Lip Infection?

[Delmardowling]

Last month, I as driving across the interstate highway and stopped at a convenience store for a 16 oz. bottle of chocolate milk.  I bought one, opened it, and drank once.  A few minutes later a woman stopped me and explained that right before I arrived, a black boy (about 10 years old) went through the refrigerator section, opened several bottles of chocolate milk, took one drink, reclosed the bottles, and replaced them in the refrigerated section while the cashier was distracted.  I had just used one of the bottles he drank from.  
Within a few hours, my lips became dry and cracking.  I licked my lips to keep them moist, but they dried immediately and became sticky when pressed together.  I started using lip balm, but this gave no relief.  This condition has remained constant for the last 30 days.  The lips remain dry and cracked, but there have been no blisters or sores--just dry, cracked lips which remain sticky when pressed together. Apparently that kid had some sort of lip infection and passed it on to me.  Do the symptoms sound familiar, and is there a cure?  I haven't been able to get to a dermatologist since I am in a medically underserved area of Indiana.  

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

There are two possibilities that are coming in my mind.

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.

Avoid licking the lips as saliva evaporates quickly resulting in them being drier than before. Drink plenty of water and take multivitamin supplements and do not apply lipstick or other cosmetic products for some days. Use a humidifier to moisturize the air in your home and apply shea butter or Vaseline on your lips.You can also use a homemade ointment mixed from 1 tsp glycerine, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp castor oil. Spread on lips overnight, refrigerating the leftovers for future use. Eat foods high in calcium, magnesium and flaxseed oil.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries.