any new treatments for dry mouth

Accupuncture
Never tried it, but have heard good things. Results for "regular" accupuncture (chinese methods) were mixed here. Korean got rave reviews - I think only a couple did Korean. I'm sure a current poster here has done the Korean, and another knows how to pick an accupuncturist (is that even a word?).

Just looked it up - the post is "How do I produce more saliva?", started last fall. FDS man knew how to pick the person for the job. Mermaid52 took her hubby to a Korean practitioner, and gave him homeopathic remedies. Scambuster was hoping to have it done. I'm patting myself on the back now, for remembering. Good luck.

Scambuster said:

Acupuncture
Hi Abbi,

Yes I have been getting Acupuncture since Xmas and I think it has helped. I have about 15-20% now and a more even amount as earlier it went from 0-15% fluctuating through the day. My acupuncturist uses mainly points in the ears and sometime on the face, toes and fingers. Someone here posted a technique developed by an American Acupuncturist /Doctor. Mine tried it out on me and I noticed immediate effects and a longer term slight improvement. It was similar to what mine was already doing but a but weird as it had to to be done while sitting and sucking on sugar free lozenges. PM me and I can send you the brief. The techniques are a combo or Chinese, French, American and German studied points.
Scam

mouth spray
I have been using the Biotene spray and it seems to work for awile. I spray it about 10 times a day! I just ordered the Stoppers4 that fisrpotpe offered up in his post. I hope it is that good for me as it was for him.
Dry mouth is the bane all of us H&N cancer patients share. I can handle it as long as the cancer stays away!! I want the cancer out and I'll deal with the new normal as we say..
Keep searching, who would have thought accupuncture would have worked???
Stay positive and good luck
Steve

abbimom said:

thanks
thank you firspotpe I will look into that. I was also wondering does anything spicy or any kind of spice burn your mouth because it does to mine?

spice not good
anything spicy including too much pepper does not work at all. I can not taste but sour things make me pucker. Do you have problem with opening your mouth. I can only get about 3/4" between my teeth.

We have done well though for this long.

abbimom said:

spice sucks
I feel like my mouth opening has gotten worse since I recently had my wisdom teeth removed. Sometimes I feel like my mouth is just getting worse the older I get. It is so funny to watch me eat a sandwich I have to smash it and then shove it in. It is amazing how much people take eating for granted. I shouldn't complain at least I can eat some things.

Do not do any more
I do not eat sandwiches because of the thickness and yes I did the same by smashing.

Have you tried the sandwich thins? they are round about the size of bun, very thin. You can find them in the bead section of the store.

We had a few friends over last night for small group. One of them is also a 2 year survivor of head and neck cancer, he tried it for the first time and loved it. Had his first hamburger on a bun of the grill in over 2 years and ate the who sandwich. ( I was more than trilled for him)

Another I like to use is tortilla wraps. I like the ones that are the thinest. That way you do not need to smash them. You can put anything on them you want and the wraps are not like bread and become sticky when you try to eat and get caught in mouth and tongue. One that I like alot is peanut butter and banana. Spread peanut butter on shell, take a whole banana and lay on shell and roll up loosely. Then I flatter and heat in microwave for 25 approx. seconds. You can also cut up the banana and not have to smash or you can cut in 1/2" pieces and leave together like it is rolled up and then heat, eat with fork. I have share with many non survivors and they love this also.

how did you do the the teeth removal and healing? I had two teeth removed do to infection in early May. The two are barely healed over yet today and am beginning to think they will not. another errr for us. Oh well.

Your so right, I should have nothing to complain about. At least I can!

John

Greg53 said:

Elvis???
John,

I think you have a new nickname by eating those bannana and peanut butter sandwiches. We will now know you as Elvis (in my pic, that was my german shepard's name).

There is actually a real cool place in St. Louis, one of the top restaurants, and one of their lunch specialities is exactly that and is on the menu as the Elvis Sam-ich.

Greg

Sweet
I wonder if he actually enjoyed it or just a name.

I have tried it by adding sunflower seeds.

Fire34 said:

Dry Mouth
My med onc just prescribed salagen. I have just started it and haven't taken enough to let everyone know how it works. Has anyone else used it?
Stoppers4 works a little for me, not as good as it does for Hondo though, but it helps me get thru the night. I still have a little glass of water on the night stand and that seems to be as good as anything.
Wishes & Prayers
Dave

Salagen
My husband was hit with some heavy rads for BOT SCC. He has been taking salagen (pilocarpine) 3x a day for about a month now and it does seem to help with his saliva function. He isn't spraying his mouth constantly during the day. He saw his ENT yesterday (3 months post-treatment) and he was quite impressed with how some of his salivary glands are healing and producing.

uvm1978 said:

Stoppers
I'll be starting radiation in a week or two and just ordered it too. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Hi uvm
All the best to you when you start your treatment, let us know how you are doing

Take care
Hondo

uvm1978 said:

Stoppers
I'll be starting radiation in a week or two and just ordered it too. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Dear UMV,
Are you taking
Dear UMV,
Are you taking Amifostine? (Below info from wiki, which you probably know, but just in case you didn't...Check in with your doctor. I cannot confirm, but believe it has really helped with protection of saliva, I seem to have about 80-90% of pre radiation saliva.
Stacey

a cytoprotective adjuvant used in cancer chemotherapy involving DNA-binding chemotherapeutic agents. Also commonly known as WR-1065 in its active form. It is marketed by MedImmune under the trade name Ethyol.

Amifostine is used therapeutically to reduce the incidence of neutropenia-related fever and infection induced by DNA-binding chemotherapeutic agents including alkylating agents (e.g. cyclophosphamide) and platinum-containing agents (e.g. cisplatin). It is also used to decrease the cumulative nephrotoxicity associated with platinum-containing agents. Amifostine is also indicated to reduce the incidence of xerostomia in patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.