Question by the_wicked_itch_of_the_west: Why does your mouth get dry when taking sleeping pills?
I have been taking sleeping pills for the last couple of months and every morning I wake up to a dry mouth. Is there a way around this? Is there a reason for this?
Best answer:
Answer by mimi145145
I don’t know and I think it is weird
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I take Unisom religiously and I hate that feeling…I drink water for hours after I wake up and it still doesn’t go away. I have no idea why or any idea how to prevent it, I wish I did.
Xerostomia is the medical term for a dry mouth due to a lack of saliva.
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.
For you, IT IS probably your medications, but I suggest that you further research Sjögren’s syndrome.
In many cases it is not possible to correct the xerostomia itself, and treatment focuses on relieving the symptoms and preventing cavities. 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.
For some reason, you salivary glands are not producing saliva when you sleep, but if they DO produce saliva for the rest of the day then you should be ok.
If the sleeping pill you’ve been taking contains a conventional antihistamine such as diphenhydramine then this is just a very common side effect. If it’s bothering you that much try taking something else such as a melatonin supplement which you can buy over the counter and doesn’t have the same adverse effects.