small rash at outer corners of mouth,just above lip vermillion

[princess5000]

hi, i need some new ideas for what is causing this problem! i've had a series of small reds bumps/rash on the outer corners of my mouth, just above the vermillion. my derm says its angular chelitis, and has prescribed everything - fluconazole,clotrimazole, nystatin,ketocanazole, and aquaphor. for a year now i haven't been wearing lipstick, only vaseline or aquaphor, and i only use Tom's of MAine toothpaste.  i've tried lots of natural remedies too - oregano oil (both internally and directly on the red areas), baking soda on the area (to dry it, to kill the fungus?), tea tree oil (on the red areas), and coconut oil(internally and on the red area). i stopped eating all forms of sugar for the past 2 months, and also no fruit, dairy, or wheat, (the basic anti-candida diet). BUT I STILL HAVE IT!!!!!!!!  does any one else have this? i'm also on zoloft, which causes dry mouth, but have been told by several psychatrists that they've never heard of this side affect!  also, i'm peri-menopause, but my gyno says she's never heard of that causing this type of rash.  it's really ugly, the vermillion border on the corners of my lips are definitley NOT defined anymore. the red areas don't crack, or hurt. please HELP!!!!! does anyone else have this?


This discussion is related to Bumps at corners of mouth.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

This may be a chronic case of fungal infection or dermatitis.For how long have you been taking your medications?If a side effect of your medication  is dry mouth,then this may contribute to your condition.Saliva helps maintain oral health and may deter growth of certain organisms.If the mouth has been dry as in the case of decreased saliva production, the risk for oral infections may increase.

In your case, if this has been present for months or years already and this condition has been unresponsive to any of the above medications, some tests may be done. Scrapings of the area for microscopic examination may be able to help identify fungal infections if any.A biopsy may provide a definite diagnosis but this may not be readily done due to aesthetic reasons unless a strong working diagnosis that needs a biopsy is available.