Burning, itchy lips

[rsmonge]

I currently have slightly burning and itching lips, which I apparently got from my girlfriend who has been having these breakouts since she was a kid. This is the second time I've had it. The first time was about 2 months ago. I do not have any blisters that I can see, just maybe a very mild redness, though that could just be from itching. There is no peeling, no pus, no blisters, no dry skin. Just the burning and the itchiness. This is *not* herpes, which I already have since high school. Also, I take lysine daily and it hasn't kept this from returning. Last time, it simply went away after a few weeks. I looked on the web for anything similar, but couldn't find anything. Anybody familiar with this particular disease? Thanks.

[tfinder]

Did you ever find out what this was ? I'm having the same problem after kissing a guy. It comes every 2 months. Just a burning and tingling sensation but no outbreak, no redness, no blisters. The guy I kissed said he had them too. Honestly I do think it is a virus, bacteria or yeast. Any luck?

[juanluis1963]

I had for 5 days and itch burning sensation around my lips then my cheeks and eyebrows . It's day 7 days and the burning and itching went away I put Chapstick on my lips. I still have mild discomfort but much better. Only thing I ate the day it started was Melon and sea food. My cheeks and eyebrow and chin are pink. But much better now . I'm just wondering what could this be

[jazzpollard]

I read to mix baking powder an water to a paste and place in the area an it helps may burn some at first but helps. Also heard putting milk on it helps and drinking lots of milk something about the vitamins....

Want some more good tips for itchy lips? Read these tips at Consumerhealthdigest.com-Itchy Lips Remedies where it tackles causes and symptoms of itchy lips.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
No it is not an infectious disease and the chances of atopic dermatitis are more.It can also be due to contact dermatitis to the cosmetics or lipsticks that your girlfriend might be using.

Try antihistaminics like Benadryl(causes drowsiness) and Claritin and keep the lips moisturized. If the symptoms persist then steroids may be needed which are available on prescription.Pls consult a dermatologist for that.
I hope that helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts.Kind regards.

[rsmonge]

Thanks for the info. I'm a vegan and I regularly take vitamin b supplements but I will look into that.

My main concern is finding out what it is and whether it is some viral thing that I will have to worry about coming back over and over, which is what my girlfriend seems to believe. Because I had it before and it went away without treatment, only to come back 2 months later, I'm afraid she might be right but I haven't found any infectious diseases to match the symptoms that I have. If it goes away again without treatment then I will wait until the next recurrence to see a dermatologist.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Firstly,It can be due to vit B deficiency.Take some vitamin B complex for some days and see if your symptoms improve.
Secondly,it can be due to atopic dermatitis or eczema("Atopic" refers to a group of diseases where there is often an inherited tendency to develop other allergic conditions, such as asthma and hay fever). Cheilitis(Inflammation of the skin on and around the lips)is often seen in atopic dermatitis.Diagnosed by bld test like RAST.Treatment is by topical steroids or oral therapy of corticosteroids in severe cases.Topical creams like tacrolimus ointment (Protopic) and pimecrolimus cream (Elidel) are also useful.

If the symptoms persist please consult a dermatologist for the confirmatory diagnosis and treatment.
I hope that helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing and if you have any additional queries.Kind regards.