What Causes Dry Mouth Inspite Of Being On Lithium?

Posted on Fri, 24 Apr 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 Answered on

Fri, 15 May 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : I took lithium for 6 months. 4 months after cessation I still have dry mouth. Is this normal? If not, what should be done? What type of doctor should I see? What are treatments for dry mouth?

Answered by Dr. Shubham Mehta (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
unusual; consult an ENT doctor or a dental surgeon

Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I can understand your concerns.

Lithium can cause dry mouth. But you are having dry mouth even after 4 months of lithium cessation. That is a bit unusual.

I would suggest you to get evaluated for this.

Kindly consult an ENT specialist or a dental surgeon for this.

In the meantime, I have some suggestions for you to deal with dry mouth:
1. Use a mouth humidifier, mainly at night.

2. Sip water or sugarless drinks(excess sugar can cause dental caries) often.

3. Sip water or sugarless drinks during meals. This will make chewing and swallowing easier.

4. Avoid drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, tea. Caffeine can dry out the mouth.

5. Avoid tobacco or alcohol, spicy and salty foods. They dry out the mouth.

6. Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless candies to stimulate saliva flow; cinnamon- or mint-flavored candies are good choices.

Hope this helps.

Feel free to ask further.

Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar