I have a couple thoughts to share, amongst what I'm doing that's helping, and what I've learned about the origin of the cheek biting that I've done for many years now, and have similar symptoms to everyone else here.
Treatment: I've just recently gotten out of a bad rut in cheekt biting. I have found several things that work. 1.) I keep a bottle of listernine nearby at all times, especially when I'm in a place that I know I will bite my cheeks. For instance, at work. Whenever you start to explore those "rough patches" in your mouth and you're biting, if you swish around with a small amount of listerine, it actually smoothes out the surface of the mouth for a couple of minutes, and helps me keep my mind off my cheeks for a couple of minutes, until I can regain control of my tongue.
2.) If I don't have the listerine, I do a little mantra in my head. (And I know this is going to sound weird, but it works for me.) I say, over and over again in my head "I will not bite my cheeks. I will not check my cheeks. I will not bite my cheeks." and thinking this in my head for a couple of minutes, I believe, reigns in the subconscious part of my brain that wants to literally tear about the inside of my own mouth, for some god awful reason.
3.) Chewing gum DOES help, but I have a problem where I can chew gum for more than 5 minutes without swallowing it.
4.) One time, when things were REALLY bad in my mouth, literally everything was shredded up and I still couldn't stop, I went to the store and bought a little bottle of orajel (which comes in many other off-brands as well). It's got benzocaine in it, but also forms a sort of protective layer on the surface of your cheek. I applied this liberally to the affected area, to the extent that I felt like I had just gotten home from the dentist and my mouth was still numb. The effect lasted for a good half hour to an hour or so, and the next morning, things had felt like they healed dramatically.
5.) Don't forget to eat. Sometimes the cheek biting will come on if I haven't eaten in a while. Which is kind of sick and perverted, if you think about it, like my body thinks my cheeks are the closest nearby meal. But if you eat and quell any hunger you might have, it also helps symptoms.
Additonal thoughts: I always wanted to investigate WHY the cheek biting was happening. It's definitely a physical manifestation of anxiety. I don't get anxious in my head, but when I get anxiety it effects my physical body, tense jaw, tense muscles, leg tapping, etc. This anxiety, I later learned, was a comorbid condition with ADHD. I was diagnosed with ADHD about a month ago, and have since been on ~25mg of adderall daily. Since I've started treatment, I've been much less stressed out, the anxiety is at a low, and it is much easier to mentally gain control of my cheek biting condition. I don't know if there is a direct correlation, or if perhaps I have greater mental control over the actions of my tongue which would go out and explore my mouth and find places to bite.
Let me know your thoughts, but try my remedies listed above as well!
Hi everyone, I have the same problem too - and I'm desperately determined to rid this. Anything that's an addiction in our lives isn't good. So my resolution for this year is to be rid of the habit. No more procrastinating - I'm starting today and will count the no. of days I don't chew at my skins anymore.
I find it helps to leave your lips slightly apart in a relaxed state - don't give your tongue a chance to feel it. And when you do accidentally feel it and want to gnaw at it, keep telling yourself 'I hate chewing I hate chewing I hate chewing' and quickly will your tongue to stop examining it.
It helps if you can pray and ask God to help you rid of this addiction. For me it's more of an addiction than an anxiety disorder.
Bless you friends - let's be rid of this STARTING NOW!
well after reading a few posts here, it's quite apparent I'm not the only cheek biter. It's so hard to stop! It's definitely an anxious/stress issue. Today is the first day I actually cut down on how much I do it. its such a hard habit to quit. I've had headaches every morning for the last two years. No, I'm not making that up. Two straight years and counting.... Trust me, I've been to three neurologist, and all have said its probably stress. MRI was clean. One said bruxism... Anyway, this is next on my list of things to check off. (As possible causes of the headaches) good luck to every one here trying to quit!
Just wanted to add my 2 cents for your consideration. Taking the supplement NACs (available in health food stores like GNC)
has had very exciting results in patients with the disorder where they pull their hair out, including eye lashes, etc.
The study was done at the University of Minnesota and the results appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune a few years
ago. I took the dose they used on these patients in the study and effectively eliminated the compulsion to bite my cheeks.
It has been practically miraculous. I had the condition for 60 years before trying this remedy! Try Googling "NACs for OCD" and decide
for yourself if you'd like to try it.
This is very interesting, I'm going to try it. Thank you for posting the information!
I just have to say that I'm so glad I found this blog. I bite my cheeks ever since I was a little girl. Am even doing it now while writing. I know it's really bad, but I just can't stop doing it. I do all the things most of you guys mentioned: going over my cheeks with my tongue, scraping with my nails etc. I can't even stop when it starts to bleed because I have to smooth everything out. It is so weird. I am really concerned now that I heard it could cause cancer.
