Gary,

I've been taking Pilocarpine since the first week of radiation and have continued taking it post tx. I'm not sure if this has helped or not...but my Doctor said he has his patents take it before saliva problems occur. He said it might help or it might not...but the idea was to keep the saliva glands working as much as they could through tx. My saliva changes all the time...very thick to watery back to semi-thick...but I never lost it 100%...always had something. I guess I was lucky...but then it makes me nervous and I think that if it didn't kill my glands maybe it didn't kill the cancer!?

btw--at times i had very little to almost useless saliva...but then warm tea would get it going a little better...the amount of saliva is insufficient enough to eat..so i would need water or milk with my meals...when i was eating--as of now i'm on liquids--i can't bear the foul tastes of eating

and at one time i was making so much thick slimy saliva that i would spit and gag constantly...sometimes i would gag and cough up enough saliva to fill a dixie cup and then some--the gagging would make me gag!...it would freak my GF out--i would look at her and say, "and you want me to go out and exercise?" that has since stopped...thank goodness...coughing up mucous not he get out there and exercise part!! hahahaha