Holding ice chips in your mouth 5 minutes before an infusion, during the infusion, and for at least 10 minutes after getting a bolus dose (IV push) of 5-fluorouracil (a chemotherapy agent) can reduce mouth inflammation.

Palifermin: This drug may be recommended for mucositis treatment if you are undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies. Palifermin is very expensive, so it is recommended only if you are likely to develop severe mucositis.

Allopurinol mouthwashes can be given preventively to offset the toxic effects that occur in the body when cancer cells rupture and spill their contents into the bloodstream.

Benzydamine is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent and analgesic mouth rinse. Using it may bring relief to mouth sores.

Clarithromycin is an antibiotic that may prevent infection of sores in the mouth and GI tract.

Povidone with water may have merit as a topical antiseptic in preventing or minimizing mouth sores. NEVER swallow povidone.

Chemotherapy causes many toxic effects in the body. Amifostine is a chemoprotectant that helps shield your body from chemotherapy's adverse effects, including mouth irritation.  This chemoprotectant has been shown to prevent esophagitis in patients receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.

Granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) stimulates white blood cell production in your body, which helps protect against inflammation and infection.  This drug has shown effectiveness for people with solid tumors.

Topical antibiotics can reduce the incidence of both inflammation and infection in people with head and neck cancer.  Topical antibiotics have shown effectiveness for people with solid tumors.

Chamomile is an herb that can be brewed as tea or used as a mouth rinse. Although chamomile has known calming effects and is used topically on many skin problems, little research has been done on its effectiveness in preventing mucositis.

Folinic acid, which is used to increase the effectiveness of certain chemotherapy drugs, has shown weak evidence for being able to prevent mucositis.

Pentoxifylline is used to improve blood flow in patients with circulation problems, but it is not known to prevent mucositis.

Propantheline has a calming effect on the nervous system but has shown weak evidence for preventing mucositis.

Prostaglandin E2, a hormone-like substance, has anti-inflammatory properties and helps maintain the health of the GI tract. However, little evidence exists as to whether it can prevent mucositis.

Acyclovir, an antiviral agent that protects against herpes, has no data to support its effectiveness in preventing mucositis.

Chlorhexidine, an oral antiseptic that dentists prescribe frequently, has no effect in preventing mucositis.

Glutamine is an oral supplement. It is a naturally occurring amino acid that affects tissue healing and maintenance. To date, no data support its effect in preventing mucositis.

Sucralfate, used in preventing stomach ulcers, does not have any effect in preventing mucositis.