What is oral aid lotion?

Oral aid lotion is a medication commonly used in clinical practice to relieve mouth ulcers and mouth infections. It mainly contains 3 active ingredients which are lignocaine, chlorhexidine hydrochloride, and triamcinolone acetonide. Lignocaine acts as an analgesia which helps to soothe the ulcer and relieve the pain, while chlorhexidine has antibiotic properties which help to fight against organisms causing mouth infections.

Triamcinolone acetonide has anti-inflammatory properties which helps reduce inflammation occurring in the mouth thus relieving symptoms such as pain and ulcers. Some indications to use oral aid lotion are as follows: local infection in the mouth, herpes simplex infection around the mouth, infections of the gum damaging soft tissue and teeth and others.

This is a prescribed drug hence you are required to have a doctors’ prescription before purchasing the medication.

Is it safe to take oral aid lotion during pregnancy?

There is limited data to prove the safety of oral aid lotion during pregnancy. Several studies done on animals reported few side effects on the fetus and the ability of this drug to cross the placenta. However, there is no adequate evidence and information on human studies yet.

Therefore, use oral aid lotion with caution during the pregnancy period as lignocaine in this medication may bring some harmful effects to the fetus. The best will always be to consult your doctor prior to usage of oral aid lotion. Use it only when the benefits outweigh the risk as the newborn infant can suffer with adrenocortical suppression if mothers were on long term corticosteroid therapy.

What are the other precautions to be considered?

1. Breastfeeding

Some studies show that there are traces of oral aid lotion found in breast milk however this is not conclusive. It is best to get advice from a doctor before using oral aid lotion during the lactation period as this medication may affect the growth of children.

2. Renal patients

If you are suffering from serious renal disorders such as end stage kidney disease, please inform your doctor prior to the usage as this medication contains sodium and it is mainly excreted in the kidney. This may worsen the pre-existing disease and causes decompensation symptoms. Therefore, dose adjustments might be needed for patients with severe renal diseases.

3. Alcohol consumption

It is not advisable to consume alcohol together with an oral aid lotion application as it may potentiate the side effects of the medication and at the same time affect the efficacy or oral aid lotion. Please consult a doctor before using oral aid lotion with alcohol consumption as it may be unsafe to do so. You are also not advised to drive after taking oral aid lotion as one of its side effects is drowsiness which may reduce your ability to concentrate and stay focused.

4. Liver patients

It is safe to consume oral aid lotion if you are having liver diseases such as hepatitis as there is only minimal systemic absorption. However, severe liver disease might require dosage adjustments, thus inform your doctor prior to the usage of oral aid lotion.

Side effects of oral aid lotion

Just like any other drug, oral aid lotion also possesses some side effects. However not everyone using oral aid lotion will experience similar side effects. Most of these side effects do not require any medical interventions and go off by themselves. However, if symptoms become worse or start affecting your daily quality of life, immediately consult a doctor for further management. Some of the side effects are as follows;

• Headache and drowsiness
• Hallucinations and lightheadedness
• Lethargy, nausea and vomiting
• Painful joints
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Psychiatric disturbances such as insomnia and depression