Question about white tongue

[stick gal]

I know thrush can be a symptom but I thought it was painful? I have a wide white strip on each side of my tongue but no pain. Thrush?

[THE BRIT]

  It can sting with some food adn drink but doesn't always hurt.  Get some nystatin and eat natural yoguart that will clear it up.

[ashewoman]

Yeah doc prescribed Nystatin which is naaaaaasty!  But I find taking refrigerated probiotics sort of reduces likelihood of repeats.  Because I got it like every few weeks for a while there.  :'(ANd I'm not kidding... nystatin is disgusting.  GG

[stick gal]

Thanks. Will bring it up with my rheumy when I go back next week

[LizPetillo]

Not all white tongues are thrush.

When I first got really sick with Sjogrens, my tongue turned white.  It's still white, but not as much now that the plaquinel is kicking in.

I got misdiagnosed as having thrush .. went through all the meds .. had bad reactions to some of them (ancobon) ... and it wasn't until the cultures came back weeks later that I found out it wasn't thrush.

On an episode of Doctors one day they said that autoimmune and thrush both can cause a white tongue.  But don't just assume it's trush.

[olmphoto2]

Another possibility:  Lichen planus is an auto immune condition that can cause symptoms a number of places on the body.  My nails are effected and several other areas.  Oral appearance can be quite varied.

Here is a Mayo Clinic link for oral lichen planus:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/oral-lichen-planus/DS00784

[reesatay]

I had thrush and took nystatin liquid (for me the taste was OK, but needs to be refrigerated) then took the lozenges (much more convenient).  Finally the thrush went away but I still have white on my tongue because my mouth is so dry.  I gently use a tongue brush to clean the white stuff off but usually there is always some whiteness present. 

[gurs]

Nystatin liquid tastes good? its all sugar? uhmmm...maybe yours was a different brand that tasted bad? I used to be able to get nystatin powder that you swish in your mouth, but my insurance stopped covering it. You can go to the health food store and get chewable probiotics that help-per my ENT. I get the white on the sides of my mouth...mine is mostly yeast..its kinda patchy looking? sometimes its white, but I think
thats from the overnight dryness...best to talk with an ENT or something to get good diagnoses..they say if its in your mouth, its in your
entire GI tract-intestines. You also should refrain from sugars and stay on good probiotics indefinately. I take tons of them daily.

Gursie

[Styx]

I've had a white tongue every since this started (and long before symptoms of dry mouth). I asked several doctors about it, and I was told it was "a layer of mucous." I have no idea if they are correct.

Styx