Lips getting dry, and always feeling dehydrated

Other conditions
1

Hi,

Hopefully this is an appropriate forum to post

In the last few months (prior to the winter stating), I have been really suffereing with feeling dehydrated and cracked lips (see photo). I've never suffered from this before, and I'm trying to work out what could be causing it.

I've been using Blistex to relieve the pain in my lips, and I'm making sure I'm keeping up with my 3000ml of water intake throughout the day. The problem I'm finding, is that it just seems to come out the other end!  I've been feeling really lethargic over the last couple of months as well. I seem to be sleeping well (6-8 hours a night), so I'm not sure what would be causing that. It's literally from about 20 minutes after getting up, that I start feeling tired again!

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to try? It's driving me nuts

Thanks

Andy

2

i recommend if your lips aren't bleeding, putting honey or lipbalm on and then putting a little sugar on them and rubbing gently with your finger or an old toothbrush hope this helps ?

3

Have you had your vit D level checked?

4

Not recently - I did quite a few years ago, and I was pretty low (to the point the GP had me taking several tablets a day to build me up again). I've been pretty active in the sun this year (allotment, cycling, walking), so I would have thought I'd be pretty up to date with my vit-D - but maybe I'll book up a doctors  appointment and see if they can do a test for me 

Thanks!

5

Dear Andrew,

   whenever you are going to sleep, just clean your lips with 1-2 drops of toner with a cotton ball (which removes dead cells as well as gives a cooling sensation) leave it for 2 mins and apply any of the following:

1) honey

2) apply (glycerine -1/4 part, lemon 1/4 part and rose water 1 part) mixture which helps to maintain tone and gives lots of moisturization & also absorbs pain. This mixture can be stored in a plastic spray bottle which lasts for a week.

and try to scrub with an old toothbrush which helps for better blood circulation.

i hope these remedies will help you.

 

6

Thanks Gem. Yeah I've been using some aloe lip balm, and then also Blistex to stop the pain. Thanks for the suggestion though - I'll give that a go! 

7

Thanks,. What is a "toner" ?  I'm in the UK BTW

8

A toner is a water-based solution (generally alcohol-free) that uses humectants to keep the moisture in the upper layers of the skin to prevent skin dehydration. It is considered to be an important part of a home skin care regimen.

just go through this website

http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/the-best-toners-to-buy 

9

cool good luck

10

Thanks - will check that out  I'm not too sure why, but for some reason that page goes to a 404. If I search for "best toners" on the site though, it comes up (and with the same URL!). Not sure whats up there!

11

Have you thought to go to visit doctor? they may find the answer after a simple blood test.

take care 

carol

12

I actually booked up an appointment today, so will be going to see him on Monday I try not to waste the doctors time whenever possible - but I agree, some stuff can be sorted out much quicker just by a professional checking you over

13

I have this issue just from coming from Wales to Scotland, as well as the lead up to winter, it got pretty bad the beginning of the year - smiling was causing them to bleed, don't bother with all the expensive ones just get the blue nivea sticks and apply as often as you can, I keep it in my pockets to warm it so it glides on thick

14

Have you had your glucose checked?  My mother was diabetic and always had dry lips. 

15

Thanks for the reply. I've got a doctors appointment today, so maybe I'll mention that. When I went a few months ago about it, I did have a urine sample taken and tested, so I assume that would have come up in that? 

16

Hi Andrew, I hope I'm wrong, but it's not hard to check for. Sometimes the urine is clean, but the diabetes shows in the blood. Just ask for a blood glucose test. Good luck. Zap

17

Thanks. He's booked me in for a vitamin D check, vit B, Iron, and glucose - just to be sure Also going to check thyroid as well

18

I have the same issues! Any luck with the blood tests? Im going to ask for a glucose check next time im at the dr 

19

I've got my blood test tomorrow AM. I'm not sure when I'll know the results. Will update here once I have them From what the doc said, it could be quite a few things:

1) Stress - causing me to lick my lips, even unknowingly

2) Vitamin D, Iron, and Vitamin deficiencies

3) Diabetes , where you keep peeing out the water taken on

He suggested to me on the day that exercise could be a good idea, as I'm pretty stressed at work ATM, and he said exercise can really help alleviate stress and help with hormone levels etc (and general wellness). So I'm going to work on getting on my bike trainer for 30-45 mins each morning and see what difference that makes.

Cheers

Andy

 

20

Sorry, I forgot to update! The blood test came back, and I was very low on my Vit-D. He has put me on 5 tablets a day for 2 weeks, and then 2 a day. He said I could stop after 200 tablets, but seeing as this is the 2nd time I've had very low vit-d levels, I may just carry on with 1 a day to keep my levels up. 

I've only been doing it for a few days so far, so its a bit hard to see a huge improvement (although I do seem to be sleeping better), so lets hope that was it!

Cheers

Andy