Oral mucositis? Try magic mouthwash!

It's not just mouthwash, it's
MAGIC. It may also help
with hydroxyurea-related
mouth ulcers.

Many ET patients on hydroxyurea (Hydrea) complain about mouth ulcers, or "oral mucositis." These ulcers are like super bad canker sores that can occur on your gums or the soft tissue of your mouth. You have to figure that any med that comes with instructions, as Hydrea does, telling you not to hold the pills in your bare hands or, if you do, to wash right afterward might be kind of hard on your skin. 

But there is help: Magic mouthwash! It's a real thing, and the Mayo Clinic has more info here.

You'll need a prescription for magic mouthwash, and the formula varies from pharmacy to pharmacy and doc to doc. Basically, magic mouthwash consists of ingredients designed to address potential bacterial and fungal infection, and inflammation. So it may prevent ulcers from forming and reduce the pain if they do.

Some doctors think that a baking soda solution (two teaspoons of baking soda per cup of warm water) also works. If you're looking for non-drug treatments, as many are, you may want to try the baking soda solution before turning to "magic."

While the Mayo Clinic cautions that the effectiveness of magic mouthwash may be iffy, mouth ulcers are no picnic, and they're worth a try if oral mucositis is a problem for you. My dad, who also had ET, suffered from oral ulcers in a bad way. In fact, they were the drug's worst side effect for him, possibly because he also took inhalers for his COPD, so there was a lot of corrosive medication he was taking orally. Magic mouthwash might have really helped had anybody made the connection between his mouth sores and his meds.

Doctors who prescribe Hydrea don't automatically prescribe magic mouthwash, so my advice, based on Dad's experiences and what I hear from other ET patients, is to make sure you ask for it. They'll know what it is. 

Some other things you can do to reduce oral irritation of Hydrea:

• Use a soft toothbrush.
• Avoid harsh toothpastes. You may want to switch to plain old baking soda. 
• Don't drink alcohol or use a mouthwash with alcohol in it.
• Don't use tobacco products.
• Stay well hydrated to avoid dry mouth and constipation.

Be well!

Related: What patients say about Hydrea

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