Does anyone get very dry mouth AND throat to the point of having MANY coughing attacks daily?
Posted , 7 users are following.
I have had a chronic cough for at least 1-2 years to the point of throwing up because my throat is so dry. I am scared to eat dry, crunchy foods in public cuz I KNOW I will choke and I'm asked, "are you ok?" or "are you going to die"? This happens soooo many times a day to me and is soooo embarrassing and frustrating! I'm not reading about people having this problem too, or am I just not seeing it? And what is the best thing to use on a dry mouth and throat? I'm new to this an see a rheumatologist next week. Thank you!! Amy
1 like, 30 replies
christine26761 Dragonfly_Amy
Posted
I use artificial saliva over the counter spray..it's all due to the SS.i have the same trouble with dry food..my cough actually frightens people..it's soooo loud and shocking..I have a friend who actually went to the hospital..don't know what the therapy is called but he learned how to eat dry food and not cough...it was all in his breathing.....??????
Dragonfly_Amy christine26761
Posted
Thanks for the info. Do you use something other than Biotene? It's so expensive!
christine26761 Dragonfly_Amy
Posted
No.its called something else..there are about three different ones I get...there not expensive..just over the counter from the chemist..I'm in Australia they might be called something else here..The pharmacist would be able to help..????
aitarg35939 Dragonfly_Amy
Posted
Forgot to mention: applesauce can become one of your new best friends! I use unsweetened plain, cinnamon, berry , whatever. It is more moisturizing to my mouth often than water and certainly more so than eating an apple.
If you're in the States you can contact biotene & get coupons, and local support groups often have them, too. One doesn't need the huge amounts of toothpaste which we Americans are encouraged by ads to use. The mouthwash says to use a tablespoon and you can measure that if you want, may help with expense. Here I have sometimes found other brands of dry mouth paste & wash but inevitably either store distributors drop the line or manufacturer quits making it. For my mouth the Tom's brand burns a bit but I recently tried a Colgate total paste and had no problems with it.
katalin59838 aitarg35939
Posted
christine26761 Dragonfly_Amy
Posted
Hiya dragonfly Amy..I just read some of your answers..just a little side...be very careful of anything like chewing gum or mints with that artificial sugar in it...it's like poison to you...just google it and see for yourself.????????,
jennifer09136 christine26761
Posted
We need to be aware, but careful, about warnings like "poison". Everyone with SS (or any illness) has to weigh things up and make decisions that may not be ideal in a perfect-health world, but that might make each day bearable. So long as we are keeping a good eye on levels and markers through regular blood tests then we are doing the best we can with what we know. In my case I have fewer swallowing issues when i use sauces and spreads. As i need to eat to survive, I keep a close eye on my cholesterol levels etc.
christine26761 jennifer09136
Posted
aitarg35939 christine26761
Posted
Christine, from the get-go of diet drinks here in the States I've not done artificial sugars. Unfortunately here people drink so many diet drinks that in some areas everyone who drinks water is also drinking saccharine, aspartame, etc. I won't give in and if I'm going to avoid sugar and stay low calorie sweetened, I prefer it to be with the blend of erythromycin and stevia. They're both natural substances.
When it comes to the gum so many of us need to get through the day, sf seems to be the only way to go. If Amy is in the States, she could go for the Spry gum which is sweetened with xylitol. But it's more expensive than the dry mouth toothpastes and cost is at least as big an issue for her as it is for me. A 3-pack of sf gum, 50+ pieces which will become 100+ pcs for me as I can only chew 1/2 of these pcs at a time, is $1.75 - $3.00. Spray gum is $10-$12 per 100 pcs which are too small to break. I haven't been able to buy this for several months now, not in the budget.
I stand by suggesting sf gum for anyone struggling with this much dry mouth. As with any suggestion, it is not required of anyone that they follow it.
Peace, love, and all that jazz.
christine26761 aitarg35939
Posted
It's horrid the prices some of the things that can help us are....,,I use Stevia too.I guess my SS isn't as bad as many....I use sprays from the chemist only..they are great for me as are the eye drops....I don't have to buy special toothpaste ..it's the fluid in one of my ears that have dried up -crystallised..making me very dizzy and imbalanced for over 15 years now..the Neuro.. said it would correct itself in time..,15 years later, a walker and wheelchair at times ....still waiting..lol..I guess one learns to live with their lot the best way one can...be blessed altarg..have a lovely day..??????
Dragonfly_Amy christine26761
Posted
Dragonfly_Amy
Posted
Ok, quick question for all you SS sufferers.... I had my rheumatologist appointment and not sure if he believes i could have SS. No, I am not to the point of sandpaper tongue and severe cracking lips, but I do feel I'm in begining stages. I was chewing gum at appointment which helped produce more saliva and gave a bit of a false impression from the "norm". Some days are worse than others. I guess what I'm getting at, is... did anyone else know or think they knew what was happening to them in early stages, as I do? I felt doubted on my reported symptoms by the Dr. Yes, we did further testing and waiting for results. I'm just frustrated. Any advice?
aitarg35939 Dragonfly_Amy
Posted
Hang tough, Amy.
Meanwhile, some of us started having symptoms long before the internet was invented and probably before the current tests were invented. Thus, we couldn't go online and look up our symptoms and very few of us had access to medical libraries. I don't know about the other elders here, but I had dry mouth for more than 20 years before I mentioned it to a doc. It had time to get much worse is what I'm saying. Even then, 10 years after my 1st diagnosis by an ENT and at least 5 years after a rheumo confirmed it & long after I failed miserably at a salivary test, I acquired a new GP who decided I didn't have it.
This is not to minimize what you're experiencing either in your body or with your doc. It seems that things have to reach a certain level of bad before the tests can pick up on them. I am only guessing on that but it seems as though many younger women on this site have symptoms long before the tests come back positive. Yet one more way that docs fail us in favor of the altar of The Almighty Med Test. You could try asking for a salivary function test. If you get one don't chew gum or eat anything for at least 2 hours ahead of time, and don't drink anything other than plain water in that time.
Are you already taking extra care of your teeth & mouth?