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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be seriously concerned about this

47 replies

dreamingintheclouds · 30/03/2022 18:28

Posting in here for traffic as I'm so concerned

About a month ago I suddenly came out with around 25 mouth ulcers within a couple of days. They were so painful I could barely eat or drink and lost half a stone in a week.

GP prescribed a steroid which cleared them up but since then I constantly have about 5 ulcers at a time. They tend to be on the inside of my lips and under my tongue.

GP has now ordered a range of blood tests and I'm awaiting results. But I just keep worrying that there could be something sinister behind this.

I have 2 under 3s and am breastfeeding so I am tired, but surely just being run down can't be causing this!? I've had the odd one before but never anything like this.

Attached photos of what they're like

OP posts:

Wam90 · 30/03/2022 23:05

Try not to panic, it sounds like you’re very run down.
I had loads when I was pregnant and kept panicking about b12 deficiency but all my bloods were fine. I’ve been taking pregnacare breastfeeding vitamins for the past few months (youngest is 9 months) and it’s made me feel so much better and have only had a couple randomly which clear up quickly.
Could it be hand, foot and mouth if you have another little one that might be bringing it home from nursery? (If they go). My HV reminded me that I’ve been either pregnant or breastfeeding more than not over the last 3 years so will feel the effect more. Are you taking any vitamins? I hope you feel better soon.

Moppincraxy · 30/03/2022 23:09

I know this is standard response but could it be covid? Mouth ulcers is one of the symptoms according to the Zoe study.

Mondaymanic · 30/03/2022 23:30

I had a seriously worrying amount of mouth ulcers (agony) when I was studying for my final year exams. It was stress linked/being run down for me. Hth and try not to worry

Trumpton · 30/03/2022 23:43

Also worth checking your toothpaste.
Try using one free from Sodium Lauryl Sulphate which is a foaming agent and can cause ulcers.
Certainly could aggravate them. You have my sympathy, they are so painful.

sayhellotothelittlefella · 30/03/2022 23:58

Have you thought about coeliac disease. Mouth ulcers are a very common symptom. Might be worth looking at the others and seeing if you should get a check. Not all coeliacs have the classic digestive issues. I didn't...

OutIsay · 31/03/2022 00:15

Your GP has done the right thing. It could just be iron or vitamin B deficiency. Don't panic yet!

Sugarplumfairy65 · 31/03/2022 00:28

@WhoWants2Know

My guess would usually be a vitamin deficiency--there are several that can cause mouth ulcers. But allergies can also develop in later life. Oral Allergy Syndrome can occur when the body confuses a food with something like pollen. Then in addition to hay fever there are mouth ulcers too.

A friend of mine has oral allergy syndrome and always has a mouthful of mouth ulcers. Do you have any idea of a treatment that would help? She's had all the allergy testing done via the nhs and was told to avoid anything that grows on a tree and all nuts. She has really awful hay fever and is on the maximum medications the doctor can prescribe. This has been going on for 30 years since she was a toddler and she's at her wits end.

wanttomarryamillionaire · 31/03/2022 00:35

@ProudThrilledHappy

Are you taking regular ibuprofen? I get severe mouth ulcers when I take ibuprofen for more than two days in a row, just a suggestion

I was just going to say the same thing. I wonder why it does this?

Menora · 31/03/2022 00:38

My mouth was in agony and bleeding for months and a blood test showed I had ferritin of 2 and HB of 7.8

I felt a lot better after some iron and having my womb removed

FairlyAntisocial · 31/03/2022 00:49

Have a look at RAS Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis, my symptoms are similar, recurrent batches of smaller ulcers, under the tongue, inside lips and basically everywhere. Large ulcer is on the side of my tongue and I've had it months, but this can happen rarely. It has been unpleasant to say the least, I've done the rounds of the doctors, had biopsy, and it is not cancer. I'm at the stage now where I'm waiting to see another Doctor, but I am also anaemic and not in the best of health and my body is stressed, which also seems to be a similar theme. It may not be this, but I'm taking iron, vitamins and looking at my diet etc etc etc, in the hope that this improves things, Hope you feel better soon.

irishfarmer · 31/03/2022 01:17

They look sore! All you can really do is wait for the GP to come back to you. I've had them in the past and it's usually when I am run down/ not getting enough vitamins

moonbedazzled · 31/03/2022 01:22

It's often a deficiency and getting run down. I remember getting loads of them a couple of years ago. Usually 9 or 10 at a time. Then I went on a two month cruise. Good food and relaxation and I never got any. I think mine are related to stress as well.

