DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am asking about dry mouth. I have enclosed a list of the 20 medicines I take. My mouth has become such a problem that it keeps me up most of the night. — D.P.

ANSWER: Dry mouth is an aggravating condition you share with many others. In addition to the unpleasant sensations, it promotes tooth decay. You have to make more than twice-a-year visits to your dentist. Your dentist and your doctor have to search for its cause. Treatment depends on finding the cause.

Medicines often are responsible for the mouth drying. Your list of 20 staggers the mind. Three of your medicines are diuretics, water pills. They are Lasix, metolazone (Zaroxolyn) and spironolactone. They might be keeping you on the dry side, and that could affect your mouth. Coreg, another of your medicines, has dry mouth listed as a side effect. It’s used for heartbeat regulation and in some cases of heart failure. Ambien is a sleeping pill that might dry the mouth. Don’t stop any of these medicines. They were prescribed for a purpose. You have to speak with your doctor about any changes in these drugs.

Sjogren’s (SHOW-grin’s) syndrome is another cause of dry mouth. It’s an illness in which white blood cells infiltrate salivary glands and stop their production of saliva. They also frequently invade tear glands and dry the eyes. It’s a possibility you and your doctor might want to pursue.

On your own, you can keep the mouth moist by carrying a plastic squeeze bottle of water and using it often. Put it on a nightstand next to your bed so you can get some water without having to get out of bed. Artificial salivas — Moi-Stir, Salivart and many others — are worth a try. Biotene products are found in all drugstores, and often restore moisture to a dry mouth. OraMoist is a time-release patch, about the size of a small tablet, that sticks to the roof of the mouth and gradually releases moisture for hours.

In no way do I want to add to your list of medicines. Others, however, with this problem can consider Evoxac or pilocarpine to promote saliva production. Both are prescription items.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have yet to read in your column anything about today’s No. 1 killer. Doctors prescribe medicines for all ailments but have yet to find a solution to stress. Until we can properly treat it, there will be no cure for the many ailments it promotes. — J.L.

ANSWER: You’ll not get an argument from any doctor about stress underlying illnesses. People today are faced with a debilitating level of stress. I think we can agree that humankind always has faced a certain amount of stress. Cavemen confronting a hungry bear had stress-filled lives. So did people whose children died from tuberculosis, pneumonia and shortly after birth from infectious diseases that have been conquered through antibiotics.

If stress is ruining your life, we have doctors who specialize in treating it. Psychiatrists use both medicine and talk therapy to help a person accommodate life’s stresses. Psychologists address the issue, too. I’m sure one of these professionals can help you lessen the unwholesome burden of stress you bear.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have been diagnosed with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. A pimple-like growth on my back started to itch. The doctor took a biopsy. I have had many tests (all negative) and PET and CT scans. Nothing was found. Radiation was suggested. I chose surgery. Did I make the right choice? — I.L.

ANSWER: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is a cancer of lymphocytes, one of the white blood cell varieties. These cells have invaded your skin. Many times, the invasion consists of a red or purple skin blotch or blotches. Why or how this process starts is something yet to be answered.

Your degree of involvement puts you in stage 1, a stage that can be cured. Radiation or the application of chemotherapy drugs directly to the involved skin is the usual treatment. If your doctor gave you the option of surgical removal, then no one can fault the choice. Personally, I would have gone with radiation. You have every reason for optimism.

Another name for this condition is mycosis fungoides.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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