What do you do about dry mouth? I’m drinking but it doesn’t help.I still don’t know much about this.
Sugarless candies and gum , become a nose breather of possible, evoxac, or pilocarpine, biotene products… Several options , you will have to find what works best for you…
Definitely search the forum. Givemestrength gave you good ideas here, and you'll find more if you put "dry mouth" into the search box.
Thank you. I didn’t know about that
My rheumatologist recommended biotene products. I realized that there are equivalents with a much lower price and same active ingredients. Check at your pharmacy, there’s an array of products for dry mouth. I have tried the spray, the mints, mouthwash and toothpaste. They help in some way.
Thank you. I’ll check it out. Money is an issue.
Ludens cough drops help me more than most “dry mouth” lozenges. And they taste better. I also use CVS version of biotene toothpaste and mouth spray.
Thank you
Oh forgot to mention these are excellent. Works for about 2 hours if u just put it in your cheek gum, better than xylamelts. I use them when I work out or go to work. Can only use once a day but hey who doesn’t need vitamin c.
I've been meaning to try some herbal teas, especially marshmallow.
Mom really likes the coconut oil based Toothette Mouth Moisture (little white tubes they give out in some hospitals). Or just coconut oil. Other than that... pilocarpine or evoxac is what she is prescribed.
Her doc also gave her a mouth rinse called Caphosol that's supposed to keep her teeth better mineralized. It came too late for her but it might help someone in earlier stage.
Best wishes!!
Has anyone tried BasicBites? I got a write up and coupon a while ago from Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation. Read up on the research on my own too. (coincidentally,it was studied in part by a huge research hospital right here on the Island). Its supposed to help restore the mouth's ph to help with reduced issues due to SS, etc. I have them but take them sporadically…probably not as effective that way. LOL. Haven't seen the dentist since I started them though so the jury is still out here.
The Biotene products work fairly well for me, but I’m with graceforever’s mom with the coconut oil. Since I began using that my mouth has had more moisture. If it’s really bad I reach for the Biotene products, but I try to avoid due to cost. Since you posted your question a month ago I sincerely hope you’ve found something that is working for you.
I like oil pulling too, with coconut oil. I don’t do it as regularly as I should but it works for me too.
I’m so glad I’ve stumbled onto this topic today. I’ve been struggling with a flare of dry and painful mouth symptoms. Lately the biotene products have burned when I used them. I think it’s the mint. I had not heard of oil pulling, but after researching it a bit, I will be trying this for sure! Thanks for the great ideas!
Oil pulling’s a completely new one to me, although I have an Indian friend who uses coconut oil for all kinds of purposes and remedies. She gives her hair a coconut oil treatment every week or two. I shuddered, thinking it would be like getting lard out of your hair! But not at all: it washes out very clean. Wait, why am I telling you this?
Must ask her about the oil pulling.
Seenie
I’ll try the oil pulling too - have just had a couple of wisdom teeth out and was told to use salt water mouth wash to get rid of bacteria and clean the wound- really great for the dry mouth, not! If oil is supposed to get rid of the bacteria too, I’d rather do that!
BTW, I’ve moved this discussion to Complementary Therapies.
Seenie, I love that you mentioned what coconut oil does for the hair. A big part of SS is the endless dryness. My hair and nails get very brittle if I don’t tend to them often, even with the vitamin supplements the doc has me on. Thanks for the reminder.
How do you use the coconut oil for your mouth? I started using the coconut oil to help, as my hair is HORRIBLE!!! I am not sure if the meds are causing it to break, and or fall out. The meds are not especially helping symptoms, and it has been over 4 months. Change of subject??? My arms, legs, face and body have a strange sensation of feeling bruised. I will put lotion on, and it hurts, or sit in the car, and I think,“Ouch, I must have bumped into something.”
I know all about that bruised feeling. I have Sjogren’s and psoriatic arthritis. It’s basically inflamed connective tissue for me. For example, in your legs there is the iliotibial band running from your knee up to your hip. When it’s inflamed, I can trace the “bruised” feeling all the way from the outside of my knee to almost my hip. I don’t know if this is the case for you, but that’s what I discovered the bruised feeling was all about for me, inflammation.