Would I be unreasonable to ask for blood tests for this?

[dollydog5]

Life long sufferer of mouth ulcers. Get them maybe once a month and sometimes they can be severe enough to make me feel generally unwell, headachey, lethargic, raised glands almost like a flu feeling. I’ve tried all possible topical treatments and mouthwashes and have found that generally I just have to take painkillers and ride it out until they heal, usually takes a week of feeling shit before they do.

Just lately I seem to be getting them more often and they always wipe me out. The last two weekends I’ve felt so tired and headachey with it. This one is on the back of my soft palette and giving me a horrendous sore throat too.

Im thinking of requesting a full blood count to see if I’m deficient in anything or if any other health issue flags up. I have been to the doctors about this before and they are very dismissive - one prescribed me bonjela and sent me on my way with a ‘it’s just one of those things’ attitude. But this is impacting my life now.

Definitely have blood tests. Mouth ulcers can be a sign of anaemia and b12 or folate deficiency.

Don't mention the ulcers. Tell them you're tired and breathless and have had anaemia in the past (even if you haven't).

Not unreasonable at all! I had terrible ulcers when I had a B12 deficiency, they’re a very common symptom. Hope you feel better soon.

I know you've been before but I think you'd get further making another appointment with another GP and take someone with you if you aren't comfortable advocating for yourself. Describe the symptom history in full, make a case for the recurrent nature of this and the significant impact it's having on your comfort and ask for further investigations and then the GP can make a clinical decision as to what blood tests might actually be necessary. If these are inconclusive then you can push for a referral to oral medicine if appropriate.

An FBC is not a test that covers absolutely everything, it is one blood test panel that looks primarily at the numbers of, and types of, cells in your blood.
That can be useful to detect blood disorders, infections and some immune disorders but is not likely to be conclusive on it's own for your symptoms. The GP can order separate bloods to test for things like low thyroid, anaemia, low b12, coeliac disease or other diagnoses more commonly associated with your symptoms.

I expect you've tried this but try changing toothpaste (go SLS free), and be mindful that NSAIDS (ibuprofen) are not ideal for use with mouth ulcers as these can weaken the mucosa of the mouth and can cause or worsen them in some people. I would stick with paracetamol and saltwater rinse.

Hope you get somewhere with it OP

Mouth ulcers also occur with other things like chrons disease.
Go to GP, and dont 'lie about the ulcers' ridiculous suggestion

I'd probably just try taking a strong multivitamin for a month or 2 and see if it improves.

See a different doctor.

I'm always really sad to see these posts, I've never had anything but great support and recommendations from my doctors. I asked for a blood test recently as I felt like I might be anaemic, and my doctor just ordered it for me? Also - I was right.

Don't lie, be specific that you're finding the ulcers debilitating, you've googled and recurrence like this suggests deficiency in X areas. Ask for the blood test, and if they say you don't need one, then ask them to confirm within your notes that you've asked for one and it has been deemed not appropriate, and then make an appointment with another doctor. If they won't allow one; make a complaint. This isn't normal.

Good luck.

Thank you all. I won’t lie. I know it sounds trivial and to be honest when I haven’t got one I forget how bad they actually are myself. It’s not even the localised pain it’s general feeling of being unwell, like now I have a sore throat, earache, headache and sore eyes and I know it’s because of the mouth ulcer on my throat because I get these symptoms to varying degrees all the time. If it were just once or twice a year I’d deal with it but I’m starting to feel ill more often than I feel well, no sooner have I got rid of one than another will appear a few days later and the cycle of misery begins again. It can’t be normal and something must be causing it.

Definitely ask for a blood test. I was absolutely floored by mouth ulcers, sore gums, really cracked lips and a general feeling of being under the weather just before Christmas. Had a blood test and my B12 was very low and my ferritin practically non existent. Started high strength B12 supplements and had an iron infusion and feel so much better.

It does not sound trivial. It sounds chronic and possibly hormonal as it's cyclical.