There are many causes of canker sores. Common triggers include food sensitivity, trauma to the mouth, or a deficiency in nutrients. However, another culprit that is often overlooked is your medication. Check the list below to see if your canker sore(s) may be medication-related.

An allergic reaction or side effect to a medication is common. If you can identify a medication as a possible cause of your oral ulcers, then discontinuation of that medication may resolve them quickly. If you are on chemotherapy medications, which are not included in this list, you may develop a more severe form of mouth ulcer called mucositis. In this case, you should discuss with your doctor on the best treatment.

Below is a list of common oral medications that may cause oral ulcers or canker sores. If you are using any of the medications below and have recurrent oral ulcers, discuss with your doctor about a possible alternative.

Common Oral Medications Associated with Oral Ulcers

• Acitretin (Soriatane)
• Acyclovir (Zovirax)
• Allopurinol (Zyloprim)
• Amitriptyline (Elavil)
• Ampicillin (Omnipen)
• Apalutamide (Erleada)
• Apomorphine (Apokyn)
• Aprepitant (Emend)
• Aspirin
• Atovaquone (Mepron)
• Auranofin (Ridaura)
• Azacitidine (Vidaza)
• Azelastine (Astelin)
• Azithromycin (Zithromax)
• Boceprevir (Victrelis)
• Buprenorphine (Belbuca)
• Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
• Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
• Cefdinir (Omnicef)
• Cefditoren (Spectracef)
• Cefpodoxime (Vantin)
• Celecoxib (Celebrex)
• Cetirizine (Zyrtec)
• Cevimeline (Evoxac)
• Chlorhexidine (Peridex)
• Citalopram (Celexa)
• Clarithromycin (Biaxin)
• Clomipramine (Anafranil)
• Clopidogrel (Plavix)
• Cromolyn sodium (Nasalcrom)
• Cyclobenzaprine (Flexiril)
• Cyclosporine (Gengraf)
• Desipramine (Norpramin)
• Diclofenac (Voltaren)
• Dicloxacillin (Dycill)
• Doxepin (Sinequan)
• Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
• Eletriptan (Relpax)
• Empagliflozin (Jardiance)
• Enalapril (Vasotec)
• Ertugliflozin (Steglatro)
• Erythromycin (Ery-Tab)
• Esomeprazole (Nexium)
• Eszopiclone (Lunesta)
• Ethionamide (Trecator)
• Etodolac (Lodine)
• Etravirine (Intelence)
• Everolimus (Afinitor)
• Felbamate (Felbatol)
• Fentanyl (Duragesic)
• Fluoxetine (Prozac)
• Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
• Frovatriptan (Frova)
• Hydroxyurea (Hydrea)
• Ibuprofen (Motrin)
• Iloperidone (Fanapt)
• Imipramine (Tofranil)
• Indomethacin (Indocin)
• Ipratropium (Atrovent)
• Itraconazole (Sporanox)
• Ketoprofen (Orudis)
• Ketorolac (Toradol)
• Lamivudine (Epivir)
• Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
• Lansoprazole (Prevacid)
• Leflunomide (Arava)
• Lenalidomide (Revlimid)
• Letrozole (Femara)
• Levofloxacin (Levaquin)
• Linagliptin (Trajenta)
• Lopinavir; Ritonavir
• Loratadine (Claritin)
• Maprolitine (Ludiomil)
• Meclofenamate (Meclofen)
• Meloxicam (Mobic)
• Meprobamate (Miltown)
• Metronidazole (Flagyl)
• Minocycline (Minocin)
• Mirtazapine (Remiron)
• Mycophenolate (Cellcept)
• Nabumetone (Relafen)
• Naproxen (Aleve)
• Nefazodone (Serzone)
• Nevirapine (Viramune)
• Norfloxacin (Noroxin)
• Nortriptyline (Elavil)
• Olsalazine (Dipentum)
• Omeprazole (Prilosec)
• Oxaprozin (Daypro)
• Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
• Oxycodone (Roxicodone)
• Pancrelipase (Creon)
• Paroxetine (Paxil)
• Penicillamine (Cuprimine)
• Pirbuterol (Maxair)
• Piroxicam (Feldene)
• Posaconazole (Noxafil)
• Pregabalin (Lyrica)
• Protriptyline (Vivatal)
• Quetiapine (Seroquel)
• Rasagiline (Azilect)
• Rimantadine (Flumadine)
• Rolapitant (Varubi)
• Selegiline (Elderpryl)
• Sildenafil (Viagra)
• Sirolimus (Rapamune)
• Sitagliptin (Januvia)
• Sulfamethoxazole; trimethoprim (Bactrim)
• Sulfasalazine (Asacol)
• Sulindac (Clinoril)
• Tacrolimus (Prograf)
• Thalidomide (Thalomid)
• Tiagabine (Gabitril)
• Tiotropium (Spiriva)
• Tolmetin (Tolmectin)
• Topiramate (Topamax)
• Tramadol (Ultram)
• Tretinoin (Avita)
• Triazolam (Halcion)
• Trimipramine (Surmontil)
• Valproic acid (Depakote)
• Venlafaxine (Effexor)
• Voriconazole (Vfend)
• Zaleplon (Sonata)
• Zidovudine (Retrovir)
• Zolmitriptan (Zomig)
• Zonisamide (Zonegran)

Sandie Tran, Pharm.D.