This is my experience with a product that is compounded by your pharmacist. You need a prescription so it’s not available over the counter. But if you ever experience something like I did, consider asking your doctor about it.
I had an infection that affected my throat. Even after the underlying infection was resolved, my throat and the punching bag thing at the back of my throat remained horribly irritated.
One dose of Magic Mouthwash completely cured the sore throat that had gotten so bad I could not even swallow my own saliva.
T-15 Years: Before Suffering Multiple Extractions
So I guess my dental problems go back decades. Bad habits led to gingivitis, which no one really takes seriously. I used Listerine and brushed aggressively; so much so that my dentist said I was damaging my teeth. Switched to softer bristles. Was pretty good with brushing, but didn’t really floss or do anything beyond brushing.
T-10 Years: Periodontitis
Gingivitis advanced to Periodontitis.
I developed “deep pockets” likely from poor diet, improper oral care, and my fear of the dentist. This was the start of many expensive deep cleanings and scaling and periodontal treatments. Deep Periodontal Pockets of 8mm or deeper are usually irreversible. Again no real pain, so didn’t really care.
One of my lower molars got so loose, I developed a lisp, slurred speech, and slight whistling when talking. The dentist just pulled it. There was now a very real sense of sadness. Although the speech problems and discomfort went away after the extraction, in reality it was a tooth that was falling out. I felt old. My body was failing.
But I continued to drink and smoke.
T-5 Years: The Periodontal Damage was Getting Real
I started to take my oral hygiene more seriously. At least I told myself I was.
Things got better. But my back molars still had very deep pockets. I bought a water flosser and saw food particles come out of my teeth and gums, even so, I didn’t use the water flosser every day (as my dentist repeatedly instructed me to).
I started to get terrible pain in my teeth/sinuses on an annual basis. Antibiotics would do the trick and clear it up, but this pain started to come regularly once or twice a year. When suffering such tooth pain, I realized that there really isn’t anything I could productively do during such an “attack.” Can’t concentrate. Can’t work. Can’t eat. Torture.
Koreans traditionally say that good teeth is a major “BOK” or blessing for a long and happy life. This is absolutely true.
Even so, could not or would not stop drinking and smoking.
T-2 Years: Swimming Upstream – Trying to Reverse Periodontitis
Per my doctor’s orders, I changed many lifestyle, food, and hygiene habits. I bought an Oral B electric toothbrush. I bought a Sonicare electric toothbrush and a new water flosser. I use the Sonicare with salt in the morning, and Oral B after meals and before bed. I use a Waterpic water flosser daily.
Over the years, I “quit” smoking dozens of time. This time, it was real. I finally got that monkey off my back. A friend gave me the book Allen Carr’s “Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” I was told if you read this book you will quit. Not sure if Allen Carr is using mind control – or his simple use of facts snaps the reader out of the marketing mind control we have all be subject to since we were children – but the end result is I was able to quit.
I was making progress. My gums tightened up. The bad breath was gone (at least I myself couldn’t notice it). I was paying out of pocket for cleanings every 3 months. But the upper back molar still had deep deep pockets. Stable but not getting better.
My dentist recommended that I remove my two upper left molars. The bacterial infection will “always be going on in there” so when I get tired or my immune system weakens, then the infection will flare-up. He told me that chronic periodontal infections are chronic inflammatory stressors to my system, and can be very dangerous if the infection spreads to the cardiovascular system or into the sinuses.
He said there is no cure. 10 mm was just too deep. The longer the infection festers, the more bone loss and fewer options to get implants.
My case was complicated. I needed to have the extractions done by an oral surgeon (a dentist and a medical doctor). The cost estimate was high. I was not in pain. So I told the oral surgeon I would think about it. Fast forward two years…
T-13 Days: Weird Tooth Pressure and Throat Pain
After an ordinary lunch, I got a weird feeling in my gums. Upper left back tooth felt strange (an odd pressure). Like food was stuck in there. There probably was. I flossed. Brushed. I tried to rinse it out with the water flosser. But nothing worked. It felt weird, but this had happened in the past and usually resolved itself.
