Dry Mouth Woes

Bob Watt
Bob Watt Member Posts: 60 Member
edited June 2017 in Head and Neck Cancer #1


Something that plagued me since treatment finished on 21 April has been dry mouth. During the day it isn't so bad because a quick sip of water and you get a few minutes reprieve, and other sip and so on. At night, however it is a different story. Not so bad if you breathe through your nose while sleeping, but I'm a mouth open sleeper.

 



One either conforms to the inevitable and just sleeps through with dry mouth and puts up with the discomfort, or one wakes ever so many minutes, sips water, and tries to keep one's mouth shut and go back to sleep.

 



Of course the latter has a tendency to give you a broken sleep and the consequences of needing to nap during the day. The side effect of this is that each time I awoke to take a sip, I also woke Jeanette. Not fair that two of us get broken sleep.



In steps "Artificial Saliva Solution" that my doctor prescribed. It has a bit of a taste at first, but a teaspoon of this thickish solution swished around the mouth has given me three night's sleep in a row and I've had no desire to nap during the day.

 



I'd still like to know how long it takes before the sore part of my throat (where the tumour was) takes to heal, as it is the only part annoying me, oh and the earache, on the same side, when I swallow.


Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #2
    Tip of the iceberg

    Hi Bob,

    Artificial Saliva Solution is a new one to me.  My mouth is too dry to ask the doctor for a prescription, so why don’t you send me a few teaspoons of it and I will give it a try.

    I have used lots of xylitol products, coconut oil, gum, water, etc. I have had my best luck with the xylimelts at bedtime, without them my mouth is dried up and stuck shut.

    My tumor was on the tongue and it healed fairly quickly and without much pain.  The lack of pain was a bright spot for me.  I did have considerable throat, mouth and tongue discomfort, but magic mouth wash worked well for me.

    I never had earache, but do have ringing in my ears since 3 years post.

    This cancer is just a precursor to getting old and I don’t care much for it. There was a  time, before cancer, when I thought I would just gradually get old, now I wonder.

    Matt

  • AnotherSurvivor
    AnotherSurvivor Member Posts: 384 Member
    edited June 2017 #3
    Nights I do a manual total

    Nights I do a manual total tongue coat (I slather it on my finger and spread it on my tongue, including waaay back) of BioXtra gel followed by a bath of Oral7. Periodically, if I see a build up of scummy stuff,  I do a tongue brush with a soft disposable toothbrush and apple vinegar.  I also use a cool mist humidifier next to the bed, which I drain and clean daily.  I now sleep like a log.  During the day, water, milk, and sugarfree gum.  I have fresh Okra growing in the garden, and I am eventually going to give Okra water a try (search this site for details).

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