Dry Mouth in Menopause
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Vickie
Posted on: December 04, 2006

I have an extremely dry mouth which started about 2 months ago. I am drinking 14 or more cups of water a day! I’m not thirsty but it helps momentarily for my mouth. My dentist checked my glands and they are okay. I have no mercury in my mouth. I take pau d’arco to help if this is candida. I am almost 55 and have been experiencing hot flashes on and off for almost 2 years. Is this part of menopause? During the night I drink 2 cups of water just to keep my mouth moist as it gets so dry it feels like my throat is stuck together. Now my tongue is sore also. Do you have any idea why this would happen so suddenly?



There are many possible causes of dry mouth. I recommend that you consult with a medical practitioner, who can take your full medical case history, to uncover possible causes in your case. The most common cause is prescription drugs.

Dry mouth can be a symptom of menopause. Susun Weed, in "The Menopausal Years" (Ash Tree Publishing) states that it is a temporary problem in menopause, but a major health hazard because the decrease in saliva can quickly deteriorate the mouth and gums. Her suggestions include the following:

- drink rice or barley water: "Boil a handful of grain in 4 cups/1000 ml water for an hour. These soothing grain beverages nourish deeply, supporting the body’s ability to keep the mouth moist."

- Oatmeal and slippery elm for breakfast; "Repalce up to 1 tablespoon/15 ml of 1/2 cup/125 ml dry oatmeal with slippery elm bark powder before cooking in 2 cups/500 ml water

- encourage saliva by sucking on something: licorice root (not candy), slippery elm lozenges, dang qui root or malt-sweetened candies (available in health food stores)

- smoking and alcohol slow saliva production.

Please see other answers to questions about dry mouth on our website www.richters.com . Choose "Q&A" from the main menu, then enter "dry mouth" for the search.

Back to Medicinal Herbs and Their Uses | Q & A Index

Copyright © 1997-2024 Otto Richter and Sons Limited. All rights reserved.