I posted this on the wrong thread... SORRY!!!! Even though the Magic Mouthwash was discussed recently on another members thread I wanted to bring it over here to your own thread to continue any conversation on it so it wont take away for anyone elses questions.


Magic mouthwash (MM) is a combination of a few ingredients which can vary. The kind I used was made of lidocaine, Maalox** and Benedryl***. In the US only the lidocaine requires getting a prescription from the doc. Maalox and Benedryl are over the counter meds. Some patients get a different version of the MM, often nystatin is added to cure thrush. When you talk to your doc about MM, ask if this is something you can mix at home yourself. You may only need the doc to write a prescription for liquid lidocaine if Maalox and Benedryl are over the counter items. Im very sorry, unfortunately I do not know what portions of which item are to recreate the MM but your doctor or pharmacist may know. Ive used MM on and off for over 6 years my ongoing health issues. Sometimes pharmacies arent the right "type" of a formulary pharmacy and have sent me with my prescription to another drug store where they do make medication concoctions.

Another thing to mention about the MM is always swish it around in your mouth for 30+ seconds... I always tried to make it to the 1 minute mark, then spit it out. Even if you get a prescription for it and it says swallow it... DO NOT SWALLOW IT!!!! MM can create issues for patients by numbing everything so much as it goes down patients arent able to feel when they are choking, so whatever you do if you are able to get the MM, be careful and DO NOT SWALLOW it. Its always better to be safe than sorry.


** Maalox... an antacid thick liquid medication that coats the esophagus all the way down to coat your stomach, its used for minor stomach aches, gas, bloating, nausea (the mild kind, NOT what OC patients get!!!), diarrhea, etc.

***Benedryl.... another over the counter antihistamine thats used for colds and/or allergies, runny noses, watery eyes, scratchy throat, it helps alleviate swelling caused by an allergic reaction, hives

Hope this extra info helps!!!



PS... I dont mean to confuse anyone reading this, but Id like to clarify some feeding tube info. I wanted to further explain about US feeding tubes, your recent post said the UK has different feeding tubes than in the US. Im not sure what it was called in the UK but theres actually several different kinds here. in the US we have several different ones. The most common is the PEG tube which stands for Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy or sometimes called a G-tube. This type of feeding tube is surgically placed thru the abdominal wall into the stomach with a small balloon inside the patients stomach to hold it in place. Theres the nasogastric tube also called a nasal feeding tube or a NG tube. The nasal tube requires no surgery, its more of a temporary feeding tube not meant for long term use. The NG tube is a very thin tube that goes up thru the nose, down the throat and into the stomach. It can easily be inserted and removed at any time, its great for those patients who dont mind putting it in and taking it out or some will leave it in taping it to their face. Theres the J/G tube or some reverse it and say its a G/J tube?? Many feeding tube patients are not even aware of the 3rd kind the J/G option. The J/G tube is not normally the first kind of feeding tube patients are given. The J is for jejunostomy and the G is gastrostomy. is done surgically where the regular PEG tube goes into the stomach and theres a second tube inside that goes into the large intestine. The top of the J/G feeding tube has 3 "ports" with one going into the stomach and the second very tiny thin tube on another "port" that completely bypasses the stomach. This works best for people who have overly sensitive stomachs or had previous feeding tube complications. Many who have the J/G tube will use one port for meds and the other to take their formula in thru. The third port is for nurses using a shot needle to put something into the patients stomach or large intestines. The 4th kind is the MIC KEY button which is another type doctors normally do not offer their patients. Its small without the long tube so its much more comfortable than the bulky PEG or J/G tubes are. It comes with an attachment tube (for feedings) which pretty much turns it into the PEG feeding tube. Its just a little round disc (like the plunger holding the PEG feeding tube in place) with a plastic flip top lid thats inserted thru a small cut into the abdominal wall for the inner tube to go into the patients stomach. This type is preferable for children so they dont end up hurting themselves by pulling on the J/G or G tubes hanging out of their abdomens. The biggest downside to this type is it needs to be frequently replaced... at home by the patient and/or caregiver. Hope I didnt overload anyone with too much info!!! Feeding tubes can be problematic for patients and caregivers as they do not usually get the most attention after they are put in so too often patients and/or caregivers feel like their on their own to figure that kind of thing out which is NOT easy!!! Too many things can and do happen like clogs, nausea, not tolerating the formula, feeling too full/bloated are just a few of the issues patients can have with that kind of thing. But, it is a wonderful temporary tool (for most) to get the patient thru some rough weeks/months until they can eat more normally and maintain their weight.