Recurring Lip Infection, not just chapped but worse

I've had this problem since I was 12. For the past 17 years I assumed it was just a nasty case of chapped lips. After reading everyone's posts it seems no one has figured out exactly what this is. I just had a breakout earlier last week, well yesterday it was doing better but today it's flaring up again today. It's not something I deal with all the time but a few times a year for a few weeks at a time. I remember being younger feeling like it lasted forever. Now after seeing all your responses I think I'm going to be finding a dermatologist and maybe a homeopathic s chiropractor to see what's going on. Maybe there is an actual cure, I'm ready to be done with this! But it is very reassuring knowing that I'm not alone. We should have insurance in the next month or two, so once I get an answer I'll post again!

Ugh. I've had this problem for...nearly 5 years now. I think I got it from kissing a boy in college (cooties are real after all). My symptoms are the same: burning patches of super tiny bumps, transitioning to sore and extremely chapped lips, which then transition to cracks in the corners of my mouth. This process lasts for about a month, sometimes less. It heals up for a couple weeks at a time and then the whole ordeal begins again. FOR 5 YEARS. It's really disheartening to know that I might have this for life...and also that it seems to be contagious. I'm afraid to get close with anyone because I don't want to share this terrible affliction with anyone else.

I'm working with a dermatologist at the moment. Of course, my lips were perfectly fine when I went to see him. I'm supposed to call back when I have a flair up. This is so incredibly frustrating.

I hope the medical professionals can figure this out one day. I can't believe they seem to know nothing about it, considering how common it is!

Best of luck to you all, and I'm sorry you are having this issue. You aren't alone!!

My 3 yr old daughter has the same thing, took her to the doctors they diagnosed her with "Impetigo" got a antibiotic they told me it would clear up within 7 to 10 days. That was almost 2 months ago. Keep calling them back they say to use Aquaphor well I have been several times a day and it's not getting any better. Some days it looks pretty good and then back to crusty red lips. I don't understand why they can't fix this problem. I don't want her to have this.       One Mad Momma

I got EXACT SYMPTOMS... Im so glad for this forum lol because doctor didnt help...very red swollen slightly painful to smile /talk. feels like really chaped lips but havn't gotten any increased exposure to sun or wind.. only happens 4to 5 times a year varying in intensity of the outbreak... and its been that way ever since I ate this girl out one time...and the worst righ after i ate her out like at least a whole week of bleeding scabs on mouth...now a bad outbreak similar but just swollen red, and like really bad chapped lips like snowboarding for a weekend... doctor for me I think said it was a fungus, but... I dont remember.. he also said might be from licking mouth too much drying out, but I REALLY think that is incorrect as Ive been paying very close attention to licking my lips and stil getting outbreaks ust as intense and frequent.

I know what you all mean....this is my second post and i've tried pretty much everything..the only thing that seems to help is when i'm eating healthy and working out regularly which leads me to believe it may be a virus of some kind. Be carefull because whatever it is it's pretty DAMN CONTAGIOUS..sucks cos I havent been intimate with a woman for awhile beacuse of it..been tested for all std's even the rare ones and no DEALS...But i am almost sure it's an std cos it started after I was intimate with some girl that seemed harmless enough...Also obsessing about oral hygiene helps as well. Keep your mouth as clean as possible and rinse your mouth several times a day.I'm sure not everyone's case is so serious because some people on here claim to have been cured with with antibiotics or anti-fungals.I dont think it's the same condition. all the medications i've used either didn't do anything or made it worse. Also, I dont think it's all that uncommon. for the past couple months I have been paying closer attention to other peoples lips as I go about my life and many people SEEM to have the same thing....NASTY LIPS.... COMBODIAN LIP SMUTT........(I like to have fun with it)...I've even seen people worst off than me..soooo. IDK...people notice though..I hate it when I'm talking to someone and they look at my lips then lick their lips..this means they have zeroed in....FUCKERS...haha but what can we do????????????????????

Stay healthy, positive & contribute to this forum that connects us all in common suffering...

I't could always be worse...............

I literally have the same issue. My lips feel like they are going to fall off. It starts with them getting red and then the outline of my lips turn really red and it looks like I'm wearing lip liner. This is the most uncomfortable thing ever because they are peeling ALL the time. I apply chap stick at every second of the day! I have tried many natural things like coconut oil which helped a lot at first but now all it does is calm the burning down for a little and then it all starts again. I became allergic to petroleum in chap sticks from using them so much. My lips get so bad that even people are like "you need chapstick!" It's so annoying I don't know what to do. I know if I go to the doctor they'll just give me some cream and that's all. I have tried doing suger and olive oil and like i said before they help for a little bit but then it's back to the same thing. PLEASE someone help me I'm literally in pain 24/7!!!

I had this last april a week before my bday. I had like acne on my chin and I pop it out and I accidentally spread it on lip area. night of tuesday my lips were numb after eating peanut and then I was nervous and then it swell but down on my lip its like a bug bite (not sure) I think it was a boil, acne or whatever but sure its not HSV there's no blister...then I took choxacillin (antibiotic)and put some lip balm after 4 days the swell a bit smaller but on right of my lower lip theres like an abscess like as big of pensil eraser no more swell on left just the right side...then I put some coconut oil and put a turmeric with sugar also hot compress (morning) evening baking soda with water scrub a little...then after 9 days (thursday) I put some turmeric scrub again stays it for a minute and put some HOT tea bag then when I took a shower then after I took a shower and look at the mirror theres a puss coming out and blood..so I drained it after I drained my lips comes back to normal but yeah theres a mark still but all ok...

