Mouth ulcers – how to get rid of and prevent?

Most recent cause of lots for me was the Walkers Max Jalapeno and Cheese crisps. But ultimately stress is the biggest factor, when I sat my GCSEs I had loads in my throat, it was a ‘joy’!

I’ve suffered with episodic mouth-ulcers for years, some of them have lasted 2-3 weeks and they can flare up to the size of a 10p piece – pretty grim. They get so painful that they wake me up at night. usual trigger for me is stress (and usually work related.) Tired all sorts of of stuff but the most effective has been the Bonjela Complete+ – the little bottle that you paint on. Catch them early enough and reduces them to small and manageable and gone in a week.

Lack of b12, Iron, and foaming toothpastes (i.e. most of them, look for Sodium Lauryl Sulphate free) can be exacerbating factors.

The mouthwash linked to by Creepers is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory the Adcortyl paste one is a Cortisoid anti-inflammatory. Not sure of the difference but the paste does go on the area required and provides a protective cover like the igloo paste.

https://bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-summary/oral-ulceration-and-inflammation.html

Broadly speaking, they contain different types of anti inflammatory agents, one is a steroid and one isn’t.

Steroids are very effective anti inflammatory agents but their use is usually prescription only.

In this case, orabase is very effective but you need to buy off the internet or get your go to prescribe one of the sprays mentioned in the BNF link above. You need to make your own mind up how you feel about buying prescription stuff off the net.

Benzydamine Hydrochloride ( difflam ) is widely available over the counter and honestly works really well.

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/benzydamine/

Actually I’m gonna qualify that by saying there are other topical steroid creams you can still buy over the counter for things like exzema but my point remains, that you need car ordering medical products from abroad on the internet.

Also interesting to Note that the withdrawal of orabase from sale was apparently a commercial decision by the manufacturers

Scratch the top off with a fingernail.

I started getting ulcers out of the blue and eventually was getting constant massive mouth ulcers.

Eventually I was diagnosed with Coeliac disease and Crohns disease in the small bowel.

Ulcers and fatigue were (are) my only symptoms.

Ask your doc for a coeliac blood test, ulcers are a little known symptom.

If you like beer and pizza pray for a negative result.

What you need is Adcortyl in orabase. It’s a steroid paste and reduces swelling. It’s not available here since 2008 but alternatives can be got on the internet. I have a stash.

Yup only stuff that works for me. Was/is made by Bristol Myers Squibb and first bought when still available in UK. Now purchase off internet …. think mine came from Thailand (Trinolone in Oral paste).

Raw tomatoes cause my problems (cooked tomatoes are fine) and being rundown doesn’t help.

Lack of sleep is the trigger for me.
I am by nature a night owl, and a week or two of morning shift ( get to sleep at around 2am or later, up at 5am) sees me very likely to be suffering with a few.
As for cures, no idea, but i will be following this with interest.

When my lad was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis he used to get mouth ulcers really bad, at it’s worst he had 48 at the same time and one was that big he called it the volcano. Think the hospital gave him steroids which sorted the problem.
If I ever get them it’s when I’m run down and they have usually gone within a week. Bloody annoying they are though.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamin-b12-or-folate-deficiency-anaemia/symptoms/