Why does pot cause cottonmouth

So what can you do when it happens, and how can you possibly avoid it in the future? Here we examine the causes and cures for cottonmouth as a result of using cannabis. Cottonmouth is a vernacular term for the dry mouth that often accompanies a marijuana high.

Over time, xerostomia may develop into a sore throat, and leave the user with bad breath. Most cannabis users will experience cottonmouth at some point, regardless of consumption method. A dry mouth is not the result of smoking or vaping, but rather a direct effect of the active ingredients in marijana.

This means that ingesting an edible or tincture may also result in cottonmouth. For better or worse, one of these effects appears to be reduced saliva production. While dry mouth is an infamous symptom of marijuana, cannabis is not unique in causing it. Many medications, from SSRIs to common allergy pills, result in decreased saliva production, and persistent dry mouth is not uncommon among people taking multiple medications.

Drinking liquids sounds like the obvious solution, but you may soon find yourself uncomfortably full of water. If you only have a drink on hand, at least take small sips, and roll the water around in your mouth to relieve any discomfort.

Be sure to avoid alcohol , which will further dehydrate you over time. Sipping herbal tea will not cure or prevent xerostomia, but it will relieve the symptoms, including a sore throat, if the dryness has progressed that far. One simple solution is to give your mouth something worth drooling over!

Chewing gum or ice, or sucking candy should trigger the natural flow of saliva. Sour candy is an even better option because the sour sensation alone induces salivation. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Trade Ideas. News Podcast Events Newsletter. Compare Online Brokers. Top Stocks. Alternative Investing. YouTube Video Podcasts.

My Stocks. TLT Search by keyword What causes cottonmouth? I enjoy partaking in the herb every now and then, especially now, savoring the high it brings as a brief reprieve from the coinciding stressors of a pandemic and worldwide racial reckoning.

But cannabis, like any substance, can have side effects. One of my least favorite: It leaves the inside of my mouth parched AF, an annoying phenomenon commonly referred to as "cotton mouth. I reached out to scientists to investigate. At first, people simply blamed it on the particulates in the smoke formed when you light up, since cigarette smoking can dry out your mouth, too, says Lewis Nelson, professor and chair of the department of emergency medicine and chief of the division of medical toxicology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.