Weird itchy bump on roof of mouth w/ worsened allergies?

Hi. I know this is annoyingly long, but I have bad health coverage and can’t afford good health care right now. (Obama 08!) So I would so greatly appreciate your help. I promise I will give back tenfold to the people of Darfur when I become a doctor. So think of it as helping thousands! :) Thanks!

I am a 17 yo female and my question pertains mainly to a mouth sore I noticed a couple of weeks ago. It is a little raised bump on the roof of my mouth, towards the back (on the softer part) and directly on the center ridge. It is not particularly painful, but very itchy, and this is why I first noticed it—(my tongue rubbed against it and it felt kind of like a raised pimple.) At first it was just annoying and I didn’t think much of it except for when I couldn’t help but rub my tongue against it to soothe the itch. Then it drove me nuts and I scratched the top of it with my finger nail, and a hard white, perfectly-formed little ring came off. I thought it would go away after this, but the ring “grew back” because it kept coming off the next day when I scratched it. And now it’s been about two weeks, and I can’t figure this thing out—it’s gross and like a monster that keeps coming back!

Background info: I have really bad allergies (the scratch test came up positive for almost everything, esp. AZ plants) and lately it feels like they have been getting worse. My eyes are often itchy and sore, and in the morning there is this weird film covering the inner corners, and a ton of funky eye gunk. Nasty, I know. My eyes get cloudy a lot lately too, and I wear contacts but I don’t think that’s the reason—it happens just as much when I wear my glasses. I have really bad near-sightedness btw, and I think my prescription is not strong enough now. And for about two weeks I haven’t been able to breathe through my nose, which is extremely annoying. Beyond that my nose has always bugged me—but lately more itchy and bothersome, stuffy. I also have been falling asleep in the middle of the day a lot, feeling exhausted at school, and have been having an increasingly hard time getting to sleep at night. Sometimes I feel dizzy or drowsy when I stand up, but that’s nothing new. For the past week I’ve been having this headache that’s gotten worse and worse, but I’ve become acclimated to it. My neck is really stiff as well. And my face in general is sore (around my eyes and temples, and pressure radiating from the center). I have bad post-nasal drip that makes my voice scratchy a lot (so I don’t talk much during school/ to friends—it sounds gross). I also have keratosis pilaris, which I think is related to my allergies. My skin is really sensitive to any kind of trauma, so I have a bunch of dotted scars on my arms and legs. I take Zyrtec, 30mg Prozac, and 150mg Wellbutrin. My hands have been shaky for about 4+ months (since I can remember), probably due to the Wellbutrin. I don’t know if any of that is relevant, but there it is.
Wow it sounds pretty bad put all together.  Maybe that’s why my grades have been dropping. I can’t concentrate in class very well. But it’s all pretty insignificant stuff in general, and we don’t have good health insurance (my mom takes care of 6 kids by herself), and I hate being the trouble child. I will get a job soon so that I can better care of myself without feeling bad about causing my mom trouble. But right now I’m in a tight situation. Things are kind of screwed up but I’m holding on. Thanks for your help.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi

The lesion in your mouth could be a part of the allergy or could be lichen planus. It is difficult to diagnose without examining. Diagnosis is by biopsy of the lesion. Dizziness and drowsiness could be due to poor sleep. To relieve stiff neck you could use a local analgesic, hot fomentation, exercise the neck using circular motion and sleep without a pillow. The headaches are probably due to the stiff neck. Breathing trouble, rash, itching, and dizziness could also be due to Wellbutrin. I think you should consult your doctor and take an alternative to this—why was it prescribed? Was it for depression or to help quit smoking? I appreciate your trying to help your mother, but the more you delay, more will be the expense of the treatment as there will be further complications. Maybe see your PCP once to stop Wellbutrin and take an alternative should be able to reduce the symptoms considerably.

Hope this helps. If you need more help, please feel free to contact. I’ll be happy to answer your queries.

[Kels100]

Thank you for helping me out, doctor!
I think you are right about the poor sleep and stiff neck. And I think I will be seeing an eye doctor and allergy doctor too. I broke out in hives yesterday, which makes me think I should take action now before things get worse. I will be getting an after-school job soon.
I didn't know Wellbutrin could cause so many side-effects. It was prescribed to me for anxiety+depression, and PTSD. I am also on Prozac, because my doctor switched me over from Paxil due to an increased suicide rate they were seeing with it. I would obviously like to be off of those, though. I will see what I can do about that!

Thanks so much for your patience, time, and help!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi

I am glad you will be seeing your doctor today. The after school job is a good idea in the present scenario. I like your positive approach in trying to go off these medications. That is the first step. Please work ahead in sorting things out and going off them. Please let me know if you need any further help. Please keep me posted on what your doctor says.

All the best! Those who try always succeed!

[MiltonB]

A very late response but I have the exact same symptom and just came across this.  I also have severe allergies to almost everything, all grasses, trees, animals, and many food which I cannot eat.  One thing that helped me, at least initially, a great deal was I switched from Listerine to an alcohol free mouthwash.  I also take 4 Zyrtec a day, 2 in the AM 2 in the PM.  If there is a Costco around you can get generic Zyrtec under the brand "Kirkland" a bottle of about 360 pills cost only $15.  If you take Zyrtec, you will know this is an AMAZING price since 20 pills can often cost more at the grocery store.  My allergy Dr. assures me that people with skin symptoms from allergies and celiac's disease usually take 4 a day despite what the bottle say, but do talk to your Dr. and make sure he or she is on board.
Good luck to both of us!  This is a really annoying problem!