Difflam

What is Difflam?

Difflam is a branded treatment for mouth ulcers that comes as either a spray or a mouthwash. You use it daily, and it contains the active ingredient benzydamine, which is also the name of the generic form of the treatment.

Mouth ulcers aren’t usually a serious health concern, but they can be frustrating to live with. They can happen either from biting the inside of your mouth, known as a traumatic ulcer, or in some people they can appear on their own at varying intervals - which is what’s known as ‘recurrent aphthous stomatitis’.

Most of the time ulcers clear up on their own, but some treatments like Difflam can help to speed up the process and reduce your pain and discomfort.

How does Difflam work?

The active ingredient in Difflam, benzydamine, is an anti-inflammatory medication - this means that it works to reduce swelling in a particular area. It’s also an analgesic, which means that it can reduce feelings of pain and discomfort to the area that it’s applied to.

So, when you use Difflam for your ulcers, it works by reducing their swelling as well as reducing your pain. This can help your recovery to be quicker and more comfortable.

What doses of Difflam are there?

Both Difflam spray and mouthwash are only available in one dose: 0.15% w/v (weight by volume). So if they’re not working as you’d hoped to help you with your symptoms then it might be worth speaking to your clinician, as you might need to try another treatment.

How to use Difflam spray

You should always use Difflam spray as prescribed by your clinician.

For adults, you can use four to eight puffs every 1½ - 3 hours. Children under twelve can have four puffs every 1½ - 3 hours and children under six can have one puff for every four kilograms that they weigh, every 1½ - 3 hours (but no more than four puffs).

• hold the spray in an upright position
• lift the spray tube until it’s horizontal
• if you’re using it for the first time, point the spray tube away from you and push down on the green plunger until a fine spray comes out
• aim the spray tube at the sore part of your mouth and press on the green plunger again.
• One press equals one puff
• continue to use until you’ve had enough puffs
• once you’ve finished, wipe clean the end of the spray tube and put it back into its original position

How to use Difflam mouthwash

Always use Difflam mouthwash exactly as your clinician has told you to. Difflam mouthwash isn’t suitable for children under twelve.

• use 15ml every 1½ - 3 hours - you can use the measuring cup provided to measure this.
• rinse or gargle the solution for 20-30 seconds before spitting it out.
• do not swallow the solution.
• don’t use it for more than seven days unless you’ve been instructed otherwise by your clinician.

How long does it take Difflam to work?

Difflam gets to work to reduce pain and discomfort pretty quickly. You should start to notice a difference within a couple of days after using it regularly. If your symptoms still persist after a week then you should let your clinician know, as it could be a sign of a more serious condition which will need to be diagnosed and treated differently.

What should I do if I make a mistake when using Difflam?

Always make sure that you don’t use Difflam more than you’ve been told to by your clinician. If you’ve taken too much and you feel unwell then you should seek medical help. If you forget a dose of Difflam then just take it when you remember, and don’t double the dose to make up for missed doses.

If you accidentally get some Difflam spray in your eye, then rinse the eye with cold water. If you accidentally swallow a large amount of Difflam mouthwash then you should also seek medical advice from a clinician.

Medically reviewed by

Dr Daniel Atkinson

GP Clinical Lead

on February 16, 2023.

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