Heike - Just a note about the mouthwash. . . . My son went back and forth between two different mouthwashes - Magic Mouthwash and something else that was sold over the counter at the drugstore. When the first mouthwash wasn't working, the second one did. And then when the second one didn't work anymore, he went back to the first one which worked again. So It might be a good idea to check with the doctor about trying a different mouthwash. It helps to numb the mouth for a few minutes so that swallowing can be less painful. For my son, the two weeks after treatment ended were absolutely the worst with not wanting to drink or eat and being so very tired, sleeping a lot, to the point where I would often check to see if he was still breathing. But slowly, after the two week mark, he began to improve and each little improvement was celebrated because I could then see the light at the end of the tunnel. I had to record all his intake of food and water and when he argued about not wanting to drink, I would point to the chart on the refrigerator so he could see for himself that he hadn't had the daily quota of liquids. It's so hard to see someone you love suffering so, and sometimes you have to try different things before something works. It does get better so just hang in there.