I had radiation to my head and neck 4 months ago and my salivary glands were damaged. I have been using Salagen (Pilocarpine HCL) and it helps. You have to take it every 4 hours and yes, sometimes it makes me very sweaty all over, but for up to 3 hours after taking it I’m not constantly thinking about my dry mouth. I figure a little relief is better than none. It took 2-3 weeks for it to really begin to work, so be patient.
My question is this: For those of you who have had radiation to the head and neck, did you ever get saliva back and if so how long did it take and was it sufficient to not require carrying a bottle of water around with you constantly?
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I had radiation to my head and neck 4 months ago and my salivary glands were damaged. I have been using Salagen (Pilocarpine HCL) and it helps. You have to take it every 4 hours and yes, sometimes it makes me very sweaty all over, but for up to 3 hours after taking it I’m not constantly thinking about my dry mouth. I figure a little relief is better than none. It took 2-3 weeks for it to really begin to work, so be patient.
February 22, 2012 - 10:04amMy question is this: For those of you who have had radiation to the head and neck, did you ever get saliva back and if so how long did it take and was it sufficient to not require carrying a bottle of water around with you constantly?
B
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