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Caphosol
Your healthcare provider may prescribe Caphosol to relieve a dry mouth or throat, or to reduce the pain and severity of mouth sores caused by certain types of chemotherapy. It comes as a liquid mouth rinse that is used several times a day. Make sure to spit out the liquid after rinsing your mouth. This product does not usually cause side effects.
Caphosol® (supersaturated calcium phosphate rinse) is a prescription product approved to treat a dry mouth or throat. It is also approved to treat mouth sores (known medically as mucositis) caused by radiation or high-dose chemotherapy treatment.
Caphosol is considered a medical device by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Unlike medications, medical devices do not generally cause chemical effects within the body.
(Click Caphosol Uses for more information on this topic, including possible off-label uses.)
Caphosol is made by Catalent Pharma Solutions, LLC, for EUSA (USA) Pharma, Inc.
How Does It Work?
Caphosol belongs to a group of drugs known as saliva substitutes. It is made to closely resemble natural human saliva.
Caphosol does not increase saliva production. Instead, it acts to replace natural saliva and helps moisten and clean the mouth, tongue, and throat. This can temporarily relieve a dry mouth and reduce the pain and severity of mouth sores.
Caphosol has been studied in people undergoing cancer radiation or chemotherapy treatment. In these studies, the use of Caphosol has been associated with a lower risk of developing mucositis. More specifically, one study showed that 40 percent of people given Caphosol remained free from mouth sores, compared to 19 percent of people given a fluoride rinse. Caphosol has also been shown to reduce the severity of mouth sores that do occur and to help them heal faster.
Written by/reviewed by: Susan Lakey, PharmD, MPH, BCPP
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD