What the hell is this on my tongue?? Gross photo

[Dancingonthemoonlight]

I've been ill for about a week with this flu/covid like illness, been to the GP more times than I can count and they keep telling me it's viral etc but at one point was bringing up mucous when coughing, anyway I checked my throat yesterday and went to the walk in and I was gaslighted beyond belief 'they couldn't see it/no idea what I'm talking about/there's nothing there' well there is and it's this black/brown horrible thing on my tongue, wasn't there before I got ill and only appeared since I've been ill. What the fluff is it?

Yes I smoke I'm Wanting to quit in the new year as a resolution, is this from coughing so much? What is it?? I'm freaking out.

Apologies for gross photo

Merry Christmas everyone.

Lichen planus?

Have you brushed and scraped your tongue when you clean your teeth?

That could be a fungal infection. Worth having it checked out.

Looks like something fungal.

@Sunshineguy I tried to get it checked out yesterday and the health care professional gaslit me to the point I genuinely thought I was going crazy. Telling me it wasn't there and she couldn't see anything, I left and looked again when I got home and I saw it straight away, my partners seen it too so I know I'm not going crazy. Il have to go to my GP on Wednesday when they open again

Go to a dentist. Smokers tend to get a lot of fur growth and discolouration on the tongue.

Oh I missed that you're a smoker.

The colouring does make it look smoke related.

@thelobsterquadrille it's only appeared after I've been taken down by this flu/covid illness that's going around. This isn't how my tongue usually looks. I've tried to scrub it off with the toothbrush all that did was make me retch and its stayed put.

I’m a dental hygienist, it’s not an uncommon thing for smokers and especially if you are mucousy at the moment. If you are using mouthrinses at the moment for any sore throats (as some people do) they can cause this type of staining too.
hope you feel better soon.

Another hygienist- I’ve had way too much Prosecco to be dishing out advice but google black hairy tongue (I know it sounds made up but I promise it’s real). Hope you feel better soon

Have you been eating Twiglets?

I understand that - I meant that the mucous etc. that comes with having a cold combined with the smoke and nicotine could be making it turn that colour and so it looks worse than it would for a non-smoker.

Urgh.

😷

You've had a cold for a week and have been to the GP and walk in centre 'numerous times'!

And why does coughing mucous up mean it's not viral to you?

@pigonalipstick there is no need to be rude, this has certainly NOT been a cold. Over the course of the week I've been concerned about my chest, as my youngest child has had a chest Infection then I noticed the gross thing on my tongue and now I'm coughing up green mucous that was originally a brownish color. I have been gaslit and fobbed off by several health care professionals into believing that there's nothing actually wrong but I know my own body and I am ill and a course of antibiotics would help and if they don't help me then fine but absolutely nobody has swabbed to see if it is viral or bacterial, they've told me they can't see anything on my tongue and made me feel crazy and like I'm seeing things, when the reality is it is there and they simply don't look properly same when it comes to taking temperatures my temperature sits at 38.5 since I'm ill yet when they take it there's no temp because they don't put the thermometer in my ear properly. I'm obviously more emotional at the moment because I'm ill and I feel like no-one in the profession is listening to me. It wouldn't hurt anyone to give me antibiotics on a 'let's see' basis.

Unfortunately it would hurt to give you antibiotics on a 'let's see' basis. It's not best practice to do so. I think quiting smoking sooner rather than later, especially as you seem like quite an anxious person.

*would be a good thing.