Septoplasty and Dry Mouth

yensid683

I am a 6 year survivor and need some input from the group.

Without going into the gory details, while I was recovering from rads I suffered a broken nose when I face planted one night.  I've lived with a diminished ability to breathe out of my nose and recently decided to do something about it.

I'm going to have a septoplasty this coming Monday which means that for the next couple of weeks I'll be breathing more through my mouth than my nose, and with the attendant dry mouth issues, overnight will be a challenge.

I do have the Biotene rinse and gels which don't work as well as I would like.

I also have a humidifier, but living in central Florida and an AC system running makes it mostly irrelavant.

Anyone have suggestions on how to reduce the impact of breathing through the mouth when sleeping?

 

thank you!

yensid683

CivilMatt said:

This is my best advice for now

Yensid683,

Unless you fess up to the “face plant” (NO gory details, just the highlight of the incident).  I can’t be confident in my ability to be objective and provide “best advice” for your RFDMA (Request For Dry Mouth Advice) and I have a lot of advice.  Because I have no way to get your answer toot sweet, here I go. I was just wondering, apparently the face plant did not hurt your nose breathing, correct.  The nose just looks bad or whatever and you want to fix it.  Ok, I will just watch the road and drive.  I have dealt with dry mouth for 6 years.  If I do nothing at night my mouth will dry shut (like glue, but different because I can pry it open), but boy is it dry.  Yes, like the Sahara Desert, or an over well-done steak or the exhaust manifold on SPRINTCARDUDES race car.  Dry is dry.

I have tried Biotene and keep a large bottle of it in the bathroom to rinse and spit out every night after I use my fluoride rinse which is after my 3-D white brush my teeth, but before I spray 3 or 4 or 5 shots of Stoppers 4 in my mouth.  Then it is off to bed with a full glass of water on the night stand and I put in two Xyilemelt tablets and off to dream land I go.  For me the Xyilemelts do work and work well for the dry mouth.  I get 3 or 4 hours of melt time and 3 or 4 or 5 hours of residual time, it is all good and makes my dry mouth a non-issue.

Now, some people have had bad luck with the Xyilemelts and I was one of them.  Once and only once I had one come unglued (each tablet has a dissolving cardboard like back that you put into a snug place in your mouth). I like the bottom row of teeth by my canine teeth on the gum).  One on each side, two total.  Anyway, the dislodged tablet went down my throat and I woke up to my brain saying “what the he _ _ is going on”.  I recovered and immediately turned on the lights and read the entire package label.  The dislodging and down the throat and possible choking or traveling to your lungs is mentioned.  It is not in big and bold DANGER AHEAD type print, but it does go on to say don’t panic, it will dissolve and all be ok.  All was ok and I continue to use them. I have used around 4,400 of them, Oh my, I am hooked.  One more thig at my last dentist appointment my dentist caught me off guard and said “do you chew tobacco, I see a spot on your gum and it looks irritated”.  I began my response playing dumb and confused, but remembered my nightly ritual and came clean and was told that everything would be alright.

I never used a humidifier, but I like to listen to the radio at night (coast to coast, red eye, Westwood One, Bob Brinker, Dave Ramsey, Clark Howard, Handel on the Law, a variety of home improvement shows on Saturday morning) and the humidifier might disturb me.

Matt

Septoplasty is a corrective surgical procedure done to straighten the nasal septum.

Been down this road before

i had a septo-rhinoplasty some 33 years ago to repair a badly damaged nose, a gift of an angry adults fist.

while I was recovering from rads (just 3 weeks after the last one) I suffered a synchopal episode one night.  I remember getting up from the bed and vaguely remember taking one step.  My next conscious thought was seeing the floor rushing up at me, smashing into the floor and hearing the sickening crunch of my nose hitting the floor.   Blood flowed out of both nostrils, took quite a while to control and wound up at my RO’s office later that morning.

i was told that nothing could be done about the broken nose so I’ve lived with it for almost 6 years.  I find it increasingly difficult to breathe through my nose and we all know what it is like to wake in the morning with your mouth and throat as dry as a dog biscult.

i will be having a septoplasty to repair the deviated septum, a turbinectomy to remove the inferior turbinate that occlude my nasal airway and finally will have splints installed (Latera) to support the collapsing nasal valves for each nostril. 

 i will have about 2 weeks of breathing only though my mouth.  Day time won’t be all that bad but sleeping will be a challenge.  Biotene does not do well, and the other half strenuously objected to xylemelts so Im looking for ideas,  I was thinking of using a dust mask, ive used one when I do woodworking and it seemed to do okay.  

