Worried I'm seriously ill

[dreamingintheclouds]

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.

Have attached pics of what they look like

I would be concerned about that and would ask to be referred to hospital for checks. Alternatively a dentist may have more idea, probably have to go private to get seen quickly but if it is something like mouth cancer then its important to get seen quickly. I don't know much about it but have cancer and took 4.5 months for GP to refer. Hopefully its something innocent but best to be sure.

@Silkierabbit

I would be concerned about that and would ask to be referred to hospital for checks. Alternatively a dentist may have more idea, probably have to go private to get seen quickly but if it is something like mouth cancer then its important to get seen quickly. I don't know much about it but have cancer and took 4.5 months for GP to refer. Hopefully its something innocent but best to be sure.

I'm really sorry to hear about your diagnosis.

I did wonder about mouth cancer but then I thought if so surely they would be coming up in the same place rather than all over?

Your immunity is compromised for some reason, so thats what they will try to get to the bottom of. I can't see a simple (although way too many) mouth ulcer being cancer.

You could be very deficient in iron and B vitamines (B3, b12 and B9).

I had this when breastfeeding and going through a stressful period and was vitamin
B deficient xx

I used to get terrible mouth ulcers when I was younger.
Going through spells of getting lots like you. The one under your tongue just looks like a simple mouth ulcer to me, albeit a big one.
Hope the bloods turn out ok

Mouth ulcers are very common when the person has vitamin deficiencies. I hope you get this sorted as soon as possible.

There are lots of things that could cause this, please try not to worry. I second seeing a dentist too for additional reassurance/pair of eyes.

Definitely go to a dentist. I had multiple mouth ulcers that stopped me being able to eat/talk and that antibiotics wouldn't touch - one round of dentist-prescribed anti-virals & it was sorted.

I have the same thing but am post meno. Gp sent of poo samples to check for inflammation as frequent ulcers can be a sign of bowel inflammation. They came back raised so I was sent for a colonoscopy and biopsies which were normal. Blood tests all normal. My friend is a retired GP and was reading an article in this months medical journal that ulcers can be a sign if B12 deficiency. I’ve looked this up and pregnant, postnatal and breastfeeding women are most at risk for B12 along with menopausal women as when you get older the body doesn’t storeB12 very well. Definitely worth getting blood tests and requesting B12 is added. I’ve been referred to an oral surgeon but in the meantime I’m going to ask for a B12 level check. They’re so painful and I only get a few days between crops of about 3-6 each time. I’m on hydrocortisone buccal tablets and have been given dissolvable steroid tablets to use as a mouth wash. They have really helped but I feel your pain and they need investigating.

Both me and my daughter had something similar a while back and at points it also felt like my throat was swollen too. It was oral thrush!

Forgot to say mine are in a similar place. Inside of lips and under and on the sides of the tongue (which as in a different league of pain to the lip ones ). I’ve also changed to a very mild toothpaste called zendium which contains none of the main things that can cause allergies. It also doesn’t sting the ulcers when I brush my teeth. Ive started using the steroid tablet rinse as soon as a crop start and this seems to be stopping them in their tracks. They’re called Betamethasone 500 microgram soluble tablets. You add a bit of water and rinse your mouth with it for 5 mins then spit out.

You could just be run down. Breastfeeding takes a lot out of you vitamin wise. Make sure to take your vitamins, eat well. Try not to have too much coffee, as that depeletes vitamins (as does alcohol). I once had a few ulcers in my mouth, and got a few spots on my hand and realised I had hand foot and mouth, when I saw my two year old having some spots on her hand. It went after a week or so. I was also pregnant at the time, working and run down!

Stress and being run down can cause weird things to happen to your body. When my first born was 13m I returned to work and shortly afterwards my tongue became really sore and the surface 'disappeared' and became glossy (glossitis). It was really strange. Dr Google said it's usually caused by diabetes/thyroid problems etc but all my bloods came back clear and it went as quickly as it started a couple of months later.

Funnily enough, the exact same thing happened when I went back to work after having my second child!