What is cloxacillin?



Cloxacillin is an antibiotic in the class of drugs called penicillins. It fights bacteria in your body.

Cloxacillin is used to treat many different types of infections caused by staphylococcus bacteria ("staph" infections).

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Staph Infection Secrets has a quick 3-step system dedicated entirely to boosting your immune system. In it you will discover how to cut out the bad foods you're putting in your body, how to fuel your body with infection-fighting nutrients it needs, and how to make some other small lifestyle changes so that your body is well-equipped to resist bacterial infections.

 

After dealing with these symptoms twice over the past 12 months, I might have figured out the culprit...Mangos. Here is my story:

Last year I suddenly had angular cheilitis, redness/itchiness all around lips, redness/itchiness under my eyes, and even red/itchy bumps on my penis. I went to the doctor, and he prescribed me Valtrex to treat herpes (however no tests were actually done).

Then this month, I had similar symptoms, angular cheilitis and bumps on penis, however not as bad as the first time. I began to take my acyclovir to clear everything up. The angular cheilitis started to go away, the bumps on my penis went away, but then another symptom came as the other were clearing up. It was dry and cracked AROUND the top and bottom of my lips. No sores, just what appeared and felt to be very chapped lips. This persisted for over two weeks. My lips are still dry and cracked today, but are better.

I went to the doctor because this symptom to me did not seem like herpes, so I had them do a full screen of all STDs. In the meantime, the doctor prescribed clotrimazole (it was an oral lozenge) to treat candida, however no tests were done to CONFIRM that this was the case.

I just received my results back today, and I tested negative for all STDs. I was in such disbelief because I had been living with the thought that I had either HSV-1 or HSV-2, or both! 

I asked over the phone, "What the hell is on my lips then?" They said "If the medication is working, than that is what you have" However, I didn't take my medication like I should have. I was good for 2 or 3 days, but sucking on a lozenge and then having to lick my lips to spread around the medication only caused me pain. Plus, I didn't have any other symptoms related to candida, because there was nothing INSIDE of my mouth that was causing any problems. It was ONLY on my lips (at this point in time) It didn't seem to get better any faster WITH the medication. It just started to heal on its own.

I started to do additional research, and found out that mangos belong to the plant family that also contains poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac. The skin of the mango contains urushiol (bug repellent), which is the same oil in poison ivy that causes an autoimmune response. The skin around the mouth gets dry, flaky, itchy, bumpy and actually weeps like poison ivy. Sound familiar to anyone?? 

Before this last outbreak, I had about 5 mangos in a week. They were on sale at the store and they taste absolutely delicious! I never made the connection until I started to look at pictures of individuals that had "mango mouth." I never ate the skin, but I didn't attempt to keep the skin away from my mouth. Plus my hands were all over the mangos skin, which then the oil can then be easily transferred to other parts of my body.

I hope this information helps someone. I have been dealing with the emotional and physical stress of this condition, thinking it was something completely different.

That is exactly what I came back to post!! I am a lady so I don't exactly have any penis problems...but the lip thing is totally there! I have been trying to figure this out for months and I finally came across something the other day about citrus fruit and especially mango allergies and irritations. I thought that it just might have been upsetting the issue that was already kicking up.

I'm allergic to some sulfa/sulfer sort of antibiotic that I had once and I was thinking I might have been eating something with a form of it in there or something. I thought I was going to have to give up my favorite hot sauce. :(

I found this thread though tonight and was so excited to share it and rat out the mangoes as the culprit! Lol. I got beat to it though. But still. I suggest reading this thread. A med student posted a pretty in-depth explaination.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Dermatology/Tiny-itchy-bumps-on--around-lips-and-genitals/show/1004179

I had poison oak one time in a pretty bad way. It looked like my legs were whipped and crewed up by an animal. I got steriods for it to speed up the healing and on the other thread they mentioned that. I'm almost done and don't have health coverage so I have been using Benadryl to get me through. It doesn't heal or cure it but it makes it stop burning and tingling for a while so you can get on with your day. It's nice because other people can't really tell and with Benadryl I can talk and smile comfortably...it was a nightmare the other day trying to do a job interview and worrying about weepy burning cracked lips. :((

I have been having similar lip issues for 2-3 months now.  At first I kept using more and more different chap sticks, lip balms etc. (which I think may be the cause of the problem), even aloe vera gel and vaseline, which was definately an improvement, but not a fix.  I have recently starting using vitamin E oil on my lips with huge immediate relief - healed the cracked corners of my lips overnight!  It is not 100% corrected at this point, but 95% better that in was.  I am going to book an apt with the Doctor in a week and request to see a derma.... if it persists. 

 

 

I've had the same thing for about a year now where the outline of my lips would get a little itchy, burn a little as though I was getting a sunburn, and then it would suddenly start oozing puss and crust up. I discovered that it will keep coming back if you pick at it so try not to keep your hands on it. Also, keep a stick of medicated chapstick on you at all times because it does sooth the burning.

I recently took another trip to the doctor today and he gave me an ointment to try called Triamcinolone Acetonide and I could see my lips getting better within two hours. 

Hope that helps!

I'm curious  lizzyn18 if after a few years now do yo u still have the problems.   Mine started a couple of months ago.  I still haven't been to the doctor but its starting to get embarrasing now. 

Lypsyl intense protection is the answer here. i just came across the same issue and i believe it comes from low vitamin b12.. i recently have been going through loss of wieght issues and i clearly see that its coming from that. this lypsyl is great and it overpowers anything i have purchased in a pharmacy. I highly recommended it if u are looking for quick postitive results.