What causes mouth ulcers?

[Nutjob]

And how can I treat them? I have always been suceptable to mouth ulcers, and currently have a crop of 3 on the inside of my lower lip, they are 'orrible. I have tried Bonjela on them but it is bloody agony - like pouring vinegar onto an open wound!!!! Anyone know any less painful methods of getting rid of them?

I usually find stress or time of the month or just generally being run down triggers them. I've used Listerine before which seems to work. Also, unfortunately TCP is fab and fast but evil torture!

I get them too when I am run down and usually on the verge of getting a bug...cold or something. My Mum swears that it is a vitamin a deficiency..and I have to admit that upping my vitamins helps - sometimes get them when then realise I haven't been taking my multi vitamins.
I'm sure you don't have vegemite over there but it works a treat - clears them up in a day or so....but it hurts like nothing else. I don't usually do it..would rather sufferfor a week ...salt water rinse helps too.

Ditch the Bonjela and buy some Adcortyl in Orabase at your chemist! It's a preparation which puts a kind of layer over the skin and prevents the ulcer from being rubbed and it also has a bit of steroid in it, which promotes rapid healing. I had a large, extremely painful, ulcerated cut in my mouth last year after I got knocked down. Just two days of Adcortyl meant I could eat again! I hope you feel better soon, ulcers are such miserable things.

Thnaks girls, I will nip down to the chemist to try out your suggestion suedonim. I s'pose I am stressed at the moment - I'm in the middle of selling/buying a house, also just had my period!!! My brother also suffers, and I can clearly remember us when we were younger daring each other to put Bonjela on them and writhing in agony after doing it!!!!!

Nutjob, take a zinc tablet every day to keep them away and suck Boots pastilles for 'sore mouths' until this lot have gone. Very fast acting and very cheap.

If you keep up the zinc or take a multivitamin every day they shouldn't come back.

Try to avoid alcohol when you've got one. I find that drinking wine or beer really stops them from healing up quickly.

Try taking vitamins A, C and E, selenium and zinc; you should be able to get them in a combined tablet, unless you are pregnant then obviously avoid vit A. If your immunity seems really low, try echinacea tincture or echinacea and goldenseal

lack of essential fatty acids - honestly. best friend is a nutriionist, you should eat handlful of seeds every day or oily fish twice weekly (yuck I know but unfortunately true)

griffy - Doh, don't say that!!!!!!

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Sorry nutjob! I know, it's awful, isn't it? That's why mine always hang around for ages!!!

Nutjob, I was apparently' born with a mouth full of ulcers' and have suffered with them for 32 years so I totally simpathise. Having tried every remedy out there the best thing I find is washing my mouth out with 'salt water'. My dad used to make me do it as a child, handing me a tea towel to bite on afterwards because it is sooooo painful however, after a few minutes the pain will pass and if you do it everday they will clear up quickly. When I've got three at a time I feel really miserable.
There is actually a really good web-site about mouth ulcers which suggests using special toothpaste. I'm just about to order some so I'll let you know if it works
)

I went to an ulcer clinic. I was told to lay off the fizzy drinks - ( water OK ) and it definitely worked for me. I used to have huge crops of them weekly and now they only occur if I have a can of coke !!
Not too sure what soothes them though - most treatments hurt like hell.

Snowball - yes do let me know how you get on with the toothpaste, sounds intriguing!!

I always get them when I've been eating too many sweets.
The only cure for me is stop eating sweets - easier said than done!