COPD & Emphysema Support Group

COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...

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higginsp 01/01/2013

Does Spireva give anyone else a dry mouth? I imagine Spireva is the cause, although I'm on other medications. At night, it seems to be worse while trying to fall asleep; sometimes swallowing is a little difficult because I can't get enough saliva. I constantly have to have something to drink near me at all times. Is there something else I can do to relieve the dry mouth side effects? I'm Type 2 diabetic, so I can't constantly have a piece of hard candy in my mouth (something a co-worker suggested).

Ohana 01/01/2013

You might want to Google search oral rinse for dry mouth:
Orazyme makes one that is less expensive than Biotene..both are for dry mouth.

deleted_user 01/01/2013

They do make sugarless hard candy that might help: http://diabeticfriendly.com/hardcandy.html

Hugs,
Dennis

jarca 01/01/2013

i just started spiriva & yes it does dry me out. but ever since i started O2 i am sooooo dry! in the winter i run a humidifier & that helps some, but mainly i just always have water to sip during the night (which of course means lots of trips to the "loo") i have the biotene spray but i have found it leaves a horrid sticky taste in my mouth & i end up having to get up and brush teeth.
cough drops help the throat goo thing for me, where as candy mints are too sticky sweet also.
i don't know if they make sugarless cough drops?
any other ideas, i'm watching for also so thanks for posting this

deleted_user 01/02/2013

I seem to go through periods of having a dry mouth I guess sometimes it's caused by spiriva other times from meds I take for lupus and I think my age has also something to do with it.

I find the best thing for me is to chew a piece of sugar free gum for a minute or two can't chew it any longer because I ware dentures and the gum sticks to it. I've tried all the different mouth washes and gels and sprays but for me the gum wins every time.

A friend suggested eating apples and carrot sticks but as I explained to her that's a bit difficult to do when you wake in the middle of the night with your tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth,

Good luck getting reliefe for it higginsip

jarca 01/03/2013

LOL @ "tongue stuck to roof of mouth"----yes, i never experienced "DRY" like this DRY...i try to explain to people that it isn't like "cottonmouth" that you get from some meds; this is dry like the desert. but until one experiences it, they can't even imagine it (i couldn't until i experienced it anyway)

grannie 01/03/2013

I keep Biotene mouth spray on my night stand and it works for me. I too am diabetic, the one I use is sugar free, mint flavor. I am thinking it's this 02 that is drying me out.

higginsp 01/03/2013

Thank you to all who responded! Everyone had great suggestions and they are all working! Thanks again!

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