Hello doctor, I have a chronic dry mouth. I have consulted two ENT specialists and looking for another opinion. Two years ago, I started to get a dry mouth when I was nervous (it is soon after I got a hair transplant, and I was very conscious of my image and recovery). That was the first time I ever experienced a dry mouth. Unfortunately, the dry mouth had developed into a more prominent and chronic issue (even when I am not nervous or anxious) and is now present almost all of the time. Generally, it feels like I do not have enough saliva, or it is foamy. I am very conscious of it when I talk, and it does prevent me from talking a lot. If I sweat more than usual, my mouth will become dry. I try to drink one to two liters of water a day, but it does not make too much difference. The only time I do not have a dry mouth is when I am eating or drinking, and for about 15 minutes afterwards. I have got many blood tests done, and all are in range except for neutrophils, which is slightly below range at 1.5, but this appears to be normal for me, and the hormone estradiol is also below range. The doctor has ruled out Sjogren's syndrome or autoimmune also. Both ENT doctors said that this would clear up by itself, and that was possibly anxiety related. I did go on SSRIs for one year, but this made my dry mouth much worse. One of the ENT doctor said to try lemon and lime juice three times a day to encourage the salivary glands to start working properly again, but I have not noticed any difference. I have tried most of the salivary substitutes and gum, but most of them are just temporary fixes. Is there anything else I should do to find the cause like an MRI or CT or any other avenue I should explore?
Hello. Dry mouth can be a very distressing thing. However, I need to know certain details. Kindly be as objective as possible when you answer. 1. When the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) started for this purpose? Do you have a doctor's prescription detailing the same? 2. Are you still on SSRI? 3. Is there any other sort of anxiety or worry? 4. Is there any difficulty or burning sensation while chewing or swallowing? 5. Is there any lump sensation or choking feeling in the throat? 6. Do you get a good sleep in the night? 7. What is your height in centimeters and weight in kilograms? 8. Do you snore? 9. Have you tried saliva sprays? 10. Do you smoke or drink or use any drugs? Do you smoke weed or chew tobacco? 11. Do you suffer from diabetes or blood pressure or hypothyroidism for which you have to take medicines regularly? 12. Is there any oral sexual practice that might be causing such a dryness? 13. Could you take a picture of an open mouth showing details of the oral cavity and send me? We shall help you find a solution to this problem. But please provide as many details as possible so that we arrive at a decisive diagnosis. If possible, kindly upload the opinions of previous ENT specialists.