Doctors prescribe magic or miracle mouthwash to prevent or treat mouth sores. This type of mouthwash may be used for mouth sores caused by autoimmune diseases, viral infections, and cancer treatment.
What Is Magic Mouthwash?
Magic mouthwash is made of a mixture of medications. Doctors use magic mouthwash (sometimes sold as Mary’s magic mouthwash or Duke’s magic mouthwash), to ease symptoms of oral mucositis. Oral mucositis refers to the mouth sores often caused by radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Oral mucositis is a painful condition that can make it hard to eat properly and maintain good oral hygiene. Doctors may prescribe magic mouthwash to help ease the pain it causes.
You can also use magic mouthwash for mouth sores caused by viral infections, autoimmune diseases, Behcet’s disease, oral thrush, and bacterial infections.
Magic mouthwash contains various ingredients, which are mixed together by a pharmacist. It generally has the following:
- An antibiotic to kill bacteria around mouth sores
- An antifungal to stop fungal growth
- An anticholinergic or antihistamine to help ease pain
- A local anesthetic to relieve pain
- An antacid to help spread the other ingredients inside your mouth
Most people are told to use miracle mouthwash every 4-6 hours. How much you should use depends on the specific mouthwash type and on your condition. A typical dose might be 10 milliliters (about 2 teaspoons) every three hours, up to six times a day.
When you use the mouthwash, hold it in your mouth for one to two minutes before spitting it out. Avoid eating or drinking for half an hour afterward to let the medicine take effect.
You can try refrigerating the mouthwash to make using it more pleasant. But it works just as well at room temperature. Shake well before use.
Cost of Magic Mouthwash
Magic mouthwash usually costs $34 to $50 for 8 ounces. Since most people use it 4-6 times a day, 8 ounces lasts less than a week.
Check with your insurance provider to see if they cover magic mouthwash. Some insurance companies don’t.
Benefits of Magic Mouthwash
Although some research has shown that magic mouthwash can provide relief for mouth sores, studies have mixed results. Some have found magic mouthwash has no benefits.
But in another, a group of people who’d had head and neck radiation treatments found that magic mouthwash gave them better pain relief than a flavored water mouthwash.
Another study compared magic mouthwash with benzydamine hydrochloride, a drug that decreases swelling, pain, and inflammation. The results suggested that magic mouthwash that contained an antacid was no more effective for oral mucositis symptoms than benzydamine hydrochloride alone.
It’s hard to say how effective magic mouthwash is because its formula can vary so much. Some types are made to order by a pharmacist. Others come in pre-measured kits that a pharmacist mixes together.
Side Effects of Magic Mouthwash
Magic mouthwash can have some side effects, including:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Constipation,
- Problems with taste
- Tingling or burning sensation in your mouth
Alternatives to Magic Mouthwash
Magic mouthwash isn’t the only way to prevent or manage mouth sores.
Oral cryotherapy, for example, may work better for some people. It has very low rates of side effects, and they’re minor ones like chills, headaches, and tooth pain. Cryotherapy uses extreme cold to freeze your mouth sores in your mouth. It can help even with serious mucositis.
Gargling with a homemade rinse made with water and salt or baking soda can also help ease the pain of mouth sores. These solutions are a much less expensive solution than magic mouthwash. They also have few risks of side effects since they don’t contain irritants like alcohol.
For serious oral mucositis, mouthwash that contains a morphine solution may be an option. In a study of 28 people with oral mucositis, those who used morphine mouthwash had better results than those who used magic mouthwash.