I usually keep mutation potions for when I get threatening mutations from malmutating monsters. They will often remove some bad mutations while giving you a positive one or two. Bad mutations like weakness, dopiness, clumsiness, or even deformed (if you have good armor skill) can often be ignored, but ones that restrict your ability to use scrolls and potions are more threatening.

If survivability is a problem, it helps to equip a shield and start training shields, dodging, and armor to like 10-15, and maybe go higher once you are in Vaults.

Also, increase intelligence, getting it reduced to 0 will give you some nasty permanent debuffs until you get back above 0. 8 is usually enough for all game.

I never drink mutation potions unless I really need to.

So that’s a no IMHO. I like to hold onto pots of Mutation because once you reach deep enough areas, you are pretty much guaranteed to get negative mutations.

Some mutations you can live with, but mutations like teleportitus, degrading stats on damage, losing the ability to read scrolls or drink potions on damage, even yelling loudly all the time can cut short a promising run.

At that point you absolutely will need your potions to cure them.

I’ve definitely lost games because the dungeon didn’t give me enough pots of mutation to recover from all the mutations I received.