Fordyce Spots on lips - help! Worried

[Misswhoshallnotbenamed]

Hey all.... sorry for the essay in advance!
So I suddenly woke up a few days ago with all these lumps over my lips (not just a few, loads!) and I’d say they’re about 3-5mm wide (skin coloured). They cover the whole of my bottom lip and there are a few on my top lip.
I booked an appointment with my docs (but it’s a telephone call due to Covid) and they asked me to send pics. I said I really don’t know how I will be able to as the lumps are skin coloured so it’s not like they are really visible to the eye. Anyway managed to take a few and they said they are fordyce spots and no treatment for them.

Well I go to Google and now I’m freaked out!!!! It says they are linked to colorectal cancer (I have bowel issues/IBD and am currently experiencing symptoms that my IBD team are aware of) and so now I am worried. Also suggests a link to hyperlipidemia (to do with high levels of fat in the blood).

Should I speak with the docs and say I read this and am worried? Has anyone else experienced fordyce spots on their lips?

Any advise would be great! Thanks

How weird. My dentist pointed mine out to a trainee the other day. I had never heard of them and had not really noticed I have them (so obviously I don't have that many). I have them inside my cheeks, too. I Googled and didn't find anything to do with cancer - though the first Google brought up loads of hits for spots on the foreskin, which was a bit disconcerting.

My searches indicated hormonal links, and I'm solidly into peri menopause, so I suspect that's why mine appeared.

In your position, with such a sudden appearance of so many, which seem quite big, I would probably be pushing for more reassurance from the GP. Especially given what your Google search has revealed and your IBD.

Hey @Spodge, oh wow really? So you didn’t even know yours were there? Did they say anything else about them or just that you have them? I was wondering if I should get a dentist appointment to get their advise...

Yes I also saw they can appear on your genitals! I also saw hormonal links too.... I’ve actually emailed my IBD team telling them about it and what I’ve read, so I’ll see what they say! They’ll probably say I’m a crazy woman. But yes, as they’ve appeared over night and so many of them... it’s panicked me!

Thanks for your experience 😊

@Misswhoshallnotbenamed - I suppose I was vaguely aware of them. They are in narrow lines coming in from the corners of my mouth just below where my lips meet. They are a creamy colour and my lip colour is naturally pink so you can see them quite easily. They are not raised particularly and I wear lipstick daily which I tend to apply before putting specs one in the morning so had never really examined them. It was quite a shock when the dentist got all excited to point them out to the trainee! I am not actually sure how long they have been there and whether he has seen them before but just never said anything as there was no trainee to mention them to. I had never heard of them before, so it's really strange that I suddenly come across a thread on them here.

The dentist didn't really say anything other than what they were and that they are nothing to worry about. He also said they were something to do with sweat glands, though I didn't think we had those on our lips. Then they got over-excited about some other anomaly with my tongue and changed the subject. Sigh. I wouldn't bother getting a dentist appointment specifically for that, though I suppose it might be worth mentioning it next time you go.

I have noticed that if my lips ever feel a bit sore or tender it is in the area where the spots are. Doesn't happen often, though.

I'd be interested to know what your IBD team has to say when you hear back.

@Spodge oh right.... well I mean they obviously wasn’t worried, which is reassuring.

I will post back on here when they come back to me to let you know what they say... they aren’t the quickest at responding so don’t hold your breath 🤣 speak soon