Halitosis and Medications

An unpleasant odor on the breath is not always due to a problem in the mouth: many things can cause a transient halitosis and medications are included in the list, along with certain foods and habits such as smoking. Among the drugs, those that tend to cause a dry mouth or nose, antihistamines, antidepressants, and drugs for sinus problems are particularly noted for having this effect. If you are taking any drugs, either prescription drugs or over the counter medicines, and you suspect that you have bad breath, you should read the package insert and consult with your doctor or pharmacist to determine whether there could be a connection between the two.

On the flip side, if you have a severe problem with bad breath, you might benefit from medicine for halitosis. While prescription drugs are seldom used for this purpose, certain antibiotics are effective against the oral bacteria that cause halitosis and medications of this type can be used in some circumstances. Keep in mind that antibiotics have side-effects as well and should be avoided if possible. Try a natural remedy or an over the counter medicine for halitosis before resorting to antibiotics.

Chlorhexidine is an antibacterial agent that is quite effective for reducing the number of odor-producing bacteria in the mouth, thus reducing halitosis and medications often contain this additive. A mouthwash that contains chlorhexidine is likely to help. Other approaches have also been tried in recent years. One popular medicine for halitosis incorporates oxidizing ingredients that expose anaerobic odor-producing bacteria to oxygen. Strict anaerobes can’t tolerate oxygen, so this approach should be effective at killing them. A third approach uses the fact that these bacteria tend to stick to oil droplets: rinsing with an oil preparation can remove them from the mouth.

So halitosis and medications can go hand in hand – medicines can cause and treat bad breath. If you are searching for medicine for halitosis, look for something that will kill or remove the bacteria, rather than just covering up the smell. Breath fresheners won’t work very well for this. If you have halitosis and medications are the cause, the odor you notice is probably not as offensive as bad breath caused by bacteria in the mouth. Breath mints and ordinary mouthwashes may be effective at masking it. Compare a few products to find out what works best for you.