Hi all. As I mentioned before I am having a stressful time coping with very elderly parents as well as own family, job etc. While my LS briefly flared it settled down again after two weeks of once daily Clob . However, my gums have become bright red, and bleed very freely. Over the last two weeks they have begun to blister and then form mouth ulcers if I eat a whole range of foods, especially citrus fruits and tomatoes. Alcohol also makes my whole mouth sting and ache. On the plus side I have lost 7lbs! I've been to my doctor who has ruled out thrush, vitamin deficiencies, infections and my hypothyroidism is stlii well controlled. I'm waiting the results of bloodwork to check for coeliac disease. My dentist says its not gingivitus and has referred me to a specialist clinic but I could be waiting months for an appointment. Both doctor and dentist seem to think its an autoimmune reaction to stress. Dentist says oral steroids may be the answert but won't prescribe anything until I've been to the clinic as it would make diagnosis difficult, and anyway I don't want to take them. Has anyone else had anything like this and what did they do about it? I'd love to know that I'm ot the only one with this!
Ps I've never had any food allergies in my life so this is all new to me!
Hi Kate207... I have issues with my gums but not as bad as yours. They are mostly soft and sensitive. No food allergies involved with either my LS or gum problems! I do believe autoimmune is the reason though! Stress is bad obviously and you have too much of that. Sorry you are having such a difficult time. Maybe it is just the acid that hurts your gums and not an allergy as such. Hope you find answers soon.
Hi Kate , you do sound like you are going through the mill . I too have gum issues but nothing on the scale your suffering , l have a thyroid problem too , this is all linked with the L S , my gum problems seem to come and go l have had a lot of stress this last 2years and in the last few months the stress had got worse and my gums have been driving me nuts , the dentist said leave it a while and if it does not get better he will do tests , the docter just said use mouth wash ( which made it worse ) and wait and see . A dentist once told me years ago that gums like a warm drink as much as anything to sooth the gums . I have done this and it does bring temporary relief. You are having extensive tests done , you cannot do anything more , lets hope you get an answer quickly . I hope things get better in all ways for you soon, take care
I have LS and lichen planus (not sure if that's how it's spelt) which affects in inside of my vagina. When I first saw a dermatologist she checked my gums to make sure it wasn't also iny mouth. A good dentist should know what to look for.
this may seem a bit odd....but consider it, and take some time to look up information about it on the net: Swish coconut oil (about 1/2 T ) in your mouth for a few minutes when your mouth is hurting. If the idea of putting solid oil in your mouth grosses you out, start with a much smaller amount, swish it around for as long as you can, spit in trash (don't swallow)....build up to larger amounts of coconut oil. Through the day, I even brush my teeth with coconut oil if my mouth feels a bit dry, which can happen if you take any medicines....it feels really nice and clean and whitens the teeth!
If coconut oil is too much, just swishing olive oil on waking up also helps. In stressful times, do regular neck and jaw movements to relieve the tension. If it continues and you find yourself grinding your teech, ask the dentist for a mouth guard (a bite to prevent clenching and grinding) to use at night.
Bottom line, to manage stress, take short breaks regularly i.e. away from the computer to have a sip of tea or 5 minute walk around the block to gain a beather and some perspective. Reminder for myself too.
Hi Kate, Sounds like Lichen Planus...I have the same symptoms as you. They won't treat you as there are 3 possibilities of what it can be and they will want to do a biopsy to determine this before they treat you. Sounds like LP though and they will want to treat you with steroids. I believe there is a connection as I had LS first on my legs...then in the private area...and then LP in my mouth. Miserable. There is a Lichen Planus discussion group on this site and you can read up on it there. Some brush their teeth with baking soda and find that it helps...and you are right about the citrus, tomatoes and alcohol...or things that irritate it. I brush with activated charcoal from bamboo as it's totally non-irritating. Messy, yes. I put a quarter teaspoon in the palm of my hand, dampen my toothbrush and brush. I rinse my mouth well with salt water. I totally healed a bad flare like you have by fasting for a few days. Isn't a cure, but does allow your mouth a rest and allows it to heal. If you do this be sure to keep yourself well hydrated and if you have other health issues talk to your doctor first. Any fast over 3 days should also have your doctors approval. I did a 5-day...but only after visiting my doctor and getting the okay. Wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be...and did heal my mouth up...now if I can just keep it healed and avoid another flare up. Hope this may help you.
