Eczema on my lips??...or herpes?
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Tue Oct 31, 2006 3:28 am

Hello everyone, i'm brand new here. I just wanted to ask a question, see if anyone has any ideas.

Ok, well i've been noticing these bumps at the edge of my lip lately. They're like tiny whiteheads, they come and go, here there and everywhere around my lips. They last maybe 4-7 days then dry up and disappear. I don't know, i guess they just look the same as the whitehead pimples i might get on my face from time to time but these are at the border of my lip, where it meets the skin. I've never gotten pimples there. They don't hurt or anything but i feel a little tingle in my upper lip sometimes. Not necessarily where the bumps are, just my upper lip in general. That's what has me thinking it might be herpes or something. I also am getting these wierd nerve sensations around my mouth that never really go away. I've seen coldsores and these aren't them but i'm thinking maybe some atypical form of herpes or something. I've been to 3 docs who say no but i think they just look for textbook cases. There's definitely something wrong and not just acne as one of the docs suggested. Has anybody ever experienced anything like this? I'm in the dark here.

Also, i do have some mild eczema but mostly from friction with fitted clothing, i recently noticed a patch (very itchy) on my forehead and a small red patch on my chin, could this be eczema on my lips then? Or even eczema brought on by herpes? Any ideas...i'm so desperate Sad

Thanx for taking the time to read this.

free skin care · Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:19 am

Those do not sound like herpes/canker sores. First of all, they are quite painful and generally do not have "whiteheads" as part of their appearance. They are usually quite a bit larger than the avg. whitehead/pimple, flatter, and have more of a scab. My sister has gotten these for years and your description does not fit what she had. Also, they usually resolve themselves in 3-5 days. Sounds like this is a continuous sort of thing for you. I would get some lip treatment that has salicylic acid in it (Carmex? Blistex?) and use that for a few days to help clear the breakout up.

free skin care · Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:10 pm

betterat40 wrote:

Those do not sound like herpes/canker sores. First of all, they are quite painful and generally do not have "whiteheads" as part of their appearance. They are usually quite a bit larger than the avg. whitehead/pimple, flatter, and have more of a scab. My sister has gotten these for years and your description does not fit what she had. Also, they usually resolve themselves in 3-5 days. Sounds like this is a continuous sort of thing for you. I would get some lip treatment that has salicylic acid in it (Carmex? Blistex?) and use that for a few days to help clear the breakout up.

A agree, they sound like clogged pores, not oral herpes. Are you using a lip gloss/balm that may bleed onto the skin and cause this?

Wed Nov 01, 2006 12:39 am

Thanks a lot for responding.

I realize that this doesn't sound like herpes but i have reason to suspect that it might be. Plus this has been going on for like four months, so i doubt it's a breakout. If it were just the little pimples, i might not be so worried, but the burning sensation that i feel sometimes along with the occasional throbbing under my skin is just too wierd. I'm thinking that maybe i wasn't infected with that much virus, and maybe that could explain the mild symptoms...could that be possible?!

I forgot to mention that i sometimes just get redness recurring in the same spots when i eat certain foods, like red meat or chocolate or something. But that usually subsides within 10-15 minutes or so...but always in the same spots.

I only use vitamin e on my lips and i haven't really been using that since this all started, so i doubt that's it. Man, am i ever frustrated by this Crying or Very sad

Nobody seems to know what's up...not even the doctors. It's not serious, but very annoying.

Anyhow, i appreciate all the input and if you've got any other ideas, i'm all ears.

Thanx lots.

free skin care · Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:34 am

Hmmm, I wonder if you could have a food allergy? Or at least a sensitivity to certain foods, since this is happening around your mouth. Also, I wonder if it could be some kind of contact dermatitis -- have you started using a new lip makeup recently that coincides with this reaction? What about a new toothpaste or other oral hygiene product? Tooth whitener???

