Chewing Tongue

[LovinMyAngels128531723]

I chew my tongue, excessively, and I cant control it. This has been going on for almost 2 years now. I've been seen at several hospitals, I've switched my Primary Care Physician 4 times now, and I've done research, and I still can not find any answers to what has become a very painful annoyance in my life. The Hospitals and PCP's have all told me that this is not related to me having Vaginal Herpes, but I dont understand what else it could be. I do this all day long, everyday, I stay up all night chewing it, and once I finally fall asleep, I wake up because I've hurt myself from chewing it in my sleep. I tried to change tooth paste, mouth wash, different foods and drinks, I chew gum, nothing seems to work and its damaging my teeth from the excessive chewing. People tell me that I can stop, but I honestly cant. I only chew the tip, and around the edge, and sometimes if I feel as if I have a 'swollen taste bud' on the top (close to the front) then I will chew the top as well. I feel as though I'm chewing off taste buds, and once I feel swelling, or as if the taste bud is growing back, I chew it over and over. I need answers, suggestions, anything, PLEASE!

[Quinn52]

Hey,
So I believe that this condition we're experiencing is more than OCD I think it's pica.

It's got to be related to some type of deficiency such as iron and having too much stress.

Before I began to crave chewing my toungue I craved sponges or anything styrofoam with a chewy texture.

Since I quit chewing other things I started to chew my toungue and have the soar mouth/ patruding taste buds.

I know the feeling can get pretty extreme but try chewing on stuff that doesn't harm you, I also found that chamomile tea eases my toungue when I don't add sugar or lemon and not too hot.

Food's like grenola or jerky seem like a good alternative that can sort of mitigate the urg until you can restore whatever deficiency you have.

I before the urges had a bleeding stomach ulser so I was anemic and low on iron for those that are curious.

Hope this helps..I'm actually craving a sponge right now..ugh

[Princessni]

I have been chewing my tounge as well for a while. I noticed when I was pregnant and had to take iron supplements is the only time I didn't desire to chew. I also would eat a lot of ice! I like to eat icy cold things before I chew. But I think my chewing might have something to do with my iron deficiency!

[Higgs8815]

I also seem to only chew my tongue when I have a “flare up” of my iron deficiency anemia. I also suck on my tongue. It’s very strange. I just have this strong urge, and I can’t seem to stop. When I’m anemic, I also eat and crave a ton of ice, and crave the smell of gasoline. It’s insane. I don’t want to sniff the gasoline to get high by any means, I literally just crave the scent of it. These are the signs I have every single time I become anemic.

[Sukses]

I'm a tongue chewer as well. It is very relaxing and pleasurable until my tongue and mouth are sore. I think it's associated with dehydration. Drinking a lot of cold water is helpful and provides relief.

[Lynnifter1020]

Dont have an answer to this but I also do this horrible habit.  I chew the inside of my cheeks and my tongue.  I try to not do it when i know i have a dental appt.  They noticed that my teeth have been grinded down though.  Probably because i chew my tongue a lot.  I do have a mouth guard at night.  But nothing during the day as i cant really talk well with it.  I am gonna try the salt and peroxide mix and see how that works.  Glad Im not alone in this.

[flemgooz]

I had an extremely traumatic childhood and have had all manner of Tourettes tics as a result all my life.  But the tongue chewing is one of the worst.
I am fairly good at covering it up, but basically nearly everyday of my life is a living hell with no sign of help. Medicos and psych practitioners know nothing and just take your money, and basically say, 'chin up ol' chap".
The tongue chewing desire comes periodically with a certain feeling of certain swollen/raised taste buds that are quite hard underneath and are sore when my teeth brushes past them. In frustration of just tear them away by biting.
The situation is now so dire that I now enjoy the pain of biting them away, which leaves me to now think I am truely falling thru the cracks.
The next day when the desire has abated and I go to eat, it really hurts.

Sorry it's not the answer that people are after, but I think it is part of Tourette Syndrome, which God only knows with the toxic environment we live in nowadays, there could be hundreds of reasons, but it is basically zero interest in this disorder in medical research.

