Geographic Tongue

[CGH93]

Hello!

For 4 years now, I’ve suffered with geographic tongue.
The GP sent me to the hospital that first year as they suspected oral cancer. I was only in the room a few mins and the doctor at the hospital said ‘it’s not cancer as it’s always changing and it’s not in the same place for a prolonged period of time’.
this was a relief as I was very concerned. However, he said it should burn its self out but can’t say when ..

its been 4 years now and I’m so fed up of it. The GP said there’s nothing they can do.

Does anyone else have this and have any tips?

I know spice is a trigger and stress can be too. (I have kids so I can’t do much about stress lets be honest)

Can you try b vitamins and probiotics? I’m sure I’ve come across that as something to try.

Or it could be a specific food that triggers it. Maybe you could do your own, informal exclusion diet. Remove acidic foods for a week.

Yeah I’ve tried both of these unfortunately.

I’ve done extensive research and tried it all but nothings helped! It’s so sore.

And while you can’t impact the things that cause you stress, you can practise ways to help your body cope. Imagine an internal bucket for stress- we all have some sloshing about in there. When the bucket gets full it sloshes about and gets messy. If you build in yoga/meditation/walks/scented candles/breathing exercises … whatever helps you, but you must do it routinely, not just when you are stressed. Every time you do a bit of breathing exercises, you drain a little stress out of the bucket so it doesn’t overflow and get messy later.

Thank you for this 🙂

I wish I could follow my own stress management advice.

I had a couple of routine stress relievers scheduled in, but circumstances changed, they got cancelled, and I haven’t replaced them. Instead I eat chocolate 😅

My friend with this can't eat strawberries... Fine with all other fruit.

But if you haven't had it for your whole life do you think maybe that it's something you have eaten or used for many years whose recipe changed without you realising? Your toothpaste, for instance.

Hahaha maybe I’ll adopt that stress relief 😂

I was saying this to my husband too, I wonder if I’ve developed an intolerance to something!

i don’t know if the gp will give me a test if I ask

I have that too and I didn’t really think anything of it until one day a dentist mentioned it but didn’t seem concerned and said that some people have that.

I think I’m struggling with it because it’s so sore! All of the time

Maybe go and get a second opinion. I think I have had mine my whole life and it’s never bothered me I just always thought it was a bit strange.

I think I am going too, I was in weekly seeing a gp about it until I’d been seen at the hospital, but it’s driving me insane

Does yogurt help? From a soothing perspective? Or antihistamine? I get hypersensitive sometimes. It varies how and where, but I’ll just get inflamed somehow and everything feels itchy/inclined to flare up. I have to be careful not to scratch, as it’s cyclical - the more I react, the worse it gets.

At the moment it’s my ears. I had DH pause the Tv several times to check in my ears and on my face because I was convinced there were crawly things on me. Ridiculous. Sigh.

Unfortunately no, I’ve tried both suggestions.

currently, in trying a stronger antacid (the 24 hrs ones) as I have suffered with reflux for many years. To see if that makes a difference!

I have had this for 50 years. No doctor has ever suggested it could be cured.

I know that certain foods make it worse, but it is actually impossible for me to avoid everything that is causing the irritation because some of the irritants are the most common food preservatives. Only eating raw, unpackaged ingredients for every single meal for the rest of my life just isn’t practical. I just avoid the things that make it really bad.

thank you for this 🤍🤍

I was going to suggest reflux before I saw your later post about having that. I had a few bouts of very sore tongue every few weeks about a year ago and during the last one took esomeprozole for a few days, and it hasn't come back since.

I’ve suffered with reflux for nearly 10 years now (since my first born!)
Then this for 4 years, my second born is 5 years old.

Ive had esomeprozole before and I don’t recall noticing a change.
But I’m really hoping this time it makes a change!!

the reflux is causing issues with my sleep now (waking and snoring) which is why I wanted to give espmeprozole a try again.
I want to try ease it all whilst waiting to get in to see a gp

Mine was an allergy to toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulphate.

Maybe try a week of just using water to brush and see if that helps.

That’s something I’ve been thinking of recently too, I’m wondering if it’s the actual tooth brush I reacting too?

i switched to an ordo toothbrush around the same time. I’ve not used any other so wondering if it’s maybe to do with that

I feel your pain, at points I couldn’t eat or talk my tongue was so sore and swollen.

This was 20 years ago too.

If I rarely have a flare nowadays I use coconut oil for oil pulling, google it for details and definitely don’t spit down the drain!
Organic coconut oil has great healing qualities for skin in general.

I have heard of this actually! I haven’t tried it though How do you do oil pulling when it’s very hard? (Also yes!! Not down the sink!)

Coconut oil melts in the mouth super quickly so that’s not an issue.

The swishing for ages gets beyond boring.

Have you not seen your dentist about that? They are the mouth specialists, not GPs. They would be able to prescribe you a steroid mouthwash that might help, as well as looking at other related factors, and triggers.
another trigger could be alcohol.

I see another user has also mentioned it, but try changing your toothpaste to one without sodium lauryl sulphate - aldi, some corsodyl and some sensodyne don't have it, I have to religiously check the box. While mouth ulcers were the reason for ditching the sls, I've just realised I've not had a flare of geographical tongue for years too.