CivilMatt

This is my best advice for now

Yensid683,

Unless you fess up to the “face plant” (NO gory details, just the highlight of the incident).  I can’t be confident in my ability to be objective and provide “best advice” for your RFDMA (Request For Dry Mouth Advice) and I have a lot of advice.  Because I have no way to get your answer toot sweet, here I go. I was just wondering, apparently the face plant did not hurt your nose breathing, correct.  The nose just looks bad or whatever and you want to fix it.  Ok, I will just watch the road and drive.  I have dealt with dry mouth for 6 years.  If I do nothing at night my mouth will dry shut (like glue, but different because I can pry it open), but boy is it dry.  Yes, like the Sahara Desert, or an over well-done steak or the exhaust manifold on SPRINTCARDUDES race car.  Dry is dry.

I have tried Biotene and keep a large bottle of it in the bathroom to rinse and spit out every night after I use my fluoride rinse which is after my 3-D white brush my teeth, but before I spray 3 or 4 or 5 shots of Stoppers 4 in my mouth.  Then it is off to bed with a full glass of water on the night stand and I put in two Xyilemelt tablets and off to dream land I go.  For me the Xyilemelts do work and work well for the dry mouth.  I get 3 or 4 hours of melt time and 3 or 4 or 5 hours of residual time, it is all good and makes my dry mouth a non-issue.

Now, some people have had bad luck with the Xyilemelts and I was one of them.  Once and only once I had one come unglued (each tablet has a dissolving cardboard like back that you put into a snug place in your mouth). I like the bottom row of teeth by my canine teeth on the gum).  One on each side, two total.  Anyway, the dislodged tablet went down my throat and I woke up to my brain saying “what the he _ _ is going on”.  I recovered and immediately turned on the lights and read the entire package label.  The dislodging and down the throat and possible choking or traveling to your lungs is mentioned.  It is not in big and bold DANGER AHEAD type print, but it does go on to say don’t panic, it will dissolve and all be ok.  All was ok and I continue to use them. I have used around 4,400 of them, Oh my, I am hooked.  One more thig at my last dentist appointment my dentist caught me off guard and said “do you chew tobacco, I see a spot on your gum and it looks irritated”.  I began my response playing dumb and confused, but remembered my nightly ritual and came clean and was told that everything would be alright.

I never used a humidifier, but I like to listen to the radio at night (coast to coast, red eye, Westwood One, Bob Brinker, Dave Ramsey, Clark Howard, Handel on the Law, a variety of home improvement shows on Saturday morning) and the humidifier might disturb me.

Matt

Septoplasty is a corrective surgical procedure done to straighten the nasal septum.

CivilMatt

Been down the dry mouth road before.

yensid683,

Are you in the United States?  Now, you mention a dust mask and I did not know anything about using a dust mask for dry mouth treatment.  I think I would remember that.  There are other xylitol infused products,  I also have a container of Spry tablets next to my chair and pop them in my mouth on a regular bases.  I have used Oasis spray with some good results.   I believe the key ingredient is the xylitol, there you go.

The incident you described that set the course for this septoplasty sounded lovely especially the picture in my head of the next morning at the RO’s office.  “What the he _ _ happened to you?”

There is nothing in your bio to help me figure out what type of H&N cancer you had, if your nose was included, you probably had a whole snoot full of issues.

Now, back outside to enjoy the warm spring Oregon weather.

Matt

yensid683

Background

My nose was never part of my disease, I was dx in March of 2012 with scc, primary tumor was on the left base of my tongue and measured 30mm, it extended into the left cervical lymph nodes, the largest of which measured 60mm so it was staged as IVa.  Treatment was in 3 stages, first was induction chemo, 5 days as an in patient on continuous high dose chemo, then concurrent chem/radiation -33 rads, 8 weekly doses of erbitux and then 2 selective neck dissection.  I was “released” from my ENT at my 5 year anniversary in July of last year and am doing well, adapting to a new “ abi-normal” as you put it so well.

i am in the U S,  I make my home in central Florida, not far from Disney World.

ill give the sprays a try, like I’ve said, daytime should be manageable, it’s the night that are my concern.

one of the consequences of the second insult to my nose is a limited ability to breathe through it.  I can get enough air at rest or doing a very quiet activity ( reading, driving, sleeping) but even just walking the dog will see me mouth breathing to get enough air.

i like to build thing so when I’m in the shop and working with wood I use a dust mask  I discovered that the mask holds just enough exhaled moisture to humidify the incoming air.

i found the same effect from a surgical mask when I accompanied my wife to a DR appointment and I had a cold, the office had a supply and had a sign asking you to use one if you had a cold.  

I acquired a box from Walgreens so we shall see.

 

now back to the sun and fun of a Disney golf course....