I've been biting the insides of my mouth all of my 75 years. The only thing I've tried that stops the impulse is the antidepressant clomipramine. I usually only have to take it for a week or two, or less if I can just take it and sleep for a day or three. It is used in the treatment of obsessive compulsive habits like hair pulling. It's an old drug and has a pretty high side effect profile, compared to newer drugs, but for me it works better at stopping the impulse to bite. It makes me very sleepy, which is good, because if I can mostly sleep for 2 or 3 days the insides of my mouth heal and get smooth once again, and then I can keep from biting - sometimes for years. Once I start and get the insides of my mouth roughed up again, it's practically impossible to stop without medical help. Newer SSRI's (antidepressants that make more serotonin available in the brain in a specific way), are being used now also, but none of them have helped me. Clomipramine is also called Anafranil. Good Luck. Joyce
I've been chewing off the skin inside my cheeks and lips off and on for over 40 years. I don't think it's caused by anxiety, for me at least. I don't have the desire to chew when the skin inside my mouth feels smooth, but when I feel loose skin I can't seem to stop myself. When I'm physically ill or run down, the condition of my skin becomes much worse.
It seems as though different things work for different people. Here are a few things that I have found relief with:
- Antibiotics like Erythromycin (prescription). These have given me the most relief, but over time they seem to lose effectiveness. Sometimes switching to a different kind has helped.
- Brushing my teeth and the skin inside my mouth whenever I feel the urge to chew.
- Putting circles of plastic from a milk jug between my teeth and cheeks.
I've read some suggestions here and on other sites that sound like they'd be worth a try, like rinsing your mouth with a diluted bleach solution (google "bleach mouth rinse" or something similar) or using a thin latex or cello-type patch inside each cheek.
Here's another idea that has some merit: using tooth wax to make a cover to fit over a couple of teeth on each side so that you can't bite anything. I think that would be more comfortable than wearing a mouth guard and probably wouldn't affect your speaking ability.
You wouldn't want to sleep with anything in your mouth that you could choke on, off course!
Hypnosis and the rubber band snapping trick also sound like they work for some.
The idea of it being caused by a deficiency of some kind is intriguing. Or maybe for some it is a form of OCD or anxiety disorder. Don't be afraid to ask a doctor, dentist, psychologist or dermatologist for help. Maybe if they see more people suffering with this, they'll do more research on it and come up with some answers!
Thanks to everyone who posted what's worked for them. As so many have said, it helps just to know you're not alone.
Wow I am so glad I'm not the only one. I always bite my lips when I'm reading. I don't know why I do it considering it hurts really bad and I regret doing it afterwards. I'm just glad I'm not alone
Hi, this is the first time I've researched about lip biting, I only bite the lower part of the inside of my lip and Iknow this might sound weird but I been doing this since I was around 12 years old(I'm 23), and yes, i do this mostly under stressful situations, but i don't stop doing this because i feel pleasure when I do this, specially when I remove the new yellow skin layer, I don't know why I feel pleasure eventhoug I hurt myself!. I'm visiting a psycologist, because i think this will lead to worse situation. That's what I recomend to you all, look for professional help.
I too share your problem!!!
I have been biteing the inside of my mouth since i left secondary school, and i am fed up of having this problem. I dont understand completely why i feel the need or compulsion to do it! I believe it may be to do with stress or anxiety, or the fact that ive done it for so long that it has now become a habit. I bite it to the extent that it bleeds and hurts but still i do not relent.
Just when i feel the victory of it healing, i restart the process as i hate the feeling of it not being smooth which drives me crazy. I honestly thought that i was the only one who also had this problem, and is annoyed that i can't seem to help myself. I thought id take the first step of admission and go down the doctors for help only to receive the infomation of "we can not help you".
Im scared that not only will i bite it so much that i will gain an infection, or worse mouth cancer! i already get discoloured marks on both sides of my cheeks where i use my thumbs to press the inside of my cheek to my teeth so that i can bite it. There seems to be no help out there which is confusing becuse i see it as something that could be life altering. I mean it can't be healthy to keep chewing away the skin from the inside of your mouth! I find that it is a disgusting habit which is not only affecting me, but also my family and friends.
My partner hates me doing it because he can see what it does to me, but if it came down to a choice of either stopping or losing that one person i love. I would hate to say it but it would come pretty close. I realise now that its not normal! and i really want to stop doing it. I can't remember the last time that both sides of my cheeks were completely healed altogether. It is an issue that needs to be adressed and considered an unhealthy problem. I can relate to all of you guys and i wish you the help you need and deserve, and if i can overcome this habit then i will do my best to help you guys too.
My advise would be to seek professional help! :) x