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Is “dry mouth” permanent?
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Is “dry mouth” permanent?

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Is “dry mouth” permanent?

  • Post
    • August 28, 2019 at 3:10 pm
    gmschmidt
    Participant
      Hi Everyone,

      My husband is off treatment (for now), after two years of nivolumab. It’s been three months and most the side effects have subsided, which is great. However, the extreme dry mouth and slimmy film in his mouth continues, and hasn’t changed one bit. I’m just wondering if there is anyone else on this forum who dealt with dry mouth and is not longer getting treatment, that could tell me if the dry mouth ever went away.

      Thank you
      Gail

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    • Replies
        • August 28, 2019 at 4:19 pm
        Hukill
        Participant
          While on the combo I went 11 weeks with no saliva, even got a prescription for artificial saliva. Nothing I tried worked. I had to carry water everywhere I went and a bottle of salt/baking soda mix water to rinse my mouth due to my breath being horrible. I had to eat very wet food also. After 11 weeks and done with the combo it went away and it has been almost 3 years now. At least once a week my mouth goes dry for several hours and it happens very suddenly.
          • August 29, 2019 at 3:21 am
          lkb
          Participant
            I’m still on immunotherapy (switched from nivo to pembro) and still have dry mouth. The only things that help (temporarily) are wet fruits–baked pears, baked apples, juicy melons.
            • August 29, 2019 at 11:21 am
            tedtell1
            Participant
              Over a year since my last treatment (Opdivo) and my dentist has told me that I still don’t produce saliva the way I should. I don’t notice it much, except when I get up in the morning. It isn’t anywhere near as bad as when I was on the treatment though.
              Ted
              • August 29, 2019 at 1:38 pm
              Bubbles
              Participant
                I took nivo for 2 1/2 years and had a great deal of difficulty with “dry mouth”, altered taste, and severe mouth ulcers. Those problems did not resolve immediately upon ending my treatment by any means, but over time they would wax and wane….never becoming as bad as they had been when I was on treatment. It was strange because after a good spell, I would suddenly, for no apparent reason, have “road rash” (small cuts and laceration like lesions) all over my tongue and inner cheeks!! But, all of these issues have gotten better gradually and incidents much less frequent. Hopefully, your husband will start feeling a lot better soon. The best news is that I remain NED for melanoma with my last nivo infusion in June of 2013! celeste
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