Dry mouth

Associate Editor-In-Chief:

Xerostomia is the medical term for a dry mouth due to a lack of saliva. Xerostomia is sometimes colloquially called pasties or cottonmouth.

Xerostomia can cause difficulty in speech and eating. It also leads to halitosis and a dramatic rise in the number of cavities, as the protective effect of saliva is no longer present, and can make the mucosa of the mouth more vulnerable to infection. Notably, a symptom of methamphetamine abuse usually called "meth mouth" is largely caused by xerostomia.

Causes
It may be a sign of an underlying disease, such as Sjögren's syndrome, poorly controlled diabetes, or Eaton-Lambert syndrome, but this is not always so.

Other causes of insufficient saliva include anxiety, medications, or alcohol, trauma to the salivary glands or their ducts or nerves, dehydration, excessive mouth breathing, previous radiation therapy, and also a natural result of aging. The vast majority of elderly individuals will suffer xerostomia to some degree. Playing or exercising a long time outside on a hot day will often cause your saliva glands to simply dry up as your bodily fluids are concentrated elsewhere. Drugs have also been known to cause this problem, such as cannabis, and DXM.

Differential Diagnosis of the causes of Dry mouth

 * 3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate
 * Abciximab (patient information)
 * Acamprosate (patient information)
 * Acitretin (patient information)
 * Actiq
 * Adderall
 * Ajulemic acid
 * Albuterol (patient information)
 * Alfentanil Hydrochloride Injection (patient information)
 * Anticholinergic
 * Anxiety
 * Arsenic Poisoning
 * Azelastine
 * Benzatropine
 * Benztropine Mesylate Oral (patient information)
 * Benzydamine
 * Benzylpiperazine
 * Bepridil (patient information)
 * Bevacizumab Injection (patient information)
 * Biperiden
 * Botulism
 * Brompheniramine (patient information)
 * Budesonide
 * Buprenorphine
 * Bupropion
 * Buspirone (patient information)
 * Butorphanol Injection (patient information)
 * Calcitriol (patient information)
 * Calcium carbonate (patient information)
 * Carbamazepine (patient information)
 * Cetuximab Injection (patient information)
 * Cevimeline
 * Chlordiazepoxide (patient information)
 * Chloropyramine
 * Chlorpheniramine (patient information)
 * Chlorpromazine (patient information)
 * Chlorprothixene
 * Clomipramine (patient information)
 * Clonazepam (patient information)
 * Clonidine
 * Clozapine
 * Codeine
 * Cyclobenzaprine (patient information)
 * Cyproheptadine (patient information)
 * Dehydration
 * Dextroamphetamine
 * Diabetes
 * Diazepam (patient information)
 * Dicyclomine (patient information)
 * Diethylpropion (patient information)
 * Diltiazem (patient information)
 * Dimenhydrinate
 * Diphenhydramine
 * Diphenoxylate and Atropine (patient information)
 * Dosulepin hydrochloride
 * Doxylamine (patient information)
 * Duloxetine
 * Eaton-Lambert syndrome
 * Erlotinib (patient information)
 * Esomeprazole (patient information)
 * Estazolam (patient information)
 * Excessive mouth breathing
 * Exenatide Injection (patient information)
 * Fencamfamine
 * Fexofenadine (patient information)
 * Flavoxate (patient information)
 * Fluacizine
 * Flucytosine
 * Fluphenazine (patient information)
 * Fosamprenavir (patient information)
 * Frovatriptan (patient information)
 * Gabapentin (patient information)
 * Galantamine (patient information)
 * Ganciclovir (patient information)
 * Gatifloxacin (patient information)
 * Glimepiride (patient information)
 * Glipizide (patient information)
 * Glyburide (patient information)
 * Glycopyrrolate (patient information)
 * Guanabenz (patient information)
 * Guanethidine (patient information)
 * Guanfacine (patient information)
 * Haloperidol Oral (patient information)
 * Hexamethonium
 * Hydroxyzine (patient information)
 * Hyoscyamine (patient information)
 * Hyperglycemia
 * Hyperosmolar syndrome
 * Imipramine (patient information)
 * Insulin Aspart (rDNA Origin) Injection (patient information)
 * Interferon beta-1a Subcutaneous Injection (patient information)
 * Ipratropium Oral Inhalation (patient information)
 * Isocarboxazid (patient information)
 * Isoetharine Oral Inhalation (patient information)
 * Isoproterenol Oral Inhalation (patient information)
 * Isosorbide (patient information)
 * Ketorolac
 * Ketotifen
 * Levalbuterol Oral Inhalation (patient information)
 * Levodopa and Carbidopa (patient information)
 * Levomepromazine
 * Lithium (patient information)
 * Lofepramine
 * Loperamide
 * Loratadine (patient information)


