My granddaugther pick up a prescription for me today, when I looked at it. it says use as directed, shake well and refrigerate, it's called magic mouth wash, any help? I also got a call from a lady wanting my credit card infro so she could send me the suplies I needed. She said after I receive them that a man would call and tell me how to use them.....I found 4 large syringes out on my porch didn't get no call back. I'm ready to scream, this don't seen right. I got a peg tube on Sept. 11th. nothing has been done since besides the staples taken out two weeks after surgereon got back from vatcation. no cleaning no instructions-. I started chemo and radiation on the 15th. my mouth has sores in it and all I can get is to stop treatment for a week. I can still eat and drink, just hurts some. Is this the way it goes or who should I hollow at?
Rubyann,
From Wikipedia, "magic mouthwash" may refer to a number of different formulations to be used as a mouthwash. Depending on the specific formulation, a magic mouthwash may treat infection, inflammation, and/or pain. Typically, magic mouthwashes are prescribed to treat the pain associated with oral ulcers caused by radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
Magic mouthwashes are typically compounded in a pharmacy from a number of ingredients specified in the prescription. A recipe should always be specified in a prescription, since there is no definitive recipe for "magic mouthwash". Before preparing a magic mouthwash, one should check for interactions between the ingredients.
Common ingredients include:
� Diphenhydramine - an antihistamine to reduce inflammation
� Glucocorticoids - to reduce inflammation
� Lidocaine - a local anesthetic to relieve pain
� Maalox - an antacid formulation which acts as a coating agent
� Nystatin- an antifungal for candidiasis
� Sucralfate - a coating agent
� Tetracycline - an antibiotic
� Erythromycin- an antibiotic
The magic mouthwash I used during my radiation therapy contained nystatin, tetracycline, and I believe something for inflammation (steriod). It also required refrigeration, tasted terrible (but they added some flavoring to improve taste). Also, make sure to shake well before using.
I was instructed to swish around my mouth for a least a minute, longer was even better. I was told not to swallow it (swish and spit), although others are instructed to swallow it. I think I used it 4 times a day.
The use instuctions on my bottle said to take as directed by my doctor. I would contact your doctor to find out what is in it, and for use instructions.
Mouth sores and ulcers are common and probably an expected part of RT. Mine started about 3 weeks into treatment, and lasted for a long time after I was done. The magic mouthwash should help that. My doctor also told me to rinse my mouth frequently (especially after eating) with baking soda and salt water rinse (I think it was 1/4 teaspoon of each in a glass of water).
I was prescribe pain medication, and also a number of medications for the skin (a cream and an ointment). My skin turned red, blistered, cracked, etc during treatment (again towards the end).
I did not have chemo nor a peg, but I imagine the syringes are for the peg.
Good luck and I hope you get the help and answers that you need.
Ruby
When you have a PEG tube, it must be flushed everyday. Let me appologize for my complete lack of medical terms here. First fill a cup with warm water, cold will give you a stomach ache and hot will burn you. Use a syringe to suck up the warm water. Take the long tube part and fold it in half up towards the part top part where you put stuff in. Be careful or it will leak all over. Then open the bigger part of the tube and put the syringe in there. Only now is it safe to let go of the folded part of the tube. Slowly push the plunger of the syringe down until its empty. Fold the tube part in half again, now take out the syringe and refill it and do it again.
I hope you can make sense of these directions, its pretty hard to give them to you over the internet. Its something a nurse should have taught you in person. The peg tube needs to be rinsed at lease once a day. I did mine twice per day. Once you get the hang of it, you can even put medicines thru there instead of struggling to take pills.
Magic mouthwash is exactly what Susan described. I basically used it to rinse my mouth to soothe it before trying to eat. It will help numb your mouth so eating is easier and will help so your mouth doesnt hurt so much.
The MM I used had 3 different narcotics in the formula. It was my Drs compound. I just swished it around for a couple of minutes then spit it out. I had 2 different instructions. One was the swish and spit and the other was swish and swallow. LOL I had to ask the Dr what in the heck I was supposed to do. Spit it was.
