Oh Canker Sore, why doth thou plagueth me? (1 Viewer)

[Moe Maishlish]

I've this stupid frikken canker sore on the underside of my tongue for the past few days, and it's making me MISERABLE to put it mildly!!! :frowning:

It manifested itself on monday night as what I had originally though to be a small cut. The next morning I woke up with a throbbing pain, and it hurt to drink, spit, talk, and eat. Initially I tried to just suck-it-up, but I gave up when I realized that it was making me feel ill as well.

Seeing as how I had had enough, I picked up some OTC medicated Gel with Benzocaine (Zilactin-B) that's "specifically formulated" to fight cankers. You're supposed to apply this stuff to the surface area, and let it sit for a minute as it coats, protects, disinfects, etc... but so far it's done little to anything to help.

How long is this stupid thing going to annoy me for? What the hell is the PURPOSE of a canker sore anyway? It's not like I don't have enough going on that I've gotta deal with this painful thing!!!

Moe.

 

[Matt.Koz]

They can last 7-14 days. I just had one on the inside of my lip that lasted for about a week (7 days). I can still feel it with my tongue and see it but it is much smaller and no longer painful. It was really painful for about 4 days. I had a bad cold at the same time that seemed to exacerbate the problem.
Yours will probably start feeling better in the next couple days. Until then, stay away from spicy foods...ouch!

 

[Keith Mickunas]

I occassionally have bad outbreaks of these on any soft tissue in my mouth. I usually get two or three at a time. I've heard different theories about them, some say its an overreaction of your immune system. I do typically get them when I have an injury, such as a biting the inside of my cheek or tip of my tongue, or occasionnaly when eating chips and I get stabbed by the corner or something. God they can hurt something awful. Depending on where they are they can even make talking painful.

Some of that medication helps, but its a pain to apply a paste like substance to soft, wet tissue, and drying the area is difficult and can be quite painful.

One thing that's strange though, I find that drinking coke soothes the sores. That surprises me, as I'd think the citric acid would hurt, because fruit juices are right out of the question.

The tip of the tongue can be pretty bad, you don't realize how useful that is when eating until you can't use it. But the worst I've had is on my uvula. I've had that twice, it swells up and I can feel it hanging in the back of my throat. I can't swallow anything without some pain. And how can you apply medication to that? I once tried drinking a margarita when I had one of those. Boy was that a mistake, the pain shot up through the back of my head like nothing I've felt before.

 

[Scott Van Dyke]

My mom gets plagued by them. She uses some expensive age-old stuff in a little green bottle that numbs it. I can't recall the name, but it is found OTC at a pharmacy.

I get boils. Or really huge zits every now and again. Boils suck about the same, only in a different way.

 

[Scott Van Dyke]

Damn, Keith, that sounds awefull.

 

[Carlo_M]

Ouch, I just had one. It stemmed from when I bit the inside of my mouth/lip while eating sushi. I bit hard enough to draw blood, and it prolly got infected from that. Anyway I am just now completely over it, and it did last about a week and a half. All I can say is to hang in there (and if it gets too painful buy Kank-A).

 

[MarkHastings]

The easiest home remedy is to apply hydrogen peroxide (1 part hydrogen peroxide and one part water with a cotton swab) on the canker sore. Then dab a small amount of milk of magnesia on the canker 3-4 times a day. This is not only soothing, but appears to help healing.

 

[Dan Joy]

Actually, using a 1:1 mixture of Maalox and liquid Banadryl applied 4-6 times per day helps quite a bit.

 

[Andrew Pezzo]

One time I had 2 good sized ones on the inside of my front lip. After about a day they somehow joined to form one MONSTER canker sore. When I had it I had a dentists appt and when he saw it he called in the assistant to see it because it was so huge. Thank god I never got another like that!

 

[Moe Maishlish]

I have this strong urge to stick the thing with something sharp! Of course, I know that this is probably a very bad idea.

So I'll be waiting up to another week for this thing to subside? WOOOOOOONDERFUL! What a fun week this will be.

Moe.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

I had mine looked at by a doctor once, I was concerned it might be something viral. He called it a 'something ulcer', it rhymed with septic. I believe stress can cause them too. As I recall they aren't viral in nature, nor are they contagious. However there's always a possibility its a form of herpes, which does not necessarily mean its an STD. If it is that it could be contagious. My doctor didn't want to offer an opinion until he could see one, and about a week later one popped up so I went to his office.

Mine tend to start as a small red bump, then open up into a crater which will be bright red in the center, and white on the ridge. Some get worse than others, and I'd say 1 to 2 weeks is the average. Those that are on the inside of my cheek rubbing against my teeth tend to be the biggest and last the longest, those that are closer to the gum aren't as bad because they don't get irritated that much.

 

[Leila Dougan]

I get them often as well, usually when my immune system is weak. When I get a cold or the flu, I get at least one.

My dentist gave me a tube of oral steroid gel. I just apply it to the sore a few times and it's completely gone in a day or two. It's been an absolute godsend.

 

[Gary->dee]

What the hell is the PURPOSE of a canker sore anyway?

To make you appreciate life more when you don't have these things!

 

[Tim Markley]

I get canker sores too and they're a pain in the #@$%@#. Just get some over the counter canker sore medicine. I think I'm using Anbesol right now. Put that stuff on and it'll completely numb it.

 

[Karl_Luph]

We always just thought they were another form of herpes and are sometimes stress related. I know I've gotten them once from eating salt and vinegar potato chips or spicy foods. They can hurt like crazy if you hit it while brushing your teeth! Ouch! You might be able to get a dermotologist to prescribe some zovirax, it's like valtrex lite.

 

[Mark Paquette]

This cure tastes kind of nasty, but it works. Mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide with 1 part water and use it as a mouthwash a few times a day. This always made my canker sores go away within 2-3 days. The first time someone suggested using peroxide as a mouthwash I thought they were insane, but if you read the fine print on the bottle of peroxide one of its uses is "mouthwash." Peroxide is cheap, give it a try.

 

[MarkHastings]

He called it a 'something ulcer', it rhymed with septic.

Peptic Ulcer?

 

[Moe Maishlish]

He called it a 'something ulcer', it rhymed with septic.

My best guess is "Painintheass-ptic Ulcer".

I just applied that medication again... it says not to exceed 3-4 times daily, and I think this is maybe my 6th or 7th application. The problem is that the "protective layer" tends to rub off if I even attempt to eat anything (seeing as how the canker is on my tongue).

Moe.

 

[Bill Cowmeadow]

Every member of my family suffers from these nasty things, but some people I have spoke to about them have never endured such a thing. I just got over a very large one on the side of my tongue, the thing made glands in my neck swell and gave me an awful ear ache for a couple of days. I hate these things.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

OK, I was off, peptic is a stomach ulcer, these are aphthous ulcers.

Ah, the vagueness of modern medicine:

Canker sores may also occur at the site of a bite when the tongue or cheek is bitten. They can be triggered by emotional stress, dietary deficiencies (especially iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12), menstrual periods, hormonal changes, food allergies, and similar situations. They occur most commonly with viral infections. They may occur with no identifiable cause.