Excess Saliva

My wife has been suffering with excess saliva for 3 years and needs help. Her symptoms are: around 10am each day excess salvia begins - just pooring out - which she is required to swallow continuously. Around 2-3pm she begins to become nausious. Gets so bad she has to go to bed and drug herself to sleep around 7 or 8 pm. Upon waking she is fine. Next day starts all over again. She has been test neurologically with negative results, gastro doc says it comes from stomach and has diagnosed gastroparesis without any successful treatment. ENT says has heard of it but knows of no treatment. She had dental surgery about the time this started - a scrapping of the gums - but oral surgeon says its not related. Retired ENT says it is Pytalism.Current ENT has never heard of it. She takes multiple mental health-type drugs for depression and anxiety - which allow her to sleep. Her psychiatrist says drugs cannot be problem. Anyone have any idea that we haven't thought of? Any help would be appreciated.

[siron]

Pytalism is the correct name for drooling.  There are many causes.  An oral doctor should be able to find out if there is a stone in the duct that may be causing this.
Bell's Palsy also causes excessive saliva.
I have read that some anxiety medications cause mouth dryness and in some cases when the pt. stops taking medication, the gland becomes overactive.

siron

[dannic1]

Hi,

I feel for your wife.  Sometimes I get the same problem.  I was under a lot of anxiety when I first noticed it back in 2006.  I also had it years ago in high school, but by the grace of God, it went away on its own.  I have also developed GERD, which I know can cause hypersalivation.  I have also been reading where low thyroid can cause these symptoms.  I believe I read on a health board about increasing the calcium in the diet.  That helped one person dry up better.  Chewing gum helps me, believe it or not.  It relaxes me and I think something in the gum neutralizes the acid in my stomach.  Even if I don't chew it, it seems to help me to relax and there also could be something in the peppermint that seems to help me.  My thoughts and prayers are with you and your wife.  I know it's very annoying to have this problem.  Does drinking caffeine make it worse or better?  Caffeine is supposed to be very drying, but then again, is not good for anxiety.  What about mouth washes with alcohol in them in moderation?  Exercising might also make her sweat and help dry out her mouth, but I would continue to seek out answers from gastro drs., ENTS, oral surgeons, dentists and neurologists.   God bless.  dannic1  

[ladydi50]

My husband has had very similar symptoms for almost 2 years, his are not as severe.  He also had a scrapping of the gums right before it started to happen.  He uses a cream that dentists use to numb the mouth before giving Novocain shots.  He finds this gives him some relief for a while.  If you find any solutions please let us know.

[hethr76]

I too just started with this yesterday. I didnt know about the pregnancy thing, but thank goodness that came early this morning and I was very late. I started yesterday but it eventually went away later in the evening and I too went to bed very early hoping that I would forget about it early in the morning. But it came right back. I have very high anxiety and it is only making worse. Maybe if I take one of my pills for that now, maybe it will relax me and I wont think about it. And I got very sick to my stomach this morning but I only gagged. At least I have a doctors appt. on Monday and I will let everyone know if there any at home remodies with the use of gum and candy.
Now that I think about it, I was chewing gum all last night and that is when it went away.
Thank you everyone for your information and I will try to find more on Monday at my appt.

Heather

[hethr76]

I meant to say WITHOUT the use of gum or candy!!
sorry everyone

[Michael8]

HI,
Last year I asked the Dentist why I had excess saliva and he told me to ask my Doctor, when I eventually got to the Doctor he told me to ask my Dentist.  My hygenist didn't know the answer.  Last time at the Dentist I ran off possible reasons I found on the internet and left them with My Dentist , he was going to look them over and research the problem .... probably because I told him I think the problem might be my partial denture and I was thinking of getting all my teeth out. I am tired of having difficulty talking and speaking NOT clearly.  Other problems are sore facial bones from sucking the saliva together to swallow, my teeth left the inside of my lower lip tender from sucking & gathering the saliva to swallow. My wife says I am always sucking and my cheeks (side) cave in when I do this.
I just want to know who can diagnose my problem ?
Mike

[terressan]

I have this same problem....I also feel like my gums are grimy and it feels as if something is stuck in my throat.  I went to the doctor who said I had a sore throat and prescribed z-pac which did NOT take care of the problem so I went to the dentist, who referred me to a periodontist.  Sometimes this problem leads me to have excruciating earaches.  Anyways, neither the periodontist or the dentist saw anything that could be causing this problem so now I have to go back to my Primary Care Physician for a physical and then I'm guessing I'll be referred to an ENT.  Has anyone fund a diagnosis for this problem?  Do we have to live with this the rest of our lives???

[candycute]

hi im candy, im also suffering from thesame problem for almost a year, the greatest problem is im a singer and it is giving me hard times tpo sing when i opened my mouth to sing the saliva going out rapidly in my gums,i have no choice but to swallow all the time, and it causes my voice to hoarse and i couldnt sing well anymore. I feel like my jaw locked that i cant opened my mouth well because i have to control the saliva from going out from my mouth. please has anyone know what to do with these problem?help me!