Dry Mouth Tips?

kmadlom
kmadlom Member Posts: 20
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi everyone,

Wife is 10 days post radiation and chemo treatments for BOT tumor that spread to lymph nodes in the neck. Both sides of her neck were radiated. The skin is peeling, but getting a bit better. The dry mouth is worse now than during the treatment. Any ideas for that. She hates Magic Mouthwash with an unnatural passion. Still using lots of salt/soda solution and some biotene. Just wondering if anyone has any other suggestions.

She's still drinking diluted protein shakes, but not getting more than 800 calories a day. I'm not pushing her on that just yet because she's only lost 15 pounds since this whole ordeal started on Jan. 2. She was adamant about not getting a PEG. Someone on here recommended benecalorie and although she hated it, she used it and that was a lifesaver.

Now we're just taking it day by day to heal. We're wide open for tips to help this process along.

k

Comments

  • kmadlom
    kmadlom Member Posts: 20
    #2
    oops...I see this topic has been addressed

    Sorry about that...I see this was addressed in the post about dry mouth at night. Thanks!

  • AnotherSurvivor
    AnotherSurvivor Member Posts: 384 Member
    #3
    My main recommendation is to

    My main recommendation is to not give up, including on hope.  I'm at 17 months post and my dry mouth is still changing.  When I started xylimelts did nothing for me.  Then for a while I didn't need them.  Now I use a few every day.  Both with and without things like them, there are days that are bad, and days that are like the old normal.

  • kmadlom
    kmadlom Member Posts: 20
    #4
    AnotherSurvivor said:

    My main recommendation is to

    My main recommendation is to not give up, including on hope.  I'm at 17 months post and my dry mouth is still changing.  When I started xylimelts did nothing for me.  Then for a while I didn't need them.  Now I use a few every day.  Both with and without things like them, there are days that are bad, and days that are like the old normal.

    Thanks for the reply. I'm

    Thanks for the reply. I'm going to order the mints from Amazon. Right now, her mouth sores are too bad to have mints, but maybe in a week or so they will help. This post treatment is tough because we were so focused on it being over and we're realizing that maybe it's never really over...but it does get better.

  • OKCnative
    OKCnative Member Posts: 326 Member
    edited May 2018 #5
    For me, I helped my dry mouth

    For me, I helped my dry mouth problems by using a moist mist humidifier on my bed night stand at night (pointed towards me). During the day I drink a lot of water to stay hydrated and always have those ACT lozenges on me that you can buy at WalMart (36 per box for about $6). They are specifically for dry mouth. I don't like the one's that you stick to your molar - I can feel them and some people can see them.

    Good luck.

  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570 Member
    #6
    DESERT MOUTH

    Hey K,

    I enjoyed (not) dry mouth for around 11 years following my post BOT surgery radiation treatment (the gift that ...), and during that time my mouth saver was the spray Mouth Kote, which I got from my local, independent pharmacy, no prescription needed.  I always had a small spray bottle in my pocket (I'm a cargo pants guy), in the car, and of course a large bottle at home.  It worked well for me during that desert mouth period, and probably was a factor in me not having any dental problems too.  Thankfully, I had the joy of disposing of those bottles (recycled of course) when I no longer had to artificially lubricate my mouth because my silva magically returned after my esophagus was reconstructed. So, if you have not experimented with a spray, you may want to see how one of the various available sprays may work for your wife.  As I recall, the Mouth Kote was pretty soothing.  I wish your wife the best for a quick soothing solution.

    Patrick      

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