Mouth sores and what to eat during chemo

Hi,

My onc office gave me Caphosol as I had mouth sores as well. It is two separate  liquids that you mix together and immediately swish and spit twice.  It didn't make the sores go away immediately but it did take the pain away and the sores resolved within a few days.  My onc office also had advised salt and baking soda with water and gargle several times a day for prevention but once I had the sores they gave me the Caphosol.

I ate mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs.  Not mixed together!  They have microwave packets of mashed potatoes but also ready made ones that can be heated through and there are scrambled eggs already made in the frozen breakfast section of the store.  That would give her some protein and be soft in her mouth.  I also ate quite a bit of Cream of Wheat (the farina formula) and it has protein as well.  It is important to maintain as much food intake as possible so she stays strong.

I know it is hard to be so far away.  My Mom was ill for many years and I lived on the other side of the country, I know how helpless you feel!

Hi Tchmuzik. So sorry about your mom's problem. Hopefully the list below will help. All the best

• - Avoid tart, acidic or salty foods and drinks such as citrus fruit juices (grapefruit, orange, lime), pickled and vinegary foods, tomato-based foods and some canned broths.
• - Avoid rough-textured such as dry toast, granola, potato chips, pop corns, pretzels... and raw fruits and vegetables.
• - Eat food that cool or room temperature.
• - Limit alcohol, caffeine and tobacco. These substances can dry out the mouth and throat and promote further irritation.
• - Avoid spices
• - Use a straw for liquids
• - Blend and moisten foods that are dry or solid. Use in soups or with sauces, gravies and casseroles.
• - Softer and easy to swallow foods include soft, creamy foods such as cream soups, cheeses, mashed potatoes, pastas, yogurts, eggs, custards, puddings, cooked cereals, ice cream, casseroles, gravies syrups, milkshakes and nutritional liquid food supplements
• - Drink your meals with nutritious liquids
• - Practice good oral hygiene. (clean between teeth with dental thread and don't forget to clean tongue)
• - Rinse mouth regularly with a salt solution (1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt mixed in 1 quart water) helps prevent infections and improves healing of a sore mouth and throat.

Food high in protein:  Soft, bland meats and casseroles such as chicken rice casseroles, macaroni and cheese, tuna noodle casserole, creamed soups; pasteurized eggnog, milk, milkshakes.

 Soft foods to Include:

• - Applesauce, bananas, watermelon and other soft fruits
• - Cottage cheese, milk shakes or smoothies. Scrambbled eggs
• - Puddings, flavored gelatin. Cooked cereals such as oatmeal or cream of wheat.
• - Mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese or mashed vegetables.

Shoppping list

• - Butter, eggs, honey
• - Applesauce; fruits, (particularly red fruits - blueberries, blackcurrants, cranberries...), no citrus (fresh, frozen, canned), vegetables (you can steam them first to soften them, puree them, then add them to mashed potatoes for instance.
• - Milk, cottage cheese, ice cream, frozen yogurt, cheese, yogurt
• - Nutritional energy drink supplement
• - Popsicles, puddings, flavored gelatins.
• - Dry fruits (dates, figues, prunes..).  Blend in milkshake or smoothies.
• - All kinds of unsalted nuts; they are a powerhouse of protein. (Brazil nuts, almonds, hazel nuts, walnuts, cashews, macademia nuts). Blend 4-6 nuts in a smoothies or add to mashed potatoes or vegetables.

Hi Stephanie!  It has been a LONG time since we have chatted.  We spoke last after you had reconstruction...I am from West Tn, near UC.!

 So sorry to hear about your mom, but I am glad to hear you are doing great!  While I was going through treatments, Vanderbilt provided me with a product called Prevention Oncology Mouth Rinse.  I think Walgreens carries it, but it helped with my mouth sores and sore tongue!  I do know you can order it online too.  http://www.preventionlabs.biz/mall/oralcare.aspx

I wish the best for your mom!

Sandy

Stephanie...sent you a PM

Hi, I pretty much survived on scrambled eggs and Biotene. Hope it gets easier for her.

First of all, get your mom on some probiotics ASAP. Nystatin is all very nice, but it does not address the root problem. I took 3-4 capsules daily of acidophilus all through my treatment and only suffered a bit of wooly mouth here and there.



In the meantime, probably smoothies of various kinds would work. Base them on Greek yogurt and add fruits, veggies protein powder etc.

desert - I am no expert on soy and ER-, just assumed that it would not be affecting ER- receptors for the OP's mom.  Soy is controversial in regards to BC in general, with some info saying no problem and some staying don't consume it.  Here is a link with some more soy info:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/CA.57.5.260/full

SpecialK, thanks for the link.