I’m running three at a time, and it’s making it difficult to eat. Any ideas?
I have the same problem and have been told that childrens Benedryl (it’s a liquid) applied to the area accelerates the healing process. Have not had a chance to try it yet, but plan to next time I get one.
I’ve participated in a couple of threads about this subject. Anyone who remembers my posts, bear with me. This bears repetition; I have a lot of sympathy for canker sore sufferers.
Dave Swaney: Been there, done that. In fact, still there. I recently did a 'net search on this very subject, and read a lot of stuff that I knew didn’t work. Someone, however, advanced the theory that sodium lauryl sulfate (“SLS”) in most commercial toothpastes is suspected as contributing to some people’s canker sores. SLS is a DETERGENT, added to toothpaste to make it foamy and sudsy. It is made from coconuts, and nuts are one of the prime suspects in causing canker sores. At the website I remember, plenty of sufferers checked in and stated that their sores were 70% to 90% eliminated after switching to toothpastes that did not contain SLS.
Try a toothpaste without SLS. Tom’s of Maine, I believe, is one. Another is Enamel Saver, available online. Try doing a search using that name. I have been using Enamel Saver for about 2-3 months and my sores are about 70% to 90% gone, and I used to have up to 10 at a time in my mouth. They still come and go, but far fewer at a time and sometimes I have none at all in my mouth.
This is just one remedy. I bet you’ll get many more suggestions, but I’ve never found anything that worked as well as this, and I’ve tried all the remedies.
Good luck.
I’ve been suffering from canker sours since I was born. I’ve had up to 5 in my mouth at one time. Ouch!
I’ve tried everything you can think of to prevent them, including alterations in diet (eating certain foods and/or avoiding certain foods) and taking special vitamins / supplements. And nothing has worked. The only thing I’ve been able to figure out is that physical irritation or trauma (such as wearing braces, biting your lip, etc.) can cause canker sours. But the converse is not necessarily true; canker sours can (and will!) develop out of nowhere.
I have suffered from these painful things off and on as long as I can remember. Here is what I do that seems to help:
In order to make the pain more bearable, something like Orajel, Tanac, oil of clove, or any over the counter toothache/gum pain/teething pain-killer type medicine will make life a little more bearable.
I am not a doctor, so I can not be responsible for the results obtained from the use of the following advice. It works for me, but YMMV.
As for making it heal faster, I haven’t found anything that works other than to keep the area clean. I do this by gently cleaning it with a cotton swab (Q-tip, if you must) a least three times a day. (I know that sounds painful, and it is, but it DOES seem to accelerate the healing process for me. Apply a fresh dab of Extra-Strength Orajel and wait a few minutes before attempting this and it will be much more tolerable.) Between cleanings, I keep a small amount of cotton (about the size of the head of a cotton swab) with a dab of either Orajel or Tanac on it, tucked into the area so that it keeps the area clean and keeps the medicine in place longer. You can change this out throughout the day, if you wish.
After the first day, you will notice a slight improvement, then better as time goes on over the next several days, depending on the size of the lesion.
I can sympathize - I’ve got a few little ones myself right now, as I often do. I’ve heard from a few people that Vitamin B2 supplements help. I’ve tried them but I’m not convinced. For me, the best and only way to prevent canker sores is to reduce stress and get plenty of sleep - not always practical, but it does work. Physical irritation (biting my lips) often cause canker sores, but they are far less likely to do so if I’m getting enough sleep.
Interesting to hear about SLS - I’ll look for the SLS-free toothpaste.
My father has gone to a doctor a few times for canker sores, and says there are quick chemical treatments (?) that work. I wouldn’t want to make a habit of it, but if you are really having trouble eating you might at least give your doctor/nurse a call.
My usual remedy is to break open a vitamin E capsule and apply the oil directly to the sore. I do this several times per day. I does seem to speed the healing process. Clove oil does wonders for teething babies; it might help you, too.
If you find that eliminating SLS from your toothpaste helps (Rembrandt Naturals is another widely available brand) you might want to look into finding a shampoo without it as well. My mom is highly allergic to SLS-she cannot tolerate it at all-and we have spent quite a bit of time searching for products without it. You will find, if you start looking, that it is in everything.
To cure:
- Tanac (has tannic acid in concert with XXXocaine for pain relief)
- A lemon wedge pressed against the sore.
