Recurring Lip Infection, not just chapped but worse

I recently went to the Doctor with very similar symptoms. He said it could be a Staph infection and prescribed Mupirocin (Bactroban), an antibacterial gel that can treat Staph. My lips are fine one day then flaky, red, swollen the next. It's not horrible and to uncomfortable so I would never have though Staph. But that was his medical advise, no tests were given just visual observation and a review of history.

I am currently dealing with this same problem. I have had a full "prick" allergy panel, and am going back for a "chemical" panel this week. The only thing that has helped me is being on steroid pills, which is obviously not a long-term solution. I am going to insist on a swab test for bacteria and fungal infections at my next appointment. I am miserable when not on the steroids. I will update with what if I find out.

I have ongoing instances of this same problem and cultures/ blood tests/ allergies tests over a wide range of allergens are the best ways to get definitive answers as to what is the real cause of your ailment. It's likely related to either an infection, a developed allergy (potentially due to gut damage), or a deficiency of some sort of vitamin(s) or nutrient(s). Get all this sorted out with your physician or in certain instances, a reputable lab can run the same tests. Go from there but remember since this is such a strange condition, and nobody can exactly pinpoint its causes, a holistic health approach is the best way to approach the situation! Hope this helps somebody.. Cheers to your knowledge, health, abundance, and reciprocity.

If the symtoms get worse after eating or brushing teeth you may be suffering from a bacteria deficiency, antibiotics will kill off those good bacteria, so if you feel the need do so with a grain of salt. Ease into and be weary of any kind of drug recommended for this delicate situation.

It could be staphylococcus Infection. The symptoms sounds familiar. I was just diagnosis wth that on my bottom lip .it is treatable. Hope this help.

I'm having this problem right now. It's already been half a year. I'm going to the doctor's tomorrow so I hope I'll have something to relieve my lips. Glad to know that I'm not alone!

Okay, so I went to the doctor's and he told me to use Aquador and then use hydrocortisone prescribed. I really hope this works!!

I am having the same symptoms. Have been on different types of antibiotics, topical oral, those kept it at bay but it always came back. I have tried steroids, topical and oral, once again those helped but it still came back this morning after I finished my cycle of steroids. I have treated it with everything I know to do, none of the doctors have helped me, please if anyone knows how to get rid of this let me know!! It's so uncomfortable and embarrassing!

Hello everyone, here is my story regarding the lip rash; Last fall, I got folliculitis (infection of the hair follicle) on my thighs. I got it from the bacteria in a hot tub (disgusting, I will never get in a hot tub again). My doc prescribed antibiotics, which I ended up having an allergic reaction to and had to stop the cycle. So, obviously, the infection came back even worse. Tried a different type of antibiotic, this time getting a secondary infection, a staph infection to be exact. All over my legs. So, I had to once again take antibiotics for a third time. The infection seemed to be gone, and at this point I was THRILLED! Only to wake up one morning to find this horrible lip issue we are all discussing here. Started out dry and chapped lips, which day by day progressed into me applying Chapstick literally every minute to get relief. Couldn't smile, eat, laugh, or even talk normally because of how right the lips were. One day I noticed the yellow oozing liquid, which I had to constantly wipe off because I was afraid of swallowing it and lord knows what would happen then. SO, one morning I wake up with this oozing yellow crust not only on my lips, but around my mouth, my cheeks, and my earlobes. ALSO, a different rash covering my chest, neck, arm, hands, and thighs. At this point, I want to just shoot myself in the face, but my boyfriend told me to calm down and he took me to the walk in clinic. The doctor gave me topical antibiotics to apply, and obviously didn't know what the cause was. She tried to help me as best as she could, but referred me somewhere else. Went there, they didn't know what it was, and I was so damn broke at this point from missing work and medical bills that I couldn't afford to run any lab testings, so, instead I had a panic attack in the middle of the waiting room because no one knew what was wrong with me and I was in so much discomfort I just didn't know how to handle it. So I apply the topical antibiotics for a few days, and YAY the infection goes away!!... Just kidding, it came back again full blown within a week. So, I go back to the walk in clinic. The doctor says I have an allergic reaction to the topical creams. Awesome. So he gives me prednisone (steroids) and that kept it at bay for a week, then it came back. now, today, my eye is swollen, my cheeks are dry and hard, and my mouth/lips are oozing and I'm constantly applying aquaphor to sooth the dryness. I tried applying Apple cider vinegar in case it was a yeast infection, and that just burned like a mother f****r and dried out my skin. I only wash my face wth coconut oil and a washcloth, that seems to soothe the skin a little. I am a vegan, I have eaten the same healthy foods my whole life, so if it's a good allergy I can't imagine what it would be. This is my story, I know this feed is old, but if anyone knows the cause of this sh*t, please post! I will also update on anything new with my skin, thanks for reading.

I had badly chapped lips after playing tennis on a windy day. After a painful week the problem seemed to clear up. I kept using a variety of lip balms. But the problem came back twice as bad. Now my lips were painfully swollen. I went to a dermatologist. She conjectured that the problem is an allergic reaction to the balms. No kidding! "Use 100 percent petroleum jelly and see if the the problem goes away."  Only several hours later, but I think that she is right!   Lip balms (including fancy brands such as Burt's Bees) have preservatives. When your skin is compromised, allergies can begin.   

This is so true! And the worst thing is that it is so painfully and doctors just act like its nothing

I have has this problem for about six months also. I have seen various GPs and they have given me various antibiotics to deal with what appears to be an infection, the antibiotics helped, however soon after the problem would reoccur.

I saw a dermaologist today who told me my lips are cracked deeply and that treating it should focus on healing the skin as well as killing the infection. Apparently it is likely to reoccur because the cracks at the side of my mouth were still exposed when I'd finished my courses of antibiotics so they became reinfected.

He has stressed that there needs to be a barrier between my lips and the outside to prevent reinfection, so he has perscribed me daktacort ointment. He said it is important that I use ointment as gels and oils are soluble and don't form a barrier. Daktacort contains a mild steroid and antimicrobial components to deal with the infection and reduce inflamation. If it works he says I should keep a supply and use it whenever signs of it occur again.

I only started using it today, but I think it is making a difference. Hope this helps.

My son has been using Mometasone Furoate for over 10 years in the US.

Mimi,
I am just like you.. I cry every night and i feel like I have lost my quality of life due to my lips. It all started with a coldsore i tried to get rid of with acetone (i know crazy) totally burned my lips and then got impetigo used antibitocs and mupirocin and it went away. 10 days after being done with the antibiotics it came back again. Started with a small red blister on my lower lip and 4 hours later the rims of my lips were red and next day it looked like rash (little red dots on my lips) and then turned honey colored scab which has the doctor confused between impetigo and dermatitis. I hate when the doctors look confused. He sent me a steroid cream and it has helped but steroid just suppress the reaction i'm afraid after I'm done with the steroid cream it will come back. Even on the steroid cream I feel my ridges of my lips burn like they want to flare up again but the cream doesn't let them. I wonder if you ever found a cure? I hope you have and that you are now married and happy!

Hey guys. I've had something similar for the past two weeks - edges of the lips feeling chapped for days, tiny red bumps appearing (almost like a rash) along the vermilion border. I was using all sorts of creams, Abreva, blistex, neosporin, vaseline, etc. and they all brought some relief, but didn't resolve the problem. I decided to stop using everything all together and also make a conscious effort to stop licking my lips. This is probably day 3 of using nothing, I am actually seeing improvement. I can't say it's healed yet, but it is better. I will be glad to provide another update in a couple of days. Best of luck to all of us - I know this is no fun :(