My husband is prone to oral herpes and controls it by taking Culturelle acidophilus every day. In spite of that, he'll sometimes feel one coming on (gets that tingly feeling you've described) and when he does, he immediately applies a prescription cortisone cream which prevents it from becoming full-blown. Stress is the trigger for him, so if you truly suspect herpes, you may want to notice if this reaction flares up at particularly stressful times. Eating a lot of acidic foods (citrus, tomatoes) can also provoke a reaction.

free skin care · Wed Nov 01, 2006 9:27 am

It doesn't sound like oral herpes (cold sores/ fever blisters) at all. Oral herpes is usually one sore in the same location on the lip each time. After the initial tingling,a blister will appear, which will eventually scab over. Herpes can be really painful too as the virus is affecting a nerve ending.

free skin care · Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:00 am

m.april wrote:

Hmmm, I wonder if you could have a food allergy? Or at least a sensitivity to certain foods, since this is happening around your mouth. Also, I wonder if it could be some kind of contact dermatitis -- have you started using a new lip makeup recently that coincides with this reaction? What about a new toothpaste or other oral hygiene product? Tooth whitener???

My husband is prone to oral herpes and controls it by taking Culturelle acidophilus every day. In spite of that, he'll sometimes feel one coming on (gets that tingly feeling you've described) and when he does, he immediately applies a prescription cortisone cream which prevents it from becoming full-blown. Stress is the trigger for him, so if you truly suspect herpes, you may want to notice if this reaction flares up at particularly stressful times. Eating a lot of acidic foods (citrus, tomatoes) can also provoke a reaction.

I was going to suggest an allergy as well, but the onset of an allergy is usually fast. My guess is that a lip product you're using is causing pimples around your mouth. Another guees would be ingrown hairs. Do you do any sort of hair removal in that area? Besides that, perhaps you should visit a dermatologist...

free skin care · Wed Nov 01, 2006 2:02 pm

Did your doctors have any recommendations for you? The burning you are describing may be unrelated - You sound like you have very sensitive skin - do you have any of these patches or breakouts any other skin areas? One thing may people have trouble with is pulling the sheets, blankets, covers up against their face at night. You may be breaking out because of soiled items or oils on something you are coming in contact with on a regular basis. Do you touch your face frequently or lean against your hand, are you using new products to bathe or wash your clothes with? This is such a frustrating thing to go thru - Amy

Thu Nov 02, 2006 5:28 am

Hi everyone, thank you all for your replies. I really appreciate it.

I don't think allergies has anything to do with it since i haven't been eating or using anything new. I only use pure vitamin-e oil on my lips and i've been using that for years. I thought maybe eczema cuz i've had that on and off throughout my life but this doesn't look or feel like eczema. I have, however, noticed a patch of eczema on my forehead (very itchy) and some below my lip (above my chin). I've heard or read (can't remember which) that eczema can be exacerbated by herpes, so that has me thinking that this must be herpes, cuz i don't normally get eczema on my face. If this is herpes, then it's very atypical (meaning not typical).

I've seen 3 docs who say no to herpes but i really think they just look for textbook cases. Besides, doctors make mistakes all the time. I did do a swab which came out negative, but i've heard false negatives are quite common, especially if there's no fluid to swab, as is the case with me. One doc said acne, which i know it's not, another said it's likely to be bacterial but really wasn't specific. I've had people suggest maybe a staph infection but this is so constant and recurring, i think staph sticks around a lot longer, rather than coming and going so often, here and there.

These bumps never rupture and they don't hurt. Does herpes have to rupture...or hurt? They say many people have herpes and don't even know it, so i guess not.

Sometimes (not often) these tiny bumps come in clusters but they don't seem like bumps so much, just redness and protruding follicles...make sense?? I don't do any hair removal stuff...no beard lady here Laughing

and i don't pull my sheets to my mouth. I do lean in my hands a lot, but mostly on my chin...got the zits to prove it Wink

I wish all the docs, and all of you were right. I really don't want this to be herpes. But at the same time, i don't want to be in denial either cuz i would hate to give this to someone, so i really wanna know what's up. My boyfriend said he might have had a coldsore like two years ago but he's not sure cuz it could have been a zit he says. I never noticed him having any. Two weeks after we did the hanky-panky, smoochie-woochie Wink

, i noticed these bumps, then maybe a month after that, the throbbing and nerve shots came...maybe nerve damage?? I don't know. I'm gonna go see a gyno or something cuz maybe they would know more about herpes than a GP. I'll try anything at this point.

Thanx again guys.

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