HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Corners of mouth split

Support Forums
>
Crohn's Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/29/2011 2:25 AM (GMT 0)
I have had this happen in the past where my docs etc had me try diff combinations of vitamins to alleviate the problem.  More recently if I would yanw no big etc I would hav e it happen but in a day or 2 it would be better without having to take zinc pills.  However the other day it occured again and it has not healed the only difference is I am on Imuran I am wondering if that might be what is causing the deficiency?
Posted 10/29/2011 3:49 AM (GMT 0)
I have that too, it's called angular cheilitis. I didn't have it until this past January, and it went away eventually, but now it's back. I don't know if it has anything to do with having active disease or not, but I've read it can be caused by zinc deficiency like you said and also one of the B vitamins, I think B2. Unfortunately, nothing has helped me completely heal them and keep them closed.

I don't know a lot about Imuran, but I read that the angular cheilitis can also just be caused from a lowered immune system, so that may be related to Imuran which I believe suppresses your immune system. I'm sorry you deal with this, it's such a pain even though it's a small thing. If you find something that works, let me know. The only thing that has kind of helped (sounds strange), but I put manuka honey on them at night, and it seems to help more than anything else I've tried.
Posted 10/29/2011 4:05 AM (GMT 0)
I've been suffering with the for years and have developed several strategies to combat it, although I have to admit, none are completely effective. The first thing I do is increase my vitamins to include at least a Vitamin B Complex 100. It never hurts a Crohnie to boost their Vit B intake. I hadn't thought about Zinc being a factor but since my lips just cracked again yesterday, I guess I'll give that a try.

Angular cheilitis is an inflammatory condition that occurs on the lips so it seems to me that it goes hand in hand with the CD. The definition of CD includes inflammation and ulceration anywhere along the digestive tract from the lips to the anus.

I also suffer from frequent bouts of thrush and keeping that under control is a factor for me. This is really the hard part.

The one thing that I've found which really seems to help is Blistex ointment. The Blistex waxy sticks are fine if you're trying to prevent chapped lips, but when you're lips burn everytime you open your mouth it's the ointment that relieves it some. I really hate when my lips have been good for a while and just as I take the first bite of that juicy cheeseburger they split. Then the ketchup burns so bad I don't want to finish the burger. So Annoying!

I hope you find a way to get relief and get your lips healed.

Posted 10/29/2011 4:35 AM (GMT 0)
My wife swears bu Burts Bees products . While on chemo she used them on lips and skin alike to help with raw areas . No I'm not a salesman either and my lips are just fine ,,,in fact maybe I need to shut up before they fail me as well .
Posted 10/29/2011 5:08 AM (GMT 0)
I have to get some zinc I hope I can find some at the dollar store if not then walmart. I ahve to wait until I get my SSD check though on the 3rd since I and out I usually can get it repaired in a couple of days with a zinc or two. that and I use medicated chap stick seems to be the most soothing of all I have tried
Posted 10/29/2011 8:50 AM (GMT 0)
I had this happen to me last week (and I take tons of B vits daily) and it cleared up as mysteriously as it happened.
Dragonfly just remember that zinc it competes with iron in our bodies so if you take it make sure its far away in time from when you take your iron pills..
They still might end up fighting with each other.. not sure
Posted 10/29/2011 2:08 PM (GMT 0)
There was a post about this a while ago with all the same suggestions. I get the same thing sometimes too. If it gets really bad I will put neosporin ointment in the corners of my mouth when I go to bed and usually it is better when I get up. Its amazing to me how I am 46 and still putting the pieces together. When I was a kid, I had the worst lips. They were constantly bothering me and would get to the point of bleeding from so much cracking. Now I am wondering if it wasn't related to the CD all those years ago.
Posted 10/29/2011 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I get it too. Usually when my mouth is inflamed also. I use Neosporin and a little hydrocortisone
cream. I can't say it works wonders, but it does seem to work given time.
Posted 10/29/2011 2:56 PM (GMT 0)
OMG I am so glad I saw this thread!! I am dealing with this right now!! The corners of my mouth are cracked / split and get scabs, well the scabs don't help cause as soon as I open my mouth wide, pop it is split again. It is a fairly big area (for my mouth) about the size of a green pea. It stays in the corners. I have found that if you use Carmex (the kind in the little tub), it helps keep it from hurting when I open my mouth. It doesn't take too long to heal but as soon as you get healed within a week or two they are back again :(. Is there any way that anyone knows to stop this for good??? Or is it just a part of living with Crohn's?
Posted 10/29/2011 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
I know other people who don't have crohns also suffer with this problem. Some doctors says it's a
fungal/yeast problem. But I truly believe that when the immune system is struggling, like it does
with us, chemo patients and people that are generally just sick, it seems to rear it's ugly head more.
I guess it's one of those things we'll really never know!!
Posted 10/29/2011 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
Did you know you can even get yeast infections in the corner of your mouth. A dentist told me about that. I added a litte of the yeast cream treatments to the side of my mouth and it went away.
Posted 10/29/2011 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
I knew about that and when I had this happen many moons ago it was Dx as a deficiency they had my try popping open a vit E capsule and run that there (wasnt any help) then I saw other docs etc and the only thing they found that helped was the zinc for me. I know they tested for yeast etc and it was neg for me anyway.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply