I've heard that "magic mouthwash" might help with mouth sores from chemotherapy. What is it?

Magic mouthwash is the term given to a solution used to treat mouth sores caused by some forms of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Mouth sores (oral mucositis) can be extremely painful and can result in an inability to eat, speak or swallow.

Magic mouthwash doesn't have a standard formula, but it usually contains at least three of these basic ingredients:

  • An antihistamine or anticholinergic agent, which may help relieve pain
  • A local anesthetic to reduce pain and discomfort
  • An antacid that helps ensure the other ingredients adequately coat the inside of your mouth
  • An antifungal to reduce fungal growth
  • A corticosteroid to treat inflammation
  • An antibiotic to kill bacteria around the sore

Most formulations of magic mouthwash are intended to be used every four to six hours, and to be held in your mouth for one to two minutes before being either spit out or swallowed. It's recommended that you don't eat or drink for 30 minutes after using magic mouthwash so that the medicine has time to produce an effect.

Side effects of magic mouthwash may include problems with taste, a burning or tingling sensation in the mouth, drowsiness, constipation, diarrhea, and nausea.

Magic mouthwash may provide some relief, but it's unclear how effective it is. Studies of magic mouthwash have had conflicting results. Some have found no benefit. One recent study found that it was better at relieving pain than was a flavored water mouthwash for mouth sores in people receiving radiation to the head and neck.

Since there isn't a standard formula for the solution, it's hard to draw conclusions across the studies. Some medical organizations don't recommend magic mouthwash because there isn't enough evidence that it works.

There are several versions of magic mouthwash. Some are available in pre-measured kits that can be mixed together by pharmacists, while others are prepared to order by a pharmacist. If it's determined that magic mouthwash might be helpful, your doctor will write a prescription.

Talk with your doctor about your specific cancer treatments and which solutions for coping with mouth sores might be best for you.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email.

