Yup, i hear ya. The Dr's have been brushing it off for me for a long time now which makes me just use the stuff for the quick fixes when it comes on, but have never had any hope of long term healing :( Im trying to increase my vitamine intake, drink twice as much water, I have to wear a hat in the sun. But as Im sure you know, even the smallest thing can set it off and then it is weeks to recovery again.
I am reporting my progress with this problem. I went to my regular doctor on Nov. 30th and I asked him for Bactrim. He prescribed Sulfamethoxazole 1 tab 2x per day. I only took this medication for 2 days and started having a reaction to it. I went back to see my doctor again on December 28 and he thought it was a fungus and prescribed Nystatin. On December 28th my lips were the worst they have ever been. I didnt even want to leave my house they looked and hurt so bad. The Nystatin started helping them immediately and today I believe that I am finally going to get rid of this problem with my lips. I am also throughly cleaning and sterilizing my dishes every day, also my toothbrush and my electronic cigarette refills several times every day. I threw away all the lipstick and lipbalms that I have and will buy new ones a bit later. Anything that touches my lips or mouth is either throughly sterlized or thrown away. I think all of this is important to do to prevent getting the fungus again. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that I am sometimes drooling a bit in my sleep. I dont know if this is part of the problem I havent done anything about the drooling yet. For the first time I think I have found out what the problem is I hope that will be it. Thanks to all of you who posted here.
Hello all. Have been through all that you've tried. Culture done by derma came back with staph aureus. Taking doxycycline now, only on fifth day, supposed to finish Rx for seven days. Going back for follow up on Monday. Lips look a bit better. before culture, did steroid topical and oral but no cure on that end, just temporary relief. Will keep you all posted. Praying for complete healing. By the way, Rx a bit tough to take. Causes nausea and I feel pressure on back of my head. Not sure if that's normal but only felt it days after I started meds.
I have had this problem for almost my whole life, chapped lips have been my burden since childhood but now as an adult, I can't get away with the "Kool-Aid Mouth" anymore. My lips have been extra sensitive to certain foods with certain spices; some Mexican restaurants use something in some of their dishes that drive my lips crazy, inside and out. I noticed even some pizza brands as well will make my lips like this as well. But lately I found this site because it was getting out of control! I have had problems off and on but never for this long. I am afraid of smiling to big, eating too big of bites because my lips crack on the sides. I feel like my lips feel tight and tingly all the time and I can't sooth them with anything that helps more than a few seconds. When you wrote about the citrus, it really caught my eye, because I am a HUGE fruit eater, but I never get problems directly after eating it. But lately I started to juice fresh fruit daily and I almost always put pineapple in it. It must be a reaction that we could be having, I am going to stop the fruit for a week and see what happens.
I am SOOO glad I found this board. This whole winter I thought I had chapped lips..which is weird as I use stuff on my lips many many times a day. But just this week it is like everyone has described...I can't believe it..to a T....! itchy, sore, kind of like they were sweaty at times too....I called pharmacy and they said try Bliztex Medicated..so I did..instantly better... and then 2 days ago started peeling and thought I was done w/this...and this afternoon...it started again...I am so thankful I have seen all your posts about what has worked, etc...I have some Nystatin cream...so I just put some on my lips..gonna give it a shot..praying this works..and the the ideas from you all..to get rid of all my other lip balms...toothbrush....etc..and get new..on it tomorrow! Thanks all! Will check back in and give you an update soon!!
I hope that the Nystatin will help you. The tube I have says Nystatin and Triamcinolone Acetonide Ointment. My lips are much much better but I still dont feel like they are completely healed. My google search for Nystatin states that it is used for fungal and yeast infections. Which is what I believe that I have, one or the other. I believe that these infections can lead to staph infections. This last visit My doctor didnt want to give me another antibotic to take by mouth because I had problems taking the last one and taking antibiotics can cause yeast infections. Ive always heard that eating yogart could help keep you from getting a yeast infection while taking antibotics. Ive never tried it. If my theory is right this is why so many people who have posted here have similar symptoms with some suggestions for treatment working and some not. I would like to know if your dermatoligists script for your staph got rid of the problem without you having to use any creams/ointments ect for either a fungus or yeast infection on your lips. Im still using nystatin and continuing to clean sterialize everything that my mouth comes in contact with.