Something about the acid seems to cause the sore to close up, but the lemon solution hurts. It works for me, though, because while it hurts when the lemon is first applied, after a few minutes it stops hurting and the sore stays pain free for a long time. Whenever it hurts, reapply.
YMMV.
Stick a wet teabag on it for as long as you can stand it (30-60 minutes, sometimes twice). The tannic acid does the trick. You may look foolish, but it’s worth it.
I’ve had good results from applying Orabase B (not A).
As prevention, I take Lysine supplements every day.
My brother used to chew tobacco, and said he never got canker sores while he was on the snootch.
I can’t believe that no one has suggested L-lysine. It is available in grocery stores, pharmacies, anywhere. Not only does it get rid of them, it prevents them from ever coming back again.
I used to the school clinic many years ago and they used to put a silver nitrate drop on it with a q-tip. It hurt so much, but the canker sore would go away in a few days.
After someone told me about L-lysine, I tried it, my canker sore(s) went away and I haven’t had one for 7 years!
Lysine therapy is possibly helpful, but the research isn’t in yet. It may have to do with other factors.
The SLS factor in toothpaste has been proven in some good studies.
I would suggest you search this out on a good search engine and make up your own mind.
Since I’m not a doctor, I can’t tell you what to do about your canker sores - but I can tell you how my mother cured mine when I was growing up. She would rub a tiny dab of antibiotic ointment on the sores. It didn’t taste very good, and the label specifically said it was for external use only, but we never had to use more than a few dabs until the sores disappeared.
The ointment was 3% tetracycline HCl, and went by the tradename Achromycin. It’s available in the US without a prescription - your pharmacist can order a tube for you - but you didn’t hear it from me.
There are some really good ways to clear up a canker sore. One is by prescription, the other is over the counter.
Kenalog is a steroid paste that you apply to the sore. It helps clear up the inflammation and protect the site of the sore. If you’re getting them a lot or a lot of them at a time, it’s probably worth hauling yourself to a dentist to find out why. My brother had a lot of them, went to a dentist who put him on an antiviral medication for a week or two, and he hasn’t had a problem since.
The other thing I use that seems to work really well is Listerine. The alcohol in it helps keep it clean, and it seems to clear the sore up faster than if I leave it alone.
Of course, the usual disclaimers apply.
Robin
Lysine never helped me at all. I tried it for a while, but then I remember hearing it was recommended for cold sores (external to the mouth) rather than canker sores (internal to the mouth), but my hair won’t turn white if somebody proves me wrong.
Actually, I did switch to Tom’s of Maine for non-SLS reasons, and I don’t get as many canker sources now as I used. I’m not saying SLS was causing them though. I always attributed the reduction in canker sores, both in outbreaks and lifespan, to folic acid, which can be purchased next to the vitamins at a grocery store. I heartily recommend.
yes, get rid of SLS in the toothpaste- an absolute must. I thought Toms still had it- but there is one Rembrant that is an “all natural toothpaste” that does not. I use it. No more sores.
lLysine, and acroviral, etc are not for canker sores, but for herpes/cold sores- different thing, caused by viral outbreaks. Canker sores are not caused by viral outbreaks so much, they are small ulcers in your mouth. To treat- H2O2 (as a mouthwash, or directly on), acidolpholus, and vit C.
Note that just plain ol baking soda is not bad as a toothpaste, either.
Wet an asprin and hold it on the sore. It hurts like hell, but the acid will burn the canker sore out.
I’ve suffered from these painful little bastards all my life. I have 2 right now, and a third starting. BTW, I’ve tried Lysine (recommended to me by someone) and found it didn’t help me. I’m on my way to the grocery store in a bit and am going to try to find a non-SLS toothpaste.
As far as curing them, I haven’t a clue. I find that any trauma to the mouth – if I bite my lip, for instance, or go to the dentist – will cause them. Also, if I eat too much citrus I’ll end up with a mouthful. that’s the culprit today – I bought a flat of tangerines last week. They were good, but I’m paying for them now. I believe that topical mouth-sore treatments actually more the canker sores last longer. This is just anecdotal, BTW, not in any way scientific. So, what I do during an outbreak is keep my mouth extra, extra clean. I rinse with a peroxide-type mouthwash (the bubbly feeling makes my mouth ‘seem’ cleaner) and brush my teeth 7 or 8 times a day. Yes, it hurts like hell, but the sores hurt less when my mouth is clean. I also tend to eat less – just because it hurts to eat. I’ll probably lose a pound or two this week. The Canker-Sore Diet. It’ll never sell.