Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol. The gum tastes great. I'm going to try the Manuka honey lozenges mentioned above. Have a blessed day.

No, the gum doesn’t need to have xylitol : it’s the chewing action that produces mucus to facilitate swallowing that calms the centre that reacts to our trying to eliminate the excess mucus and phlegm in our throats. When this whole thing started for me, I used to feel as if I was in a rowboat that was filling up with water, but it didn’t matter how fast I managed to scoop the water out of the boat, it just kept on filling up with more water that was pouring out of a hose pipe at the other end. The analogy isn’t perfect but it reflects the frustration and helplessness I felt.
Xylitol can be produced artificially but it’s also found naturally in some fruit and vegetables. Sugar will rot your teeth and make you fat, and aspartame is a carcinogen. Most dentists encourage their patients to chew xylitol gum. (I think it tastes pretty good, too.)