 * Lorazepam (patient information)
 * Loxapine Oral (patient information)
 * Meperidine (patient information)
 * Meropenem Injection (patient information)
 * Mesalamine (patient information)
 * Mesoridazine Oral (patient information)
 * Metaproterenol (patient information)
 * Metformin (patient information)
 * Methylphenidate Transdermal (patient information)
 * Metoprolol (patient information)
 * Metronidazole Oral (patient information)
 * Miglitol (patient information)
 * Moclobemide
 * Modafinil (patient information)
 * Moxonidine
 * Multiple chemical sensitivity
 * Nabilone (patient information)
 * Nabumetone (patient information)
 * Nalbuphine injection (patient information)
 * Nateglinide oral (patient information)
 * Nefazodone (patient information)
 * Nialamide
 * Nicardipine (patient information)
 * Nitroglycerin ointment (patient information)
 * Nortriptyline (patient information)
 * Olanzapine (patient information)
 * Omeprazole (patient information)
 * Orphenadrine (patient information)
 * Oxaliplatin injection (patient information)
 * Oxazepam (patient information)
 * Oxcarbazepine (patient information)
 * Peginterferon alfa-2a (patient information)
 * Peginterferon alfa-2b (patient information)
 * Penbutolol (patient information)
 * Pergolide (patient information)
 * Perphenazine oral (patient information)
 * Phentermine (patient information)
 * Pimozide (patient information)
 * Pindolol (patient information)
 * Pioglitazone (patient information)
 * Pirbuterol acetate oral inhalation (patient information)
 * Pizotifen
 * Pramipexole (patient information)
 * Prazepam (patient information)
 * Pregabalin (patient information)
 * Procarbazine (patient information)
 * Procyclidine (patient information)
 * Propafenone (patient information)
 * Propantheline (patient information)
 * Protriptyline (patient information)
 * Quetiapine (patient information)
 * Quinethazone
 * Rabeprazole (patient information)
 * Radiation therapy
 * Ramsay Hunt syndrome type II
 * Rasagiline (patient information)
 * Reboxetine
 * Repaglinide (patient information)
 * Reserpine (patient information)
 * Ribavirin (patient information)
 * Rilmenidine
 * Risedronate (patient information)
 * Risperidone (patient information)
 * Rizatriptan (patient information)
 * Ropinirole (patient information)
 * Rosiglitazone (patient information)
 * Salmeterol oral inhalation (patient information)
 * Scopolamine patch (patient information)
 * Selegiline (patient information)
 * Sibutramine (patient information)
 * Sjogren's syndrome
 * Solifenacin (patient information)
 * Sorafenib (patient information)
 * Spironolactone (patient information)
 * Sulpiride
 * Sunitinib (patient information)
 * Temazepam (patient information)
 * Thioridazine (patient information)
 * Thiothixene Oral (patient information)
 * Tolazamide (patient information)
 * Tolbutamide (patient information)
 * Tolterodine (patient information)
 * Topiramate
 * Tranylcypromine (patient information)
 * Trazodone (patient information)
 * Triamterene (patient information)
 * Triazolam (patient information)
 * Tricyclic antidepressant
 * Trifluoperazine Oral (patient information)
 * Trihexyphenidyl (patient information)
 * Trimipramine (patient information)
 * Tripelennamine
 * Trospium (patient information)
 * Vicodin
 * Vinpocetine
 * Zaleplon (patient information)
 * Zenker's diverticulum
 * Zimelidine
 * Zoledronic Acid Injection (patient information)
 * Zolmitriptan
 * Zolpidem (patient information)
 * Zonisamide (patient information)
 * Zopiclone
 * Zotepine

Complete Differential Diagnosis of the Causes of Dry mouth
(By organ system)

Treatment
Treatment involves finding any correctable causes and fixing those if possible. In many cases it is not possible to correct the xerostomia itself, and treatment focuses on relieving the symptoms and preventing cavities. Patients who have endured chemotherapy usually suffer from this post- treatment.

Patients with xerostomia should avoid the use of decongestants and antihistamines, and pay careful attention to oral hygiene. Sipping sugarless fluids frequently, chewing xylitol-containing gum, and using a carboxymethyl cellulose saliva substitute as a mouthwash may help. Aquoral may be prescribed to treat xerostomia. Non-systemic relief can be found using an oxidized glycerol triesters treatment used to coat the mouth.