About five nights ago I woke up with dry mouth in the middle of the night.It actually startled me. I have woken up every night since due to dryness. I wake up once to go to the bathroom and now this. Coupled with my frequent insomnia where it takes me a long time to get to sleep; I’m exhausted. This morning, I also woke up thirty minutes earlier than usual due to dry mouth. So that is basically, a second awakening. The weird thing is, knock on wood, the daytime isnt too bad. I sip water all day, use lemon drops as needed, chew gum once or twice…and I’m fine. I brush with Biotene.
Just like the sea buckthorn oil is used for eye dryness, is there anything natural to help with mouth dryness? Anything I can do at all to reduce the night time awakenings? Is this common?
Hi yes it is very common.I know people do not like taking more meds but I have to take salagen pills to give me some relieve or I would have to use oxygen to breath it is so bad. I have absolutely no saliva if I didn’t. I also have to carry water everywhere I go I case I choke. I drink approx 5 bottles of water a day along with other beverages. I try to avoid sugar totally it is very drying.Hope you get some releive
Thank you. Are salty foods drying too? I had nuts in the house and ate some. I suppose sugar and salt should be avoided, right? Anything else? Any foods stand out in your mind as causing big problems later?
I have a tube of Biotene gel beside my bed that I use when I wake up. I don't have to spit it out, and it coats my mouth nicely.
I take Evoxac at bedtime, and I keep a class of water at the bedside. When I get up to use the bathroom I always take a couple sips. That is what works for me.
I take drinks and use the bathroom several times a night. In fact, I do it in my sleep, so my family tells me. I drink about a gallon of water at day, some less, some more. Like I've posted before, Seroquel has been a blessing for me. I suffered from insomnia all my life, and with Seroquel, I am able to sleep. I wake up a few times at night, but go right back to sleep. It has helped me greatly. I have a tad more energy in the morning. Nothing really to write home about, but it's a step in the right direction.
You're not alone. We all go through it. I can't really recommend anything to you, since the only thing that helps me is drinking water. I use Restasis for my dry eyes, and that has helped greatly. My eye doctor was surprised how well it worked, in a short amount of time. I am on Plaquenil as a maintenance medication for the Sjogren's.
I hope you find some relief,
Stacie
I have to use Evoxac (by RX only) three times a day....that the only thing that helps me, I still have to use the sprays and gels.... Hope you get some relief. Talk to your Doctor. Fell better. Barbara
Hi Nomad. That's how it started with me --- desert-dry mouth in the night. I keep (and I think they recommend this) a glass of water next to my bed every night. When I am awakened and feel that dry mouth, I lift up my head and take a cool sip from the water and let the water bathe my mouth. Then I swallow it and go back to sleep.
Yes, I think eating salty foods during the day makes the dryness worse. I have a friend who has SS also, and she told me that when she eats chips during the day, her mouth gets so bad with dryness that night and the next day.
I also keep water by bed-side, but I hate the taste of water if it's not really cold. I keep two glasses in the freezer that are filled half way with water. Right before I go to bed I remove a glass from freezer and fill several ounces of water. During the night I have cold water. I also keep water bottles half way filled but on their side to freeze. I then have chilled water all day at work AND my dry mouth wakes me during the night. Hate it, but I know I could be so much worse, so I try to stay grateful and positive!
Nana Times 10 - Do you not like the taste of all water or just the water you've been drinking? I switched to Mineral Water, and I like the taste so much better and I actually feel a lot better drinking it.
I used to have that problem. I would wake up choking and then found out it was caused by dryness. I use pilocarpine and it helps. I also pour a little unflavored seltzer in a water bottle and keep it next to my bed. It seems to work better than tap water.
Thank you DLT88! I will give it a try and let you know how I like it.
DLT88 said:
Nana Times 10 - Do you not like the taste of all water or just the water you've been drinking? I switched to Mineral Water, and I like the taste so much better and I actually feel a lot better drinking it.
