Bad breath or halitosis is an embarrassing situation that can be sometimes hard to diagnose. Usually, dental problems are the culprit and a trip to the dentist will help. However, there are many types of medications that may actually cause or contribute to bad breath.

Common Medications That Cause Bad Breath

The full list of medications that cause bad breath is too large to include fully, but the most commonly used drugs that cause bad breath include:

• Prilosec
• Prozac
• Zocor
• Claritin
• Paxil
• Vasotec
• Imitrex
• Mazindol
• Fenfluramine
• Chlorpheniramine
• Flexeril
• Parsidol

The uses of these various medications is vast. For example, Prilosec is primarily used for upset stomachs while Prozac is used as an anti-depressant. Others, like Claritin, are used for allergies. Whatever the reason these medicines are taken, they often lead to serious bad breath. Those who are on them may eliminate their halitosis simply by no longer using these medications.

Switch Medicines Carefully

When changing medications, it is important to do so in a measured and careful manner. This includes weaning off of medicines that impact the mind (such as antidepressants) and giving the body time to adjust without them. Switching to a medicine that doesn't cause bad breath will require carefully talking to a doctor to ensure it is the right step.

Talking to a dentist about bad breath first is also a good idea before changing medication. They can give you a quick examination and decide if there are other contributing factors to the halitosis. If so, a cleaning and other treatment methods may be required.

A Visit To The Dentist Can Help

If changing medications didn't help manage bad breath, then a trip to the dentist might be in order. They can diagnose the problem by inspecting the mouth, looking for rotting teeth, and finding a way to treat them. This process may require filling holes in the tooth or pulling out teeth that are simply too rotted for the dentist to save.

Sometimes, there may be bits of plaque or bacteria lurking on the gums or under the tongue. These can cause bad breath if left untreated. A good dentist will know this and wash out the mouth of their patient with an anti-bacterial mouth cleaning. They may then prescribe a mouthwash and certain types of toothpaste to help eliminate bad breath.

By following these steps, it is possible to eliminate bad breath entirely. Make sure to gauge new medications to see if they are on the list of possible bad breath medications. If so, it might be a good idea to try new ones, unless it is impossible to avoid using that specific drug.