Last week before my first RT, the nurse gave me Caphosol, a prescription medication for dry mouth and oral mucosa. I swish and gargle with it 4 x each day; no taste, a tiny bit thicker than water. I do that along with the salt/baking soda thing.

Today my doc asked if I'm using the Caphosol as directed and asked how I like it. Told him it was no different than any other tasteless painless application and that it's only a pain in the butt to remember to use it 4 times daily. He said that they're trying it out to see if it will be a regular part of oral care and were monitoring me and a few others to see how beneficial it might be.

Caphosol

Has anyone else been prescribed this? If so, do you know how well it worked? (Hard to know if you have nothing to compare to to.) Dr. Joshi, have you reviewed this?

Thanks!

Mimi

Hello Mimi

Sorry, this is the first time I have heard about it. It seems to be marketed for (1) oral mucositis, (2) dry mouth and (3) remineralising teeth. Let us know if it works. You can find out more information about other products and oral mucositis: here.

Treating Oral Mucositis: New Data on CAPHOSOL Released

quote:

New data show that CAPHOSOL (www.caphosol.com), an advanced electrolyte solution, relieves painful oral mucositis (OM) and improves quality of life for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
One of the two abstracts including this data, ONS Abstract #2757, “Supersaturated Electrolyte Oral Rinse Aids Quality of Life for Head/Neck Chemoradiation Patients” (Haas, ML), was selected by an ONS Expert Panel as one of the Top Ten Best Supportive Care abstracts at the ONS 2008 Congress.
“Oral mucositis is a painful, common side effect experienced by cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy,” commented principal investigator Marilyn L. Haas, PhD, RN, CNS, ANP-C, Nurse Practitioner, Mountain Radiation Oncology, Asheville, N.C. “As layers of epithelial cells in the oral cavity (cells lining the surface of the throat and esophagus) are eroded during therapy, patients often experience severe pain, are more prone to infection and have difficulty eating and swallowing. Our research concludes that CAPHOSOL, a supersaturated electrolyte oral rinse, should be introduced early in the course of cancer therapy for patients at high risk of oral mucositis because it minimizes the onset and severity of symptoms.”
“Considering that most patients with head and neck cancer experience oral mucositis, any improvements in quality of life for these patients is encouraging,” said Dr. Haas. “CAPHOSOL is useful for oncology nurses and other healthcare practitioners in helping patients with oral pain and related symptoms of chemoradiation-induced oral mucositis.”

About CAPHOSOL
CAPHOSOL is an advanced electrolyte solution indicated in the U.S. as an adjunct to standard oral care in treating OM caused by radiation or high dose chemotherapy. CAPHOSOL, a U.S. patented prescription medical device, is also indicated for dryness of the mouth or throat (hyposalivation, xerostomia), regardless of the cause or whether the conditions are temporary or permanent. Patients restricted to a low sodium diet should consult their physician before use. Patients should avoid eating or drinking at least 15 minutes after use.
As part of its commitment to advancing the treatment and care of cancer patients, Cytogen launched CARE OM a Web-based education and support center for patients and caregivers seeking to learn more about OM and CAPHOSOL. In addition to oral mucositis educational material and support information, visitors to CARE OM can also download an OM brochure or request it by mail. For more information, visit CAPHOSOL website.

Dr. Joshi,

Why is it that the posts that I most carefully try to think through seem to vanish? Someday in the great beyond I'll be reunited with the bits and bytes that have escaped me, along with the kitties that I still mourn. The second try is never as polished as the first, but I'll give it a go. This isn't a problem with the site, but with me timing out when I get distracted from things other than cancer.

I completed RT on April 4 and have been doing fine. I had dry mouth for only one short period (week 4 or 5) and it was because of springtime allergies that prevented me from breathing through my nose. I bought OTC Breathe Right strips and they worked perfectly! The ads seemed so hokey that I was surprised that they worked at all. I used Biotene Gel before buying the strips, and other than stinging, it worked well too but was more of a hassle to deal with.

Breathe Right

I didn't have a mucous problem at all - I guess the Caphosol did its job.

The article you quoted was very positive. Next time I see my doc I'll ask how the rest of his guinea pigs did. He was doing what would be considered a minor study on its effectiveness and wanted to be able to prescribe it for all his HNC patients; without stats involving thousands of people, stuff doesn't get approved very easily here, but possibly could be within his cancer center setting.

Thanks so much for the follow-up. I admire you for all you do and hope to meet you someday at one of the events you sponsor. I worked in England for a year in the late Nineties and visit fellow coworkers occasionally. I think I better wait for the dollar to be worth something first....That may be a long wait.

Thanks for the follow-up info. Am glad to know my reaction wasn't necessarily a placebo effect.

Mimi

Hello Mimi

You might be able to recover your lost post by going back a page. But to do this, you need to click on the browser menu to show the toolbar for the 'Post A Reply' page which does not show it. Also try the 'Undo' feature from the 'Edit' menu of the browser.

The Breathe Right allows nasal breathing through the nostrils by opening the nasal entrance. A home-made alternative is to create two 'nasal tubes'. Use a bit of clean stiff paper for this. When inserted into the nostril openings, they help to push apart the congested sides to allow nasal breathing. You will look like a native cannibal and scare the dog

Hope to see you someday, too.

Best wishes
Vinod