White coated tongue

[txman32]

I've had a thick white coating on the back of my tongue for just over a year now. I also believe I have geographic tongue because I get those small white circles in various parts of my tongue day-to-day. My tongue is fissured with a large groove down the middle. Spicy and hot (temp) foods irritate it but I've managed. My tongue always seems inflammed, red, and warmer than usual to the touch. The front half of my tongue is not really coated. The back, however, looks like someone layed a white puzzle piece on it, meaning that the line that seperates the white coating is very jagged and prominent. I've seen my physician for a complete physical since this was bothering me and it felt like the glands in my neck were tender. He treated me for thrush (oral med that I swished for a couple minutes) but that did not help. I was worried this might be related to HIV since I had an anonymous female partner a few months prior, partially unprotected. I was tested for HIV (by two different clinics) around the 3 month mark and both came back negative. My saliva is also sticky. It tends to collect on the roof of my mouth. Should this oral condition be anything I should be really concerned with? I brush 2-3 times a day and rinse with a non-alcohol rinse, and that's the best my mouth feels all day. I'm self conscious of my mouth and it makes me not even want to talk. During the day it's either very dry or very moist as if I'm going to spit when I speak. Please advise. Thank you

[mike1105]

I'd see a periodontist for a diagnosis.

[Sanoe]

Have you had your tongue swabbed for candida? (thrush) some oral thrush infections can be largely persistent and resisitant to treatment.  If it isn't thrush a swab will rule it out definitively.  Goonorrhea also causes similar oral symptoms.  

[TEEM]

I have similar sysmptoms like yours. Keep us posted incase you got this cured?

[love1221]

Do you take a lot of medication?