Treating Mucositis After Chemotherapy
Compounding Medications to Treat Mucositis after Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy and radiation are extraordinarily hard on a person’s body. While side-effects of treatment such as hair loss are commonly known, many people are not aware of the fact that chemotherapy often causes an extremely painful and uncomfortable condition known as oral mucositis. This condition involves swelling of the tissues in the mouth and can cause the following symptoms:
- Sores in the mouth
- Mouth pain
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Difficulty swallowing
- Dry mouth
- Thick saliva
In a worst-case scenario, a cancer patient has such a severe case of oral mucositis that it makes it impossible to eat. When this occurs, treatment often has to be discontinued in order to allow the patient’s oral cavity to heal. Of course, stopping treatment should be avoided at all costs, making treating mucositis a priority for cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, there is often a gap in coverage for cancer patients when it comes to dental care. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, many patients do not receive dental care until serious complications have already developed. While the reasons for this are varied, what is clear is that this lack of care makes compounding pharmacists well-situated to provide dental supplies, oral rinses, mouthwashes, pain relief, and other products to cancer patients suffering from oral mucositis.
There are many ways that a compounding pharmacy can help cancer patients who are suffering from this condition manage their pain and other symptoms. There are a variety of medications that could be used to treat mucositis, including the following:
- “Magic mouthwash” – Mixed medication mouthwash, often referred to as magic mouthwash, is specially formulated by a compounding pharmacy to a physician’s instructions for a specific patient. It often contains an anesthetic such as lidocaine, a coating agent like aluminum hydroxide or magnesium, an anticholinergic agent like Benadryl, and other drugs.
- Morphine mouthwash for pain management
- Oral rinses that contain antifungals like nystatin, fluconazole, and clotrimazole
- Coating agents such as Gelclair
Call or Stop by Today for More Information!
Cancer patients need all the help they can get. At Kress Specialty Apothecary, we are able to compound medications that can help manage pain and treat other issues associated with chemotherapy and radiation treatment and put them in a form that is easy to take. To learn more about how we can help you and your family, call us at 856-323-8723 or stop by today.