Try proper supplementing for a couple of weeks
My Cheilitis was easy to treat. After reading some of the piles of web info and inquiries out there, I decided to give a quick note on my condition in an attempt to maybe help another. I’ve had this condition twice in the last 2 years. I get painful corner mouth cracks, and scaly peeling lips with mild lip irritation (feeling chapped, kind of puffy). At first, I treated it with chap stick for about 3 weeks, then went to my naturopath. Blood work showed low iron storage. (But not hemoglobin, to be clear). Also low zinc levels. I didn’t feel like I had any other symptoms of low iron, other than cracked lips. Here is what I did immediately: multi-vitamin supplement, iron supplement, zinc, Vitamin C.
Upon taking these, my Cheilitis responded within a few days, and in less than a week was gone. I also used coconut oil on my lips while they were healing. This only made them feel better, I don’t think it had much to do with curing the condition, and was hard to keep the oil on my lips. My Cheilitis has returned 2 years later. I haven’t been taking my supplements for about six months. This time I decided to try the anti-fungal cream (for ringworm) just to see if the web info was correct about its use. For 1 week I applied the cream 2 to 3 times a day. It did absolutely nothing to change the Cheilitis. I also tried apple cider vinegar and Listerine. Made it worse if anything. I started taking the same supplements that I listed above. Within 3 days my Cheilitis was almost gone. This time I used a lip balm made of Emu oil while they were healing. Again, this was to soothe the lips, not to cure them. For me, it is definitely related to a vitamin nutritional deficiency, and responds easily to supplementing. I’m lucky in that regard. If you plan to try vitamins, here is how and what I take: multivitamin has iron in it, and I take that with a meal, along with 500 mg Vitamin C (to help absorption, especially if you drink coffee which prevents nutrients). Later I take an iron pill that has B12 and folate in it as well (mine is 28mg) and another 1000 mg of Vitamin C tablets. (Again- the C is important). Later, I take a zinc tablet (10 - 15 mg) with 500 mg Vitamin C tablet. After a week or two, I start alternating days on the iron and zinc pills. My perspective is that something in these supplements is working to correct an imbalance in my body. I don’t know exactly what or why the imbalance causes my lips to display Cheilitis, but it is fixable. I’m a 48 year old female in pre-menopause.
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