Dry mouth, nose and lips

[thinlizzie768]

I've been suffering with a very dry mouth, lips and nose for years now.   I can cope during the day by taking sips of water, using Vaseline on my lips, etc.    However at night time it is seriously disrupting my sleep as I wake up every half an hour when my mouth feels parched.   I have tried having a humidifier in my bedroom, which helps a little bit.   I  have tried Sterimar and also saliva spray.   I've been to ENT who could only recommend the Sterimar.

The only medication I am taking is Atorvastatin and half a tablet of Stilnoct.

I would be very grateful for any suggestions as it is seriously disrupting my sleep.   I know that I snore, which would account for the dryness at night time, but surely this would not account for the dryness during the day.    I am 62 years of age, so is it perhaps an ageing process, although nobody I know suffers with this complaint.

Many thanks for any help you can offer.

Ms. E. Finn

[thinlizzie768]

Thank you so much for your very helpful suggestions.    I've made an appt to see my GP on Tues. about having a sleep study.   My daughter did suggest this years' ago.    I've been to ENT who did'nt suggest anything apart from Sterimar, which I;m taking but it only helps briefly.  I was expecting them to take some bloods to check for Sjogren's syndrome, but was very disappointed;  must have spent all of three minutes in the clinic!  The problem is at night time and its been going on for years, really getting me down!    My grandaughter was intrigued by the amount of "stuff" I had on my bedside locker.    "Nanna why have you got so many creams for dry nose, dry mouth and dry lips?"    Exactly!   I will check out for deficiencies in vitamins and also diabetes, my sister DOES have diabetes.

Again, many thanks, so much more helpful than ENT or my GP!

[donjoe341]

If you snore then you are breathing through your mouth. You should be breathing through your nose when you sleep. It wouldn't hurt to have a sleep study done to make sure you don't have sleep apnea. I know people that have to sleep with the Cpap machine and it blows moisture as well as oxygen.  Dry lips, mouth and nose could also be a sign of a more serious problem. You may want to have your blood work checked for deficiencies in vitamins or diabetes. Diabetes can cause excessive dryness and thirst. There are also auto immune disorders that can cause these conditions.