Imagine walking through the desert… your lips are cracked, and your mouth feels like it’s stuffed full of cotton balls.
That’s what dry mouth, medically known as xerostomia (pronounced zeer-o-stoe-me-uh), can feel like. And it’s something that a lot of people, especially seniors, struggle with every day.
Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can lead to some serious dental problems and even cause you to choke when eating.
But the solution your doctor could come up with — prescribing you a risky drug for dry mouth — may well end up causing you additional problems.
In fact, it’s very likely that a drug is what caused this parched condition in the first place.
Drugging yourself dry
If you’re suffering from dry mouth… and you’re getting plenty of fluids… you’re not dehydrated. In fact, even if you came upon an oasis filled with water, your mouth would still be dry. (In a moment, I’ll share a simple technique to know the difference for sure.)
It’s something that happens when the glands in your mouth that produce saliva go on the blink. Along with depriving you of any spare spit, dry mouth can wreak havoc on your teeth, gums, and even how well you digest your food.
And if you wear dentures, it can be a real problem, because saliva is vital in helping to keep them in place.
Now, while some cases of xerostomia can be due to problems like nerve damage near the salivary glands, certain diseases (including Alzheimer’s), or a stroke, most are directly caused by certain drugs.
In fact, hundreds of different medications are known to zap saliva production. These include both Rx and OTC meds taken for a wide variety of maladies, ranging from allergies and colds to arthritis, heartburn, and high blood pressure. Many cancer drugs can also cause it.
While the full list of meds is too long for this eAlert, the top offenders include:
- Any drug that contains the ingredient diphenhydramine, an antihistamine and sedative added to the PM versions of OTC meds like Advil, Aleve, and Tylenol to help you sleep.
- Allergy meds such as Benadryl, Claritin, and Zyrtec, as well as decongestants.
- Diuretics (water pills) taken to lower blood pressure (which can cause dehydration all on their own).
- Clomipramine, prescribed for a whole host of conditions including OCD, depression and pain, and dicyclomine, used for IBS.
And there are a ton more — which is why the first thing you need to do is carefully check your medicine cabinet. You can look for side effects like dry mouth online or ask your doctor or pharmacist.
The most logical way to “cure” dry mouth, of course, is to simply stop taking any med that can produce this reaction. But in situations when that’s not doable, there’s something else you need to watch out for — and that’s the other medications your doctor may prescribe.
It doesn’t even seem possible that drugs whose purpose is to simply get you to salivate more could have such awful side effects!
One that goes under the brand name of Salagen (generic name: pilocarpine) could cause you to faint, wheeze, or start having tremors… and it could also trigger severe stomach pain and confusion. Even the “common” side effects include a boatload of adverse reactions — such as dizziness, weakness, diarrhea, nausea, and “changes in vision.”
Another, Evoxac (generic name: cevimeline), has a similar list of adverse reactions — with the fun addition of irregular heartbeat. It’s almost enough to make dry mouth seem like a walk in the park!
And get this: Dental treatments and night guards containing high doses of fluoride are also prescribed. Yikes!
According to HIS panel member Dr. Glenn Rothfeld, a simple way to know if you’re actually dehydrated — be it from drugs such as diuretics, excess sweating, or lack of fluids — is to check the color of your urine. He advises to drink enough water each day to have clear urine (not yellow or dark).
As I said, whenever possible, stopping the drug that’s causing your mouth to dry out should fix the problem.
But if you can’t, other remedies that many have found useful include drinking water with a meal (to help you swallow food better), using those sticky nose strips at night to stop mouth breathing, putting a few drops of olive oil on your tongue, sucking on hard candies, and swishing with a mouthwash that contains aloe vera (but no fluoride!).
Your doctor may also tell you to chew gum containing xylitol. But be very careful — that artificial sweetener can cause severe diarrhea, and it’s lethal to dogs in extremely small doses!
“Dry mouth (xerostomia) is NOT a minor side effect” Joe Graedon, October 23, 2017, The People’s Pharmacy, peoplespharmacy.com
