Peeling lips

[Kayren96]

I am a 15 year old healthy female and have been having peeling lips  for 5 months now. It all started with 2 minor cold sores that were treated immediately with Acyclovir pills as prescribed by my doctor. (this was my first time taking acyclovir). Then the INSIDE sections of my upper and lower lips began peeling and leaving raw skin, red and inflamed.This went on for 2 months until I did lots of research (mostly because I was desperate beyond belief to get to the bottom of this) and came across a home test for a yeast infection (oral thrush). I did the test and (thank God almighty) took the results to my doctor who after 3 visits confirmed that i did have a yeast infection of the mouth. The weird thing was that i had no white patches or coatings on my tongue, thorat, or anywhere...just stringy slimy-ish white gunk that would appear ever so often. Took 4 weeks of antibiotics that helped tremendously and stopped the constant sloughing off process that my lip skin was doing, but only to leave them with hardening overgrowths of callous type dead skin that would form on the INSIDE sections of both my top and botom lip. With adding bilberry, CoQ10, and probiotic 11 to my list of herbal vitamins recommended by a specialist, things have somewhat calmed down and the peeling is slowing, but after immune tests came back perfect (only revealing a high herpes count possibly due to the recent cold sore outbreak), I have yet to find any definite answer to my problem. Now to my actual question...I have done more research than I EVER thought i could do, and talked to an herbal specialist several times, and everything dealing with the lips points to the digestive system. I have also read that the adrenals can cause this. Any ideas regarding those things? My doctors have ruled out exfoliative cheilitis because of the immense progress in healing since the 2 rounds of antibiotics, but nothing is healing my lips 100%. I am trumpet player who has had to put my passion for the instrument on hold because of this silly issue, and would be forever grateful if anyone had advice or options to cure this that I may not be thinking of. .......I would also like to mention that I have been getting a clear bubble-like bump in the inside of my lower lip (same spot each time) that seems to flare up when I eat any junk food...the obvious answer would be to stop eating junk food, which i am trying now that i see the connection, but i am only asking to see if this would have any relation at all to the lip issue. Thank you soo much. :)

[bdragon]

I have a similar case my lower inner lip always have canker sores same spot all the time. Just 2 monrh ago I had it but it foes away after 2 weeks. Then Feb. 14 It start again with symptoms like a feeling of hardening skin inside the lower lip then its so red I knew its coming. Then waking up with mucocele on same spot. Then have a couple of ulcers appears on same spot. I had a complete blood work and im negative in hiv syphilis chlamydia etc....its funny im not sexually active but my doctor ordered those test. But iam diabetic for almost 7 years. They did biopsy on my lower lip and still waiting for the result they said it will take 7 days. Im afraid the peeling might reach the outside of the lip and thats a concern I work in customer service people will see that disturbing. I dont know what I have a yeast or fungal issue.this time its the worst case ever. Is there a way to precent that peeling spread outside the mouth. Pls. Help.

[Kayren96]

Hello, I had a biopsy done on my lip and the results came back. It has been a wart virus. I was prescribed Zyclara for my lips, which was strange because the package specifically said not to use it on he lips, but my dermatologist said it was perfectly safe. I am having severe reactions to it however, which she said was normal and was a good sign that my immune system was battling the virus. I have yellow weeping and yellow marks inside the lips that just surfaced, and the calluses I described have turned a slimy yello green color. It has also made the inside mucous membrane area extremely red, raw and painful. Are these things truly good signs of the medicine working and will they heal? This is very painful, and being told it is "normal" is very strange to me. Thanks.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Oral lichen planus may appear as white, lacy patches; red, swollen tissues; or open sores may appear on the inside of the lips but the commonest location is inside of the cheeks. I suggest you to get a biopsy done from a dermatologist for these patches. Other possibilities like actinic cheilitis and leukoplakia will also be ruled out.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[Kayren96]

Hi, and thank you. I have seen 3 dermatologists with no answer but we are looking for a fourth one. I have a qustion about lichen planus though...I went to a walk in community doctors office type thing and was told that I had lichen planus, but the pictures i researched of the condition looked absolutely nothing like what i was experiencing and every doctor I saw after that diagnosis said that I did not have lichen planus. Is it possible that lichen planus can only affect the lips and no where else inside the mouth? Because the rest of the mouth is fine. Thanks.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
These dry lips can be due to cheilitis lips, lichen planus or candidia infection. However the bubble like lump can be a mucocele or a canker sore. I suggest you to get an evaluation done from a dermatologist and get a KOH examination of the skin scrapings done to rule out any fungal infection. Lichen planus can also cause white streak like lesions inside mouth.

For the bubble like swelling if it is painless then mucocele is an important possibility. Please consult a dermatologist and discuss these possibilities with him.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[Kayren96]

I agree, I definitely need to fix a few things in my diet. Mostly because i love bread...which isnt really a good thing to love in this situation. Thanks :)

[aannie12334]

the junk food could bee aiding to this like you have mentioned! try eating more foods with less yeast in them! i know its very hard thing to do! I always get vaginal yesast infections and they are annoying as heck! there is a diet you could try called the candida diet. and it helps reduce the amount of yeast u intake! sorry im not much of help here but best of luck!