11 replies to this topic

[Rissa]

I've had dry mouth and throat for about 2 weeks now.  Lost a lot of sleep over it last night.  I've tried the biotene products (gum, toothpaste, mouthwash, spray).  They work for about 5 minutes.  I've been drinking plenty of water but that isn't helping either.  Anybody got any ideas?  Is there a prescription anyone is taking for this? 

[pammartin]

Hi Rissa,

I have no suggestions, but I am glad you posted this thread.  I have went through several tubes of lip moisturizer just to keep my lips from cracking.  I suffer from dry mouth also, but like you drinking additional water and trying to keep hydrated has not helped to any degree.  I will be tagging along with this post, borrowing any suggestions you might receive.

Pam

[chriskuo]

Have you checked your glucose levels?  Are they OK?

[Happycat]

What other drugs are you taking?  Any antihistamines?  These are known to cause dry mouth for some. One way to treat is to try a different drug, if possible. I did that when an antihistamine I was taking gave me dry mouth. The switch helped a lot.

If you suspect it's from a prescription med, you'll have to discuss alternatives with your doctor.

Traci

[danno]

I had severe dry mouth, could not eat bread or crackers, I could not produce any saliva. My clinic nurse gave me Xylitol mints. They worked wonders for me.

I have not had to buy them as I get them from her. I think they are available from pharmacy not sure how much. Here is a web site for them http://www.x-pur.com

[Rissa]

Thanks everyone for your replies.  I'm waiting on my hem/onc to call me back so we can talk about it.  Traci - I do take a half dose of alka seltzer plus cold medicine every night to get rid of my sinus headaches.  I'll try switching.  Danno - The biotene mints I have contain xylitol.  They do work while I'm chewing them.  :-)  Chris - I have not had my glucose levels checked.  Might bring that up with the doc.  Billie - altoids?  I like altoids, I'll give them a shot.  Pam - I use Burt's Bees tinted lip balm, not the one in the skinny tube, but the one that's shaped like a chapstick tube.  I've got the one in honeysuckle.  It works pretty good and the color is not overwhelming (not a fan of makeup).  If my doc tells me anything useful I will definitely pass it along. 

[Lizzybee]

I drink 3 liters of water and 2 cups of coffee every day and I'm still thirsty.  It didn't occur to me that it's dry mouth rather than thirst, but that makes sense because TKIs dry out everything else (skin, eyes), so why not the mouth, too?  My blood sugar gets checked every time I have labwork, and it's normal.

[Happycat]

Rissa,

Is there any sudafed in that cold medicine?  It's a pretty common decongestant. I can't take pseudo ephedrine, dries my mouth out, and keeps me awake to boot. In fact, the antihistamine I had to stop had a decongestant in it.  Once I went to the no decongestant version, the dry mouth went away.

Traci

[draftn]

Rissa

Have you had any raidiation treatments or take any prednisone?

[Rissa]

No, no radiation or prednisone.  I do believe this is a side effect of the gleevec.  I've had dry mouth off and on since starting, it's just been worse in the last couple of weeks.  My doctor still hasn't called me back.  Maybe he thinks I'm a whiner.    Oh well, I'll just keep the biotene spray on my nightstand and hope this is just a phase.

[draftn]

Sorry and hope that you get off the meds soon.  Here are my tips for self comfort.

Dry Mouth is terrible and it will decay your teeth fast if you do not keep up with it on a daily basis.  Sensodyne tooth paste is great and each time I brush I make sure I brush my gums lightly because that will help with activating saliva. 

Make sure you floss. I find using the Floss sticks the green Walgreens kind because of the mint taste and they are nice and strong.

Flossing will help with saliva.

Ibuprofen helps if you find yourself biting your cheeks.

I enjoy drinking warm "Bigelow Green Tea w/ Lemon" pinch of salt. I believe maybe the great Antioxidants may help with new cells development and make saliva.

Mixing up a warm bottle of water with salt can help if you find your self struggling through the day when you don't have gum or Biotene.

Go to the dentist often for teeth cleaning. It is the cheapest visit to make sure that your teeth don't decay fast and then you can keep your teeth. 

Sugar free is always going to be the best.  Sugar feeds bacteria or if you have any kind of sinus issues it will feed the sinus and make it worse. I find that any Soda, Tea with sugar, or any sugar drinks will feel like you get some moisture but soon will be right back to dry mouth.

Gum; Trident Tropical Twist - I get tired of Mint, Mint, and more Mint. 

No Tic-Tac's because they are hard and sugar and very bad for teeth.

Mouth Wash: Biotene or Oasis or Salt Water and in last place Crest w/out Alcohol.