Dry mouth advice

[dmcd11]

hello, I have been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. My main issue is tiredness but also having a very dry mouth. My tounge often gets sore and I seem to get mouth ulcers more easily. Is this common? if so, is there anything other people do to help alieviate the symptoms.
I also find that my throat is dry too and sometimes I have to keep clearing my throat to speak.
any advice much appreciated.

[pianoman]

Hello and Welcome. Dry mouth could be due to high Blood Glucose and being dehydrated... we tend to pee a lot more when BGs are high. Frequent infections can also go along with high BGs... the bugs like sugar too. Make sure you drink plenty of water and stay well hydrated.

The good news is that now you're diagnosed you are on the way back to more normal BGs... but if in any doubt please don't hesitate to ask your Doctor or other Health Care Professionals for advice on these issues.

Please stay around, read, share and ask questions. I expect Daisy will be along soon with general advice

[evilcat]

Hi,

I have a constant supply of sugar free mints - Smints or Extra are best, sugar free Polos don't seem to work for some reason... When I have a meeting at work, I have to have a pack of mints to hand or my voice goes all croaky.

[daisy1]

Hi dmcd and welcome to the forum I hope you will receive useful advice which will help you with your dry mouth problem on here. Any other problems, please don't hesitate to ask and someone will answer you. As Pianoman mentioned, here is some information which we give to new members to help them get started with their diabetes control.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find well over 30,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

[Gappy]

My dry throat is only first thing in the morning (part of dawn phenomon thing? I'm type 2) how do I persuade my body it's not the morning so I don't get this? I do keep a bottle of water by my bedside but this is treatment not prevention! I often put vapour rub under my nostrils to keep them clear so I breathe through my nose-any other ideas?

[pianoman]

My dry throat is only first thing in the morning (part of dawn phenomon thing? I'm type 2) how do I persuade my body it's not the morning so I don't get this? I do keep a bottle of water by my bedside but this is treatment not prevention! I often put vapour rub under my nostrils to keep them clear so I breathe through my nose-any other ideas?

How about an humidifier or those breathe right plasters you put across the nose (I see some F1 drivers using them these days). DP is an whole topic unto itself.

[Gappy]

Thanks, I'll see how I get on!

[bowell]

hello, I have been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. My main issue is tiredness but also having a very dry mouth. My tounge often gets sore and I seem to get mouth ulcers

A few drugs will give you this side effect a very dry mouth ie Amitriptyline

I find the best cure for me is the have some chewing gum non sugar
also drink small sips of water

Bob

[noblehead]

It's true that high bg levels can cause a dry mouth/dehydration due to the kidneys working overtime, this article explains the possible causes of a dry mouth but it's always best to seek a professional opinion on what the cause is and suitable treatment:

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Dry-Mouth.htm

Nigel

[Gappy]

How about an humidifier or those breathe right plasters you put across the nose (I see some F1 drivers using them these days). DP is an whole topic unto itself.

Those plasters haven't done the trick so a humidifier is on it's way from ebay, fingers crossed for that!

[LittleSue]

dmcd11, the good news is once your sugars come under control, the thirst etc should settle. Some people think once you're diabetic, you're thirsty, tired and running to the loo for ever - not true. Thirst/tiredness/frequent urination are really symptoms of undiagnosed or suboptimally controlleddiabetes, not of being diabetic.

[Sanober]

Hi there

I have had persistent dry throat for nearly 6 months and in the last 3/4 weeks non painful ulcers started to come and go on my tongue and gums. I had my throat looked at by 3 medical people and they couldn't see anything but said if it got worse or more problematic to come back and get a referral to a specialist.

My glucose readings have been on the rise in the last 3 weeks and my DN did a whole of blood tests and referred me to a lovely GP. He was very good at listening to my frustrations of this year, he sent me off for a throat swabbed and urine check incase of 'low grade infection'

Ta-daaaa!

I have a fungal infection in my throat...

He feels it's related to the Diabetes and fungal diseases do like sugar - personally in my case, it doesn't quite fit to be honest but then then they're all pondering what kind of Diabetic I am (my A1c re classed as good control). I was too much in shock to pursue further questions to be honest.

He doesn't think this is the full picture though regarding my dry throat (I have dry skin, eyes and also extremely dry heels too), but he believes this is something we can treat and hopefully eliminate first, then if the symptoms remain will need to look at referring me to a specialist.

I also asked to be tested for Vit B-12 (because of my mouth ulcers brain fog/fatigue)
I'm at 210 the range is 200-900 the GP said I was at 'lower end of normal range' but my blood cells are 'normal size' so no further testing required. I will be buying bumper Vit B supplements today.

So, push for a swab of your throat and a vit B-12 especially if you're on Metformin as this can deplete vit B levels (I'm not on Metformin).

Good luck

[smd]

Hello message for the people with mouth ulcers and also request for advice from anyone listening.

I just wanted to join the discussion on dry mouth as I had thought it was just me but I am always having to clear my throat, especially when I am speaking at meetings and I thought it was just nerves. However I also wake up in the night having to clear my throat.
Further for years I wake at around 4:00am (I know it is when your body is at its lowest ebb) but no amount of altering insulin makes a difference and I bg isn't particularly low or high at the time. does this happen to anyone else.
Just some advice re the mouth ulcers. i don't want to scare you but it was the symtpom I had before I was diagnosed with coeliacs disease, along with anaemia, which may account for the tiredness. I didn't have any of the other classic symptoms associated with coeliacs disease and still don't react that way if I have gluten, but I do get mouth ulcers back if I go off the diet.
I hope it isn't that as it is a real pain with diabetes but it is worth asking to be checked. there is a gold standard blood test that can diagnose.