Saltwater mouth rinse?

Hey all, I was wondering if any of you had to use this? My chemo nurse had written on my "Care" papers to mix 1 tsp salt to 1 pint water and use it as a mouth rinse after every meal and before bedtime. Just wondering if anyone else had to do this...was it afte EVERY SINGLE meal for the duration of chemo, or like the meds, just for a few days after?

I'll be calling the office tomorrow to check for sure...but that's a nasty rinse, especially after a good meal!

Vega,
What on earth is that for?! I never heard of that with cisplatin! The instructions must be for women who are receiving the chemo that causes mouth sores. I had NO mouth problems with chemo and no one ever mentioned that I would. I saw the dentist while on chemo, and had a couple of crowns made, but it had nothing to do with chemo, just treatment I needed.

Did the nurses tell you to do that? Did they give you any reason for it? If you're having no mouth problems, I can't imagine why you would need to do that.

Other than this crazy instruction, how did things go today?

Hugs,
Janie

Hey Janie, this was an instruction written in at the bottom by the nurse...not just a general "on every paper" instruction...that's what threw me off. (Listed with a couple other instructions--take meds as directed etc) No, she didn't give a reason. I'm going to call the chemo doc tomorrow just to make sure. I'm worried about this because I have a tongue piercing and I don't want the salt water effecting the metal in the bar. (would salt water effect stainless steel?) ....wait....DUH! I eat food with salt, why would water be different?? sorry, wasn't thinking there. LOL

Other than that things went good. She gave me Lasix (I believe that was the name) to help me pee more, keep the bladder working...and oh boy did it work!! lol I looked at the other women getting treatment and said "geeze I didn't know my bladder could hold that much!" LOL This is a GOOD thing though. After all the incontinence issues prior to surgery...I forgot what it felt like to feel a full bladder...it was always just an urge to pee with small amounts coming out.

The chest IV (found out it's called a Groshong Catheter) is starting to irritate me. The nurse put a dressing on with a clear tape/bandage over it. Then over that she put a gauze pad covered in tape. I can't get the gauze part off, without removing the clear cover, to check it either. I'm assuming this is normal since it just went in today...

Vega,
Good idea to call the chemo nurses tomorrow. They know everything. Maybe the salt water was to make you thirsty so you'd keep drinking water tonight? Haha.........I made that up, I have no clue.

I can't help you with the port as I never had one. Sorry.

Hugs,
Janie

Hi Vega
I had the salt water rinse during my chemo, but mine was for colon cancer, the year after endrometial cancer.
It was not that bad, mine was to prevent the dreaded mouth sores. I could feel the texture of my mouth changing and getting sensitive, but I never got a sore.
I would ask your chemo nurse. I found them to be very good on practical advise and easier to get a phone call answered.
JTL

salt is antibiotic so possibly that is to prevent mouth sores.

Janie had a good theory too

I am just glad you are doing so well today

I have been on a few different chemos and a salt water rinse was never recommended. A non alcohol mouth wash rinse was recommended after each meal and at night to ward off mouth sores. It must work because I never had the sores. However, I only had to to this for three days after each chemo treatment.
Guess each doctor recommends different treatment options.
Rosalie

I had my port put in a couple of weeks before starting chemo so it didn't need to be accessed until it was ok to take the dressing off. But, I did have a dressing that sounds similar to yours. They put a big pad of gauze over the incision (stitches) and then covered that with this big piece of saran-wrap looking tape. It was great for keeping the gauze dry during showers but it sure did irritate my skin. By the time I removed it about 3/4 days later, the itching was driving me crazy!

Preventing mouth sores is a good guess but I've never heard of mouth sores with cisplatin.

A little off this particular topic perhaps... I had instructions from a nurse prior to my D & C, and on the paper was written something very questionable about a particular diet, and I didn't think it related to me. I went back to the nurse station to ask and discovered that since they used an NCR form (paper to make multiple copies), the instructions I saw were from somebody else's instructions that got copied onto my form! The copy imprint was very clear on my sheet and I noticed it just didn't seem like "they" were paying attention if indeed these instructions were for me. So, even in our stressed states we still need to pay close attention!