Cassi, Thanks for the tip, but I have a question for you, isn't seltzer carbonated? hey told me to stay away from ANY carbonated drinks. I could be totally wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time either!! I already take over 15 pills each day, so I am not anxious to add another medication (at least not right now). Michelle
Cassi440 said:
I used to have that problem. I would wake up choking and then found out it was caused by dryness. I use pilocarpine and it helps. I also pour a little unflavored seltzer in a water bottle and keep it next to my bed. It seems to work better than tap water.
Oh, and I run a humidifier in my bedroom.
mcspires said:
I take Evoxac at bedtime, and I keep a class of water at the bedside. When I get up to use the bathroom I always take a couple sips. That is what works for me.
/>I was never told to stay away from seltzer. What is the reason? It doesn’t have sugar or artificial flavors and I know others with Sjogren’s who also use this.
Nana times 10!! said:
Cassi, Thanks for the tip, but I have a question for you, isn’t seltzer carbonated? hey told me to stay away from ANY carbonated drinks. I could be totally wrong, and it wouldn’t be the first time either!! I already take over 15 pills each day, so I am not anxious to add another medication (at least not right now). Michelle
Cassi440 said:I used to have that problem. I would wake up choking and then found out it was caused by dryness. I use pilocarpine and it helps. I also pour a little unflavored seltzer in a water bottle and keep it next to my bed. It seems to work better than tap water.
I've read that we should try and alkalinize our bodies (but trying to stay near our normal body pH of 7.4 as much as possible) especially when we have autoimmune diseases. I think it's ok to have some seltzer or carbonated water in small amounts, but its slightly acidic so we probably shouldn't have too much of it. So I think as long as you are drinking water with a pH of 7.6 or 7.8 most of the other time, a little seltzer at night is probably ok. I could be wrong, though. Just my opinion, though!
Both my dentist and Rhemy told me to stay away because of the alkalinize issue and because the carbonation wear away at enamel. Also drinking carbonated drinks at night (same for juices too) lays in the mouth while we are sleeping and it's not as crucial in day time because we are talking and eating that helps neutralizes the carbonated drinks. I am certainly no expert on this subject, I was just sharing what I have been told. Sorry if I upset anyone!!!!!
DLT88 said:
I've read that we should try and alkalinize our bodies (but trying to stay near our normal body pH of 7.4 as much as possible) especially when we have autoimmune diseases. I think it's ok to have some seltzer or carbonated water in small amounts, but its slightly acidic so we probably shouldn't have too much of it. So I think as long as you are drinking water with a pH of 7.6 or 7.8 most of the other time, a little seltzer at night is probably ok. I could be wrong, though. Just my opinion, though!
Yes, it's important not to get too alkaline by drinking alkaline water with a pH of 9 or higher. But the worst thing for us is to take in acidic water (& no soda, etc.) or food (any food that the body can't use to make ATP energy, turns to acid) so we keep our pH in the 7.4 range which is how our bodies are meant to be. It's interesting that I read from an MD who used to work in the ER. She said every person that came in with heart trouble, had an acidic blood pH of 6.8 or lower.
I have 18 & 34 oz (1 liter) sized "Bobble" water bottles, though I usually have the liter one no more than 6 inches from me at all times! They have a filter in the cap so every time you take a drink it's being filtered. (I usually get cold filtered water from the fridge door, so I'm double filtering!!!) I absolutely cannot go anywhere without a bottle with me. I love cold water but it doesn't bother me to drink it at room temp so I keep a bottle on the nightstand. I usually wake up once to pee and I take a drink then and go back to sleep. I usually wake up once or twice just to take a sip and go back to sleep. I have a humidifer running on high in the bedroom and it helps a lot. My ENT told me to use a nose gel at bedtime and it seems that if my nose is clear I don't breathe through my mouth as much and don't have dry mouth quite as badly. It made a big difference for me. I go through spurts where I wake up all the time and cant go back to sleep. And then I go through a sleeping like the dead stage! Just when I think I've got this all figured out...!