Over the past few weeks I've noticed decreasing saliva and a dry mouth much worse than the temporary condition I experienced after RAI. Since my meds haven't changed in 4 or 5 months I'm wondering what would be causing this.
It just occurred to me that the contrast used in my scans might be the cause. I've had bi-monthly scans now going on about 6 months so I've had a lot more contrast than at any time in the past.
Can contrast cause this and, if so, does it go away when the scans are reduced or stopped?
I don't know if the scans and contrast do this or not but one thing that can cause a chronic dry mouth is an autoimmune disease called Sjogren's . There are antibodies that can be tested for it.
There are also many medications that have anticholenergic effects so check to see if you are taking any of them.
If it's not a side effect of your meds, it could be that your salivary glands were attacked by the rai (this happened to me a year after my RAI!)
They can come back, in the meantime, massage them (they are under your ear, along the jaw line) and drink a lot (even during the night) to keep up flow.
