LaLanaeNae85

Im a 33 year old woman and i’ve been sober for 4 months now after years of drinking (bottle of wine a night + 4-6 beers a night) and it just seems like one health issue after another!

Recently have been diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome, I have a daily “scratchy” throat and headaches. Just feel run down.

I’ve been to doctors and scoped by the ENT and it just never seems to get better.

I try to stay off google but I have medical anxiety and some days can’t help myself and convinced it’s something terrible!

What are some experiences of others and how long did it last? Starting to feel hopeless and like it will never get better...

Thanks!

Atlast9999

I’m sorry your not feeling well. Does your doctor have any other ideas/other referrals for you? If it were me, I would keep going back until I had some answers.

Dr. Google is horrible - it always gives you the worst diagnosis. I have (incorrectly) diagnosed myself several times over.

Keep us posted!

Anna

Welcome and congratulations on 4 months of sobriety!

I haven't heard of burning mouth syndrome, but has your doctor offered any kind of medication for the problem? If it's not improving, it might be a good idea to go back, especially since you're feeling run down.

August252015

Four months is great! And still early. We did damage to all kinds of things in our bodies when drinking, and it takes time to heal. Being sober, though, I was able to address things and definitely needed good drs (still do!). The first year is so important because we can see and make changes in all areas of our health and life.

Keep going.

Hawking22

I feel ya, sister! I've had all kinds of weird health ailments since I got sober (have about half the time you do, HUGE CONGRATS on four months!!!). Google and Web MD are definitely not my friend either. I'm learning more and more though, that, as AUGUST mentioned, our body is going through the lovely process of righting and fixing itself. So even though we feel crappy and uncomfortable, it's a good thing! Our bodies are healing, and we have to be patient. Better now while we're young too!

Congrats again and stay strong!

tekink

I didn’t begin to start feeling any better until around 6 months and then it was just a little bit better. Took me a solid 13 months to actually start feeling good.


It’s been well worth it for me.

LaLanaeNae85

1

LaLanaeNae85

Here's a little more background...

At the very beginning when I stopped drinking, I started having a lot of tingling in my hands and feet, have had multiple blood tests and everything was "within normal range" except for slightly elevated WBC count (which eventually lowered since quitting).

Doctors kept "diagnosing" me with Sinus infections and then I had ended up getting Oral Thrush about 1.5 months ago which I thought was strange considering I am a fairly healthy person. Chalked it up to cutting out the alcohol and my body freaking out with all that excess sugar.

Finally I was referred to the ENT who did a CT of my sinuses said everything looked fine, no infection...slightly swollen in my nasal passages, even with all of my symptoms of burning in mouth, tongue tingling, left side of face numb and tingly he didn't bother scoping me. (Also Leaving out that I have a cyst and small osteoma in my sinuses).

I am a terrible googler of my symptoms (I know I know...It's a naughty habit!) and started to convince myself I had some sort of Oral/Throat cancer, especially since I had finished antibiotics and started feeling bad again. Started to get the constant burning mouth/lips/throat/gums, usually okay in the morning and worse throughout day and with eating certain foods.

THEN my symptoms took a turn and I started to have full body tingling and numbness and the feeling of passing out when I would lie down for bed. I couldn't sleep for days because I'd wake up with that feeling and was afraid I wouldn't wake up! Made an appt with my doc and she ordered an MRI (started thinking MS at this point)

MRI all clear...

Then decided to get a second opinion with a different ENT who thankfully decided to scope mt throat (probably more to put me at ease) and he said everything looked great with no lesions and just diagnosed me with Burning Mouth Syndrome (They don't know why it happens, possibly Thrush or stress/anxiety and there is no cure. It could last a month or years. Treat it with a "Magic Mouthwash" of 5 different drugs. Benedryl, Prednisone, Mayloxx, Nystatin and Lidocaine) and TMJ.

That brings me pretty much to today...

Feeling frustrated and terrible and like this will never end and still slightly convinced there is something terrible going on in my body...

I recently decided to make an appointment on my own with a Naturopath to explore more Natural healing and I've heard they address the patient as a "Whole" and not just your "Symptoms."

Hopefully I'll find more answers there!

What things has everyone else experienced!?

I'm so happy to be sober and on the path to a healthier life but I won't lie...There are days I think "God...I feel like a drink would just make me feel 'better'"

If you made it through...Thanks for reading my looooonnnnnggggg shpeal!

LaLanaeNae85

Oh...and dizziness...SO much dizziness!!! Haha!

