itchy lips with tiny pussing dots

In about November of 2004, my lips started chapping a lot and I started using ChapStick Lip Moisturizer SPF 15.  One day in mid January 2005 the edge of my lower lip started itching a bit.  I remember eating a cheesesteak whose sauce dripped on my lower lip and also a lot of sweets hours before it started itching.  I thought nothing of it.  About a week later after it started itching, I noticed some small cluster of dots (a bit bigger than the head of a sewing pin) on my lower lip.  A day or so after the dots appeared, they began to puss over with a liquid that crusts over into a yellowish crust.  A day later the top lip had the dots that pussed and crusted too.  This was accompanied by stinging/burning/itchy sensations (I couldn't really tell which).

I went to my doctor a week later and he said it was cold sores and prescribed me Denavir cream.  By then it was either my lips healing on their own or the Denavir (apply for four days) cream working, although I'm hesitant about it being cold sores.  Afterwards, my lips seemed fine for about two weeks where I used vaseline daily to keep them moisturized.  I had stopped using the ChapStick.

The last two days I went without vaseline to see how my lips would fair.  The second day it was a bit dry and stiff, so that night I decided to try out the ChapStick again.  Today I noticed the area near the edge and including the edge of my lips have those pussing dots again with the itchiness/stinging.  So after two weeks of them being fine, I don't know why it's starting over again.  I've never had this problem in all of my other years before.

Any idea what this could be?  Thanks for your help.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Herpes (cold sores) is possible, but I'm not sure from your description, and it would be unlikely, if not impossible, for it to come back this quick.  My advice is to see your doctor right away, because a look and perhaps a culture at this stage will tell you with greater certainty what it is.  If it isn't a cold sore, it probably isn't anything serious either--just an irritation of some sort, and more than likely nothing contagious.  But why speculate--get a precise diagnosis and then you'll know where you're at and what to do.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[sampson822]

Herpes.

[mama2twingles]

Follow up question.  Did you ever get a diagnosis?  I'm having the same reaction and did 3 weeks ago which I thought was from a new lip gloss.  Any info would be great.

[linh]

sorry for the late reply, mama2twingles.. i only check back here once in awhile.  i didn't need to go get another diagnosis because i've since thrown out the chapstick (chapstick brand with spf15) and haven't been using it.

ever since i stopped using it, my lips have been fine..it's been over a month now and that irritation never came back after that 2nd time... so i guess it wasn't a coincidence the night i used it again and it came back.

now i use vaseline instead and they've been happy.