Advil (ibuprofen) Causes Xerostomia/Dry Mouth/Cotton Mouth

Ibuprofen, a painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug commonly sold as Advil in both prescription and non-prescription doses, is a common medication used for the aches and pains, cold and flu, headaches, dental work and minor injuries. Like all medications, though, Advil can have side-effects (in most cases minor), and for many people these includes Xerostomia, also known as dry or cotton mouth.

As an anti-inflammatory, ibuprofen can have diuretic effects, minimizing the retention of water in the body. This can lead to everything from more frequent urination to dreaded dry mouth. When used in conjunction with other medications, as ibuprofen often is, the dry mouth effects can be amplified.

So what's so bad about Xerostomia or dry mouth other than the discomfort? A dry mouth can produce bad breath as well as an increase in cavities. Avoiding dry mouth, even when it's a relatively harmless side effect of an important medication is in your best interest.

If you're taking Advil and it's causing you dry mouth, here are some tricks you can try to combat the problem.

First, drink plenty of water. Most people don't get enough water each day, and thirst often feels like hunger to people in developed countries. If you're hungry and it's not mealtime, try some water before a snack.

Next, combat dry mouth caused by ibuprofen by avoiding sugary sodas and any beverage with caffeine. Caffeine is also a diuretic and will deplete moisture in the body and mouth leading to Xerostomia and dehydration in general. This means combating dry mouth by avoiding coffee, black tea and many sodas. Sugar, meanwhile, encourages the growth of bad bacteria in the mouth and contributes to dry mouth and its unpleasant side effects.

You can also combat Advil-induced dry mouth by stimulating the salivary glands. This means chewing something like sugar-free gum or a non-starchy (starch converts to sugar) snack (try a meat or vegetarian jerky or cut raw vegetables) or drinking water with just a bit of lemon juice added.

While dry mouth brought on by medication use is not uncommon in general and perfectly ordinary when taking Advil, dry mouth should not continue once you stop taking the medication in question. Ongoing problems with dry mouth may be indicative of another medical condition or concern and is an issue you should raise with your doctor or dentist in order to prevent long-term damage to your teeth.