Mouth Problem

[tednlou2]

I'm wondering if anyone may recognize what this is.  Ever since infection, I would get those cracked corners of my mouth.  They come out from time to time and seem to be affected by stress.  I use to think they were cold sores, but learned cold sores look much worse.  I was told cracked corners are actually angular cheilitis, which is from candida albicans?? 

This time I got the cracked corners and then all this redness around my lips.  There seemed to be tiny little bumps that weeped fluid at first.  I've not had sex with anyone.  Just before this happened, I had eaten after a friend who does get around a bit.  I began wondering whether he gave me something and his immune system just kept it in check.  I went to the HIV doc--mainly because I had tons of family in town and they were all asking what was wrong.  The doc said it didn't look like herpes cold sores saying you would expect a big sore(s) around the mouth and thought probably fungal like with the angular cheilitis.  I was prescribed 2 pills of Diflucan and Litromin cream to use twice a day.  It has gotten a lot better, but there is still some redness there.  The HIV doc said this is probably due to all the dental work I've had lately--having my mouth open for long periods, the use of numbing agents, stress, and licking my lips.   

The HIV doc (who isn't my regular doc) said this was NOT any indication of my immune system weakening.  Still, I wonder.  My last percentage was 20%.  I just gave blood Friday for my regular bloodwork.  I suppose I'll see whether things have gotten worse.  I realize this isn't major, but I'm still curious whether any of you recognize it.  It is very embarrassing.  I finally got my smile looking great again and now I'm avoiding talking to people due to this.  Oh, my friend who I thought may have given me something and doesn't know my status, asked me whether I know my HIV status.  I know mouth issues are a big sign of immune health, but I also know many neg folks get these kinds of things. 

Below is the embarrassing pic.  It is actually on both sides, but you can't see the other side.  The white stuff is the cream.  The flash makes it look worse than it does in regular light.  I didn't even notice the bumps on my lips in normal light looking in the mirror.  As I said, it looks a lot better with the fungal treatment, so I guess it was fungal? 

[Matty the Damned]

Foot and mouth disease. You're going to die.

I get angular chelitis, but it never turns into that great big red ugly assed thing you've got spreading over your cock holster, Teddy.

I've also been told it's not a sign of major immune malfunction as mortals get it too.

MtD

[roy100]

After being on an antibiotic, the candida tends to return.
Yes, its chelitis.
The remedy is to take Diflucan, for 10 days.
I use fluconazole, which is the generic 100 mg. Thed dosage is 2 capsules the first day, and one after that.
The Dr told me I should recognize the syntoms and start treatment soon instead of having to use the Fluconazole for longer periods as it is bad for the liver. My Dr said Fluconazole is like magic it get rid of chelitis in 3 days if its just starting, 10 days if its chronic.

Bactrim and Fluconazole are use as preventive treatments for people with cd below 200.
You can have cd higher than that , but the candida will always come back until it is eradicated, or if you take antibiotics it can always come back.

[Miss Philicia]

teddie, you need to be more careful with the Chanel Rouge Hydrabase.

[Jeff G]

yall lay off him , the boy has a purty mouth after I photo shopped it .  


I had that a few times myself and I cant remember the product my doctor perscribed . I had it in my nose to start with . The medicine was a jelly like substance , it worked really fast . Sorry I couldn't be of more help .

[tednlou2]

After being on an antibiotic, the candida tends to return.
Yes, its chelitis.
The remedy is to take Diflucan, for 10 days.
I use fluconazole, which is the generic 100 mg. Thed dosage is 2 capsules the first day, and one after that.
The Dr told me I should recognize the syntoms and start treatment soon instead of having to use the Fluconazole for longer periods as it is bad for the liver. My Dr said Fluconazole is like magic it get rid of chelitis in 3 days if its just starting, 10 days if its chronic.

Bactrim and Fluconazole are use as preventive treatments for people with cd below 200.
You can have cd higher than that , but the candida will always come back until it is eradicated, or if you take antibiotics it can always come back.

