It may feel like the medications that don’t cause dry mouth would be easier to list than the ones that do. After all, more than 400 prescription and over-the-counter medications include dry mouth as a known side effect. If you experience dry mouth and use any medications at all, you may want to look into the side effects listed.
That being said, some types of medications are more likely to cause this problem than others. Sedatives and muscle relaxants often cause dry mouth, as do many drugs used to treat the following issues.
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Pain
- Colds and allergies (antihistamines and decongestants)
- Obesity
- Acne
- Epilepsy
- Hypertension (diuretics)
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Psychotic disorders
- Urinary incontinence
- Asthma (certain bronchodilators)
- Parkinson’s disease
Sometimes, a medication is used only occasionally or temporarily, in which case it may be possible to simply deal with the unpleasantness until you no longer need the medication. However, if you’re on a long-term treatment plan, you probably want to know how to help dry mouth caused by medication. Fortunately, no matter what the cause of your dry mouth, you can follow the same tips listed above.
