Chemo Help Needed (Insomnia, Mouth Sores and Neuropathy)...

I have heard that you can have a dentist laser mouth sores and then they don't hurt so bad and heal faster- call around and ask.  good luck - Tami

The Mary's Magic Mouthwash has worked wonders for me (and for my mom when she needed it).  The ice chips are given to me when they're actually injecting the adriamycin (dose-dense) but I haven't seen it used for other chemos -- but that doesn't mean it doesn't help. I haven't gotten many mouth sores, just thrush, but the few I get are wiped out quickly by the MMM so hopefully that'll help your mom as well.

I was told to stay away from any alcohol-based mouthwash because it can kill the beneficial organisms in your mouth as well as the "bad" ones, and when your immune system is knocked down it needs all the help it can get.  (I know Biotene is alcohol-free, just talking about other mouthwashes)  A small amount of baking soda mixed with a glass of water a couple of times a day (rinse and spit) is supposed to help prevent (& treat) mouth sores.  I keep forgetting to try that one but maybe I will next week.  Trush is bad enough, but the mouth sores are really uncomfortable!

When your mom starts on the adriamycin, you might want to check with your doctor before she tries any OTC meds, vitamins, etc.  There are several things that you're supposed to stay away from (including any vitamin oils, like flax seed oil, fish oil, vitamin E, etc., aspirin and aspirn-related products, and alcohol and caffiene. What, no coffee?) while on adiramycin that are normally harmless but can interfere with the chemo or cause other problems, so it's worth checking.  I don't do any vitamins, herbals, etc., without asking my dr. first.  (I'm going through this chemo and after all the fatigue, etc., I sure don't want to do anything that might interfere with how it works!)

I can't recommend sleep meds because I don't use them -- check with your dr. -- everyone reacts so differently to those things so she may have to try a few to find the right one.  I rarely take atavan (mostly for anxiety when I do take it) and it tends to knock me out.   If your mom is stressed out she might talk to her dr. about that and see if an anti-anxiety med doesn't help; I took xanex for 6 weeks several years ago when I was going through a difficult time and although it wasn't a sleep med, it did help me relax more so that I did sleep better.

I don't know much about neuropathy but since I'll be on taxol after I'm done with the A/C, you can bet I'll be looking into options!  That's one of the side effects I really, really don't want. So I'm checking out what everyone says about that.

Good luck to your mom and to you.  In addition to my own cancer, I'm helping my mom with hers, so I know the role you're playing is a big one.  Don't forget to take care of yourself!