The only solution is suicide basically. Im deadly serious. The suffering is so bad.

[123abc321cba]

Did any of you who started this as a child have any type of childhood trauma? I ask because I have been doing the same thing as a child and I came across this page seeking help...

[SadAloneAndConfused]

I realized that since I got pregnant with my son ( two years ago) I have been doing this. It has gotten worse thru out the year. Now it's causing my stomach to feel like it's burning, my throat hurts as if I have a throat infection. The doctors cannot tell me what's wrong. Therapy has not worked. Have no idea what else to do. I bite my tongue all around the edges. I stop once I notice what I am doing. I wake up in the middle of the night from the pain my tongue is in. I need help.

[jakksie]

Hi
I have always been a tongue chewer, only in the past couple of years I have started sucking on my tongue till I get really bad headaches.
Just finding it hard to keep my tongue still, its just constantly darting from suckering ,chewing and using the tip of my tongue rubbing against sharp parts of my teeth

[NinjaCooter]

I also have this horrid habit, but only for about a montht now since I forced myself to stop chewing my nails. I constantly kept my hands busy to do that, but now I chew my tongue :( I even did it in my sleep. I got a mouthpiece for teeth grinding to prevent the chewing, which works wonders. I hope that could help someone out.

[emeralddiamond77]

I noticed that I didn't chew for a month.  I realized that I was eating saltine crackers during this time.  I assumed that may be the lack of salt in my diet was to blame.  Well, I just gargled with peroxide and salt and it definitely worked.  I will habitually do this for sometime.  The tongue chewing is annoying.  It actually changes the appearance of my neck.  My salivary glands are always enlarged because of this horrible habit.  I'm also a hair puller as well.  Fortunately, I keep my hair slicked back in a bun.  So pulling my hair is not an option.  What a crazy disorder to have, but it could be worse.

[Huggerfush]

I have been chewing my tongue since I was 4, I'm now 37. I have learned to control it when I'm at work or in public. When I get home or get stressed I start chewing and can't control it. I was told it's a form of tuorettes syndrome caused from underlying psychiatric trauma. I was also told it couldn't be fixed without hard pharmaceutical drugs... however, I find chewing gum and meditation helps.

[Paulaclaire]

I've been chewing my tongue since I can remember and I'm 42 i do it day and nite and it gets that bad my tongue is
full of blood any suggestions please

[Alixswann]

I do it at night and at the time it feels very good to do it. Sometimes it's hard for me to stop it feels so good. I can't control it either. I've asked tons of doctors/dentists and no one seems to know what it is. I've done it since I was a child and I've had a lot of trauma in my life. How did you find out it was a form of tuorettes?

[Queenie8395]

I've done this and I feel the same. I feel like it is sanitizing and I will actually take some salt on my finger and rub it on my tongue. I also gargle with salt water .

[blondie617]

I have this same problem. It's worse tonight, I can't taste or feel with my tongue. I found out recently that when you notice you're chewing, get peroxide and salt and mix them together. Cover the affected area. Not only will it heal and sanitize, it makes it feel like you have a bandaid over it and is impossible to chew. It stings, but feels a lot better after. Good luck!

[Alixswann]

I do the same thing and it's in the middle of the night. What's weird is while I'm doing it - it feels so good. It's hard to stop because it feels so good and relaxing. I use my fingernails a lot and I can just rip into the front or side of my tongue. I also use peroxide immediately because it makes the pain of when it's healing a lot better. It keeps it from pussing over too. I've ripped the end of my tongue of before where I couldn't talk or eat for days because the pain was so bad. I seem to do it when I'm stressed and I wonder if it's like a form of "cutting". I've asked doctors for years and no one has ever heard of this.

[Dog3130]

I too am a tongue chewer and lip chewer. This affliction really sets in when I am incredibly stressed.  This time I have given myself canker sore clusters on tongue from damage. Dentist prescribed magic mouthwash and this seems to be helping. The month before the tongue chewing began I was pulling apart socks and underwear thread by thread to keep my hands busy. That stopped and the tongue chewing began.  Its a nightmare.

