Living with the Side Effects of Medication: Chronic Dry Mouth, Nose and Eyes
Living with the Side Effects of Medication: Chronic Dry Mouth, Nose and Eyes
When people talk about medication side effects, they usually mention the obvious ones first: fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and weight gain. But what no one seemed to talk about before I experienced it myself was the relentless dryness: dry mouth, dry nose, dry eyes, dryness that lingers day in, day out. It sounds minor compared to the dramatic lists in leaflet warnings, but when you’re living with it, dryness sneaks into everything: your confidence, your concentration, your enjoyment of meals, even your ability to get a proper night’s sleep.
I’ve been dealing with medication-related dryness for a while now, and I wanted to share what it’s really like: the little things that drive you mad, the moments that make you laugh in disbelief, and the tiny strategies that slowly make life more bearable. If this sounds familiar, I hope it helps you feel less alone.
When your mouth won’t cooperate
Dry mouth was the first symptom I noticed. At first, it was just a persistent thirst that never seemed to go away, a feeling like I’d been sleeping with my mouth open, even when I hadn’t. Some mornings I’d wake up with my tongue practically glued to the roof of my mouth. Then it got worse. Foods that used to be comforting suddenly felt like cardboard. Toast? Forget it. Crisps? Only if I had a drink ready. Even speaking for long periods could leave my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth like Velcro. Honestly, it felt like someone had vacuumed all the saliva out of my mouth.
Then there’s the dreaded bad-breath anxiety. Dry mouth is the perfect environment for it. My handbag has now officially turned into a mobile hydration station: lip balm, hard-boiled sweets, and my trusty Ninja bottle go everywhere with me.
The nose situation isn’t glamorous either
Dry nose might not get talked about much, but for me, it’s one of the most frustrating. My nostrils get dry boogies even when I’m not sick. Using a crumpled tissue to clear them has become a regular part of my day.
It also comes with other issues. Tiny nosebleeds in the morning, or a constant feeling like my nose is full of invisible grit. Cold weather makes it worse. Central heating? Even worse. Air conditioning? Don’t even get me started.
It’s surprising how much something so small can affect your mood. When you’re constantly aware of your nose, tight, tender, and uncooperative, it becomes distracting in a way that’s hard to explain to anyone who hasn’t experienced it.
And then there are the eyes
Of all the dryness issues, my eyes hit me the hardest emotionally. I didn’t realise how much I relied on comfortable, reliable eyesight until every blink became a battle.
Some mornings, my eyelids are practically glued shut, with a sticky, crusty residue around my eyes. Other days, it feels like sand has been poured into them. A breeze outside can make them sting and water uncontrollably. Screens? Forget about working for more than a few minutes. As someone who writes, reads, and works online, that can be… challenging.
Sometimes my eyes ache from the dryness, and I find myself blinking like mad to try and get some relief. Makeup has become a gamble: will my mascara irritate them today? Will eyeliner migrate because my eyes keep watering? Nine times out of ten, the answer is yes… especially in my left eye
The emotional toll
What I didn’t expect was how emotionally draining this trio of symptoms could be. Each one alone is irritating but manageable; together, they can feel relentless. And medication side effects don’t exactly wait for the right moment; they show up in the middle of conversations, during meals, or right in the middle of an affectionate moment, just to keep things interesting.
There’s also a strange guilt. When your medication is helping in other ways, you feel like you shouldn’t complain. “At least it’s not something worse,” I’d tell myself. But being grateful doesn’t erase discomfort, and it doesn’t mean you can’t acknowledge the toll it takes.
I’ve learned it’s okay to say: “My treatment is important, but the side effects are hard.” Both can be true.
What’s helped me cope
I’m no medical professional, but here are the small things that make daily life with dryness a little easier:
Taking frequent sips of water instead of big gulps all at once
Using hard-boiled sweets to stimulate saliva
Keeping a humidifier in the bedroom, especially in winter
Avoiding over-heated or over-air-conditioned rooms when possible
Giving my eyes regular screen breaks and using artificial tears
Carrying lip balm everywhere, yes, even clipped to my handbag
Always having my stainless steel water bottle within reach
Most importantly, I’ve learned to be kinder to myself. Some days I’m more tired, more irritable, or less productive, and that’s okay. Chronic symptoms, no matter how “small,” take energy.
Living with dryness, finding comfort
I deal with chronic dry mouth, nose, and eyes every single day, but I’m trying to stop brushing them off as minor annoyances I should just “push through.” They’re part of my life now, part of this whole medication journey—and acknowledging them has actually helped me feel a bit more in control, rather than at the mercy of it all.
If you’re going through something similar, know this: your discomfort is valid. You’re not dramatic, you’re not weak, and you are definitely not alone. Living with chronic dryness is a challenge, but with patience, small routines, and a bit of humour, you learn to navigate it, one sip, one blink, and one gentle breath at a time. At the end of the day, we have no choice but to keep going.
About me
I am a married mother of four children. One of those four children is our granddaughter, for whom we are SGO (legal guardians)/kinship carers. I run a small business and enjoy writing, so I blog. My blog focuses on my family life as well as my experiences of living with chronic illnesses and disabilities such as ME/CFS, spinal stenosis, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia. Oh, and I am only in my mid-40s.
