mouth sores

[katarina777]

Hi, a friend of mine was recently diagnosed with ascute leukemia and the doctors have given him about a year to live. he is 70, and receiving some type of oral chemotherapy. He has sores and a horrible taste in his
mouth.These are lesions that slightly bleed especially on the inside of his cheeks. The doctor who recently checked him out does not think this is thrush, because he could not see anything white in his mouth. I am not so sure about that. Since these sores, and he says they are not terribly painful, but very much bother him are a big deal, I am wondering what may help him, and also what this could be if not thrush. at the moment he refuses to eat anything but drinks only milkshakes and really cold milk. Any advice?

[katarina777]

Thanks for responding, doc. The pharmacist suggested mixing benadryl and mylanta, so I got him that yesterday.
But before his family had a chance to even try it, he died last night. It was only a couple of weeks between diagnosis and death, because the chemotherapy was destroying his platelets and he was bleeding, and the docs said there was only so much of external platelets that could be given.

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

Though an obvious thrush is absent, the fact that this is affecting the way he eats may be a justifiable reason to start treatment.

There are special preparations for these oral ulcers, much the same with what they use in thrush.  These would include nystatin or mycostatin gargle, or some preparations with a topical anesthesia to diminish the pain.  These ulcers are really expected to occur along the course of treatment, as this reflects weakened mucosal integrity brought about by the chemotherapy.

I suggest you discuss these options with his doctors, and hopefully offer some relief.

Regards and God bless.