Ulcers

[phoenix]

Do any of you experience ulcers at all as tuba players? I have about 3 or 4 inside my mouth right now, making it impossible to play like I i normally do. Also, eating and swallowing are problems they are so bad. I'm thinking I'm just worn out, having played at least one college audition or band festival once a week for about 2.5 months. They started the second day of the All Eastern Band festival (last Friday) with only one, and it's like they've multiplied. My mouth gets dry very quickly, i don't know if it's a sore throat or just the ulcers but it hurts to swallow, especially in the morning. Anyway, should I see a doctor and get some medicine for this since I have a region orchestra festival coming on Thursday through Saturday, or is there something I can do at home here to alleviate the pains?

[JayW]

" I AM NOT A DOCTOR" but would offer this advice from experience ONLY.

Make sure you are properly hydrating youself..... which means drink enough water, but not too much. Over-hydration is very common and it will actually make you feel dehydrated (think back to learning OSMOSIS in bio class..... drink too much water and you basically dilute your bodies fluids)
Also, do you eat properly? breakfast, lunch , dinner? Stomach acids can wreak havoc.
As for treatment.... Salt Water rinse works well...... also an over the counter product called Glyoxide (basically an oral peroxide) that will help keep away infection in your mouth and promote healing.

These are just some thought and idea..... Please do see a doctor if it is serious and I hope you are feeling better soon !

[Captain Sousie]

Or a nasty painful remedy that works like a charm is Ora-5. It is available at most pharmacies. I use it whenever I mash my tuba mouthpiece into my gums or my lip hard enough to leave a sore.

[chhite]

Another not so pleasant remedy is to use a styptic pencil on the ulcers. It's like a salt lick in the shape of a pencil that can be found in the shaving isle of most grocery stores or pharmacies. Wet the end then place on the spots. It tastes horrible but you get an accurate placement. The salt water rinse is also a good idea since you have more than one spot present.

[Chuck(G)]

I'm not a physician, but have suffered from aphthous ulcers ("canker sores") prety much all my life. You mght be experiencing the onset of these.

A medical professional (usually a dentist) can make a definitive diagnosis and I strongly urge you to seek care. It might be something as simple as an allergic reaction or it may be canker sores.

See if the symptomology looks familiar:

http://www.animated-teeth.com/canker_so ... _sores.htm

If it is canker sores:

They're not viral, nor are they brought on by dehydration; they're not contagious, either. The cause isn't precisely understood, but is suspected to be an auto-immune reaction.

When I get an outbreak, it can be related to stress, fatigue, a fever or even sunburn or seemingly nothing at all. As I grow older, the frequency and severity of the attacks have lessened, though I still get them anywhere in the area of the soft palate, including anywhere on my tongue, gums or the inside of my cheeks. They heal in about 2 weeks, hurt like the dickens and make my teeth feel loose. About the only thing that seems to help is a topical sealant, such as Zylactin. A prescription mouthwash containing chlorhexidine gluconate also seems to speed healing a bit. Forget anitvirals, cold sore medications and L-Lysine; they don't help.

Keep your mouth clean by regular flossing and brushing (check out your toothpaste--there is some evidence that sodium lauryl sulfate (the "soap" in toothpaste) can trigger an outbreak in some individuals. Stay rested and learn to deal with stress non-destructively. It may not seem like it at the moment, but rest assured that you can live a normal life even if your mouth seems to erupt with these things every so often.

Things have gotten a lot better in the decades since I had my first eruption. Back in those good old days, there were only two treatments--cauterization with a silver chloride pencil or painting the sores with a solution of gentian violet (purple teeth and gums).

Don't be discouraged--you won't have the ulcers all of the time--they're just one of those darned speedbumps in the highway of life.

Best of luck to you!

[chevy68chv]

I've gotten canker sores for years, starting when I was in elementary school. I always seem to get them either
A. When I have a big test/audition coming up or
B. When I have cut the inside of my mouth from some sort of food I have been eating.

All I can say is, relax, and try not to eat tortilla chips. Other than that, you may consider switching your brand of toothpaste. Some doctors think they might be cause by an alergic reaction to sodium flouride, which I guess is a foaming agent in toothpaste. I've had good luck with Colgate, even though it still has it listed as an ingredient. On the rare occasions that I still do get them there is a product called Zilactin B that forms a protective film over these sores. while it does contain a numbing agent it is not strung enough to where I have noticed a difference in my playing.

Hope this helps.

[Mitch]

For ulcers insude the mouth, the herpes virus is more often than not excluded as a source. Chuck(G) was correct in saying that no single concensus exists as to the true nature/source of the ulcers, other than the thought that anyone who is in some way immuno-comprimised (from simple allergies to AIDS) is more likely to experience them. Occurance is also thought to be familial. It is also believed that they are less likely to appear as a person ages.
If you are experiencing them with great frequency, see your doctor.
If you are experiencing them without initial trauma (biting the lip/cheek, cuts from crunchy foods), see your doctor.
That said, examine your diet. I have a crossbite and have, on occassion put some rather nasty holes in the side of my cheeks, only to have them turn into nasty ulcers that took weeks to subside. 14 months ago I started the Atkins diet. I haven't had an ulcer since. For more reasons than I will go into here, your body chemistry can create an environment in your mouth conducive to ulcers. Drinking lots of water can help some. But elminating sugars from your diet drastically cuts down on the acids in your mouth that might be leading to so many ulcers.
BRUSH FREQUENTLY, immediately after every meal and every other chance you get, using a toothpaste like Colgate Total, which has an antibacterial agent (triclosan). Drink no regular soda and chew sugar-free gum if you can't brush right after the meal (chewing increases saliva production which helps rinse the mouth). Any time you snack, brush. When you leave the house in the morning, include a toothbrush and toothpaste. It can help.

Mitch "I'm not a dentist, but my wife is, and we've discussed this at length" Williams

[winston]

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[rascaljim]

I just had a similar situation with canker sores (I'm not sure if it's the same thing or not) but what I used and was told to by a nurse is L-Lysine the dietary supplement. I promise you... if it's anything like the same thing you'll be fine in like 2 to 4 days.

send me a message if you'd like more info

Jim

[MaryAnn]

http://www.animated-teeth.com/canker_so ... _sores.htm

EXCELLENT SITE.

Now I don't have to say anything at all!

MA

[Getzeng50s]

sounds like herpes to me. try massage therapy (stress relief) and lots o water stay away fomr the chocolate

[bigboom]

My little brother used to get them a lot and we discoverd that it was an allergic reaction to something in apples. He used to eat one or two a day and when he stopped, so did the sores. I'd talk to some sort of a dentist or phisician to try and narrow down what is really causing it if they don't go away after a few more days. Until then the salt water rinse is what I have always heard to do.

Ben