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| Dry Mouth |
| The radiation therapy used to treat throat cancer inhibits salivary secretions. Sometimes the effects are short-term, but at other times the damage may become permanent. The herbal extract of pilocarpine jaborandi and/or prickly ash may ease this condition. Pure oral pilocarpine is now used by conventional medical doctors as a treatment to reduce dry mouth (xerostomia) caused by radiation to the neck and head. |
| Dose: Pilocarpine2 to 3 drops three to six times daily. Prickly ash10 to 20 drops in 1 ounce of water three to six times daily. |
| Evening primrose oil or other GLA-rich oils can also be effective in treating this condition. |
| It is also helpful to drink several cups of slippery elm tea throughout the day and to take 4 to 6 ounces of aloe vera leaf juice. |
| The following is a formula I often recommend for this condition: |
| Dry Mouth Formula |
| Pilocarpine jaborandi |
| 20 ml | Kava kava |
| 15 ml |
Prickly ash | 15 ml | Aloe leaf extract |
| 50 ml |
Echinacea | 15 ml | Herbaswee |
| 5 ml |
(5 ml is equal to 1 teaspoon. These quantities will produce ½ cup of formula.)
| Dose. Place 30 to 40 drops (1 dropperful) directly in the mouth three to six times daily before meals. |
| Mouth Sores |
| Mouth sores are often caused by chemotherapy or radiation and can be very painful. Because of the severe discomfort they cause, eating can be difficult. There are a number of natural remedies that can be used to inhibit or treat this condition. One remedy I frequently recommend is a tincture of 50 percent propolis applied directly to sores several times daily. Other herbal extracts that are very effective include collinsonia, chamomile, licorice, echinacea, poke, and thuja. |
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