Hi Patricia, A component of coconut oil is berberine which has been shown in studies to help some skin conditions...so this makes a lot of sense. I think I will try rubbing it on my gums at nightime and see if it helps me. Thanks for the idea.
I don't know if it is a good idea to let the coconut oil stay in your mouth all night without brushing your teeth after? Maybe someone else on this forum would know about that? Or even call a local health-food store to ask if it is OK to keep the oil in your mouth overnight...even if you brush with a very soft brush with plain water after putting it in y our mouth? The more I think about it, it would probably be OK, tho......
Hi Kate--I do have celiac disease and used to get a reaction similar to yours. I'll be curious what your bloodwork reveals. Apparently in celiac disease, because the mouth is a part of the inflammed GI tract, it can become inflammed, too. Are you having any GI symptoms? Broadly speaking, I would think that anything that you could do to address your overall health and gut well-being, such as a whole, unprocessed diet and lowering stress, and maybe even swishing good bacteria in your mouth with some yogurt, real sauerkraut, or a probiotic capsule might help restore the mouth flora. --Suzanne
Yes, I have this experience as well. The problem in my mouth is called Lichen Planus. I brush my teeth with baking soda, rinse with coconut oil. Seems to help. Next to that I learned to avoid spicy food, since that totally aggrevated my gums and tongue. My lesson was - if it aggrevates the mouth, don't eat it.
Hi Kate, It sounds like you have Oral Lichen Planus, unfortunately the two often crop up together. I have both, and there is even a special forum for this condition.
Because I have Crohns my specialist checked my gums as did my dentist and a specialist who looks after gums, mouth etc and the conclusions were that it was unrelated to either Crohns or lichen sclerosis so it was determined it was also auto immune which had been diagnosed years ago as well as recently. I still maintain it is all not related to diet because of all the people who have food allergies and intolerances who do not have LS which is actually quite rare or at least not prevalent. Until studies confirm it I will not connect the diet to it.
Thanks everyone for all the advice. LP certainly is on the cards, although I wish it wasn't. If the celiac tests prove negative I'll discuss it with my doctor. I read about trying coconut oil on the gums before, and I find it does help. I've also just bought some SLS free toothpaste, so I'll let you know how that goes. You certainly get to have good table manners with this condition, as the only way I can eat is to cut everything up into tiny pieces so that I can chew it with my back teeth with no gum contact!
My LS was confirmed by biopsy, so that's not what's affecting my lower end - so far!
Suzanne, GI symptoms and celiac symptoms are so varied its hard to tell. I have trouble with constipation, despite a high-fiber diet, but I'm also hypothyroid and constipation is part of that territory. I sometimes have trouble with bloating and flatulance, i've had several bouts of malabsorbtion of fats lately, and I'm generally tired, sleeping badly and irritable -these could be some of the less common celiac symptoms but they're also signs of stress. Nothing is clear, is it? Generally i eat very well, home cooking with lots of fruit and vegetables, and little sugar as part of my LS control.
Kate, what kind of medication do you take for your hypothyroid? One of the earlier meds I took for the thyroid weren't friendly to my intestines. Taking different meds helped and the no gluten diet helped even more. As if I entered a different world. My intestines calmed down considerably and after thyroid was balanced with my adrenals I somehow could sleep better and got more and more energy.
Yes, agreed that the symptoms are very nonspecific. That's one reason too, why celiac disease usually takes years to be discovered. I hope that you find an answer soon. And a trial of gluten or grain-free might be worth considering at some point to see if gut issues, thyroid issues, and your mouth could heal.
Hi Kate207- Please read what I sent to Ter-ry. It sounds so simular to my situation.
Please let me know what you think and any results. Perhaps we will be on to something the doctors haven't figured out yet.
It is a food product. I cook and bake with it and use the food safe coconut oil. I did it last night for the first time...just rubbed it on my gums and spit out the excess. Didn't see any change after one night...but no additional inflamation from using it...so will try it a few more nights and see if there is any positive result.
Hi leona. I changed nothing as regards food intake, toothpaste etc. I eat very little sugar as I find it makes my LS flare. I think it is stress which has started this off, as caring for my elderly parents, particular my mother who has become both demanding and hurtful, is a growing problem, one which is not likely to improve in the near future. I really don't want to go the oral steroid route, but I have to eat!