Gemma T
06-08-11, 13:20
Hi everyone
Im Gemma. Not new to this site. I joined in 2009 as I had health anxiety which I successfully overcome so have not been on here in a while. Unfortunately it is back.
Was wondering if anyone had any imput or similar experience to the one I am having.
Last October I begun taking penicillin for a boil and my bottom lip swelled up. Its just on the inside and not obvious to look at me. It looks as though the centre of my lip has grown a hill. No lumps aside from what are expected in your lip. I thought it was an allergic reaction so I stopped taking them and was told it would go down. Well it didnt, the inside of my lips were very sore so I went to the doctor. He said I may have an allergy to something other then the penicillin. He gave me antihistamines and told me to keep a diary. Well I was taking them and eat a sandwich with tomatoes in and my top lip started burning and tiny white spots appeared on my lips (the spots have not gone away but I was later told by two GP's that they are Papillae or something like that and that it was cosmetic).The inside of my lips became so sore i could not eat anything acidic, salty or spicy.
I went back to the GP who tested me for b12 and folic acid deficiencies, she assured me that it was not an allergy as my mouth had not reacted in that sense. I had to pick the results up from another doctor as mine left and he gave me a heart attack. He told me that my b12 and folic acid were low but not low enough to cause my problems and the reaction i had when i eat the tomatoes was a serious reaction and that why the antihistamines did not work. This was odd to me considering i had also been eating lasangne and spaghetti?????? He gave me my vitamins and sent me on my way.
I was very confused as i had been told it wasnt an allergy and then told i had a servere allergy. I also had two symettrical cysts in my cheeks come up and was convinced it was oral cancer. I went to see another GP and explained everything that happened. He assured me that I am not allergic tomatoes and that my mouth was fine. He went above and beyond to assure me i did not have oral cancer and that it was just cysts caused by rubbing on my teeth. I went away fairly happy with this and plodded along for the next few months. I also saw my dentist at the time and he was happy it was nothing serious and told me to come back in 6 months.
Problem is my lip had not gone down and the inside of my mouth was still irratated. I went to see a different GP and when he looked at my b12 and folic acid results he said they were very low and are more then likely to be the cause of my problems. I was again tested and my results had come up a little but was still very low. He also assured me it was not cancer and told me to come back in 3 months and i will be re tested. I also saw the dentist again and explained what my gp thought. He told me he could not see any problems and to come back in 3 months. I also noticed some small lumps on the side of my tongue and the dentist said it could either be tooth damage or an ulcer. Horror of all horrors as i knew ulcers can mean cancer. I asked if it was anything to be concerned about and to top it off he said not at the moment but if im not better in three months he was referring me. Well thats when my health anxiety really kicked in. I have been to the gp three times since worrying these lumps are cancer but on the plus side the burning on my lips did stop and i was able to eat salty and acidic things, spice can be a problem though. Everytime i am told that they are not and i have a healthy mouth. I also have these lumps on the other side and my gp told me they could be taste buds or caused by my teeth but not to worry as. I have kind of accepted the taste buds or teeth theory as it would be ultra rare to have symmetrical cancer on both sides of the tongue. But now I am also experiencing pain in my tongue along the sides where these lumps are and sometimes in the centre of my tongue where the hill type bit is. And yes my lip is no different. Yesterday the sore and burning lip was back but seems to have gone today.
Well after my long winded story i dont have to tell you guys im conviced i have oral cancer. Its pretty obvious lol every thing i read tends to pint towards this. And yes i was a smoker. Smoked for 7 and a half years but because i was so worried i gave up and ive been smoke free for 7 weeks (not such a bad coping mechaism).
To date none of my symptoms are any worse then they originally are. Sometimes they look and feel alot better and the next its back again.
On the plus side i rarely get ulcers. I had one a few weeks ago which was gone in one day. I took a chunk out my cheek when eating raisons and it was healed up in a couple of days. Im thinking that oral cancer would be abundantly clear by now. I mean its nearly been a year and no one has told me to give up smoking. Not even suggested it.
But like all the sites say: a thickening of the lip (esp the lower as this is normally where lip cancer is), discomfort and soreness persisteing longer then 3 weeks, lumps (some element of doubt about my tongue) are all sides of cancer. Not to mention the fact that I went to the ent a few years ago because of an over active right lymph node, alot better now but lets me know when im run down and stressed or ill. Oh and my dodgy right ear. Once in a while I get shooting pains up my neck into my ear and it hurts to push the tragus. All signs that my cancer has spread to my lymph node.
Im only 26 and smoking 7 and a half years aint drastic but im convinced i have cancer and no one else seems to acknowledge it. I have not been to a specialist and had no biopsies and have been really good to last so long considering my state of my mind. I dont know if i should be proud of myself for not pushing to see a specialist or not. I choose to trust my gps and dentist because i know i have health anxiety and i know how it works. Plus they are fantastic and ive been seeing them since i was 5. I know half my sensations are phantoms conjured up by my over analysing but doubt gets the better of me.
I dont know if im asking anyone for reassurance or not (mean you guys). I am at a loose end right now and im driving myself mad. Just to have someone to talk to who knows what Im going through would be nice.
I applaued anyone who has managed to sit through my ranting and i thank you for taking the time.