[MissBabygirl]

what u mean cannibis oil??

[direwolf92]

I've been chewing my tongue since I was in elementary school and I'm 22, I've never looked up anything, and when I did I found out I have a severe case of tongue chewing but it doesn't negatively affect my teeth, or my toungue I also chew my cheek but have stopped that because I get open sores. Trust me it's not something go can "just stop" I don't know why I do it, I don't in my sleep so I'm told, and I don't always when I'm awake( majority of the time yes) and the only time I don't when I'm awake is when I chew gun, so try chewing sugar free, trident so you don't get a lot of sugar, help me.

[direwolf92]

I've been chewing my tongue since I was in elementary school and I'm 22, I've never looked up anything, and when I did I found out I have a severe case of tongue chewing but it doesn't negatively affect my teeth, or my toungue I also chew my cheek but have stopped that because I get open sores. Trust me it's not something go can "just stop" I don't know why I do it, I don't in my sleep so I'm told, and I don't always when I'm awake( majority of the time yes) and the only time I don't when I'm awake is when I chew gun, so try chewing sugar free, trident so you don't get a lot of sugar, help me.

[aatpct]

I meant to say, I am going to try pot now. The canibus oil.

[aatpct]

I have the same problem and have tried everything. I am not going to try pot. Have nothing to lose except my sanity. There are days that I would rather just cut my tongue off.
I hope you find something, if so please let me know on here.
Bless you

[aatpct]

I have the same problem, I have done acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, and other things and nothing has helped. My next alternative is seeing pot doc tomorrow and see if that will help. It is easy to say we can stop. It is not easy to do. Mine has gone on since last August. I have even wrote letter to my deceased mother.
I am also looking everywhere for a solution.

[jh762]

I have chewed my tongue since a very early age I am now 52 and it is a lot worse. Sometimes I don't know if its my teeth that ach that makes me chew or the chewing that makes my teeth ach!!! it seems a vicous circle. To today I have such face ach I just want to go to bed. I know I don't chew while I'm asleep

[Tifferzzz]

I also chew my tongue. I've done it since I was a little girl. As I'm getting older it's been getting worse. My tongue gets cracks in it form constantly chewing. I can't eat, sleep or speak from how bad the pain is. I've been to so many doctors and have givin up. I sometimes won't get rid of it unless I'm in less stressful atmosphere. I to need help but it's hard to seek help from doctors! One solution that helps me is altra an anti-anxiety meds that gives you a feeling of floating and a feel of happy lol it takes my focus of my tongue and also takes all the pain away! It's awesome.

[LovinMyAngels128531723]

Thank you both for your responses..

lilymoon-Trust me, if it were that easy, it'd be taken care of by now considering it is now affecting my health. I am now causing excessive Trauma to my tongue and my 2 bottom teeth (which are my 'teeth of choice' for chewing) are so loose that I'm afraid I will lose them soon.. I know that I CAN stop, the question was HOW...

[lilymoon]

You can stop indeed,its a behaviour not a medical problem as such,you might want to get therapy to figure this out and find ways to stop it

[JessyJames2010]

Hi

My best advice is to talk to a professional (healthcare) about OCD.  If you don't have the resources for that I can say this:

I use to have a bad habit of sucking in my lower lips, and wanted to break away from this bad habit so I bought this -->  http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://electronics.pickegg.com/Electronics-image/2010-10/Electric-Shock-Chewing-Gum-Prank-Toy-6342221662675000005.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dhgate.com/electric-shock-chewing-gum-prank-toy/p-ff8080812d7838dc012d7e5cf2dd674e.html&usg=__PblMaYonay2kTHnLg1rkNfsUy0I=&h=290&w=290&sz=13&hl=en&start=2&zoom=1&tbnid=kdyAcbVBHrK7XM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=115&ei=OLgpTpL7FYP2tgOzwpSSAQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dtoy%2Bgum%2Belectric%2Bshocker%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1

Its an electric toy shocker, (like electrotherapy) and every time I would find myself sucking my lower lip I would shock myself.  ... I know it sounds dumb but it worked.