ThinWomansBrain · 31/03/2022 01:32

gargle a few times a day with hydrogen peroxide - will keep them in check, but you still need to find the root cause.

if you do end up taking iron tablets, do be perpared to try different types if you don't get on with the first ones your GP prescribes (and keep a note of which ones are OK for you in case you need to take again in the future) concentration in anything GP prescribed is far higher than OTC floradix type stuff.

Moltenpink · 31/03/2022 01:42

Sorry to add to the list, but my husband had this and it turned into shingles.

Menora · 31/03/2022 01:51

@ThinWomansBrain

gargle a few times a day with hydrogen peroxide - will keep them in check, but you still need to find the root cause.

Yeah problem is if you are very low on iron you need to stock up faster than the OTC stuff could ever do, and not slowly. They will consider transfuse you if it’s like 7.6-7.8 I think. I used to compromise with my GP by having days where I took less prescribed ferrous fumerate after a month, to give my poor insides some respite. Just listen to your doctor

I also wrecked my mouth further as I had pica for minty tastes and it would burn (eating toothpaste)

Namaste6 · 31/03/2022 02:09

I would take comfort in the fact that, as a previous poster mentioned, anything sinister would most likely present as a singular ulcer that doesn't heal over time.

I know someone that was prone to vitamin deficiencies and severe stress - her mouth used to break out with a frightening amount of ulcers at any given time. She went down the homeopathic route and that helped the breakouts. They all but disappeared when her stress levels were low.

Sending you best wishes. 🙏

FixItUpChappie · 31/03/2022 02:41

I had a sudden spurt of mouth ulcers - tonnes all at once and was really worried.....I traced the problem back to the cinnamon gum I had on my desk at work. Is there a pattern to any food your eating?

starrynight21 · 31/03/2022 03:17

Mine were just like that, multiple huge painful things, I could barely drink water, I lived on ice when they flared up. Got them tested and they were herpes ulcers. Now I always have a box of Famcyclovir, I take 3 at the first sign of an ulcer a d it stops them in their tracks. Good luck .

Gingernaut · 31/03/2022 04:06

Anaemia and stress can do this.

I used to get recurrent mouth ulcers (nothing like as bad as yours) and I was told to reduce stress and improve my diet.

I reduced my out of work commitments and started taking a vitamin supplement with added iron.

Took a few weeks, but the ulcers stopped.

abeanbaked · 31/03/2022 07:43

Ouch, that sounds so painful.

A few months after I had DS I had a huge outbreak of dermatitis all over my hands and feet. The little fluid filled blisters were everywhere and I could hardly hold a pen etc as my hands were so swollen, itchy and cracked. I've never had it like that before. GP said it's common after babies due to hormonal shift and lack of sleep/proper nutrition that if you have a response to something, it's worse. Do you take vitamins?

incognitoforthisone · 31/03/2022 11:17

I sympathise massively but try not to worry: I've experienced something similar to this. I had two really severe outbreaks - my whole mouth, couldn't eat, absolutely miserably painful - and then a few more that were much milder, where I had maybe seven or eight really painful ulcers at a time.

All my blood tests were normal and although I was a little bit rundown at the time, I certainly nowhere near as rundown as I had been at other times in my life. Not allergic to anything either. The only thing that the GP could think of that might have triggered it was perhaps a virus I'd had a couple of months previously - maybe an immune response type thing.

Honestly, I'd be amazed if this was anything sinister and I reckon it will disappear as suddenly as it started. Good that you're getting it checked out, but it's probably one you'll able to file under 'just one of those things'.

HTruffle · 31/03/2022 11:23

It couldn’t be hand foot and mouth could it? I got it once at same time as my toddler. Websites and gp said adults don’t get it but I definitely did and mouth was full of ulcers and agony!

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