Bad breath pills: which is the culprit behind your condition?

Halitosis or bad breath is a common oral condition that is known to affect a vast variety of people. It is a known fact that bad breath can lead to significant psychological distress, worry, embarrassment, and anxiety in the lives of individuals suffering from the condition. There is always a general misconception that only an unlucky few of a given population can suffer from bad breath, but the truth is that anyone can suffer from bad breath. Halitosis or bad breath is known to affect an estimated 25% of people around the world, thus making it the third most common reason that people seek dental care.

The most common cause of bad breath is poor oral hygiene. The common bacterium present in the mouth accumulates mostly towards the back of the tongue, and it is known to be one of the several causes of bad breath. Also as the anaerobic bacteria break down debris of food, they produce Volatile Sulfur Compounds that can cause mouth odor.

As I mentioned earlier, bad breath is primarily caused by poor dental hygiene. However, bad breath can also be triggered by the use of some pills or medications. The main reason behind this is that most medications have a drying effect such as those that cut down the flow of saliva and dry out the sinuses. Hence, the primary effect of these pills is that they cause dry mouth which inadvertently leads to mouth odor, so it’s now up to you to cut down or limit the intake of these medications to get rid of that nasty stench.

Below is a partial list of specific drugs or pills that are known to cause bad breath;

Antispasmodics

These are medications that relieves or reduces the incidences of muscle spasms, especially smooth muscles such as that in the bowel wall. Example of such pills include:

• Banthine
• Bellergal
• Librax
• Methscopolamine
• Pro-Banthine
• Donnatal, Kinesed
• Atropisol. Sal-Tropine
• Transderm-Scop

Anti-depressants

Antidepressants are medicines used to treat or prevent clinical depression. They are also known to induce the drying of the mouth which inadvertently leads to bad breath. Such drugs include:

• Amoxapine
• Amitryptiline
• Clomipramine
• Desipramine
• Fluvoxamine
• Fluoxetine
• Imipramine

Anorexiant

Anorexiant also known as an appetite suppressant is a dietary pill which reduces appetite, hence, resulting in lower food consumption which finally leads to weight loss.

• Diethylpropion
• Fenfluramine
• Mazindol
• Phendimetrazine
• Phentermine

Anticonvulsant

This is medication primarily used to prevent seizures or put an end to an ongoing series of seizures.

• Clonazepam
• Carbamazepine
• Dilantin
• Ethosuximide
• Felbatol
• Lamatical
• Neurontin
• Tegretol

Antihistamines

These are drugs that reduce the activity of histamine in the human body by blocking histamine receptors. Antihistamines are known to treat symptoms of allergic reactions.

• Actifed
• Astemizole
• Brompheniramine
• Chlorpheniramine
• Liphenhydramine
• Loratadine
• Promethazine
• Pyribenzamine
• Seldane

Anti-Hypertensives

As the name implies, these are drugs that are used to reduce high blood pressure.

• Avapro
• Amlodipine
• Azor
• Benicar
• Bystolic
• Carvedilol
• Coreg oral
• Cozaar oral
• Diovan
• Hydrochlorothiazide
• Losartan
• Metoprolol tartrate
• Norvasc
• Propranolol oral
• Spironolactone Oral

Birth Control Pills or Contraceptives

Birth control pills are primarily used to inhibit unwanted pregnancy. Regular intake of these drugs may cause halitosis.

• Alyacen
• Alesse
• Altavera
• Amethyst
• Aranelle
• Balziva
• Camrese
• Cyclafem
• Dasetta
• Desogen

Anti-Psychotics

These are a class of pills or medications that are used to curb psychotic symptoms in patients suffering from psychotic disorders such as delusional order and schizophrenia. Antipsychotics include:

• Clozapine
• Chlorpromazine
• Haloperidol
• Lithium
• Prochlorperazine
• Pimozide
• Promazine
• trifluoperazine
• thiothixene
• thioridazine

Decongestants

As the name implies, decongestants are drugs that help ease nasal congestion (blocked or stuffy nose).

• Oxymetazoline
• Pseudoephedrine
• Phenylpropanolamine with Chlorpheniramine

Diuretics

These are pills that are known to increase the amount of water and sodium that is excreted in the urine.

• Amiloride
• Chlorthalidone
• Chlorothiazide
• Furosemide
• hydrochlorothiazide

So far so good, we have listed a myriad of pills that could cause bad breath. The good news is that no matter how bad the situation turns out to be, there is always a cure. Conventionally, bad breath remedies first include cleaning the mouth and teeth. However, there are also some pills that could be effective in banishing that offensive mouth odor once and for all.

Effective bad breath pills when treating halitosis

Below are pills that may help treat bad breath:

Cetylpyridinium Chloride

This drug is used in a wide range of mouthwashes, lozenges, toothpaste, breath sprays, and throat sprays. It is known as a chemical antiseptic, and it kills bacteria and microbes alike.

Chlorhexidine

The oral preparation of this drug can be seen under brand names such as Periochip, Peridex, Perichlor. It is a chemical antiseptic which is effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The drug is capable of killing bacteria when it is present in high concentration, and it is also effective against fungi and viruses.

Chlorine Dioxide

It is used as an oxidizer and disinfectant, and it is very effective in destroying pathogenic microbes like a virus, fungi, and bacteria. When in low concentration, this pill can be used for toothpaste and mouthwashes, and it may be effective against anthrax bacteria in higher concentrations.

Cimetidine

Cimetidine has high effectiveness against halitosis and acid reflux. This drug is also capable of blocking histamine receptors, and it is available on the market under brand names such as Tagamet HB and Tagamet HB200.

Ranitidine

Ranitidine is yet another drug that is effective against acid reflux. Acid reflux is a condition in which the liquid and digested content of the stomach are sent back to the esophagus which causes halitosis or bad breath. Ranitidine is available on the market under the brand name known as Zantac. This drug acts as a histamine blocker, and it also reduces the production of acid in the stomach.

Suffering from bad breath is sure to be an embarrassing situation that can profoundly damage your self-esteem and confidence. However, the truth is that bad breath is a curable condition as long as the root causes are accurately diagnosed and the right techniques and treatments are used. In this article, we have shed more light on pills that can cause bad breath as well as pills that can get rid of the same, now it is all up to you to take the right step in banishing this debilitating condition once and for all. Read more on treatment for bad breath…