D122y

Lalan,

You can see in my signature my drinking status. Some folks like to count clean days, like me, others like clock resetting. Whatever. I care about me and I can tell you care about you.

I was a blubbering mess, off and on, for well over a year. But, I could feel myself healing a teeny bit every second.

When I was in my bed, laying down, I could find serenity.

Even today, with all of these clean days, I still feel jacked up sometimes. But, most of the time, I feel very normal.

It centers around stress and my lack of experience dealing with it. I am getting better all the time.

If I told the Dr. how I felt in the early days, I would have been diagnosed as a nut case or whatever. I would have lost my job for sure and probably my driving privileges.

I hung in there and now I am way way way better.

I am med free, except for Lisinopril, a B supp, and a multi. I drink about 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day and 2 to 3 cups of tea.

That is a lot, but I have an addictive personality.

So, I said all that to say the most important thing I learned from SR....

It gets better every day.

Thanks.

LaLanaeNae85

I am seeing a Naturopath next week who can hopefully shed some more light and offer more help!

Hopes of nothing serious and hopes for some relief! SOON!

LaLanaeNae85

They don’t really know what cause. Tuning moutg syndrome. They say it could be vitamin deficiency, brought on by oral thrush, anxiety, stress and there isn’t a cure. Could last a month or years. It basically causes a feeling of a burning sensation on your tongue, gums, throat, lips. Mines usually fine in the morning and gets worse throughout day or with eating certain foods.

They give you a “magic mouthwash” with Benedryl, Nystatin, Prednisone, Mayloxx and Lidocaine to ease the sensation.

LaLanaeNae85

Congrats on your sobriety too! WE can do this and get through the days where we feel like crud and may want to throw in the towel!

Tammy7272

I’m 8 months with no alcohol and experiencing the scratchy throat every day. It didn’t help that after I stopped drinking(because of a 2 month sickness) I noticed white patches in my throat. I have had allergy/sinus issues this whole time too. Tested negative for allergies. Let’s just say Dr. Google has the poop scared out of me!

I also have these weird random mouth sores that come and go. Some have not gone all the way just like little irritations that I can always feel, like a raised spot, but will flare up and be sore for a week or two.

I have been to 3 ents. The first was a real jerk. Looked at my throat and said that’s not cancer. The only way to know that is to do a biopsy. After pushing him, he finally did that and it came back as “inflamed tonsillar tissue” I doubt it is cancer but maybe leukoplakia? He wouldn’t provide me a detailed pathology report, only final diagnosis. Fast forward to last Dr. He did a tonsillectomy thinking that may help with throat issues. He was also supposed to do a biopsy on the other white patch. Reading the surgical notes he acknowledges there was an abnormality but cut it out with the tonsil and no emphasis was directed to it for the pathologist. This time the diagnosis was “follicular lymphoid hyperplasia” Again no detailed pathology report. And when I look up leukoplakias histology it’s basically a hyperplastic state. He said what we look for is dysplasia. I’m grateful there was none but of course I’m paranoid that this could eventually turn that way.

I am taking anxiety meds to try and chill and need klonopin to sleep. Sometimes I think drinking was the easier route...kidding of course!!! I’m hoping things get better soon for the both of us!

Gottalife

At four months, nearly three of which were spent in treatment I was about ready to end it all. I could not function at all, couldn't even get out of bed. The nurses reprot described my living conditions as absolute squallor. So what was wrong? I was suffering huge self pity and crippling fear and could not see my way out of it.

It was, as it turns out, untreated alcoholism, what we might call the spiritual malady, a complete disconnect from the world I lived in. And that kind of thing can have physical effects too. One time I had pustules all over my hands that were stress related, and the stress was due to my getting lazy in mr program of recovery. The AA Big Book makes a statement along the lines of 'Once we straighten out spiritually, we straighten out physically and mentally. There is an order to things.

To go back to my story at the start, my solution was to drink again. That fixed it instantly, but only temporarily. Then started another rapid downhill slide which eventually lead me to AA, the spiritual solution, and permanent recovery.

You could have something medical going on. Only your doctors can work that one out. But I can say from my own experience that I got very sick and miserable, and eventually drank again, when my program of recovery consisted of just don't drink and nothing else.

2ndhandrose

Hi LaLanaeNae85

Oh boy, I feel your pain!

Burning Mouth Syndrome was one of the many health issues I experienced during my first year of sobriety.

It is miserable! Mine came and went and came again and went again. I can't remember how long I had it or how long it has been gone but, it has been at least a couple of years since.

I found that once I was through my first year, most of my symptoms dissipated plus I started treatment for my ongoing depression, that seemed to give me even more improvement.