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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU to see a GP about this?

43 replies

Haahooooo · 05/07/2015 21:56

I'm very conscious of the need not to waste NHS resources, and on the face of it this seems frivolous.

However: I've been plagued by mouth ulcers since DD was born three years ago. Once a month or so I would get one, lasting about a week. But the last 3-4 months I've had them more or less continuously, and right now I have four along my inside bottom lip making it difficult to move my mouth to eat or speak.

I've been to the chemist, tried corsodyl mouthwash, bonjela gel and rinsing with salt water. Some of this numbs the pain briefly but nothing seems to work in terms of healing or preventing.

I asked my dental hygienist at my last appointment and she said it could be hormonal. But I'm not sure what to do about that.

So what do you think? Advice also gratefully received. In case relevant, I now also have DS aged one, still bf, and on mini pill.

OP posts:
ProcrastinatorGeneral · 05/07/2015 22:00

If you've exhausted the over the counter remedies and your dentist is stumped I think it's entirely reasonable to have a chat with a GP. If they do telephone triage like my surgery it may even be that you don't need a physical in the first instance.

I hope you get some relief soon.

Angeale · 05/07/2015 22:00

Oh definitely not unreasonable - gosh, you don't have to be at deaths door to go! :)

DorisLessingsCat · 05/07/2015 22:00

How is your overall health? They could be a sign of you being generally run down. I know they are for me. Improve your diet, exercise, take general vitamins, get enough sleep (easier said than done I know).

rubyroux · 05/07/2015 22:03

Go! Mouth ulcers are absolute hell, I really struggle with them. I found taking berroca and a zinc tablet every day really helped me not get as many.

Original poster
Haahooooo · 05/07/2015 22:06

Good tips re improving general health. My diet is ok but I don't take vitamins. No exercise unless you count running after the DC. Things at work are a bit stressful. So best start with something like berocca as that seems the easiest to implement.

Thank you

OP posts:
Jellyrain · 05/07/2015 22:06

You do need this looked into! My daughter has been plagued and the gp took it seriously. But we started using anbesol liquid on new ulcers and they heal in 48 hours. She hasn't had one for 3 weeks now.

PenguinPoser · 05/07/2015 22:07

Go, they might run some bloods check for iron deficiency etc. definitely not unreasonable. That's what they're there for!

WhatsTheT · 05/07/2015 22:07

You can see the GP for what ever health complaint you like. But yes excessive mouth ulcers can be because of a number of things.

I had them, turned out it was linked to my coeliac disease.

WhatsTheT · 05/07/2015 22:07

(the result, not the cause sorry)

hullabaloo234 · 05/07/2015 22:08

how is your tongue? if it's sore, a sore pitted tongue combined with frequent ulcers can be a symptom of anemia. Definitely see your GP x

StarlingMurmuration · 05/07/2015 22:08

How's your health generally? Are you catching a lot of colds etc? Lots of mouth ulcers can be a sign of a compromised immune system so definitely worth seeing a doctor.

WanderWomble · 05/07/2015 22:09

My Mum had a run where she had them all of the time. She had oral thrush that cleared with a spray.

Jellyrain · 05/07/2015 22:12

Whatsthet - that's interesting thanks!
Dd is wheat intolerant (coeliac not confirmed as doc wanted her to eat wheat for a Month before official. test and we decided the stomach pain wasn't justifiable - we'd already cut it out and things are good)

Original poster
Haahooooo · 05/07/2015 22:14

I will make an appointment just to get it checked out.

Other than being a bit stressed I have no health issues and I'm never ill, a miracle with two small DC in nursery!

Thanks again

OP posts:
AlpacaMyBags · 05/07/2015 22:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Theycallmemellowjello · 05/07/2015 22:16

It could be a type of herpes or otherwise viral. You can get suppressants. I've had similar on my gums.

PiggyPlumPie · 05/07/2015 22:21

DD used to regularly get mouth ulcers until she switched to a toothpaste that did not contain sodium lauryl sulphate. Might be worth a try after you've been to the GP.

Battleshiphips · 05/07/2015 22:28

Definitely worth a trip. Mouth ulcers can be caused by all sorts of things including auto immune problems. I know how painful they are! Worth going to your GP.

AntiHop · 05/07/2015 22:30

Yanbu. Definitely see your gp. I would have gone after a few months of constant mouth ulcers.

SingingSamosa · 05/07/2015 22:33

Mouth ulcers are a side effect of one of the immune-suppressant meds I take. I started taking folic acid tablets each day and it stopped them completely.

Mrsmorton · 05/07/2015 22:38

Have you asked the dentist? Hygienists, wonderful as they are, are not trained (or permitted) to diagnose.
We spend a looong few years doing oral medicine which is what ulcers come under. Just saying it might be worth asking the actual dentist rather than hyg. You can ask them for a referral to oral medicine in your region.

Things to consider usually include sls (as pp said), cinnamon and its derivatives, any digestive issues you have (the digestive system is a long tube with the same "skin" from the mouth to the bum so any problems along it can affect the whole tube), any food intolerances (chocolate gives me mouth ulcers due to the apparently high nickel content), trauma from sharp teeth etc, some vitamin deficiencies, autoimmune disorders and about 900 other causes.

I'm sad to say that most oral ulceration doesn't have an apparent cause and is managed symptomatically with things like difflam rinse or spray. Very frustrating for everyone involved, not least you.

Tangofandango · 05/07/2015 22:40

Anbesol liquid always works well for me. Also a salt water gargle.

Trumpton · 05/07/2015 22:50

Mine were very definitely linked to SLS in toothpaste. Sensodyne Gentle Whitening suits me .

Mrsmorton · 05/07/2015 22:53

You can get sls free toothpaste on prescription (free for you I assume at present). A lot of sensitive toothpastes are sls free, it affects the fluoride or something...

Perissa · 05/07/2015 22:59

I had awful ulcers all over my mouth after having my DS, had some blood tests and had both iron and folate deficiency, was put on tablets and haven't had one since.