Inflamed Mucous Linings

Certain chemotherapies (such as 5-fluorouracil) may leave you with treatment-induced mucositis. This is a condition in which the linings of the mouth, throat, rectum, and vagina are ulcerated (have sores) and inflamed (red and swollen).

Mucositis of the mouth or throat produces a lump-in-the-throat feeling and painful swallowing. Vaginal mucositis causes pain, discharge, and sometimes itching.

Mucositis may also arise from yeast infections and unavoidable radiation to the esophagus (the tube from the mouth to the stomach). Yeast infections are caused when your immune system is suppressed, which happens during chemotherapy or when you take steroids or antibiotics. These infections produce a cottage-cheese-like coating of the mouth or discharge from the vagina.

A combination of diet changes, medications, and common sense is the most effective approach to relief.

Here are recommendations for coping with the pain of mucositis:

• Avoid foods that are hot in temperature, spicy, or acidic (tomato sauce; orange and grapefruit juices), and also avoid caffeine.
• Cold milk products are most comfortable.
• Try cold sour cream just before meals to coat the passageway and ease discomfort. If you don't like the taste, add sugar and vanilla extract or fruit syrup.
• Coating agents such as mouthwashes containing lidocaine or Gelclair can be helpful.
• Avoid big pills. Mash and mix them in applesauce before swallowing.
• For vaginal dryness, use lubricants.

Treat oral yeast infection with anti-yeast medications such as fluconazole (brand name: Diflucan), nystatin (brand name: Mycostatin), or ketoconazole (brand name: Nizoral).

Vaginal yeast infection may respond to medications (Terazol 3 vaginal cream, Diflucan) or to plain yogurt with active acidophilus culture introduced into the vagina. Some women use a turkey baster (you can snip the tip to make the baster hole bigger); others just maneuver the yogurt in with their hand or a spoon.

Making the vagina more acidic with a vinegar/water douche is also a simple, cheap, and effective solution to vaginal yeast infection.