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Tongue Problem - Crohns Connection?

Hi Everyone,

I normally post on the LDN site, but I think I may get a better response on this forum.

I noticed today, that I have a very smooth area in the middle of my tongue - about an inch long and 1/4 inch wide. No taste buds - purely smooth but not reddened. I have read that lack of B12 can cause tongue issues but unsure as to whether my symptom fits that bill.

I have been to the Doctor and he is referring me to the cancer head and neck department for tests. He was not my normal doctor and I didn't mention Crohns to him, although he probably should have noticed from my notes.

Panicking a bit!

Has anyone in this site suffered any similar problems? Any help would be appreciated.

Sally
 
did he do blood work on you? a WBC?
I have had thrush as an extra intestinal manifestation but that is not like you describe, that is like a fur growth on your tongue.
 
Hi,

Thank you for responding.

No, he didn't do anything other than look at it and said that area was firmer than the rest of my tongue. When I had my bloods last done, my B12 was slightly low, which was why I was wondering whether it was that.

A couple of weeks ago, I had some white stuff on my tongue in a small part of that area, so maybe it is thrush, although there are no white bits there now.

Sally
:(
 
It could be geographic tongue. Have a look on a search engine for some images.

The tongue is one of the fastest growing tissues in the body, renewing itself every 24 hours or so. I reckon that geographic tongue is when your body can't supply proteins or enzymes fast enough for that process to proceed as normal, so so you get denuded bits of tongue where the papillae haven't grown and/or cracks in the tongue.

I get this, and when my gut is playing up then my geographic tongue is always worse.

Thrush can also be a complication of geographic tongue. If that happens you will have plaques you can scrape off.
 
Hi, Thank you for replying. I don't think it's geographic tongue as the shape is more uniform and there us a raised but in the middle. Not sure what a tongue looks like when it's "bald" in the middle - perhaps it's normal.
I'm trying not to worry - I have my appointment on Friday with the specialist and praying it's something simple.

Sally
 
Hi,

Thank you for responding.

No, he didn't do anything other than look at it and said that area was firmer than the rest of my tongue. When I had my bloods last done, my B12 was slightly low, which was why I was wondering whether it was that.

A couple of weeks ago, I had some white stuff on my tongue in a small part of that area, so maybe it is thrush, although there are no white bits there now.

Sally
:(
sounds like oral thrush to me. I had white stuff all over my tongue and tonsils after being on steroids which then made my tongue go really smooth (probably because i was going mental with a toothbrush trying to get the bits off because I couldn't taste anything properly)
 
Hi.

Thank you for your messages. I am hoping that it is one or other of your suggestions - it seems that both could be a possibility, although I do have a raised area on the smooth patch.

I am pretty convinced it is linked to the Crohns in some way so will report back after my hospital visit on Friday. Fingers crossed it's nothing horrid.

Thank you.

Sally
 
Hi. So sorry - I meant to post, and then life got in the way, and I forgot!

I was diagnosed with median rhomboid glossitis - apparently not that unusual and can be caused by candida and malnutrition, both of which I had last year when I was hospitalised with an abscess last year. So, nothing nasty, thank God.

Thank you for asking.

All the best, Sally
 
Hi Sally,

I read your story, and I too am pretty sure that what i have is median rhomboid glositis caused by candida. I have tried everything, and its been one year now, still it wont go away. Did yours clear up, and what did you do if so?

Hope to hear from you,

Best,
Ron
 
Hi Ron,

The specialist told me that it wouldn't go away. That I needn't worry about it, unless it changed. She said that there was a risk of infection because of the bald area, but that this could be dealt with by using some kind of anti fungal treatment. Luckily, so far, I have not had any infections.

I now have a tongue that tingles - but I think that is probably a sign of low B12 levels, so I am getting that checked out.

Hope that helps you?

Kind regards,

Sally
 
Hey Sally - Maybe get your magnesium checked too - I get pins and needles ish in the tongue when my Magnesium is getting low. Might be worth a try?
 
Hi,

Thank you. I do take a magnesium supplement and had my levels checked. They seem to be fine.

I now have a tingling, creeping sensation in my top left back, which comes on now and again. I wonder if that could be low B12? Falling apart!

Anyone else experienced this?

Sally
 
Hi Sally - Sometimes mine is caused by tightness in the muscles in the back/shoulder area, which seems to affect/squish the nerves there. I go for a couple of sessions with the chiropractor and massage therapist and it gets sorted:)
 
I noticed today, that I have a very smooth area in the middle of my tongue - about an inch long and 1/4 inch wide. No taste buds - purely smooth but not reddened. I have read that lack of B12 can cause tongue issues but unsure as to whether my symptom fits that bill.
I would suggest also seeing a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor just to get their take on it. You don’t have to take their medicine and would be best not to if you are already on western medicine. But it would be good to get their opinion on it anyway

I had issues with my tongue and discovered that I was zinc and Vitamin B12 deficient and my liver was overloaded. This was from a TCM doctor; my own western doctor did not have a flipping clue!

Interestingly years ago the TCM doctor also suggested UC from my tongue, long before my gastro officially diagnosed it.
 
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