Nov. 18, 2023 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Acute lymphocytic leukemia
  2. Acute myelogenous leukemia
  3. Adenocarcinoma: How this type of cancer affects prognosis
  4. Adjuvant therapy for cancer
  5. Anal cancer
  6. Atypical cells: Are they cancer?
  7. Beating Ovarian Cancer
  8. Biliary tract cancer: Should I get a second opinion?
  9. Biopsy procedures
  10. Bladder cancer
  11. Bladder Cancer
  12. What is bladder cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  13. Bladder cancer FAQs
  14. Bladder cancer treatment options
  15. Blood Cancers and Disorders
  16. Bone cancer
  17. Bone metastasis
  18. Brain tumor
  19. Brain Tumor
  20. What is a brain tumor? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  21. Brain tumor FAQs
  22. Breast cancer
  23. Breast Cancer
  24. Breast cancer chemoprevention
  25. Breast Cancer Education Tool
  26. Common questions about breast cancer treatment
  27. Infographic: Breast Cancer Risk
  28. Breast cancer staging
  29. Breast cancer types
  30. Dr. Wallace Video
  31. Dr. Mark Truty (surgery, MN) better outcomes with chemo
  32. Burkitt lymphoma
  33. CA 125 test: A screening test for ovarian cancer?
  34. Cancer
  35. Cancer
  36. Cancer blood tests
  37. Myths about cancer causes
  38. Infographic: Cancer Clinical Trials Offer Many Benefits
  39. Cancer diagnosis: 11 tips for coping
  40. Cancer-related fatigue
  41. Cancer pain: Relief is possible
  42. Cancer risk: What the numbers mean
  43. Cancer surgery
  44. Cancer survival rate
  45. Cancer survivors: Care for your body after treatment
  46. Cancer survivors: Late effects of cancer treatment
  47. Cancer survivors: Managing your emotions after cancer treatment
  48. Cancer treatment myths
  49. Carcinoid syndrome
  50. Castleman disease
  51. Cervical cancer
  52. What is cervical cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  53. Cervical cancer FAQs
  54. Cervical cysts: Can they be cancerous?
  55. Cervical dysplasia: Is it cancer?
  56. Chemo targets
  57. Chemotherapy
  58. Chemotherapy and hair loss: What to expect during treatment
  59. Chemotherapy and sex: Is sexual activity OK during treatment?
  60. Chemotherapy nausea and vomiting: Prevention is best defense
  61. Chemotherapy side effects: A cause of heart disease?
  62. Cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer)
  63. Chondrosarcoma
  64. Choroid plexus carcinoma
  65. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
  66. Chronic myelogenous leukemia
  67. Collecting Pennies Through the Pain
  68. Colon cancer
  69. Colon Cancer Family Registry
  70. Colon cancer screening: At what age can you stop?
  71. Colon cancer screening
  72. Colorectal Cancer
  73. Curcumin: Can it slow cancer growth?
  74. Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
  75. Cancer-related diarrhea
  76. Dragon Boats and Breast Cancer
  77. Eating during cancer treatment: Tips to make food tastier
  78. Embryonal tumors
  79. Endometrial cancer
  80. Ependymoma
  81. Esophageal Cancer
  82. Esophageal cancer
  83. Ewing sarcoma
  84. Fertility preservation
  85. Floor of the mouth cancer
  86. Follicular lymphoma
  87. Frequent sex: Does it protect against prostate cancer?
  88. Gallbladder cancer
  89. Gallbladder polyps: Can they be cancerous?
  90. Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer
  91. Genetic testing for breast cancer: Psychological and social impact
  92. GI Stents
  93. Glioblastoma
  94. Glowing Cancer Surgery
  95. Gynecologic Cancers
  96. Hairy cell leukemia
  97. Head and Neck Cancer
  98. Head and Neck Cancer Transoral Surgery
  99. Head and neck cancers
  100. Heart cancer: Is there such a thing?
  101. Hepatocellular carcinoma
  102. HER2-positive breast cancer: What is it?
  103. High-dose vitamin C: Can it kill cancer cells?
  104. Hilar cholangiocarcinoma
  105. Hodgkin lymphoma (Hodgkin disease)
  106. Hodgkin's vs. non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: What's the difference?
  107. Inflammatory breast cancer
  108. Invasive lobular carcinoma
  109. Is a clinical trial for biliary tract cancer right for me?
  110. Leukemia
  111. Liver cancer
  112. Liver Cancer
  113. What is liver cancer? An expert explains
  114. Liver cancer FAQs
  115. Living with biliary tract cancer
  116. Living with Brain Tumors
  117. Long Term Brain Cancer Survivor
  118. Low blood counts
  119. Lung cancer
  120. Infographic: Lung Cancer
  121. Lung Cancer
  122. Lung nodules: Can they be cancerous?
  123. Male breast cancer
  124. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors
  125. What is breast cancer? An expert explains
  126. Measles Virus as a Cancer Fighter
  127. Melanoma
  128. Melanoma and Skin Cancer
  129. Melanoma pictures to help identify skin cancer
  130. Merkel cell carcinoma
  131. Mesothelioma
  132. Metastatic prostate cancer
  133. Monoclonal antibody drugs
  134. Mort Crim and Cancer
  135. Mouth cancer
  136. What is mouth cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  137. Mouth cancer FAQs
  138. Mouth sores caused by cancer treatment: How to cope
  139. Multiple myeloma
  140. Infographic: Multiple Myeloma
  141. Myelofibrosis
  142. Myelofibrosis
  143. Myxofibrosarcoma
  144. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
  145. Neuroblastoma
  146. Neuroendocrine tumors
  147. Neuroendocrine Tumors NETs
  148. New immunotherapy approved for metastatic bladder cancer
  149. No appetite? How to get nutrition during cancer treatment
  150. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  151. Oligodendroglioma
  152. Osteosarcoma
  153. Living with an ostomy
  154. Ovarian cancer
  155. Ovarian cancer: Still possible after hysterectomy?
  156. Paget's disease of the breast
  157. Palliative care for biliary tract cancer
  158. Pancreatic cancer
  159. Pancreatic Cancer
  160. What is pancreatic cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  161. Infographic: Pancreatic Cancer: Minimally Invasive Surgery
  162. Pancreatic Cancer Survivor
  163. Infographic: Pancreatic Cancers-Whipple
  164. Pap test: Can it detect ovarian cancer?
  165. Paulas story A team approach to battling breast cancer
  166. Peripheral nerve tumors
  167. Pheochromocytoma
  168. Pineoblastoma
  169. Pink Sisters
  170. Precision medicine: A new way to treat biliary cancers
  171. Prostate Cancer
  172. Prostate cancer
  173. Prostate cancer: Does PSA level affect prognosis?
  174. What is prostate cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  175. Prostate cancer prevention
  176. Prostate cancer FAQs
  177. Punk Guitarist Survives Brain Tumor
  178. Rectal cancer
  179. Recurrent breast cancer
  180. Retinoblastoma
  181. Robotic bladder surgery
  182. Salivary gland tumors
  183. Schwannomatosis
  184. Scientists propose a breast cancer drug for some bladder cancer patients
  185. Scrotal masses
  186. Self-Image During Cancer
  187. Skin cancer
  188. Infographic: Skin Cancer
  189. Skin Cancer Reconstruction
  190. Skull base tumors
  191. Small cell, large cell cancer: What this means
  192. Soft tissue sarcoma
  193. Spinal cord tumor
  194. Spinal tumor
  195. Stomach cancer
  196. What is stomach cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  197. Stomach cancer FAQs
  198. Super Survivor Conquers Cancer
  199. Testicular cancer
  200. Testicular microlithiasis
  201. The Long Race Beating Cancer
  202. Throat cancer
  203. Thyroid cancer
  204. Thyroid Cancer
  205. What is thyroid cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  206. Thyroid cancer FAQs
  207. Treatment options for biliary tract cancer
  208. Tumor vs. cyst: What's the difference?
  209. Vaginal cancer
  210. Vertebral tumor
  211. Melanoma — Early stage and advanced melanoma
  212. How cancer spreads
  213. PICC line placement
  214. Skin cancer — How skin cancer develops
  215. Vulvar cancer
  216. Weight Loss After Breast Cancer
  217. What is biliary tract cancer?
  218. When cancer returns: How to cope with cancer recurrence
  219. Wilms tumor
  220. Zollinger-Ellison syndrome