What I do is insert the empty syringe into the PEG tube, then pour whatever into the syringe's large end, then insert the plunger. Less potential for spillage.
Keep on drinking water as much as possible to keep your throat open and to maintain the ability to swallow -- Easier to keep it than to get it back!
I didn't see in your previous posts.... where are you being treated and who is your lead doctor?
I an being treated at a small cancer center. I have a chemo doc. and a ratiation doctor there. I have a ENT who did surgery in July. I got the peg Sept 11th. and nothing has been done to it and no one will show me what to do. A lady was trying to tell me on the phone today how to use it and she said part of it was missing A blue thing that she would sent me one. I have a valve non sterile M90000. I'm starting my 4th. week of chemo and radiation. I have mouth sores, but still eat good, just don't teaste that good. First sign of sores they wanted to stop treatment for a week, I said no so they stoped treatments fri and MOn. I stay on the phone trying to find someone or something my insurance will paid. The mouth wash I just been holding in my mouth for a while them spiting it out. I'm so sick of this, everyone is so nice and sweet, get a lot of hugs, and I'm sorry I'll try to find out. thats the end of it. sorry to rant I'm at the end of my rope and not even half way.
Rubyann,
There is a picture of a PEG tube on the site. It looks just like mine and yours should be similar.
http://www.nuh.com.sg/healthinfo/gastrointes/PEG/1_what_is_peg.aspAlso consider calling the doctor who put it in.
Ruby:
That picture Don sent you is exactly what my tube looks like. You wont see the round part on the right, thats what is inside your stomach.
You need help with that right away, so you can learn to flush it. Next time you go for treatment, ask a nurse. Dont leave til somebody takes a couple minutes and shows you how to flush it out. Its not something that is easily explained over the internet or phone, you need to see it done in person. I know the nurses there are for chemo and radiation, but most will know how to use the tube. Another good source for help is a nutritionist, most facilities have one. Just keep asking til somebody shows you.
my peg is a brown one that was put in thur stomache, has 23 staples and 2 stiches to hold it in place. It has a funny end on it. it has 2 openings, 1 has a plug. the other one has a 5 ways, 1 goses in tube, the others who know, 1 is a turn off or down, 1 on the side has a plug, 1 on top is un moveable plug I think. I have heard no 1 talk about 1 like this, the lady on the phone today. said a piece was missing, she is supose to call the canaer center tomorrow and tell them what to do over the phone. step by step. I have laughed about this and cried even more. I'll make it' thanks 4 all the help.
1 of the doctors at the hospital before I come home thought it was too long and bend it up and twisted it with a rubber band. it's 14 inch with tip. don't know how much is inside.
I simply held the tube up, poured the medications and Jevity in and let gravity do its work. Didn't take long and I like that better than pushing with syringe. Hang in there.
Well got the peg tube working at the cancer center today. A nurse come in and I showed her and told her what was going on she said she would take care of it and this one came back and did something. At first she tried to fugue out which place the water went in, She knew a litlle about it, she was going to turn the dail to the side and put it in side, I asked why, she couldn't just put a s imple plug in it, she said, would you wheather have a plug and I said yes, so she put a plug, took off the rubber band and put some water thur it them had me to do it, how simple and easy to use. Why couldn't this been done to start with, why do they put you thur hell when you already feel so bad. She told me all about it and gave me papers on how and what to do and to call her or the Doctor if I had any problem. Funny i'm startting my 4th. week into chemo and radiation and just getting this done.
The magic wash, I told her I cleaned my mouth good after eating and put it in and sulsh it around for a few mins. and spit. She said it was better to swallow, because of sores in the the throat. I seen a new doctor today becauce the one was on vacation, He was very nice. He said I had two choices, go ahead and have treatment with the sores or wait a week and then treat a couple of weeks and wait a week....so on. I told him I didn't want to prolong the treatments that way. unless it would damage my body by going ahead. he said it wouldn't matter besides the pain and being able to eat. so I'm going ahead non stop (praying) He talked about a lot of different pain meds and ways to to do it. Thanks all, bet I'm the dumbest one on here, at least I feel like it now. have a great day.
