Dry Mouth

Shiloah29
Shiloah29 Member Posts: 17
edited July 2023 in Lung Cancer #1
What is the bast thing to do for dry mouth. Has anyone used saliva substitutes? Radiation to his neck has caused my husband to have a dry mouth. He has a hardtime breaking down solid foods. Any info would be appreciated.

Comments

  • stayingcalm
    stayingcalm Member Posts: 650 Member
    #2
    Stuff that might help :)
    This is what Chemocare has to say on the subject, with brand names & all!

    Things you can do for treating dry mouth:
    Keep mouth and lips moist:

    * Rinse mouth with water frequently (every 2 hrs while awake & when awake during the night). May add salt or baking soda (1/2 to 1 teaspoon in 8 ounces of water).
    * Use saliva substitute (commercially available).
    * Biotene® products can be purchased without a prescription. Products available for treating dry mouth are; mouthwash, toothpaste, as well as, chewing gum that has the pH of saliva.
    * Oralbalance® moisturizing gel can be applied to the mouth or tongue and acts as a moisturizing coat.
    * Apply lip moisturizer often (i.e. Chapstick®).
    * Suck on tart hard candies (lemon drops, Jolly Ranchers®). Watch sugar content with candy - can produce cavities.
    * Use cool mist room humidifier at night in the bedroom. A humidifier on the furnace doesn't provide enough humidity for treating dry mouth.

    As far as the hard candies go, I know Jolly Rancher makes good sugarless candy, so do Lifesavers.
  • Shiloah29
    Shiloah29 Member Posts: 17
    #3
    stayingcalm said:

    Stuff that might help :)
    This is what Chemocare has to say on the subject, with brand names & all!

    Things you can do for treating dry mouth:
    Keep mouth and lips moist:

    * Rinse mouth with water frequently (every 2 hrs while awake & when awake during the night). May add salt or baking soda (1/2 to 1 teaspoon in 8 ounces of water).
    * Use saliva substitute (commercially available).
    * Biotene® products can be purchased without a prescription. Products available for treating dry mouth are; mouthwash, toothpaste, as well as, chewing gum that has the pH of saliva.
    * Oralbalance® moisturizing gel can be applied to the mouth or tongue and acts as a moisturizing coat.
    * Apply lip moisturizer often (i.e. Chapstick®).
    * Suck on tart hard candies (lemon drops, Jolly Ranchers®). Watch sugar content with candy - can produce cavities.
    * Use cool mist room humidifier at night in the bedroom. A humidifier on the furnace doesn't provide enough humidity for treating dry mouth.

    As far as the hard candies go, I know Jolly Rancher makes good sugarless candy, so do Lifesavers.

    thanks
    Thanks for the info. I will check on getting some of these things. I bought lemon drops today and I do have jolly ranchers. Will lock at Walmart for saliva substitutes etc. Thanks again.
  • Hope4Marge
    Hope4Marge Member Posts: 74
    #4
    stayingcalm said:

    Stuff that might help :)
    This is what Chemocare has to say on the subject, with brand names & all!

    Things you can do for treating dry mouth:
    Keep mouth and lips moist:

    * Rinse mouth with water frequently (every 2 hrs while awake & when awake during the night). May add salt or baking soda (1/2 to 1 teaspoon in 8 ounces of water).
    * Use saliva substitute (commercially available).
    * Biotene® products can be purchased without a prescription. Products available for treating dry mouth are; mouthwash, toothpaste, as well as, chewing gum that has the pH of saliva.
    * Oralbalance® moisturizing gel can be applied to the mouth or tongue and acts as a moisturizing coat.
    * Apply lip moisturizer often (i.e. Chapstick®).
    * Suck on tart hard candies (lemon drops, Jolly Ranchers®). Watch sugar content with candy - can produce cavities.
    * Use cool mist room humidifier at night in the bedroom. A humidifier on the furnace doesn't provide enough humidity for treating dry mouth.

    As far as the hard candies go, I know Jolly Rancher makes good sugarless candy, so do Lifesavers.

    thanks for this list
    My mom struggles with dry mouth. This list is great. She has tried some but not all on here so I am going to share. Thank you, Staying Calm.
  • altoman
    altoman Member Posts: 8
    #5
    stayingcalm said:

    Stuff that might help :)
    This is what Chemocare has to say on the subject, with brand names & all!

    Things you can do for treating dry mouth:
    Keep mouth and lips moist:

    * Rinse mouth with water frequently (every 2 hrs while awake & when awake during the night). May add salt or baking soda (1/2 to 1 teaspoon in 8 ounces of water).
    * Use saliva substitute (commercially available).
    * Biotene® products can be purchased without a prescription. Products available for treating dry mouth are; mouthwash, toothpaste, as well as, chewing gum that has the pH of saliva.
    * Oralbalance® moisturizing gel can be applied to the mouth or tongue and acts as a moisturizing coat.
    * Apply lip moisturizer often (i.e. Chapstick®).
    * Suck on tart hard candies (lemon drops, Jolly Ranchers®). Watch sugar content with candy - can produce cavities.
    * Use cool mist room humidifier at night in the bedroom. A humidifier on the furnace doesn't provide enough humidity for treating dry mouth.

    As far as the hard candies go, I know Jolly Rancher makes good sugarless candy, so do Lifesavers.

    dry mouth
    Many commercial products such as oral sprays or mouth washes have on their labels, "to stimulate" saliva production. Unfortunately, we cancer survivors who had radiation therapy have a more permanent condition because the radiation has destroyed the saliva producing cells, therefore, there is little of nothing to stimulate. Saliva is 95-99% water. This water is used to "wet" the mouth tissues. The other 1-5% are chemicals used to fight bacteria, protect the enamel, and form a bolus around solid foods to assist in swallowing.

    These commercial products may help in swallowing or fighting bacteria but are not much relief for dry mouth.

    I developed a medical device called the XEROS Dry Mouth Pump. It consistently wets the mouth, its tissues by pumping tiny amounts of water based on how you program the device. For instance it can pump for 10 seconds every 15 minutes or 8 seconds every 8 minutes or however you want it to run that works best for you.

    I have been using the XEROS Dry Mouth Pump for over 2 years now and it has had a dramatic impact on the quality of my life. Just google dry mouth pump to learn more or go to drymouthpump.com to stop suffering and start living!
  • Kathryn in Houston
    Kathryn in Houston Member Posts: 20 Member
    #6

    Coconut water helps. It's an acquired taste but it really helps dry mouth. Swish it around a lot before swallowing. It helped me.. I hope it helps.

  • TonyB2023
    TonyB2023 Member Posts: 20 Member
    #7

    When eating, always keep a glass of water at the ready. After the initial couple of chews, add some water to your mouth and continue chewing. Add water as necessary to swallow.

    Your condition should improve with time, though 2 1/2 years since my treatment, I still have to use water to wash the food down toward the end of a meal or anytime I eat bread. Starchy food also tends to turn gummy and requires water to break it up to swallow.

    Good luck.

    ps. As much as I used to love a PB&J sandwich or peanut butter and Ritz Crackers, I had to swear them off. Then again, I wear dentures.

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