I just finished my second week of IMRT Radiation and have 4 or 5 more weeks left. The docs told me that I wouldn't be getting these till 4 weeks in, well i got them early.
The docs gave me 3 prescriptions. Oxycodone, ibuprofen and magic mouthwash.
I am wondering if someone else was given something or found something that helped more, or helped the sores heal up quick or any advice anyone can give me would be appreciated. I am in a lot of pain, and trying to fight to keep the peg feeding tube out, but if i cant even drink things without being in extreme pain, I will have to let them put it in.

Please help.

I couldn't stand magic mouthwash, and tried to avoid it unless waas absolutely necessary. In hindsight, it was pretty dumb - anything that takes away the pain is good. You should rinse your mouth with salt and soda diligently, that helps quite a bit with sores. I would take magic mouthwash AND percoset about 15 min before my ensure meal, and that made it easier. I was in a lot of pain last couple of weeks and a couple of weeks after rad (I had chemo too, so that didn't help), and got more and stronger fentanyl patches as well.

Just try everything you can. But rinse rinse rinse. It helps a lot.

It's a long road. A little over a year ago I didn't think I'd make it through. You are young, and that's a HUGE plus. Hang in there. PEG tube is not the end of the world, but if that's what you'll need to survive, then go for it. I managed without, but I had lost a lot of weight, which worked out well since I was overweight to start with.

Rinse your mouth with a combo of salt, baking soda and water. Recipe is aporx 16 oz qater, 2 tsp of baking soda and 2 tsp salt. If it burns decrease the amount of salt or even omit it. Rinse at lease 5 times per day more is better.

Before you eat or drink swish the magic mouthwash in your mouth for several seconds, then spit it out. It should calm your mouth enough to get you thru eating and drinking.

Unfortunately, the mouth sores are a very unpleasant part of rads. Do the best you can with keeping up with rinsing and magic mouthwash. Push yourself to get minimum 48 oz water in per day and 3000+ calories. If you arent able to do that then a PEG tube would be the practical solution. Its not anything most of us wanted to get but it is something that is a tremendous help in keeping your nutrition and water consumption where it should be. Even with a peg tube make sure you still swallow water every single day. Also you need to stretch your mouth open as wide as possible to avoid other problems later.

Best of luck with your treatments.

Christine pretty much said it all. I never got mouth sores real bad but everyone is different. I made sure to do the baking soda rinses often throughout the day. I used the magic mouthwash prior to trying to eat. I had the PEG tube in and I still lost 65+lbs, alot was due to a sensitive gag reflex that would cause me to vomit everything. The radiation was by far the worst part of treatment for me, you can get through this!!!

They say I need the peg tube now. I vomited up my pain meds and the magic mouthwash doesn't numb up my mouth sores. But they are saying they won't put it in till june 28th, which i don't know if that is a good idea. I cant eat or drink anything unless I get the pain meds and magic mouth wash down, and today i wasnt able to keep that down, so today was horrible. Saliva is getting really thick and I have huge sores on my tongue and on my lower gums and around my mucosa to my throat. I just wish there was a way to take something that would take away all the pain so i can get through this. I don't want the peg tube, but i cant do this anymore. And I am only in my 3rd week.

Im so sorry you are having this much difficulty so early in your treatments. Do not give up!!!!!! Keep using the meds to help you eat and drink. If you stop drinking, you will quickly get dehydrated. It will also make it so much harder to regain the ability to swallow later so drink every day.

Are you on the fentanyl patch? Ask you doc about it. Its changed every 72 hours and should take away most of your pain. Do you rinse your mouth with the combo if 16 oz water, 2 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp salt? You can omit the salt if it burns, but rinse at least 5 times per day, it will help. Musinex will also help with the mucous.

Believe it or not when you look back at this period of time next year, it will all look like a bad dream. This is just a short time of discomfort you must go thru to save your life. Keep posting, we are here to help you thru this. Best of luck with everything!

I second what Christine is telling you. Ask for other means of pain control to get you through this. DO NOT give up!
If you need to get the peg to get you through this then do so, just remember to keep swallowing!

I know that each minute of every day is a long process during this time but you can do it! I'm rooting for you!

I do rinse constantly with the mix of soda, water and salt. And they have me on oxycodone, 5mg/5ml 5-10ml every 4 hours and ibuprofen for inflammation 2 times per day. the magic mouthwash does nothing. I have sores all over my tongue part of my tongue. Luckily the transplant part of my tongue has nothing. But now they are saying i have to have the peg tube put in. I would have no problem if they could find a way to numb up the sores, thats the only thing that is making it so difficult for me to swallow right now.

They have scheduled for me to go in and get the peg tube put in on the 28th and couldn't do it sooner, so i have until then to try to figure something out, or I will have to have it in. Already was pretty dehydrated yesterday cuz of these sores. They burn whenever i put any liquid in my mouth.

Saliva is so thick i constantly have to get up and spit it out and rinse my mouth doesn't really help it. Its affecting my speech now, cuz whenever I talk I blow saliva bubbles, or my tongue hurts so i try to guard it.

Have you asked for the fentayl patch yet? It takes about 24 hrs for it to kick in. The medicine is so much stronger than what you are taking. You would only need to change the patch every 3 days and occassionally take some extra pain meds when it got bad.

Try drinking chocolate milk or yoohoo. I drank yoohoo the whole time my mouth was sore, it was soothing and had some vitamins in it plus much needed calories.

Bethers, I sent you a PM about viscous lidocaine. Very surprised your doctors haven't given you some!

D2