A Potent and Rapid Treatment Regimen for Mouth Ulcers

Mouth ulcers are a very common condition with many causes. Some patients develop recurrent mouth ulcers because of their constitution, while others get them as a side effect of some treatment—for example, cancer patients may develop severe mouth ulcers after chemotherapy.

Mild mouth ulcers can usually be cured by supplementing vitamin B2 or using a mouthwash specifically designed for mouth ulcers, but a considerable number of patients have stubborn ulcers that fail to respond to every method tried. Drawing on my own experience, I introduce here a potent and rapid way to treat mouth ulcers, which usually takes effect within 1–7 days. I have given this method an easy-to-remember name: "two supplements, one clear, one patch."

The "two supplements" are vitamin B2 and the trace element zinc (for zinc supplementation, take one of zinc-containing chewable tablets, licorice zinc, or zinc-calcium gluconate); the "one clear" is Kouyanqing granules; the "one patch" is a propolis patch applied over the ulcer. Severe cases may additionally add Kangfuxin liquid. However, most patients need no other medication—as long as the "two supplements, one clear, one patch" are used properly, the condition will resolve. Patients with severe chemotherapy-induced mouth ulcers may need to add Kangfuxin liquid and the like.

Patients prone to recurrent mouth ulcers, after one episode is cured, need to keep taking zinc and vitamin B2 for a while (3–6 months) to basically solve the recurrence problem. Thereafter, at the first sign of a mouth ulcer (patients with recurrent ulcers usually experience various mild symptoms before an attack, and most experienced patients can detect it themselves), immediately supplement trace-element zinc and vitamin B2 for two or three days to a week; this usually intercepts the recurrence.

Some mouth-ulcer patients also become constipated. Kouyanqing granules are a patent medicine whose formula is the TCM Zengye Tang (Fluid-Increasing Decoction) plus honeysuckle; Zengye Tang has some heat-clearing, laxative action and can relieve mild-to-moderate constipation. If Kouyanqing granules still do not solve the constipation, lactulose or other laxatives may be added, or dandelion capsules may be used. However, cancer patients after chemotherapy often have both mouth ulcers and diarrhea at the same time; such patients should switch Kouyanqing granules to berberine hydrochloride tablets (huangliansu tablets), which address both the mouth ulcers and the diarrhea. Those with severe diarrhea should additionally take Sishen Wan.