Once mouth sores develop, they're very painful. They also interfere with eating, and cancer patients need to take in nutrients. While this may seem like a minor problem in the face of everything else that's going on, be proactive about pain relief so that sores don't contribute to loss of appetite and weight. Again, pain relief may be a process of trial and error. Some options:
- Acetominophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen (choose based on other factors such as bleeding)
- Oral Benadryl
- Zinc lozenges
- Orabase/Kenalog dental salve (cover sores several times a day for faster healing)
- Lidocaine (brand name Xylocaine), an analgesic gel that stops pain temporarily
- Kaopectate and Carafate (use straight, swishing around the mouth to decrease irritation)
It's also a good idea to offer pain relief immediately prior to meals to avoid unwanted weight loss or nutrition problems. Try a combination of an oral pain medication, such as acetominophen, half an hour before eating and an analgesic gel (lidocaine or benzocaine) just before meals. If sores are in the back of the mouth, throat, or esophagus and make swallowing difficult, ask the doctor for the jelly form of lidocaine or benzocaine, and gargle it right before meals. There's also a spray form for sores on the roof of the mouth and throat. Some doctors will even recommend swallowing analgesic jelly if getting food down is a serious issue.
If you or the person you're caring for can't eat much at one sitting, opt for six small meals a day instead of three big ones, and concentrate on moist, soft foods. You can use liquid nutritional supplements to boost calories and nutrients if eating is just too hard.
