Kristy,
Here are a couple of links to some interesting solutions(albeit future)to dry mouth problems. Saliwell http://www.saliwell.com/1_1.asp is a medical company that makes an implant type device that looks very interesting. The second link is a Google search for Dr. Bruce Baum. http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/InterviewsOHR/TIS032007.htm He is, and has been actively researching gene therapy for salivary gland repair. His research seems most promising for head and neck cancer patients whose saliva glands have been damaged by radiation.

I too struggle with dry mouth and the associated dental ramifications caused by radiation, however, the Salogen has allowed me to eat almost anything, as well as return to work full time as an in home salesman. I'm approx 6 months post treatment myself.

Here are a few more links that may be of interest to all.

Regards,
Chris





http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22author:B.+J.+author:Baum%22&hl=en&lr=&start=60&sa=N
http://www.webconferences.com/nihoba/731_Baum.pdf

A solution would be of great benefit to all of us.

Interesting.....

This was very interesting-thanks for the info. This is Mary's biggest complaint-the constantly severe dry mouth. Mind you, she still plays raquetball with me-but occasionally we have to stop because her lips are stuck to her teeth!! This works for me because I usually need the breather. :~)
But, seriously, she says it is awful. And it is preventing her from advancing her diet.

Liz

Tell Mary that her dry mouth will likely get better over time than it is right now, mine did, but it probably won't improve to 100% per Tx.

Kristy,
could you elaborate more on how Salogen helps with dry mouth (and how it helps to keep pain down re: eating)?

Thanks

Gene therapy holds much more promise in all diseases than this simple appication, even in the survivability of oral cancers. Please check the OC in the news section of the web site for numerous articles we have been posting for more than a year on the NIDCR sponsored work in this area. There is one just from this last week even. Gene therapy, nano particles, and stem cells will likely spell the end of cancers as we know them, let alone salivary function.

You'll probably be carrying a bottle of water for the rest of your life. The Biotene wash seems to make sleeping better--mouth doesn't seem to get so dry w/ use of it each time my husband gets up during the night (due to so much water during the day for drymouth and for swallowing his food). It's been 4 years and this is still an issue; but he IS alive!

I don't agree that you'll be "carrying a bottle of water for the rest of your life!" I don't! Sure, my mouth is dry, I must use liquid to get food down and waking up with my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth isn't fun, but I do manage to walk through life without being attached to a water bottle. I can even talk for 2-3 hours straight without water these days....and I'm not quite a year out from radiation. Don't forget that we are all individual and our healing is individual.

You are surer tough. I have to havw a bottle of water with me at all times. My mouth drys out in a matter of minutes and my tongue sticks to whatever it touches in my mouth. Be it my gums, the floor of my mouth or the roof of my mouth. I ran the weedeater yesterday for a couple of hours, and I needed 3 bottles of water to keep me going along with the biotene. We are all different and unique.