Dry Mouth No Saliva

teacuplady
teacuplady Member Posts: 20
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
It has been almost 4 months since I went through radiation and chemo for cancer of the larynx. My mouth is still dry and I seem to have no saliva. I have to have a bottle of water with me at all times. Will it get better? Does anyone have any words of wisdom. I saw in the rad book that dry mouth may stay forever.

Comments

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #2
    Different
    There is no definite answer to your question.

    Everyone is different and heal at different rates. I was where you are as for recovery at one time. Always had my bottle of water, a swig for every bite of food, every sentence or two that I would speak and on the night stand for every hour or two since that last swallow I took through the night.

    I'm over 2 1/2 years out now and I'm around 95% back on both taste and saliva.

    Saliva started back slowly...every once in awhile if I concentrated really hard, I could produce a little. Clear and wet, not sticky, foamy white paste...

    Hang in there and more than likely you'll start getting some back little by litttle....not sure how much, but pretty sure you'll get some back based on most here.

    Best,
    John
  • Arthur123
    Arthur123 Member Posts: 19
    #3
    Skiffin16 said:

    Different
    There is no definite answer to your question.

    Everyone is different and heal at different rates. I was where you are as for recovery at one time. Always had my bottle of water, a swig for every bite of food, every sentence or two that I would speak and on the night stand for every hour or two since that last swallow I took through the night.

    I'm over 2 1/2 years out now and I'm around 95% back on both taste and saliva.

    Saliva started back slowly...every once in awhile if I concentrated really hard, I could produce a little. Clear and wet, not sticky, foamy white paste...

    Hang in there and more than likely you'll start getting some back little by litttle....not sure how much, but pretty sure you'll get some back based on most here.

    Best,
    John

    Saliva
    I am also two and a half years post treatment and I can tell you that it does improve. Of course everyone is different but in all liklihood you will improve as well. I did the water on the night stand thing and I still won't take a drive of any distance without my crutch, oops, water bottle but I would say I am better than 80 percent back. Hang in there. Everything improves with time. The body is an amazing thing.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #4
    and mine got worse
    cause everyone is different. at least with the mucous from hell my mouth wasn't as dry as the sahara desert. i am missing my submandibular on my left side though. my mouth is so dry that i can barely speak a few sentences before my teeth are sticking to my lips and my tongue gets dried out. and that is with biotene. which now seems to be a major food group for me these days. hope that your dry mouth improves.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #5
    Hi teacup
    Give it time and you will get some of it back, for now try using a dry-mouth spray, for me I use Stoppers 4 and I get it at www.drugstore.com. If nothing elese it will help you get some sleep at night in dealing with the dry-mouth.

    Hondo
  • teacuplady
    teacuplady Member Posts: 20
    #6
    Hondo said:

    Hi teacup
    Give it time and you will get some of it back, for now try using a dry-mouth spray, for me I use Stoppers 4 and I get it at www.drugstore.com. If nothing elese it will help you get some sleep at night in dealing with the dry-mouth.

    Hondo

    Dry Mouth No Saliva
    Thanks everyone for your help and ideas. I feel much better now and will try stoppers 4. I have never heard of it. I use biotene but it only works fair.
  • Pj Donegan
    Pj Donegan Member Posts: 1
    #7
    I'm the same went through
    I'm the same went through treatment 7 months ago and still have a dry mouth. I find it very hard to eat as have no taste
  • teacuplady
    teacuplady Member Posts: 20
    #8
    Pj Donegan said:

    I'm the same went through
    I'm the same went through treatment 7 months ago and still have a dry mouth. I find it very hard to eat as have no taste

    Dry Mouth, No Saliva
    I keep water by my side all the time and it helps alot. Also I did buy some Stoppers 4 and it works a little. Hopefully, we will both get our saliva back in time.
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #9
    teacuplady said:

    Dry Mouth, No Saliva
    I keep water by my side all the time and it helps alot. Also I did buy some Stoppers 4 and it works a little. Hopefully, we will both get our saliva back in time.

    OraMoist dry mouth patches at Walgreens
    I saw these at Walgreens today.
    I don't know if they work, but when my mouth was really dry I would try everything.
    Now my mouth is not so dry but it has been a while. Hope you find some relief, it drove me crazy!

    Stacey

    oramoist
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #10
    staceya said:

    OraMoist dry mouth patches at Walgreens
    I saw these at Walgreens today.
    I don't know if they work, but when my mouth was really dry I would try everything.
    Now my mouth is not so dry but it has been a while. Hope you find some relief, it drove me crazy!

    Stacey

    oramoist

    Oramoist
    I tried these and
    Oramoist

    I tried these and they didn't do too much for me. It was a bit 'pucker-y' for me, like lemony or something. It also made balled up white cottage cheesey stuff in my mouth. Yes, gross, I know.

    I would say that they are worth a try. The biotene products seem to be a bit better for me.
  • jeepman
    jeepman Member Posts: 109
    #11
    Biotene seems to work
    I am far too close to treatment ending to have realistic expectations for saliva production, but for what it's worth, I used biotene tooth paste and mouth wash during and now 2 months post treatment. It does seem to make a difference.

    Mike
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #12
    sweetblood22 said:

    Oramoist
    I tried these and
    Oramoist

    I tried these and they didn't do too much for me. It was a bit 'pucker-y' for me, like lemony or something. It also made balled up white cottage cheesey stuff in my mouth. Yes, gross, I know.

    I would say that they are worth a try. The biotene products seem to be a bit better for me.

    Yikes! Sound
    Yikes! Sound horrible...sorry I suggested it! Thanks for posting..
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #13
    sweetblood22 said:

    Oramoist
    I tried these and
    Oramoist

    I tried these and they didn't do too much for me. It was a bit 'pucker-y' for me, like lemony or something. It also made balled up white cottage cheesey stuff in my mouth. Yes, gross, I know.

    I would say that they are worth a try. The biotene products seem to be a bit better for me.

    It is so horrible had to
    It is so horrible had to double post.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #14
    Dry Mouth
    At a recent dentist visit more of a consult we discussed dry mouth, he knows I have already had 2 rounds of chemo infusions, I told him I was using biotene toothpaste and mouth wash, he also suggested the biotene gum.

    Linda
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #15
    staceya said:

    It is so horrible had to
    It is so horrible had to double post.

    Stacey
    Lol. I would still encourage people to try it, as it might work for them. I tried two or three of them. I stuck it to the inside of my cheek. I was really hoping that it would work so that I could sing again. :(
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #16
    sweetblood22 said:

    Stacey
    Lol. I would still encourage people to try it, as it might work for them. I tried two or three of them. I stuck it to the inside of my cheek. I was really hoping that it would work so that I could sing again. :(

    Singing
    I can hear you cooking and singing..this could also be the wax in my ears from the other thread though.
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #17
    sweetblood22 said:

    Oramoist
    I tried these and
    Oramoist

    I tried these and they didn't do too much for me. It was a bit 'pucker-y' for me, like lemony or something. It also made balled up white cottage cheesey stuff in my mouth. Yes, gross, I know.

    I would say that they are worth a try. The biotene products seem to be a bit better for me.

    Ewwwwwww!
    TMI, Dawn! I think I'll pass on the white cottage cheesey stuff...

    But I am curious. Where do you stick the patch?

    Deb
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #18
    D Lewis said:

    Ewwwwwww!
    TMI, Dawn! I think I'll pass on the white cottage cheesey stuff...

    But I am curious. Where do you stick the patch?

    Deb

    Deb
    Lol, sorry for the TMI, but you know me, I tell it as I experience it.

    It's not really a patch. It's more like a lozenge. But not like hard candy. More like a sweet tart or a ''bottle cap" candy consistency. There are two colors and two sides to it. You take the side you want to stick, and put it on the roof of your mouth, or the inside of your cheek. Because my tongue is so sensitive, the cheek is better for me. I can't really explain it, but the inside of my cheek also got a little 'pruney'. Like the way your fingers get in water for a long time. TMI, again? Lol. I didn't like them.
  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    #19
    osmotar said:

    Dry Mouth
    At a recent dentist visit more of a consult we discussed dry mouth, he knows I have already had 2 rounds of chemo infusions, I told him I was using biotene toothpaste and mouth wash, he also suggested the biotene gum.

    Linda

    Dry Mouth
    I lost mine during treatment 15 years ago and have been dry as a bone since. Tried everything and none worked. I just carry my bottle.

    Denny
  • altoman
    altoman Member Posts: 8
    #20
    Greend said:

    Dry Mouth
    I lost mine during treatment 15 years ago and have been dry as a bone since. Tried everything and none worked. I just carry my bottle.

    Denny

    XEROS Dry Mouth Pump
    I am a oral cancer survivor (2007) near 5 years out. I suffer from permanent chronic dry mouth. That means the radiation did away with my saliva producing cells and they ain't coming back.

    I tried everything on the market including Biotene. None of it works! Frustrated, I created my own solution in 2008 and it turned my life around from a depressed, frustrated couch potato to a fully functional, hard working fool!

    The device is FDA cleared effectively April 8, 2011 under number K110116. It is called the XEROS dry mouth pump which can be seen here http://drymouthpump.com.

    I personally use the device every day and night since 2008. Yes. It can be used when sleeping. It simply pumps tiny, tiny amounts of water into the oral cavity wetting the tissues.

    We calculated over a 10 year period that we would have to spend over $10,000 on Biotene or similar commercially available substances to do the same job the XEROS does for $499.

    Saliva is over 95% water. Water is the wetting agent in saliva. The other components of saliva are to aid in fighting bacteria and the demineralization of the teeth and also forms a bolus around solid food particles to assist in swallowing.

    Over 8,000,000 people (USA) suffer from dry mouth but only about 36,000 truly have CHRONIC dry mouth. If that is you, I suggest that you stop suffering and start living and consider the XEROS dry mouth pump.

Discussion Boards