Love and support always
Gemma x x x
Im Gemma. Not new to this site. I joined in 2009 as I had health anxiety which I successfully overcome so have not been on here in a while. Unfortunately it is back.
Was wondering if anyone had any imput or similar experience to the one I am having.
Last October I begun taking penicillin for a boil and my bottom lip swelled up. Its just on the inside and not obvious to look at me. It looks as though the centre of my lip has grown a hill. No lumps aside from what are expected in your lip. I thought it was an allergic reaction so I stopped taking them and was told it would go down. Well it didnt, the inside of my lips were very sore so I went to the doctor. He said I may have an allergy to something other then the penicillin. He gave me antihistamines and told me to keep a diary. Well I was taking them and eat a sandwich with tomatoes in and my top lip started burning and tiny white spots appeared on my lips (the spots have not gone away but I was later told by two GP's that they are Papillae or something like that and that it was cosmetic).The inside of my lips became so sore i could not eat anything acidic, salty or spicy.
I went back to the GP who tested me for b12 and folic acid deficiencies, she assured me that it was not an allergy as my mouth had not reacted in that sense. I had to pick the results up from another doctor as mine left and he gave me a heart attack. He told me that my b12 and folic acid were low but not low enough to cause my problems and the reaction i had when i eat the tomatoes was a serious reaction and that why the antihistamines did not work. This was odd to me considering i had also been eating lasangne and spaghetti?????? He gave me my vitamins and sent me on my way.
I was very confused as i had been told it wasnt an allergy and then told i had a servere allergy. I also had two symettrical cysts in my cheeks come up and was convinced it was oral cancer. I went to see another GP and explained everything that happened. He assured me that I am not allergic tomatoes and that my mouth was fine. He went above and beyond to assure me i did not have oral cancer and that it was just cysts caused by rubbing on my teeth. I went away fairly happy with this and plodded along for the next few months. I also saw my dentist at the time and he was happy it was nothing serious and told me to come back in 6 months.
Problem is my lip had not gone down and the inside of my mouth was still irratated. I went to see a different GP and when he looked at my b12 and folic acid results he said they were very low and are more then likely to be the cause of my problems. I was again tested and my results had come up a little but was still very low. He also assured me it was not cancer and told me to come back in 3 months and i will be re tested. I also saw the dentist again and explained what my gp thought. He told me he could not see any problems and to come back in 3 months. I also noticed some small lumps on the side of my tongue and the dentist said it could either be tooth damage or an ulcer. Horror of all horrors as i knew ulcers can mean cancer. I asked if it was anything to be concerned about and to top it off he said not at the moment but if im not better in three months he was referring me. Well thats when my health anxiety really kicked in. I have been to the gp three times since worrying these lumps are cancer but on the plus side the burning on my lips did stop and i was able to eat salty and acidic things, spice can be a problem though. Everytime i am told that they are not and i have a healthy mouth. I also have these lumps on the other side and my gp told me they could be taste buds or caused by my teeth but not to worry as. I have kind of accepted the taste buds or teeth theory as it would be ultra rare to have symmetrical cancer on both sides of the tongue. But now I am also experiencing pain in my tongue along the sides where these lumps are and sometimes in the centre of my tongue where the hill type bit is. And yes my lip is no different. Yesterday the sore and burning lip was back but seems to have gone today.
Well after my long winded story i dont have to tell you guys im conviced i have oral cancer. Its pretty obvious lol every thing i read tends to pint towards this. And yes i was a smoker. Smoked for 7 and a half years but because i was so worried i gave up and ive been smoke free for 7 weeks (not such a bad coping mechaism).
To date none of my symptoms are any worse then they originally are. Sometimes they look and feel alot better and the next its back again.
On the plus side i rarely get ulcers. I had one a few weeks ago which was gone in one day. I took a chunk out my cheek when eating raisons and it was healed up in a couple of days. Im thinking that oral cancer would be abundantly clear by now. I mean its nearly been a year and no one has told me to give up smoking. Not even suggested it.
But like all the sites say: a thickening of the lip (esp the lower as this is normally where lip cancer is), discomfort and soreness persisteing longer then 3 weeks, lumps (some element of doubt about my tongue) are all sides of cancer. Not to mention the fact that I went to the ent a few years ago because of an over active right lymph node, alot better now but lets me know when im run down and stressed or ill. Oh and my dodgy right ear. Once in a while I get shooting pains up my neck into my ear and it hurts to push the tragus. All signs that my cancer has spread to my lymph node.
Im only 26 and smoking 7 and a half years aint drastic but im convinced i have cancer and no one else seems to acknowledge it. I have not been to a specialist and had no biopsies and have been really good to last so long considering my state of my mind. I dont know if i should be proud of myself for not pushing to see a specialist or not. I choose to trust my gps and dentist because i know i have health anxiety and i know how it works. Plus they are fantastic and ive been seeing them since i was 5. I know half my sensations are phantoms conjured up by my over analysing but doubt gets the better of me.
I dont know if im asking anyone for reassurance or not (mean you guys). I am at a loose end right now and im driving myself mad. Just to have someone to talk to who knows what Im going through would be nice.
I applaued anyone who has managed to sit through my ranting and i thank you for taking the time.
Love and support always
Gemma x x x