Thanks for the info.  The doc only gave me 2 Diflucan pills to take at once.  She didn't prescribe any more than that.  About the liver issues, do you know how bad it is?  I remember reading the info on it when I got the prescription and it said to use caution when taking just about every pill on the market.  I asked the pharmacist about that and he said I would only need to worry about long-term usage and felt it was safe even then.  You can talk to another pharmacist and get a whole different opinion. 

As I said, this has never happened before except for the cracked corners now and then.  And, it had been a long time since I had those.  I hope it was all due to the dental work and nothing that will keep happening.  That pic was taken the day I went to the doc and when I started treatment.  It looks much better.  I'm still using the cream until the remaining redness is gone.  I'm trying to keep this all in perspective.  I have so many neg friends on facebook who are constantly sick with one thing or another.  And, my neg brother just had a huge aphthous ulcer on his tongue.  If that happened to me, I'm sure I would blame it on HIV.  So, I know these things happen.  Still, when I look back before diagnosis, I rarely got a cold not to mention strange mouth fungal outbreaks.  But, I am getting older and now I'm rambling. 

[Matty the Damned]

Actually Difflucan doesn't present any real liver issues as far as I'm aware. A related drug called ketaconazole can be hepatotoxic when used for extended periods but fluconazole should be fine.

Also an ointment containing hydrocortisone should reduce the redness and itching. Hydrozole (which contains hydrocortisone and clotrimazole) might just do the trick.

Fluconazole can be expensive shit which might explain why your doctor gave you so little. She be miserin' you boy.

MtD

[littleprince]

I don't think a few days of difflucan will cause any problems. I've been on 200mg a day for the last few months and will be it for the foreseeable future  .

[BT65]

"Back in the day," I took Diflucan for preventative for a few years, and never had any problems liver wise.

I get "cracks" in the corners of my mouth sometimes.  My aunt told me she gets the same thing, and her doctor told her to use an anti-fungal cream.  So, I tried it and it works magic.  I don't know if this is the same problem you're having, Tedders, so obviously I'm not telling you to do this.  Just sayin' it worked for me.

[Miss Philicia]

Yeah, I've taken plenty of diflucan (thrush) never with any issue.

[J.R.E.]

Ted

I also took Diflucan for about two weeks back in 2003, with no problems. I believe there was one more time I took it, when I had some problems in the mouth. That was only for a week or two also.  The only mention of Diflucan , along with liver problems was the warning about taking it IF you had liver disease. See below:

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take Diflucan

   

      liver disease;
   

      kidney disease;
   

      a heart rhythm disorder; or
   

      a personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome.



Good luck, hope it does the job for you.  It worked very well for me.



Ray

[J.R.E.]

I was looking back at some of my old prescriptions, and found the one for Diflucan.

I received the prescription on 9/13/03 and it was the 100mg dose. I took two tablets on the first day, followed by one tablet for ten days.  This is when I had the esophageal thrush. There was no refill on this, and this dose knocked it out of me.


The cost back then was $110.00 for 12 tablets.   My co-pay back then was 15.00


Ray

[Kendoll]

I had that back in 2000 and it was awful. I feel for you. It took a while for mine to clean up. I still have a scar in each corner of my mouth from the splits. It seems this is somewhat common with poz people and the elderly.

[mewithu]

Actually I get the same thing and it is a form of herpes. There are many types of herpes infections that people don't know about. and when your immune system gets attacked it brings them out. from the picture it looks excactly what I get when i stress out or get a sunburn. and sometimes i just get the cracking on the sides of my mouth like you were saying. Anyway Acyclovir gets mine if I take them right when it starts cracking. Hope this helps any with you.

Jerry

[BT65]

Actually I get the same thing and it is a form of herpes.

Jerry, I don't think what they've been talking about here is herpes.  It's like a yeast problem, hence the mention of taking Diflucan.  I understand that herpes does appear somewhat like this (after I tested poz I had a terrible cold sore on my outer lip), but I think this is something different.