Nighttime Dry Mouth

Posted by kacey1 @kacey1, Oct 14 3:15pm

I'm a 79-year-old female with idiopathic dry mouth that has become progressively worse in the past two years. I go to bed at 11pm and will wake up every hour with dry mouth. When I wake up, I'll use either Act gum, sprays, water, or lozenges. By 5am, my mouth is so dry I have to get up and eat breakfast.
Tests for autoimmune diseases have been negative. Taking Pilocarpine gave me a headache.
Had anyone had success with products that work during the night?

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@frances007

in reply to @kacey1 I bought a can of liquid coconut oil at Walmart. I mix a small amount, maybe 1/8 cup with equal amount of water in a small glass/cup etc. Stir well to mix, then rinse after brushing your teeth. I did not believe it at first, but then met a young man at the eye glass shop, who said he did the same thing, having found out about this online, of course. I wanted his teeth, if you get my drift. But the mixture does work well. The oil is a tad expensive, but will last a long time, and I use the same oil for cooking etc., so I am not out a lot of money. Best of luck

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I failed to mention that I have one of those battery operated mild frothier "things" that I use to mix the oil and water, and it works great.

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My eyeglass dispenser recently showed me a new product, It is kind of like a eye mask that you put over your eyes to help with dry eyes. I think he said you can either refrigerate it for coolness or microwave for warmth. For me, the drops work and they last 8 hours.....

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@jeanjanx2

Perrier sparking water helps my dry mouth (feels wetter than water)and calms the stomach upset. also candy ginger from Trader Joe's

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@jeanjanx2 Welcome to Mayo ClinicConnect! I see that you’ve been around but this is your first comment. We’re glad that you’re here. Is there a specific problem that the members can help you with? What causes your dry mouth?

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@kacey1 .......Dry mouth is one of my irritations. If I don't take care of it when it begins, then I won't be able to swallow without getting up and rinsing out my mouth. For several years now, I have been using Biotene products. That means I always have Biotene lozenges in my purse so that I can make sure I don't get a dry mouth attack when I am attending one of my meditation or mindfulness groups. I also use Biotene toothpaste and the spray rinse......just a spray or two before I go out the door really helps. It is always better to be prepared than to find yourself miserable and unable to manage the onset.

What do you use? I would be happy to try other products.
May you be free of discomfort.
Chris

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I was on Restasis for a long time. Then tried Xiidra for a short time. I'm now using Cequa and Miebo. Also Refresh. Also apply warm compresses. Doctor suggested I use night time goggles to keep eyes moist. Also clean my eyes twice a day. Has anyone been treated for Sjogren's. Oh and I also use a humidifier at night.

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Chris, have you had Sjögren’s syndrome confirmed? The most effective products I’ve found personally are xylimelts (drug store or Amazon) as needed with coconut oil rinses at night. I also take one RX designed for Sjrogrens. Good luck!

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@frances007

Read the articles on coconut oil pulling. Seems very promising with mostly good reviews. Our local Walmart has the Guru Nanda Oil Pulling Rinse. Will be picking it up tomorrow. Worth trying.

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@artscaping

@kacey1 .......Dry mouth is one of my irritations. If I don't take care of it when it begins, then I won't be able to swallow without getting up and rinsing out my mouth. For several years now, I have been using Biotene products. That means I always have Biotene lozenges in my purse so that I can make sure I don't get a dry mouth attack when I am attending one of my meditation or mindfulness groups. I also use Biotene toothpaste and the spray rinse......just a spray or two before I go out the door really helps. It is always better to be prepared than to find yourself miserable and unable to manage the onset.

What do you use? I would be happy to try other products.
May you be free of discomfort.
Chris

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Chris: Over the years, I've tried so many dry mouth products. Some of them work initially and then after several weeks, I don't get much relief. Now during the day, I have Trident gum, Act lemon lozenges and carry a water bottle with me all the time.
The real problem is nighttime. On my nightstand, I have my daytime products plus Oasis DM spray and Act Gum. Since I will wake up probably three to five times during the night, I will use any one of the products depending on how dry my mouth is.
The Act Gum probably works the best when my mouth is very dry. The gum is like chicklets, with a hard shell. It's kind of pricey at $4 for 20 pieces. I cut the pieces in half with my pill cutter.

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@kacey1

Read the articles on coconut oil pulling. Seems very promising with mostly good reviews. Our local Walmart has the Guru Nanda Oil Pulling Rinse. Will be picking it up tomorrow. Worth trying.

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Oh, I had no idea, but since I had the oil, even with the sunflower oil, the dentist said that would work fine. I have sjogrens and dry eyes...and everything else under the sun.
Thanks

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