Rubyann,
I'm glad to hear you were able to get some answers at the cancer center today. And there is no such thing as a dumb question - I always had a list each time I went to see one of my doctors. Feel free to ask questions here - I'm sure someone from this great group will be able to provide some answers based on their experience. And your questions will help others as well.
Good luck getting through the rest of the treatment. The next few weeks will be rough, but I felt the same way in wanted to get it done and then move on to the healing.
Ruby
Im so glad you finally got some help with your peg tube. Just remember to flush it now daily. You can also use it to take liquid meds. Just make sure you ask your doctor before you put meds in there. Some cant be crushed or are time release and that wouldnt work you would get very ill. Good that you are using the magic mouthwash, it will come in handy.
Rubyann Hi,
My hubby just had his PEG tube inserted on the 3rd of Oct. We've felt a little uninformed as well. If you goggle PEG tube there are a lot of great sites that explain care and use. But most importantly I'd tell your Dr. that ordered it that you are NOT getting proper assistence with how to use and care for it. Also, don't give any of your personal info over the phone. You never know who it is that is calling. and there are too many con's going on out there that target people just like us. There are usually more then one home health organization that can assist you with this and if the one that is suppose to be taking care of you is not, then I'd ask your prescibing dr. who else you can use.
Also, about the magic rinse. Yup, we we're a bit confused about it too. The directions on the bottle say swish once every 4 hrs. Well pooh! that's not much help. his magic rinse is a combo of 3 things. Lidocaine, dipenhis and antac. His (MO) ordered it on Monday and we just talked to my Hubby's (RO) yesterday. He said to only swish and swallow evry 4 hours as needed but he could swish as much as he needed as long as he didn't swallow. ~shug~ I'm taking the bottle in today and getting a definite explanation on how and when to use this stuff. Just swishing once every 4 hrs is pretty useless in my book.
Speaking of new medications and questions about them. Our (MO) also ordered flucan on Monday. It's suppose to treat fungal infections. Well, I'm use to the kind that you rinse and spit. This one says take by mouth once a day. ???.. So I called the pharmacist to verify.( the rinse and spit kind should never be swallowed. So I was concerned) She said, "well that's what the Dr. ordered." My response was well ok. but should he really be swallowing it? is it ok? She finally then advised it was an oral suspension and yes he could swallow it. Geeze! Well anyway to top it all off Hubby had a hypersensitive reastion to it last night. His face and neck turned bright red and he had some seroius stomach pain going on. eek! Luckily his breathing was not affected or I would have been hauling him in to the ER lickity split. Needless to say I'm not giving THAT to him again. And I'm also taking it in to the Dr. today to see the directions on the bottle and see if that is what he really ordered. I find our pharmacists are a great resource and they have been really helpful to us thru all this. But communication is the key and it isn't unheard of for persciptions to get messed up by improper interpretation of information given on the script. Anyway what I'm getting at is don't hesitate to have your prescribing phys. elaborate on dosage and proper use of a med when he writes the script. That way you can be sure the directions on the bottle match up to what your dr. intended. I've learned my lesson and am going to question the Dr. on every aspect of a new med for now on.
Take care Rubyann, and insist to your home health care organization that you want them at your home now! and if they want your personal information for billing then they need to come get it in person. I'm concerned about thier professionalism. SO if your not comfortable with how they're handling this let your Dr. know right away and see about getting another organiztion instead.
Our organiztion NPHC was out the day after Hubby got his PEG. She had a whole two weeks of supplies for us plus 3 cases of formula. She showed us how to clean and care for the site and how to flush it. And will be out again in a week to check up on us and show us how to start feeding if we are needing to use it then for that. Your's should be doing the same for you as well.
Please let me know how your doing. Best wishes, ~Ija~
Ruby, thinking of you and hope you are doing ok.
Ruby
Hope you are hanging in there. Keep in touch when you can.