salt in warm water a couple of times a day.    

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #8
    smokeyjoe said:

    Do you swish daily with

    Do you swish daily with baking soda and a bit of salt ..... I'm supposed to do this a couple of times a day to prevent mouth sores  (honeslty haven't had any mouth issues other than that cracked tooth that got infected) .... but they still insist I do this to prevent anything .....  I'm guilty of not following through with their instructions but I will at first sign of anything.  So, give that a try if you haven't  baking soda with a bit of sea salt in warm water a couple of times a day.    

    Wishy washy

    I do try to swish every day, even though it makes me gag. 

    I don't think it will help the Thrush though. 

    I am prone to mouth sore, even before this whole chemo thing. 

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #9
    Doctor

    It was already suggested but ask your doctor for the Miracle Mouth Wash.  My pharmacy had no clue what it was so it might have to be made up specifically from your doctor's office.  It works great on mouth issues.  Hope it gets better soon as it makes it hard to eat, drink or talk when your mouth is not feeling well.  You shouldn't have to go through more than you already are.  Hope you feel better soon.

    Kim

  • fighting_ big_c
    fighting_ big_c Member Posts: 64
    #10
    Annabelle41415 said:

    Doctor

    It was already suggested but ask your doctor for the Miracle Mouth Wash.  My pharmacy had no clue what it was so it might have to be made up specifically from your doctor's office.  It works great on mouth issues.  Hope it gets better soon as it makes it hard to eat, drink or talk when your mouth is not feeling well.  You shouldn't have to go through more than you already are.  Hope you feel better soon.

    Kim

    I wonder

    I wonder what you are talking about is what my mom complained about the other day. What chemo regimen are you in again? My mom's tongue has this black spots. Do you have that too? My mom started her 2nd cycle last Wednesday and she complained about no taste and appetite. I wonder if it is from that feeling on her tongue.

     

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #11
    fighting_ big_c said:

    I wonder

    I wonder what you are talking about is what my mom complained about the other day. What chemo regimen are you in again? My mom's tongue has this black spots. Do you have that too? My mom started her 2nd cycle last Wednesday and she complained about no taste and appetite. I wonder if it is from that feeling on her tongue.

     

    Thrush

    No black spots for me, just a tongue covered with a white (or when I eat, it takes on the predominant colour) covered tongue.  It feels swollen, though I can look at it and know its now. It feels numb around the edges. 

    The worst part is NOT being able to taste my food (I do so love my food) and thus, I don't have much of an appitite.

    I don't know if Thrush (reminds me of The Man from UNCLE) will cause the black spots, but anything out of the normal, I would have your mum consult her Oncologist or Doctor. 

  • XenaDB
    XenaDB Member Posts: 2
    #12
    Magic mouthwash....

    I've had the same joys.  Just last week I remembered to ask my Dr about the mouthwash.  See wrote a prescription and had it sent to my pharmacy.  It is a mix of Nystatin and Lidocaine.  For some reason my fluff brain was unable to fathom they couldn't compound or mix it for me, but gave me any and all supplies and advice I could need.  It's funky, but a relief if only for a while. It's kind of like having novacaine at the dentist, but more widespread.  Good luck!

    Donna

  • Maxiecat
    Maxiecat Member Posts: 544 Member
    #13
    The magic mouthwash worked

    The magic mouthwash worked for me.  It has to be compounded.  My insurance did not cover it...it was $65...but we'll worth it.  In a few days I got some of my taste back and the white stuff disappeared.  I had to take it for 2 to 3 days starting on the first day of infusion of Folfox.

     

    alex

  • Coloncancerblows
    Coloncancerblows Member Posts: 296 Member
    #14
    Trubrit said:

    NOOOOOOOO!

    That is not what I wanted to hear.  HA!

    I want ALL side effects to cease once I'm done with Chemo. 

    Oh gosh! How I hate all of this. My life has been turned upside down.

    Thank you for your advice, mags. I might not like it, but I will do what I can to follow it. 

    SUE

    I'm with you Sue.  No way

    I'm with you Sue.  No way could I give up all that good stuff! haha

     

  • thxmiker
    thxmiker Member Posts: 1,278 Member
    #15
    Trubrit said:

    NOOOOOOOO!

    That is not what I wanted to hear.  HA!

    I want ALL side effects to cease once I'm done with Chemo. 

    Oh gosh! How I hate all of this. My life has been turned upside down.

    Thank you for your advice, mags. I might not like it, but I will do what I can to follow it. 

    SUE

    3 years for me

    I still get flare ups from 2010.   I find when I eat to much sugar, I get flare ups.  I pretty much stopped eating sugar and it went away.  Alcohol free mouth washes do help. When I go to a party and have a piece of cake, I can get a flare up the next day.  I brush my teeth a lot and mouth wash when ever I think about it, and it goes away in 1-2 days.

     

    Best Always,  mike

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