The next day the weird feeling became discomfort. Was wasn’t sure if it was my tooth or a sinus infection. I also get sinus infections every year, so I thought it might be a sinus infection.
The next day, the pain moved to my right tonsil and then my throat.
I called my dentist. He said to schedule a visit. When tapping on the tooth with a metal spoon, there was no pain, so he said it might not be the tooth. I felt a little feverish and with a sore throat, so I took a COVID test which came back negative. I took some NyQuill and went to bed early.
I felt better the next morning, but the throat pain was worse. When swallowing, it was painful, like I was swallowing sand.
I thought it might be strep throat, or a fungal infection, or possibly one of the dozen awful things I came across on the Internet. Now the NyQuill and Tylenol wasn’t working. The pain was spreading. My head hurt, my throat hurt bad.
T-10 Days: Swallowing Sand
Then the tooth pain came back. I could not eat. I started taking Advil which worked for exactly four hours. I was popping Advil, using ice on my neck and head and sinuses, rinsing my mouth with hydrogen peroxide, but it all got worse and worse. I found some left over Amoxicillin and started taking that.
I called my oral surgeon because not only was he a dentist but he is an MD so if this was strep he would know. He said to come in immediately. I went in. I had a severe infection. The upper left two molars had to come out right there and then. We prepped for oral surgery.
The decades of seemingly minor bad choices and tiny omissions, the past two years of dedicated efforts to reverse that damage, seemed to suddenly blow up in the course of three days.
The oral surgeon extracted the problematic teeth, and cleaned up the infected tissue.
T-2 Days: Even Water Was Hard to Swallow
After the extraction, and a week of antibiotics, almost everything calmed down.
The headache and toothache and sinus pain were gone. As the extraction site recovery progressed, I then noticed one thing that was not getting better…my sore throat. It was hard and painful to even swallow water.
T-4 Hours: Throat Felt Like it was Closing Up
I had finished my full course of antibiotics but my throat still felt terrible. Did I have a different infection? Viral? Fungal?
My oral surgeon said to come back in – but if I had trouble swallowing or trouble breathing, I should go to urgent care. I guess I freaked myself out. My throat felt like there was something stuck in it. It felt like it was closing up. We went to urgent care.
T-1 Hour: Doctor’s Prescription
Well. At the hospital, the doctor confirmed: No strep. No fungal infection. No foreign objects.
My throat was irritated and the punching bag thing in the back of my throat was inflamed. Lingering inflammation.
The ER doctor said she would prescribe Magic Mouthwash for me.
I was a little annoyed. I told her my mouth and teeth were okay, my throat was killing me. I didn’t need mouthwash!
The doc explained it’s not for fresh breath. She said gargle to coat the throat and then slowly swallow it.
I thought it was absurd. She said try it, and if things are not better in 2-3 days, to come back.
Got the Magic Mouthwash from the pharmacy. Went home.
T-5 Minutes
Got home. Skimmed the instructions. Gargled and slowly swallowed in tiny gulps.
It was pretty funky tasting. I almost gagged because my throat was so tight.
But after about 20 seconds, I could feel my throat numbing.
Then about 5 minutes later, I felt MUCH better. I could eat. Swallow. No problems whatsoever.
I took another dose 6 hours later, even though I didn’t feel any discomfort at all.
It was really like MAGIC.
Haven’t had to use the Magic Mouthwash after that.
According to the Mayo Clinic, magic mouthwash doesn’t have a standard formula, but it usually contains at least three of these basic ingredients:
- An antihistamine or anticholinergic agent, which may help relieve pain
- A local anesthetic to reduce pain and discomfort
- An antacid that helps ensure the other ingredients adequately coat the inside of your mouth
- An antifungal to reduce fungal growth
- A corticosteroid to treat inflammation
- An antibiotic to kill bacteria around the sore
It really really saved me from what felt like torture.
It seems acute inflammation can continue even after the underlying irritation, injury, infection is gone. Something to consider….
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