What the bloody hell is wrong with my tongue! Starting to worry.

[SaunteringDownwards]

I went to the GP last Friday who told me it looked like thrush and prescribed me some nystatin drops. The burning seems a little better but the end of the tongue seems really red and raw looking still. I suffer from health anxiety (severely) so naturally I am now terrified its oral/tongue cancer and that my GP is wrong as I am not seeing a big improvement. I have a scalloped tongue already but never had anything like this. I attached a pic, the pain and discoloration is localised to the end of my tongue and I have no other symptoms but I am SO worried. Any suggestions/reassurance would be really welcome.

Treating thrush is the first line treatment for these symptoms. For a starter it may need longer, or more medication (eg fluconazole). But either way, if there's no improvement after a treatment, go back.

Have you changed toothpaste recently?
I got this after trying the new versions of Sensodyne.

New toothpaste or mouthwash?
Different flavoured crisps or pringles, eg the salt n vinegar ones?
Drinking extra cups of tea?

Sometimes when my Vit B levels are low I get a sore and red tongue. After a week of extra vitamins it goes away.

Might you be subconsciously rubbing your tongue against your teeth? I bite my cheeks when I'm anxious and, when I restart my adhd meds after a break my tongue does near constant gymnastics around my teeth and ends up so sore and sensitive that eating is painful.

No new toothpaste or anything and I don't think my teeth are causing the irritation, although my anxiety does tend to force my tongue to the roof of my mouth quite tightly.

Have you had COVID lately? Covid tongue is a symptom.

COVID tongue? Any chance you have had COVID recently or been exposed or even had your jab (which I suppose could also lead to an immune reaction)? Or another similar virus?

I am fairly certain that dh/ds had COVID about a month or so ago. Dh just had a bad cough (still does about 6 weeks later), but the other 3 of us developed lip ulcers and very dry lips (only ds was symptomatic). Dd and I were fine, but just got these lip ulcers (not a cold sore). When dd got COVID before, she had COVID toes that lasted about 6 months after. I think it's just one of those weird things that unexpectedly affects some people more than others. Nothing there looks like oral cancer to me.

Covid - possibly. I had an awful chest infection at the beginning of September that lasted eight weeks, still not officially recovered from it and I have a feeling Covid was what triggered it, but that was a long time ago. I have (stupidly) looked at pictures of oral cancer and it seems to mostly affect the sides of the tongue so I am just hoping it isn't that, everything else I can deal with! I was just really hoping the nystatin would fix it but I have been taking it for five days now and visually it looks just as bad.

When I had oral thrush I had tablets as well as the drops, and I needed a second course of the drops to clear it completely.

Definitely not that

Not me thinking that was some sort of savoury snack.

It doesn’t look like thrush at all. Probably why the nystatin isn’t doing anything.

B12 deficiency.
Your GP should have ordered blood test for B12, folate, ferritin, fbc and full thyroid panel.

Do not take supplements until all testing has been done.
Unless you have been following a vegan diet you will need B12 injections.

Yeah I am inclined to agree. It isn't white like thrush usually is and it burns, but the GP seemed fairly confident.

You could be right, historically I have had issues with B12 and needed injections, but when Covid happened they just said I wouldn't get them and subsequent blood tests just said I was/am a bit low on folate?

Haven't taken clomid have you?

You need to buy Genigel the gel from Amazon.

Gengigel GelTargeted healing and pain relief for localised areas of inflammation.

Gengigel Gel can assist with the following oral conditions:
Ulcers
Damaged/ bleeding gums and tissue
Inflammation around dental implants.
Oral abrasions/lesions caused by rubbing fixed braces, aligners, dentures
Food burns
Dry sockets

It contains hyaluronic acid and is brilliant.

Not taking Clomid but have recently been prescribed progesterone pills for unexplained bleeding (have a scan next week). I wonder if the hormones could cause it? It did start around the same time.

Same here. I was about to go to the supermarket and ask them if they had any! They sound wonderful!

Oh dear OP.
This is a lifelong condition and injections should never be stopped.
I know this has caused a lot of suffering.
Please join a FB group called Pernicious Anaemia/B12 Deficiency - Support group. They are aware of these problems and can help you with information to get your life-saving injections again.

Scalloped tongue is a symptom that should not have been overlooked by a doctor.

Have you used chlorhexidine mouthwash OP. It gets rid of everything.

It does look like oral thrush on the side of your tongue. It could be a side effect from the nyastatin on the tip of your tongue.

I am sure I had a blood test fairly recently though that didn't suggest a deficiency in B12, just folate. I always thought it was weird as I had previously been told I would need injections forever.

If as you say you have severe health anxiety then whatever we, or the Drs say will never be enough for you.

You will always, as you are now, wonder if we are wrong and be convinced you have something far more serious.

This is the main problem that you need to address and learn to manage.

Otherwise you will continually seek reassurance that will never actually reassure you.