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dry mouth,thrush,PCP and anxiety
Apr 5, 1999
Dear Doctor:
I heard that dry mouth is common in people having HIV(I don't mean under medications). I was wondering it happens at the early stage or late stage and if it is because HIV people have thrush. Is dry mouth the first step to develop thrush or PCP? And is it associated with sore throat? Anxiety and depression also can cause dry mouth. How to distinguish this dry mouth from the one caused by HIV? Please help. Thanks.
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Response from Dr. Reznik
Dry mouth or xerostomia is a symptom of HIV infection but not something that would be used as a diagnostic tool. There are many reasons why a person can present with dry mouth including some of those you mention, i.e. anxiety. Every time I lecture my mouth becomes dry as a bone, the reason...anxiety.... (smile). There are over 500 medications which list dry mouth as a side-effect including some commonly used medications such as antihistamines.
It is impossible to distinguish dry mouth caused by stress from that caused by HIV without a diagnostic HIV test. I would not consider dry mouth to be an early symptom of HIV infection, unless there is a proliferation of CD8 cells in the parotid salivary glands which may interfere with saliva production. Dry mouth is not the first step involved in the development of PCP or thrush. Dry mouth may complicate the treatment of thrush as systemic medications may not be able to reach their intended targets and saliva does contain histatins which have anti-fungal properties. Thrush does not cause dry mouth.
I hope I have addressed a few of your concerns.
DR
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