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Dry Mouth

Posted by cholash @cholash, Jan 31 12:11pm

Any of you experiencing dry mouth from nebulizing all the sodium chloride solution? If so , have you developed any gum or tooth problems from it?

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patti55 | @patti55 | Feb 5 1:45am
In reply to @tcd518 "@cholash, why do you think the dry mouth is from nebulizing?" + (show)
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@cholash, why do you think the dry mouth is from nebulizing?

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@tcd518 only because I think the salty environment is drying out my mouth. I’m looking at some of the meds I’m on to see they can be causing it also.

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patti55 | @patti55 | Feb 5 1:48am
In reply to @pacathy "Have you tried any of the OTC products for dry mouth? I haven’t personally used them,..." + (show)
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Have you tried any of the OTC products for dry mouth? I haven’t personally used them, but a woman in my old book club had Sjogren’s (autoimmune causing dry mouth, eyes, etc) and used one.
I do have a dry mouth, but it’s more likely due to large dose antihistamines for another issue. I sip most of day, chew sugar free gum, etc. I know it’s frowned upon, but I sip hot water (in winter) while I neb.

I really am a believer in benefits of the hypertonic saline. I know it’s just anecdotal and may be coincidence, but it sure seems to keep me from picking up all my grands’ bugs, which was big issue before I started it.

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@pacathy yes I’ve tried them all and none seem to help at all. I hate not nebulizing but this very dry mouth in not only very annoying but fear for possible damage that dry mouth can cause.

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patti55 | @patti55 | Feb 5 1:51am
In reply to @cholash "@tcd518 I discussed with my dentist , as the dry mouth didn’t start until after I..." + (show)
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@tcd518 I discussed with my dentist , as the dry mouth didn’t start until after I had started daily nebs.

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@cholash I also feel my dry mouth did not start until I started nebulizing

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pacathy | @pacathy | Feb 5 5:49am
In reply to @patti55 "@pacathy yes I’ve tried them all and none seem to help at all. I hate not..." + (show)
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@pacathy yes I’ve tried them all and none seem to help at all. I hate not nebulizing but this very dry mouth in not only very annoying but fear for possible damage that dry mouth can cause.

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@patti55
Perhaps my dry mouth is not as bad as yours. For me, it’s a nuisance. I have had more dental issues in past couple years than in many years before. However, my overall health is much better since I started airway clearance, at first with just saline. Part of my early treatment after I was finally diagnosed was focused on clearing sinuses. That was huge help to my overall health, but I still caught frequent bugs from my young grandchildren and I’d recover slowly. In Oct of 2024, my pulmonologist at Penn suggested I try hypertonic saline a try, hoping to decrease the frequency of my infections. I haven’t had a cold/sinus/ear infection since then. I know it may be coincidence, but since it is the first time in over 20 years that I’ve not had at least one/year (and usually a few), I’m sticking with it. I’m mostly doing it daily, but he told me I could try a few times/ week. Note-I did decrease, but have gone back to daily for now. Perhaps trying it less frequently would help your dry mouth

Since one theory for the bronchiectasis, trees-in-bud, ground glass, etc on my CT’s at diagnosis was microaspiration from sinus infections (other theory was that I’d had MAC but cleared it), I fear increased lung damage from respiratory infections more than I fear dental issues. Our situations are all different and we face different choices.

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bee915 | @bee915 | Feb 6 9:56am

Ricola Lemon Mint Sugar Free Drops work great for dry mouth. Also have cool mist vaporizer on small table next to bed!
Barbara

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bee915 | @bee915 | Feb 6 10:18am

Also try "Entertainers Secret" This was developed by an ENT DR from Vanderbilt in the early 80's. It is available online, expensive. It used to be available for $5 @ Kroger pharmacy. It is a terrific product & worth trying!

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wolfplanetzero | @wolfplanetzero | Feb 6 12:22pm

ACT lozenges for dry mouths and Biotene spray might be helpful. Good luck!

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winterfelllvoyager75 | @winterfelllvoyager75 | Feb 7 10:52am

Xylimelts by Oracoat and Salivea mouthwash.

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cholash | @cholash | Feb 12 8:01am

@baileys is the active ingredient xylitol ? If not , please let me know, as I’m already using products with xylitol and would be interested to learn of something different . That being said , I’ve been trying to stop chewing gums due to the microplastics . Crazy that they are even in the gum bases.

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patti55 | @patti55 | Feb 12 11:30pm
In reply to @blm1007blm1007 "@cholash I use to wake up with a burning sensation on my tongue and dry mouth..." + (show)
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@cholash I use to wake up with a burning sensation on my tongue and dry mouth as well. Not sure if it was due to my, then not now, sleeping on my back. I was told/learned that I slept and breathed through my mouth at night while sleeping on my back. I changed the way I sleep.' I have done three things since then.
1. Sleep on the wedge pillow on my left side and
2. I use a small piece of 3M Nexcare tape to keep my mouth closed at night.
3. I stick mostly to the acid reflux diet just to error on the side of caution. NJH said, after testing me for acid reflux, I don't have it.
I no longer have dry mouth or the burning sensation on my tongue. I think the burning may have been to acid, I don't know that for sure but to me it sounds and felt like it could have been acid coming up at night.
This was my experience, don't know if it might help you but thought I'd mention it.

Also, are you able to ......and do you do any type of percussion or postural drainage.
I find that if I have been keeping myself hydrated and do all other aspects needed to clear the mucus I can get just as much mucus up without doing the saline.
So I am trying to do one day of saline and one day without. On both days , with and without the saline, I do all other necessary parts of our BE routine for clearing the mucus.
For me that means..... light exercise first thing, then sipping warm filtered water before the saline, or the day without the saline, and then for both days ....percussion on my front and back at the lung areas, postural drainage, autogenic air way clearance, and huff coughing. I do several sessions, or call them sets, of the four things mentioned.
Hope this may give you some worthwhile information....and maybe something to discuss with the doctor's since the doctors(s) know you and your medical circumstances.
Barbara

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@blm1007blm1007 wow this has been really helpful. I never thought about my mouth and sore tongue all the time as possibly due to acid reflux which I definitely have. A few years ago I started taking a H2 blocker (famotidine) so I thought I was okay, Now I am going to make appt with my GI doc to see if I am getting a lot of acid up when I cough every day. Thank you for your great input

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