from CB ... I went back to my derma last week and he thought my lips looked much better, after a round of doxycycline which was to treat the staph. I felt things were already on the mend when the other day, I saw a couple of raised bumps, more like small welts on my bottom lp, and by yesterday, it had blown up in full. My lips were all sore, red and felt raw, both top and bottom. I just pet putting vaseline but by the evening, decided to put on Topicort steroid prescribed by my derma prior to finding out I had staph. I am seeing another derma tomorrow, to get a second opinion. I don't like using the steroid ointment too much but will put some on again tonight when I go to bed. It did look much better this morning. I took I pictures of my lips from yesterday no will show that to the derma tomorrow. I don't know much about medical interactions but curious if staph responds to steroid ointments. Tat might lead me to ask dr to run another culture to see if staph in fact is treated. I do have friends in medical field who says getting positive staph culture in mouth is not uncommon as everybody has staph in their mouth. So result could be false positive. Previous dr did think my infection was only secondary and thinks my lips are result of allergies, but don't know from what. Wll keep you posted.
Ihave been like this a couple of years its like it never heals all the way there is always a little spot that does not heal nd it start all over again I got where I dont leave the house that much because I feel so ugly and I put lipstick on to try to cover it up and Ihave the same symthoms that you are having
can someone help? I've been having this problem for the past 7 years and still cannot find the solution, my lips feels itchy, and has some burning sensation to it so at first I thought that it was just a simple dry and chapped lips problem, but once i didn't put my lipbalm on my lips feels terrible again, so I have to apply it almost 5-6 times a day and I've been doing it for 7 years now. now it's getting worse because the edge of my lips is very dry and become very red, it usually go away once i put my lipbalm on but now it won't work anymore. I'm totally hopeless now. hufft
From SuzyQ-I posted a week ago that I had the same thing..I had some Nystatin cream..so I started using it...with in 2-3 days my lips were completely better...well now that was about a week ago..and it has come back..started feeling bad yesterday a little..just different/dry...by this afternoon I could tell it was doing the same thing...so after work I put more of the Nystatin cream on my lips...praying by the morning they aren't worse..but better like last week. HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO DO THIS? does anyone know?? I mean is there so many days you put the nystatin on your lips then they will be be completely healed and it won't come back? Anyone have that? I'M HOPING!! :)
From CB...saw new derma last week. Ordered blood test, thinking it might be angioedema, autoimmune disease. Says if tests come back negative, he might do a biopsy...sounds painful! Going back for follow up first week Feb. In the meantime, prescribed Protopic ointment for lips twice a day and Atarax antihistamine taken every evening. Protopic helps keep lips calm but still burns when nothing on them. Still putting vaseline in between applications. Also read that prolonged usage of Protopic can cause cancer, so can't imagine using that for a long time. Then again, what doesn't cause cancer anymore??? Like everybody else I just want an answer to this. Prayers please...and I will keep you all posted.
SuzyQ I used the Nystatin ointment for over three weeks, then I skipped a couple of days. I could tell that I still had the problem so Im still using it. I missed my monthly appt with my doctor last week, I need to reschedule that appt and tell him how nystatin helps so much it just doesnt look like its going to get rid of it for good. I told my husband they other night that I needed to keep trying to get rid of this because there were people posting on this forum that say that they have had these symptoms for YEARS. Im hoping my husband doesnt get this, its so aggravating. do any of you have other family members that are having this problem too?
From SuzyQ- Zee, I hope the Dr can help you..it seems I have to use the Nystatin every few days or this all comes back...if I use it then I'm ok..if not..ugh. Driving me nuts...hope you find out what this is..ha Then we can all go to the dr and tell them! My husband does not have this problem...we have a 2 yr old..she doesn't either?? Such a weird thing? let me know..GOOD LUCK!! :)
i suffer with red lips weekly, not really painful but red and stupid looking. i smoke sometimes, why do you ask?
Hi Just like all of you i started having this problem on and off for a month or two . I never had a problem with chap lips before as i am a habitual vaseline user for almost 30 years! (which the dr said could have aggravated the problem) anyhow went to the dr said it was fungal . He gave me 2 meds Fluconazole and cephalexin but nothing topical! So now just wondering if i should continue cortizone 10 or aquaphor?? Anyone have any suggestions?? just staerted taking meds today hope it works!