Some women receiving chemotherapy get mouth ulcers. Mouth ulcers usually occur about 5–10 days after starting chemotherapy and clear up within 1–2 weeks. Sometimes chemotherapy can cause other mouth infections. Treatments are available that can help.
What can help with mouth ulcers and infections?
It’s important to take extra care of the mouth during chemotherapy.
Things that can help if mouth ulcers develop include:
- brush the teeth and gums with a very soft brush after every meal to prevent infection
- use an analgesic gel from the chemist or sodium bicarbonate mouthwash to help relieve discomfort
- pain relief such as paracetamol may be helpful.
Some mouthwashes can make ulcers worse – advice should be sought from a health professional before using a mouth wash. Treatments are available from a doctor or
pharmacist for mouth infections such as
thrush.
